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. Its founding concept sought to integrate Internet technology, software, IoT connectivity, and traditional household appliances.3

Rather than treating kitchen appliances solely as electrical hardware, Chunmi aimed to develop them similarly to consumer electronics by incorporating software, connectivity, sensors, industrial design, and data-driven functions. The company initially focused on IoT and cloud-connected household appliances.3

Founder Yang Hua (杨华), formerly of Motorola, led the company’s decision to enter the Xiaomi ecosystem and concentrate on IoT-enabled kitchen appliances.4

Joining the Xiaomi ecosystem

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

It is important to distinguish that Chunmi is not simply a “Xiaomi sub-brand”. It is an independent company and a significant Xiaomi ecosystem partner that develops products for Mijia/Xiaomi while simultaneously operating its own brands. Chunmi describes its business model as comprising both Xiaomi-related ODM work and independent brand operations.5

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

This product exemplified several tenets of Xiaomi’s hardware strategy:

• Minimalist industrial design
• Accessible pricing
• Advanced heating technology
• Smartphone connectivity
• Software and app integration
• Mass online distribution
• Strong user experience focus

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

Chunmi later expanded its Xiaomi/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 indicating the Mijia kitchen portfolio spans 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 merely selling standalone appliances.9

This holistic approach explains the diversity of businesses and brands in Chunmi’s history, which collectively support a connected cooking environment.

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

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

Chunmi later utilised TOKIT and Joyami for international expansion.9

TOKIT is Chunmi’s most internationally visible proprietary brand. Derived from “TO KITCHEN”, the brand positions itself 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. Its product range includes smart rice cookers, induction cookers, ovens, and multifunction cooking machines.

A notable product is the TOKIT Omni Cook, a multifunction machine integrating various cooking functions into a single connected appliance. The Omni Cook garnered significant international attention following a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, which Chunmi reports exceeded US$1 million.11

Officially launched in March 2019 as Chunmi’s high-end Internet kitchen-appliance brand, several products in TOKIT’s initial lineup received iF Design Awards, and three were awarded Red Dot Awards.12

In 2021, Chunmi initiated an international expansion strategy centred on TOKIT and Joyami, aiming to extend its smart-kitchen capabilities beyond China and build a global ecosystem of connected kitchen products.19

This marked a strategic shift from Chunmi’s earlier role as primarily a Xiaomi ecosystem R&D and manufacturing partner to becoming a global smart-kitchen company combining ODM business with proprietary brands.

Chunmi’s relationship with Xiaomi defines much of its history. Having worked together since 2014, Chunmi has developed numerous products sold through Xiaomi/Mijia channels.13

However, Chunmi remains distinct from Xiaomi. While Xiaomi operates the ecosystem and markets products under the Xiaomi/Mijia brands, Chunmi functions as an independent entity that develops and manufactures connected kitchen hardware, produces Mijia products for Xiaomi, and operates its own brands such as TOKIT and Joyami.

Demonstrating the continuity of this partnership, Chunmi’s 2024 corporate news reported that Xiaomi and Chunmi signed a strategic cooperation agreement in December 2023, extending their collaboration well 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 category and remain a core strength. Technologies employed include IH induction heating, pressure cooking, precise temperature control, connected cooking, personalised programmes, and cloud-based recipes. Mijia rice cookers were instrumental in establishing the company’s reputation.14

Induction cookers

Chunmi produces smart induction cookers supporting multiple cooking methods, including boiling, steaming, frying, and stir-frying.

Ovens and microwave/steam appliances

The company develops 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.15

Multifunction cooking machines

The TOKIT Omni Cook represents one of Chunmi’s most ambitious product areas, designed as an all-in-one platform integrating multiple functions and connecting hardware with recipes and software.16

Water and other household appliances

Beyond conventional cooking equipment, Chunmi is involved in water purification and countertop water-dispenser products, including those for the Xiaomi/Mijia ecosystem.16

Chunmi’s product philosophy encompasses several key principles.

