The company’s current legal name is 纯米科技（上海）股份有限公司 / Chunmi Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.2

Foundation

Chunmi was established in May 2013, with formal registration completed in July of that year. The founding concept sought to integrate internet technology, software, IoT connectivity, and traditional household appliances. Rather than treating kitchen appliances solely as electrical hardware, the company aimed to develop them similarly to consumer electronics by incorporating software, connectivity, sensors, industrial design, and data-driven functions. Initially, the firm focused on IoT and cloud-connected household appliances.3

Founder Yang Hua (杨华) previously worked at Motorola. According to corporate records, the company subsequently decided to enter the Xiaomi ecosystem and concentrate on IoT-enabled kitchen appliances.

Joining the Xiaomi ecosystem

A significant turning point occurred in April 2014 when Chunmi joined the Xiaomi ecological chain. This partnership was fundamental to the company’s early growth; rather than building a consumer brand from scratch, Chunmi concentrated on R&D, industrial design, engineering, and manufacturing, while Xiaomi provided access to its broader ecosystem and consumer channels.4

It is important to note that Chunmi is not merely a Xiaomi sub-brand. It is an independent company that became a key ecosystem partner, developing products for Mijia and Xiaomi while simultaneously operating its own brands. The company describes its business model as comprising both Xiaomi-related ODM work and independent brand operations.5

Chunmi’s rise is closely associated with the Mijia rice cooker. In March 2016, the company launched the Mijia Pressure IH Rice Cooker, the first Mijia-branded product developed by Chunmi. Released for sale in April 2016, it reportedly sold out in 47 seconds during its initial online launch.6

This product was significant as it embodied several tenets of Xiaomi’s hardware strategy:

• Minimalist industrial design
• Relatively accessible pricing
• Advanced heating technology
• Smartphone connectivity
• Software and app integration
• Mass online distribution
• Strong emphasis on user experience

The rice cooker subsequently received international recognition, winning both an iF Design Award and an IDEA award.7

Chunmi later expanded its Xiaomi and Mijia portfolio to include induction cookers, additional rice cookers, ovens, microwave ovens, steam ovens, water purification equipment, and other small kitchen appliances. The company states it has developed more than 20 Mijia smart kitchen appliance products, with corporate materials describing the Mijia kitchen portfolio as spanning more than 30 SKUs in certain categories.8

Chunmi’s strategy eventually extended beyond individual appliances towards creating a “smart kitchen ecosystem” where hardware, software, recipes, data, and accessories function cohesively. The company describes this ecosystem as progressing from kitchen hardware to kitchen software, accessories, food ingredients, and connected services, rather than simply selling standalone appliances.

This approach explains the presence of multiple seemingly distinct businesses and brands within the company’s history; they form part of a larger strategy to build a connected cooking environment.

From approximately 2016, Chunmi began developing independent brands alongside its Xiaomi and Mijia business. Domestic brands included:

• Zhiwuzhu (知吾煮): Cookware and kitchen appliances oriented toward modern Chinese kitchens.
• Quanchu (圈厨): Kitchen appliances and related products.
• TOKIT (厨几): Higher-end, technology-oriented smart kitchen appliances.

The company later expanded internationally using the TOKIT and Joyami brands.9

TOKIT is arguably Chunmi’s most visible proprietary brand internationally. The name derives from “TO KITCHEN”, positioning the brand around making cooking easier and more enjoyable through technology.10

TOKIT emphasises smart appliances, industrial design, app connectivity, automated cooking, recipe databases, connected kitchen experiences, and premium positioning. Products have included smart rice cookers, induction cookers, ovens, and multifunction cooking machines.

One notable product is the TOKIT Omni Cook, a multifunction cooking machine designed to combine multiple cooking functions into a single connected appliance. The Omni Cook garnered significant international attention following a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, which Chunmi states exceeded US$1 million.11

TOKIT was officially launched in March 2019 as Chunmi’s high-end internet kitchen appliance brand. Several products in the initial lineup received iF Design Awards, while three also received Red Dot Awards.12

In 2021, Chunmi initiated an international expansion strategy centred on TOKIT and Joyami. The objective was to extend the company’s smart kitchen capabilities beyond China and establish an international ecosystem of connected kitchen products.

This marked a strategic shift from the early era of acting primarily as a Xiaomi ecosystem R&D and manufacturing partner to becoming a global smart kitchen company with proprietary brands alongside its ODM business.

Chunmi’s relationship with Xiaomi is a defining aspect of its history. The two companies have collaborated since 2014, with Chunmi developing numerous products sold through Xiaomi and Mijia channels.13

However, Chunmi is distinct from Xiaomi. A simplified structural overview is as follows:

• Xiaomi: Operates the Xiaomi/Mijia ecosystem and works with independent ecosystem companies.
• Chunmi: Develops and manufactures connected kitchen hardware, develops Mijia products for Xiaomi, and operates proprietary brands such as TOKIT and Joyami.

