- The XbotPark-incubated company secured tens of millions of yuan to expand its AI-powered kitchen appliance business
- Its compact dishwasher has entered more than 3,000 US stores and recently posted a strong crowdfunding debut in Japan
Lissome (栗上), a Chinese startup developing AI-enabled kitchen appliances, has raised tens of millions of yuan in a Series A funding round led by HongShan and Brizan Ventures, as the company looks to expand overseas following the commercial success of its flagship countertop dishwasher.
Existing investors and HKX Capital also participated in the round.
The company had previously raised several rounds of financing totaling tens of millions of yuan from investors including the CWB StartX Fund founded by Hong Kong University of Science and Technology professor Li Zexiang, Professor Ko Ping-keung and Challenjers Venture.
Lissome was incubated at XbotPark’s Ningbo base and focuses on AI kitchen appliances and food technology. XbotPark is a robotics and hardware startup incubator founded by DJI co-founder and professor Li Zexiang that supports entrepreneurs through funding, mentorship and manufacturing resources.
Born out of XbotPark
Founder Xie Mingzuo joined a startup training program at the Ningbo TechX Institute in 2021 with a simple idea: building a dishwasher that could fit into small kitchens without requiring major installation work.
After four years of development and iteration, the concept evolved from a prototype into a mass-produced product manufactured in Ningbo.
The company’s team spans robotics, intelligent sensing and motion-control technologies, with members drawn from firms including DJI, Midea Group and Fotile.
Its first product, the R1 capsule dishwasher, measures just 28 centimeters wide and uses a proprietary high-pressure brushless water pump and four-arm washing system.
The unit can complete a wash cycle in 15 minutes and does not require modifications to household plumbing.
The R1 also incorporates automatic detergent capsule dispensing, automatic door opening and drying, and triple sterilization functions.
Sales take off at home and abroad
According to the company, a single capsule refill can support more than two weeks of cleaning. Features previously found mainly in premium models have been incorporated into a lower-priced product.
The dishwasher was named one of the seven coolest products at the CES 2025.
The product has topped dishwasher sales rankings on platforms including Xiaohongshu, Tmall and Douyin in China. Lissome said sales surpassed 100 million yuan ($14.8 million) within 180 days of launch.
In Japan, the R1 recently completed a crowdfunding campaign on Makuake, raising 130 million yen ($805,926).
Next stop: AI-enhanced appliances
Local governments in Ningbo provided talent incentives, marketing support and supply-chain assistance during the company’s early stages, while XbotPark helped guide the team from prototype development to mass production through its education-to-commercialization model.
Lissome said the R1 is now available in more than 3,000 retail stores across the United States.
The company plans to enter additional overseas markets in 2026 and launch a second-generation capsule dishwasher in 2027, integrating more AI and robotics technologies to enhance sensing, decision-making and automated user interaction.
