The positioning technology specialist rang up its first quarterly profit after years in the red, turbocharged by torrid growth across products like sensors for robots
Image Credit: Bamboo Works
Key Takeaways:
- Robosense logged a profit of 60 million yuan or more in the fourth quarter of last year, marking its first-ever quarter in the black
- Sales for the company’s 3D light detection and ranging (LiDAR) units for robotic applications rose by a factor of 12 last year
The Year of the Horse is known for speed and breakthroughs — themes that are already resonating for Robosense Technology Co. Ltd. (2498.HK), a maker of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology used in autonomous driving and a growing number of other mobile applications. The company rang in the Lunar New Year by crossing the finish line in its steeplechase toward profitability, as its sales soared in 2025.
On Feb. 19, the third day of the Lunar New Year, Robosense delighted investors by announcing its net loss for 2025 narrowed by more than half to 180 million yuan ($26 million) or less, from 482 million yuan in 2024. Even more encouraging, it reported logging its first-ever quarterly profit of 60 million yuan or higher in the final three months of the year. The company’s stock surged the next day as shareholders celebrated the milestone after a decade of losses.
Robosense isn’t the first to achieve profitability in a LiDAR sector where many companies continue to bleed cash. Competitor Hesai (NASDAQ:HSAI) (2525.HK) beat it to the finish line by achieving its first full-year profit in 2024. Hesai went on to record a record quarterly profit of 256 million yuan in the third quarter of 2025, achieving its annual profit target one quarter early. But another rival, the recently listed Seyond (2665.HK), is still in the red.
Like many emerging sectors, achieving profitability in LiDAR isn’t easy. The real-time mobility technology requires long R&D cycles and big upfront investment in optical systems, transmitters and receiver modules, and specialized chips …