Chunmi benefits from the Xiaomi ecosystem while retaining its corporate identity and independent brands. Corporate news from 2024 indicates that Xiaomi and Chunmi signed a strategic cooperation agreement in December 2023, demonstrating that the relationship continues beyond the original ecosystem entry period.13

Chunmi’s product portfolio has historically centred on the kitchen.

Rice cookers

Rice cookers were the company’s original major product category and remain a core strength. Technologies employed include IH induction heating, pressure cooking, temperature control, connected cooking, personalised cooking programmes, and cloud-based recipes. Mijia rice cookers were particularly instrumental in establishing the company’s reputation.14

Induction cookers

Chunmi has produced smart induction cookers capable of supporting multiple cooking methods, including boiling, steaming, frying, and stir-frying.

Ovens and microwave/steam appliances

The company has developed connected ovens, microwave ovens, and combination steam ovens. Certain TOKIT products incorporate cameras and app-based functionality, reflecting an emphasis on transforming appliances into connected computing devices rather than simple electrical equipment.15

Multifunction cooking machines

This category represents one of Chunmi’s most ambitious areas. The TOKIT Omni Cook is designed as an all-in-one cooking platform, integrating multiple functions into a single appliance and connecting hardware with recipes and software.16

Water and other household appliances

Chunmi has expanded beyond conventional cooking equipment. Corporate materials indicate involvement in water purification and countertop water dispenser products, including those for Xiaomi and Mijia.

Chunmi’s product philosophy encompasses several key principles.

Appliances as consumer electronics

Rather than designing appliances solely around mechanical functions, Chunmi applies principles from the electronics and internet industries: hardware, software, connectivity, data, and industrial design. This formed part of the original strategy to redefine kitchen appliances.

Smart cooking

Connectivity enables appliances to interact with smartphones, apps, and recipe systems.

Data-driven cooking

Recent technology strategy emphasises CookingIoT, cooking data, and AI. The corporate website claims a database containing millions of cooking-related data points and describes an architecture combining AI agents, CookingIoT data, and intelligent household robots. These figures are company-reported and represent Chunmi’s description of its technology platform rather than independently audited industry statistics.

Industrial design

Design has historically been a major competitive advantage. Chunmi states its team includes personnel with backgrounds at companies such as Apple, Motorola, IBM, Philips, and Sanyo, combining internet and software experience with industrial design and manufacturing expertise.14

Independent recognition supports this emphasis; the iF Design database lists 25 awarded Chunmi projects, including Mijia rice cookers, ovens, induction cookers, and smart cooking products.12

Chunmi operates across several layers.

ODM/OEM and strategic development

The company develops products for other brands, most notably Xiaomi and Mijia. This business provides access to large-scale production and distribution while allowing concentration on product development and manufacturing.

Proprietary brands

Chunmi develops and sells products under its own brands, particularly TOKIT and Joyami in international markets.

Smart ecosystem

Long-term ambitions extend beyond appliance sales toward connected kitchens involving appliances, apps, recipes, cooking data, accessories, AI, and connected household devices. This positions Chunmi closer to a smart-home technology company specialising in the kitchen than a conventional appliance manufacturer.

Chunmi has attracted substantial venture and strategic investment, including participation from investors associated with the Xiaomi ecosystem and major venture capital firms. According to corporate history:

• 2015: Series A, with Xiaomi and Shunwei Capital participating.
• 2016: Series B, with GGV Capital and GIC participating.
• 2018: Series C, led by Everbright Zhongying Capital with StarVC participating.
• 2018: Series C+, with Nokia Growth Partners and Yinke Capital.
• 2021: Series D, RMB 110 million, exclusively invested by CDH VGC.17

The 2021 Series D round was intended to support product R&D, proprietary brand development, and offline channel expansion.18

Chunmi experienced significant growth during the late 2010s and early 2020s. A 2022 report citing company figures stated that Chunmi’s 2021 group revenue exceeded RMB 2 billion, representing growth of more than 60% from the previous year.

The company subsequently transitioned into a publicly traded Chinese enterprise. Current corporate filings identify it as NEEQ: 874920. Its 2025 annual report was published in April 2026.16 This development renders older descriptions of Chunmi as merely a private Xiaomi ecosystem company incomplete.

Chunmi began expanding internationally in earnest under the TOKIT and Joyami strategy in 2021. The company currently states its products are available in more than 50 countries and regions, while newer corporate materials describe a footprint reaching over 90 countries and regions. This discrepancy likely reflects differing definitions or reporting periods; however, it confirms Chunmi has established a substantial international presence.19

International strategy is particularly important for TOKIT, whose products are marketed directly to consumers outside China.

