RoboSense Forecasts First Quarterly Profit on Robotics LiDAR

RoboSense just flagged its first quarterly net profit, forecasting at least RMB 60 million as robotics LiDAR sales explode.

The Hong Kong-listed company, ticker 2498.HK, said in a February 2026 profit alert that it expects Q4 2025 to deliver a net profit of no less than RMB 60 million, signaling a material earnings turn after years of rapid top-line growth and asset-management optimization. Shares jumped as much as 15% on the news, underscoring investor faith that the robotics segment has finally become the profit engine long hinted at by RoboSense.

The details behind the forecast illustrate a pivot in RoboSense’s mix. Total LiDAR unit sales in 2025 rose to more than 303,000—a staggering year-on-year jump of over 1,142% versus 2024—driven by demand beyond traditional automotive uses. In the fourth quarter alone, RoboSense sold 459,600 LiDAR units, with 221,200 of those deployed in robotics applications. That robotics slice was nearly on par with automotive-grade ADAS LiDAR sales, highlighting a meaningful shift from pure auto-sensor supply to diversified industrial and service robotics deployments.

RoboSense has been signaling a strategic pivot for some time: expanding beyond automotive LiDAR into the broader robotics market. Analysts say this diversification matters for margins. robotics LiDAR tends to carry higher margin opportunities when paired with software, perception stacks, and ongoing service, even as it requires deeper collaboration with system integrators and robotics platforms. A more balanced revenue mix could also cushion RoboSense from cyclicality in auto OEMs’ purchase cycles and component shortages that still ripple through the Western-led automotive supply chain.

From a Chinese supply-chain vantage point, the company’s results carry broader implications. If RoboSense’s robotics-led growth sustains, it could help China’s LiDAR ecosystem de-risk its exposure to vehicle platforms and accelerate the maturation of domestic robotics ecosystems—from warehouse automation to inspection and service robots. The numbers also reflect a scale-up story that Chinese LiDAR players have pursued for several years: move beyond showroom-grade automotive sensing into industrial applications that demand larger, repeatable volumes and tighter module-level cost controls.

Two practitioner takeaways stand out. First, for global manufacturers sourcing LiDAR sensors, RoboSense’s 2025 milestone—303,000 LiDAR units sold in total, with robotics taking a growing and increasingly profitable share—suggests supply reliability could improve as more Chinese suppliers convert military-grade R&D into repeatable, industrial-grade volumes. But success hinges on integration ecosystems: robotics customers seek end-to-end solutions, not just sensors. Second, the margin implication is real but nuanced. While robotics sales can lift profitability, customers in that segment often require broader software, calibration, and after-sales support. Companies should model total solution economics rather than sensor unit economics alone.

Yet questions remain. Will the 60 million RMB profit be sustained across subsequent quarters, or was the fourth quarter a one-off due to favorable product mix, asset-management gains, or timing effects? RoboSense’s stated trajectory implies a longer, more resilient profitability path if robotics volumes stabilize around 400,000–500,000 LiDAR units per quarter in 2026, with robotics continuing to outsize automotive demand. Investors will be watching for the company’s detailed quarterly results and the durability of its venture into robotics as a primary growth engine.

In short, RoboSense’s robotics-led surge marks a watershed: a Chinese LiDAR company moving from a specialty auto-sensor supplier toward a diversified, higher-margin robotics play—and showing investors that the numbers, not just the rhetoric, may finally catch up with the ambition.

Sources

RoboSense Shares Surge 15% on First Quarterly Profit Forecast Driven by Robotics LiDAR Growth