Knowin
Knowin (深圳诺因智能有限公司, Shenzhen Knowin Intelligence Co., Ltd., also rendered Noen Intelligence) is a Shenzhen company founded in August 2025 that builds embodied AI models and consumer robots for the home. Founder Li Yinchuan previously led AI-generated-action research at Huawei's Noah's Ark Lab, and the company has more than 200 R&D staff drawn from large-model and consumer-electronics teams, over two-thirds of its algorithm team holding doctorates. Its first robot, the foldable dual-arm KNOWIN-X1, rolls on a wheeled base, folds to 40 cm or less and stands about 130 cm tall when extended. It first appeared at WAIC 2026, tidying tables and folding laundry, and is planned for release in 2027. The robot runs Knowin's GLOW embodied foundation model, which can learn a new task from a single human demonstration and has topped benchmarks such as Embodied Arena and RoboDojo. Knowin says more than 95% of its system is developed in-house. Within its first year it raised five rounds totalling over RMB 1 billion, including a RMB 500 million Angel++ round led by Matrix Partners China.
💡Notable Achievement: Its KNOWIN-X1 folds down to a height of 40 cm or less and unfolds to about 130 cm.
What Does Knowin Do?
Knowin of Shenzhen is building a foldable dual-arm robot for homes, run by its own GLOW model that learns a chore from one demonstration.
“Foldable home robot with its own AI brain.”
KNOWIN-X1
Folds to 40 cm, stands about 130 cm.
GLOW Model
Learns a new task from one demo.
In-house Stack
Over 95% self-developed.
What Can Knowin Robots Actually Do?
Cross-portfolio operational capabilities, manipulation tasks, and environmental competencies
Consumer home robot driven by an in-house embodied model.
Household Chores
Foldable dual-arm robot for tidying, laundry and folding clothes.
Knowin Robots
Showing 1 Humanoid Robots of 1 total model
Knowin-X1
Manufactured by Knowin
KNOWIN-X1 is a foldable dual-arm embodied-AI robot for the home from Knowin in Shenzhen, unveiled at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. Its main trick is size: it folds to a height of 40 cm or less so it can sit under a sofa or in a cupboard, then extends to about 130 cm tall. It can work in lying, kneeling and standing modes for floors, desktops and cabinets. Each arm has 7 degrees of freedom, the whole robot has 23, and the two arms together can carry 6 kg. Vision, depth and LiDAR sensing help it understand a room, and it moves on a wheeled chassis. The robot runs Knowin's in-house GLOW embodied foundation model, and the company says users can teach it a new task by showing it once, with demonstrations such as tidying a desktop, folding clothes and putting items away. Knowin positions it for high-end home users and enthusiasts, expects the first release in 2027, and has not published a price, weight or battery life.
Knowin Software & AI Ecosystem
Developer platforms, fleet management portals, autonomy intelligence, and enterprise integrations
GLOW
Embodied foundation model
Links scene understanding with task execution and learns tasks from one demonstration.
KnowinBrain-1.5
Scene-understanding model
Embodied model for understanding home scenes.
Knowin Timeline & Milestones
Evolutionary history, landmark prototypes, major acquisitions, and commercial roadmap
GLOW tops Embodied Arena benchmark
Knowin's GLOW model ranks first overall in the Embodied Arena 2D embodied question-answering benchmarks.
Source: knowinai.com
Shenzhen Knowin Intelligence founded
Former Huawei Noah's Ark Lab researcher Li Yinchuan founds Knowin in Shenzhen to build embodied AI robots for homes.
Source: knowinai.com
Angel+ round led by Eastern Bell Capital
Knowin closes an Angel+ round led by Eastern Bell Capital, its third round in under six months, at a post-money valuation above RMB 2 billion.
Source: news.pedaily.cn
KNOWIN-X1 shown at WAIC 2026
Knowin first shows its foldable dual-arm KNOWIN-X1 home robot at WAIC 2026, demonstrating table tidying, laundry handling and clothes folding.
Source: huxiu.com
RMB 500 million Angel++ round
Knowin raises a single RMB 500 million Angel++ round led by Matrix Partners China, with Redpoint China, SenseTime Guoxiang Capital and others joining.
Source: m.chinaventure.com.cn
GLOW ranks first on RoboDojo leaderboard
GLOW ranks first on the RoboDojo leaderboard with a 62.2% average success rate across 18 simulated tasks.
Source: knowinai.com
Fifth round lifts total above RMB 1 billion
Knowin closes its fifth round, led by a JD.com-affiliated fund, bringing total funding above RMB 1 billion within its first year.
Source: wallstreetcn.com
Knowin Competitors by Category
Direct industry rivals grouped by specific robotics domain
What Makes Knowin Different?