Design is one of Chunmi’s most recognisable characteristics. Products have received recognition from organisations and competitions including:

• iF Design Award
• Red Dot Design Award
• IDEA
• G-Mark
• DIA / China Design Intelligence Award

For example, the early Mijia rice cooker won IDEA and iF recognition, while the first TOKIT product lineup accumulated iF and Red Dot awards.127

The emphasis on minimalist design reflects a broader Xiaomi-era philosophy: making technologically sophisticated appliances resemble consumer electronics and lifestyle products rather than traditional bulky kitchen appliances.

Historical English-language corporate materials summarise Chunmi’s philosophy around the intersection of technology and aesthetics. Its stated vision has been “Creating exquisite delicacies in life with technology and esthetics” and its mission “Smart kitchen to make cooking easier.”

More recent Chinese corporate positioning has expanded considerably. Chunmi now describes itself as an ecosystem company centred on AI smart household robots, with the kitchen as its original entry point and a longer-term goal of expanding into cleaning, care, security, and temperature-control scenarios.

The company’s development can be understood through four stages:

2013–2014: Startup

Chunmi is founded as an IoT and connected-appliance company and joins the Xiaomi ecological chain.

2015–2018: Xiaomi/Mijia growth

The company develops smart kitchen products, most notably rice cookers, and becomes a key Xiaomi kitchen appliance partner.

2019–2021: Proprietary brands

TOKIT is launched, followed by major investment in higher-end connected kitchen appliances and the Omni Cook platform. International expansion begins.

2021–present: Global smart home and AI company

TOKIT and Joyami become international brands, while Chunmi increasingly positions itself around CookingIoT, AI, and a broader smart-home ecosystem.20

The Chunmi ecosystem can be mapped as follows:

• CHUNMI TECHNOLOGY: Parent technology, manufacturing, and ecosystem company.
• Mijia / Xiaomi products: Rice cookers, induction cookers, ovens, microwaves, water appliances, etc.
• TOKIT: Premium smart kitchen and connected cooking.
• Joyami: International smart kitchen and lifestyle brand.
• Zhiwuzhu (知吾煮): Chinese-market kitchen and lifestyle brand.
• Quanchu (圈厨): Chinese-market kitchen products.

While the exact brand portfolio has evolved, this structure captures Chunmi’s transformation from a Xiaomi ecosystem supplier into a multi-brand company.

Chunmi occupies a unique position in the appliance industry by combining three traditionally separate capabilities:

1. Consumer electronics: Approaching appliances with the philosophy of a technology company.
2. Industrial design: Placing unusually high emphasis on appearance, interaction, and user experience.
3. Appliance manufacturing: Possessing the engineering and manufacturing capabilities necessary to translate concepts into mass-market hardware.

This combination forms the foundation of the company’s competitive positioning.

A common misconception is that a product manufactured by Chunmi is necessarily a Xiaomi product. The relationship is nuanced:

Describing Chunmi as “a Xiaomi kitchen brand” is convenient but technically inaccurate. A more precise description is that Chunmi is an independent Chinese smart-kitchen technology and appliance company that became a major member of Xiaomi’s ecosystem and developed numerous Mijia products, while also operating its own brands.

As of 2026, Chunmi is moving beyond its historical identity as a smart rice cooker and kitchen appliance manufacturer. Current corporate messaging emphasises AI household robots, AI agents, CookingIoT, connected home devices, multi-device coordination, smart cooking, global expansion, proprietary brands, and vertically integrated manufacturing.

The company’s trajectory can be summarised as evolving from rice cookers to smart appliances, connected kitchens, kitchen ecosystems, smart homes, and finally AI household robotics.20

1. Chunmi – Company
2. 纯米科技 – 集团介绍
3. Chunmi – Contact
4. 纯米科技 – 纯米科技（上海）股份有限公司介绍
5. 纯米科技 – 鼎晖百孚携1.1亿元牵手纯米科技，布局万亿厨电市场
6. 纯米科技 – 业务体系
7. Chunmi – Milestones
8. 纯米科技 – ODM客户
9. 纯米科技 – 发展历程
10. Chunmi – Chunmi Technology launches superior kitchen appliance brand TOKIT
11. 智能厨房机器人-多功能厨房机器人-[纯米科技(上海)股份有限公司]纯米科技
12. iF Design – Chunmi Technology (Shanghai) Co.,Ltd.
13. CHUNMI | LinkedIn
14. Chunmi – Culture
15. 纯米科技 – 自主品牌
16. 纯米科技:2025年年度报告摘要-新三板—东方财富网
17. PDF document
18. PDF document
19. KEPLERBOT – Chunmi Technology (shanghai) Co., Ltd. Trademark Registration
20. Chunmi – NEWSROOM