Appliances as consumer electronics

Chunmi applies principles from the electronics and Internet industries—hardware + software + connectivity + data + industrial design—rather than designing appliances solely around mechanical functions. This approach aims to redefine kitchen appliances.14

Smart cooking

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

Data-driven cooking

Recent 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 represent the company’s own description of its technology platform.21

Industrial design

Design is a significant competitive advantage. Chunmi states its team includes personnel with backgrounds at companies such as Apple, Motorola, IBM, Philips, and Sanyo, blending Internet and software experience with industrial design and manufacturing expertise. The iF Design database currently lists 25 awarded Chunmi projects, including Mijia rice cookers, ovens, induction cookers, and smart cooking products.12

Chunmi operates across multiple layers:

ODM/OEM and strategic development

Developing products for other brands, notably Xiaomi/Mijia, provides access to large-scale production and distribution while allowing focus on product development and manufacturing.

Proprietary brands

The company 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 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% year-on-year.17

The company subsequently transitioned to a publicly traded enterprise, identified in corporate filings 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 serious international expansion under the TOKIT + Joyami strategy in 2021. The company states its products are available in more than 50 countries and regions, while newer corporate materials describe a footprint reaching 90+ countries and regions. This discrepancy likely reflects differing definitions or reporting periods, confirming a substantial international presence.19

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

Design is among Chunmi’s most recognisable characteristics. Products have received recognition from organisations including:

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

For instance, the early Mijia rice cooker won IDEA and iF recognition, while the inaugural TOKIT lineup accumulated iF and Red Dot awards.20 The emphasis on minimalist design reflects a broader Xiaomi-era philosophy: presenting technologically sophisticated appliances as consumer electronics and lifestyle products rather than traditional bulky kitchen equipment.

Historical English-language corporate materials summarise Chunmi’s philosophy around the intersection of technology and aesthetics, with a stated vision of “Creating exquisite delicacies in life with technology and esthetics” and a mission to provide a “Smart kitchen to make cooking easier.”22

More recent Chinese corporate positioning has expanded considerably. Chunmi now describes itself as an ecosystem company centred on AI smart household robots, using the kitchen as an entry point with longer-term goals of expanding into cleaning, care, security, and temperature-control scenarios.24

Chunmi’s development can be understood through four stages:

2013–2014: Startup

Founded as an IoT/connected-appliance company and joined Xiaomi’s ecological chain.

2015–2018: Xiaomi/Mijia growth

Developed smart kitchen products, most notably rice cookers, becoming a key Xiaomi kitchen-appliance partner.

2019–2021: Proprietary brands

Launched TOKIT, followed by major investment in high-end connected kitchen appliances and the Omni Cook platform, alongside initial international expansion.

2021–present: Global smart-home/AI company

TOKIT and Joyami became international brands, with Chunmi increasingly positioning itself around CookingIoT, AI, and a broader smart-home ecosystem.21

The Chunmi ecosystem can be mapped as follows:

CHUNMI TECHNOLOGY
Parent technology / manufacturing / ecosystem company

├── Mijia / Xiaomi products
│ └── Rice cookers, induction cookers, ovens, microwaves, water appliances, etc.
│
├── TOKIT
│ └── Premium smart kitchen / connected cooking
│
├── Joyami
│ └── International smart-kitchen/lifestyle brand
│
├── Zhiwuzhu (知吾煮)
│ └── Chinese-market kitchen/lifestyle brand
│
└── Quanchu (圈厨)
└── Chinese-market kitchen products

While the exact portfolio has evolved, this structure captures Chunmi’s transformation from a Xiaomi ecosystem supplier into a multi-brand company.23

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

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

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

A common misconception is that products manufactured by Chunmi are necessarily Xiaomi products. The relationship is nuanced:

Describing Chunmi as “a Xiaomi kitchen brand” is convenient but technically inaccurate. More precisely, Chunmi is an independent Chinese smart-kitchen technology and appliance company that became a major member of Xiaomi’s ecosystem and has 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: Rice cooker → smart appliance → connected kitchen → kitchen ecosystem → smart home → AI household robotics.21

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. PDF document
21. Chunmi – NEWSROOM
22. Chunmi
23. 纯米科技 – 自主品牌
24. 纯米科技 – 新闻动态