Editorial AnalysisOrigin of Bots objective strategic assessment, engineering moats, and commercial hurdles
Key Strengths & Moats
- ✓Very large early funding.
- ✓Strong AI research team.
- ✓Benchmark-leading GLOW model.
Core Strategic Focus
Consumer home robots and embodied AI.
Road Ahead & Challenges
- •No product on sale yet.
- •Release planned for 2027.
- •Price not announced.
Knowin vs Key Competitors
Strategic capability matrix across platform categories, commercial readiness, and target markets
Category / Focus
- Knowin-X1
- Foldable wheeled dual-arm home robot
- NEO Home Robot
- Home humanoid
- Astribot S1
- Wheeled household humanoid
Primary Use
- Knowin-X1
- Tidying, laundry, folding clothes
- NEO Home Robot
- Household chores, object retrieval
- Astribot S1
- Fast two-arm manipulation, household tasks
Weight
- Knowin-X1
- Not listed
- NEO Home Robot
- 29.94 kg
- Astribot S1
- 80 kg
Release Year
- Knowin-X1
- 2026
- NEO Home Robot
- 2025
- Astribot S1
- 2024
| Strategic Dimension | Knowin-X1 | NEO Home Robot | Astribot S1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category / Focus | Foldable wheeled dual-arm home robot | Home humanoid | Wheeled household humanoid |
| Primary Use | Tidying, laundry, folding clothes | Household chores, object retrieval | Fast two-arm manipulation, household tasks |
| Weight | Not listed | 29.94 kg | 80 kg |
| Release Year | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 |
Corporate Ecosystem & Ownership Structure
Parent company relationships, historical acquisitions, and global operating facilities
Li Yinchuan
Founder; formerly led AI-generated-action research at Huawei Noah's Ark Lab.
Ownership & Acquisition History
Founder; formerly led AI-generated-action research at Huawei Noah's Ark Lab.
Led the RMB 500 million Angel++ round in August 2026.
Led the Angel+ round in March 2026.
Led the angel round and joined the seed, Angel+ and Angel++ rounds.
Led the seed round and joined the angel and Angel+ rounds.
Co-investor in the August 2026 Angel++ round.
Co-investor in the August 2026 Angel++ round.
Led Knowin's fifth round in September 2026.
Co-investor in the September 2026 round.
Global Facilities & Operating Hubs
Knowin Headquarters
HQShenzhen, Guangdong, China
Unit A2406, Building 12, Shenzhen Bay Eco-Technology Park, 18 Keji South Road, Nanshan District.
Frequently Asked Questions
8 AnswersVerified answers, company specifications, and deployment details about Knowin
What is Knowin?
Knowin (深圳诺因智能有限公司) is a Shenzhen company founded in August 2025 that develops embodied AI foundation models and consumer robots for the home. Its aim is to bring an intelligent robot into every household.
Who founded Knowin?
Li Yinchuan founded Knowin. He previously led AI-generated-action research at Huawei's Noah's Ark Lab, where he worked for about five years, and has around 80 papers and more than 30 patents as first inventor.
What is the KNOWIN-X1?
KNOWIN-X1 is a foldable dual-arm home robot on a wheeled base. It folds to 40 cm or less for storage and extends to about 130 cm, and it is designed for tidying, laundry, folding clothes and organizing items.
When will the KNOWIN-X1 go on sale?
Knowin first showed the KNOWIN-X1 at WAIC in July 2026. Reports say the company plans to release it in 2027 and then move to mass production. An official price has not been announced.
What is the GLOW model?
GLOW is Knowin's own embodied foundation model, which links understanding of a home scene with task execution. The company says it can learn a new task from one human demonstration, and it has topped the Embodied Arena and RoboDojo benchmarks.
How much of Knowin's technology is built in-house?
Knowin says more than 95% of its system is developed in-house, covering the AI models, the robot software and the hardware. It trains heavily on synthetic data to reduce its need for real demonstrations.
How much has Knowin raised?
Knowin raised five rounds totalling over RMB 1 billion within its first year. They include an Angel+ round led by Eastern Bell Capital, a RMB 500 million Angel++ round led by Matrix Partners China and a September 2026 round led by a JD.com-affiliated fund.
How big is Knowin's team?
Knowin had more than 200 R&D staff as of August 2026, covering algorithms, software and hardware. Over two-thirds of its algorithm team hold a doctorate, and the company is based in Shenzhen Bay Eco-Technology Park.
Verified Data & Editorial Assurance
Compiled from verified corporate filings, official Knowin datasheets, and robotics engineering registries. Data is monitored and audited on an ongoing basis for accuracy. For commercial procurement or proprietary integrations, contact the manufacturer directly.