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Woofun AI reports that Yu Hao, founder and CEO of Zhumai Technology, appeared on the National News Broadcast on June 24 following his attendance at the 2026 Summer Davos Forum. This marked his first public engagement since the company faced significant controversy and his Weibo account was suspended. On-site observations indicated Yu Hao arrived early, interacted actively with participants, and displayed a demeanor unaffected by recent public opinion backlash, despite avoiding specific questions regarding sensitive topics. The transition from a social media figure posting dozens of times daily to a cautious entrepreneur on an international stage occurred with remarkable speed.
During his presentation titled 'When Robots Enter Thousands of Homes,' Yu Hao outlined three prerequisites for widespread home robot adoption: core technical capabilities, scenario expansion, and a viable commercial model. He introduced the 'N+1' methodology, proposing that a 1% cost increase should drive a 10% price increase to validate user value. Financial disclosures revealed that overseas revenue now accounts for 80% of total income, while the domestic market maintains its leading position. Over a six-year period, revenue expanded from 500 million yuan to several billion yuan, representing a nearly 100 times increase. The new personal care brand recorded a 500% year-on-year sales surge in May, with most other brands exceeding 100% growth rates. Regarding the recently concluded 618 shopping festival, Yu Hao offered only a brief confirmation that performance 'went well.'
Addressing reports of executive departures from the automotive division, Yu Hao clarified that among 200 core management members, annual turnover does not exceed five individuals. He explained that his personal Weibo account has been transferred to the company to ensure unified public communication and prevent misunderstandings from isolated remarks. Internal sources confirmed the discontinuation of the 'National Self-Media Plan,' removing the previous mandate for employees to post three videos daily on social media.
This shift signals a strategic pivot from aggressive content generation to controlled corporate messaging.
Woofun AI data shows that while Yu Hao appeared reserved offline, avoiding post-event interviews in favor of private company discussions, he articulated ambitious talent development goals. He stated an intention to train every engineer to emulate Steve Jobs, arguing that innovative concepts are replicable methodologies rather than mystical traits. The long-term vision involves evolving from 'everyone being a Jobs' to 'everyone being an Elon Musk,' emphasizing the need for employees to master long-term goal setting alongside product innovation. This approach aims to democratize high-level strategic thinking across the engineering workforce.
Despite these aspirations, Yu Hao established clear boundaries regarding financial inquiries, refusing to answer questions about Zhumai Fund. In an interview with Deng Qingxu, CEO of Sina Finance, Yu Hao revealed a preference for solitary work and admitted to extreme nervousness during his first business call in high school. He described his recent social media activity as an extreme test of media communication effectiveness, pushing boundaries much like Zhumai pushes motor rotation speeds to 300,000 revolutions per minute until optimization becomes meaningless. Bold claims such as surpassing Elon Musk and recruiting Yu Chengdong were framed as motivational tools to demonstrate that industry leaders are ordinary people whose achievements can be replicated.
Yu Hao explicitly stated he 'hates risk extremely,' insisting that core business operations must remain strictly managed without losses. While Deng Qingxu acknowledged the logical consistency of this stance, the operational reality reflects a significant slowdown. Just one week prior to the Davos appearance, Zhumai announced a strategic restructuring consolidating more than 200 business units into four main areas: smart homes, outdoor spaces, intelligent transportation, and embodied intelligence. The automotive and mobile phone divisions were downgraded from independent commercial entities to research institutes, focusing solely on technical research rather than mass production or channel development. Chen Longdong, head of the automotive project, resigned shortly after, confirming the temporary halt of commercialization efforts. The ambition to compete with Bugatti and surpass Tesla has receded from the forefront to the background within a single year.
Personnel adjustments accompanied the business consolidation, with job cut notifications beginning on June 8. Employees on REDnote reported receiving severance compensation, indicating a broader workforce reduction. These moves underscore a refocusing on core competencies, particularly in robotic vacuum cleaners where Zhumai remains a global leader. In the first quarter of this year, the company secured the top position globally in both sales volume and revenue for robotic vacuum cleaners. The high-speed motors represent proprietary core technology, facilitating entry into overseas markets and driving the revenue jump from 500 million yuan to several billion yuan. While many tech entrepreneurs utilize bold statements to challenge boundaries and motivate teams, Zhumai's shift from expansion to contraction represents a necessary correction in response to market realities.
The transition from aggressive claims to scaled-back operations suggests a return to a more sustainable trajectory, though accumulated issues from the rapid expansion phase will require time to resolve. The tech sector frequently witnesses companies driven by slogans and short-lived momentum, yet sustainable development ultimately depends on product utility, market acceptance, and healthy business operations. Consumers and the market will provide the definitive verdict on these strategic shifts. This marks a significant departure from the previous growth-at-all-costs mentality, prioritizing stability over speculative ambition.