672Driven by the trend of consumption upgrading, emerging categories represented by smart home systems are rapidly rising, becoming an important part of the home market.
According to data from Statista, in 2025, the global smart home market revenue will reach $174 billion. It is expected to maintain steady growth at a compound annual growth rate of 9.55% from 2025 to 2029. By 2029, the global smart home market size will exceed $250.6 billion.
Among them, the European and American markets contributed the main revenue, about $43 billion, and consumer demand for remote control and automated homes continues to rise.
Image source: Statista
Under this trend,the smart home brand SwitchBot from Shenzhen, Chinahas sensed the business opportunity in overseas markets, entering the overseas market with AI smart home robots and quickly opening up the situation.
It is reported that in the three years from 2022 to 2024, the total annual revenue of the SwitchBot brand exceeded 1.3 billion yuan, with 275 million, 457 million, and 610 million yuan respectively. Its products are popular in more than 90 countries and regions including Japan, Europe, and North America. Among them, its performance in the Japanese market is particularly outstanding, with some products ranking at the top of Amazon Japan, and its AI home robot system has been the sales leader in the Japanese market for three consecutive years.
So, from Shenzhen to the world, what are the key success factors in SwitchBot's overseas expansion path? What are its core strategies?
Image source: SwitchBot
The Growth Path of SwitchBot
It is understood that the SwitchBot brand was founded by Shenzhen Woan Technology in 2015.
The founder, Mr. Li, graduated from Harbin Institute of Technology and obtained a master's degree in electronics from Nanyang Technological University at the age of 21. After graduation, he worked as an electrical and electronic engineer at a company in Singapore that provided cloud IT solutions. Driven by his vision for the smart home industry, Mr. Li, together with his classmate Mr. Pan from HIT and other core members, started a business to develop intelligent products that can remotely control home appliances.
In 2016, the team successfully developed its first product, SwitchBox, an innovative product known as "the world's smallest robot" that can simulate the action of a human hand pressing a switch. In 2017, the product was officially mass-produced in the form of a finger robot, attracting attention in the smart home field with its unique practical functions.
During the brand's development, SwitchBot received support from well-known investors such as "DJI Godfather" Li Zexiang and Hillhouse Capital. Li Zexiang and robotics expert Gao Bingqiang also served as non-executive directors of the brand, providing professional guidance for product development.
With a strong technical team and industry resources, the SwitchBot brand gradually expanded its product line, now covering multiple categories such as smart curtain switches, sensors, lighting, etc., and has been recognized as a national "Little Giant" enterprise specializing in special and new technologies.
As of now, the SwitchBot App has more than 3 million registered users, and the number of connected devices has exceeded 9 million, becoming an important part of the smart home ecosystem for overseas consumers.
Image source: SwitchBot
Social Media Marketing: Using Scenario-Based Content to Bridge Cultural Differences
The success of the SwitchBot brand in overseas markets is inseparable from its refined operation of social media platforms.
In order to build awareness in overseas markets, SwitchBot adopted a "function visualization" communication strategy. Unlike simply displaying technical parameters, the brand focuses more on demonstrating the practical value of its products through life scenarios.
TikTok:
SwitchBot's official TikTok account @theswitchbot currently has 50,200 followers and 125,300 likes.
The videos posted on the account mainly showcase product functions, demonstrating usage operations for users in daily life scenarios, allowing users to obtain effective information and quickly understand product performance in just a few dozen seconds of video.
Image source: TikTok
Take the video with the best data in the account as an example. The content intuitively demonstrates the actual application scenario of the smart curtain switch, which can be adapted to various curtain tracks. Users only need to use the mobile APP to remotely control the opening and closing of the curtains, which can greatly improve the convenience of life.
As of now, the video has reached 649,700 views and over 51,600 likes. Many users in the comments section have expressed interest in the product, such as "I want it!" and "Looks cool," etc.
Image source: TikTok
SwitchBot has also established partnerships with several tech vertical influencers on TikTok, allowing them to share their experiences using SwitchBot products in daily life, leveraging influencer effects to enhance brand exposure.
TikTok tech influencer @giftgecko, who has 566,900 followers, collaborated with SwitchBot to shoot a video on the use of the smart curtain switch.
In the video, the influencer demonstrates the installation process of the smart curtain tool: first fixing the device on the curtain track, then showcasing its intelligent functions. When waking up in the morning, just tap on the mobile APP and the curtains can open automatically, completely eliminating the need to manually pull the curtains. Once released, the video received a very enthusiastic response. As of now, it has reached 5.3 million views and 115,900 likes.
Many loyal fans of the influencer got to know the SwitchBot brand through this video, and after watching it, they all felt "really good!" and "very cool!"
Image source: TikTok
YouTube:
On the YouTube platform, SwitchBot focuses on building a professional and reliable tech brand image. By collaborating with tech influencers to produce in-depth review videos, it systematically showcases product function details and technical advantages. These 10-15 minute long videos can meet the needs of tech enthusiasts and naturally build user trust in product performance during professional reviews.
Tech blogger Smart Home Solver, who has 688,000 subscribers, shot an in-depth review video for SwitchBot's smart switch robot.
Image source: YouTube
In the video, he reviews the SwitchBot smart switch robot from a professional perspective. First, he disassembles and demonstrates the installation process of the product, emphasizing its seamless compatibility with traditional switches. In the function test section, he demonstrates the response speed and stability of APP remote control through actual tests. This kind of real review sharing not only shows the technical advantages of the product, but also provides reliable purchase references for potential users.
As of now, the video has received 250,000 views, and many people have left comments:
"I think if I use the switch robot, I will turn on my espresso machine in the morning, so that when I get up and walk to the kitchen, the coffee machine is already preheated. I can also use the light switch app to turn on the lights when I'm not at home, creating the feeling of being at home. This is really cool."
"Thank you, I've been looking for this for the past three days."
"Very cool device, well explained. Thank you."
Image source: YouTube
Channel Layout: Amazon for Bestsellers, Independent Site for Brand Building
After talking about social media marketing, let's take a look at SwitchBot's channel strategy.
In the early stage, SwitchBot first relied on Amazon to quickly validate the market, using FBA logistics and platform promotions to increase exposure. Its smart plugs, curtain switches, and other products have repeatedly topped the sales charts on Amazon Japan, which also proves the efficiency of e-commerce platforms for new product cold starts.
Image source: Amazon
When star products have accumulated enough buzz, SwitchBot began to build its own independent site. In addition to displaying the full range of products, the independent site also provides value-added services such as device linkage solutions and compatibility queries. This layout not only reduces SwitchBot's dependence on third-party platforms, but also facilitates the collection of user data to optimize products, which is of great benefit to the brand's long-term healthy development.
Image source: SwitchBot
Inspiration: A Feasible Path for Chinese Brands Going Global
In summary, the case of SwitchBot proves that companies with differentiated capabilities and product R&D strength do have the possibility to gain a foothold in overseas markets. When Chinese brands no longer simply pursue short-term sales, but focus on building long-term competitiveness, they can occupy a more important position in the competitive landscape of overseas markets.
This path is worth more Chinese companies trying and persevering in.
