Insider Brief
- Cheetah Mobile has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a 60.8% equity stake in Shenzhen-based UFACTORY for RMB99.5 million, significantly expanding its presence in the lightweight robotics market.
- Combined with an existing 19.2% stake held by another subsidiary, the deal brings Cheetah Mobile’s total effective ownership in UFACTORY to approximately 75.8%.
- The acquisition, approved by Cheetah Mobile’s board and audit committee, is expected to close in Q3 2025 and aligns with the company’s strategy to diversify its IT portfolio into high-growth automation technologies.
PRESS RELEASE – Cheetah Mobile Inc. (NYSE: CMCM) (“Cheetah Mobile” or the “Company”), a China-based IT company, today announced that one of its majority-owned subsidiaries has signed a definitive agreement to acquire an equity interest of 60.8% in Shenzhen UFACTORY Technology Co., Ltd. (“UFACTORY”), a leading provider of lightweight robotic arms, for a total consideration of approximately RMB99.5 million ($13.9M). Prior to the transaction, another wholly-owned subsidiary of Cheetah Mobile already held 19.2% of UFACTORY’s total equity interest. Following the transaction, the two subsidiaries will collectively hold approximately 80.0% of UFACTORY’s total equity interest, representing Cheetah Mobile’s ultimate beneficial ownership in UFACTORY of approximately 75.8%.
The transaction has been approved by the Company’s board of directors and audit committee and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.
Mr. Sheng Fu, Cheetah Mobile’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We’re excited to deepen our investment in UFACTORY, a fast-growing leader in collaborative robotics. With its robust technology stack and lean go-to-market approach, UFACTORY is an ideal partner to support our next stage of growth in AI and robotics. With this acquisition, we’re strengthening our product portfolio to help our service robots operate across more physical environments and tasks. This marks a significant step forward in our mission to deliver smarter, more adaptable robotics solutions to global markets.”
Mr. Thomas Ren, Cheetah Mobile’s Director and Chief Financial Officer, commented: “We will fund the acquisition with our cash reserves. As of March 31, 2025, we held over USD230 million in net cash, giving us ample flexibility to pursue strategic investments that have the potential to deliver sustainable shareholder value.”
