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Waybot Automacon Robotics at SPIEF 2025
In June, the Russian manufacturer of autonomous professional cleaning robots, Waybot Automacon Robotics, took part for the second time in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
New model Cleanbotics 400 PRO.
Cleanliness at the booth of the Russian state development corporation VEB.RF was maintained by a new robot model developed in 2025. Unlike its competitors, the compact yet high-performance Cleanbotics 400 PRO is capable of both wet and dry cleaning without the need to manually swap modules.
Automation over shortage
The founder and CEO of Waybot Automacon Robotics, Maksim Oleynikov, presented the company at the “Invest-Strelka” pitch session. In just 90 seconds, promising innovative entrepreneurs introduced their projects to a panel of experts — who weren’t shy about asking tough questions regarding demand and return on investment.
The jury included Sergey Perov, Chairman of the Skolkovo Foundation; Alexander Kuleshov, Rector of Skoltech University; Alexander Molodtsov, Vice President of the Russian Export Center; Kristina Kastorama, Head of Moscow’s Department for Entrepreneurship and Innovation; and other industry professionals.
“It was an engaging discussion,” said Maksim Oleynikov. “I received more questions than any other participant. Many experts are already familiar with the Waybot brand but not yet deeply immersed in the cleaning market. Mikhail Kuleshov remarked that our product would only truly be in demand when it’s ‘cheaper than three janitors with mops.’ But that time has already come! Since 2022, the cleaning industry has faced a severe labor shortage. Market participants report a 70% increase in wages for cleaning staff. Considering taxes and payroll costs, the salary of just one cleaner now exceeds the monthly rental cost of an autonomous cleaning robot. We are confident that within the next couple of years, professional cleaning robots will become standard in nearly all public spaces — including neighborhood stores.”
The jury included Sergey Perov, Chairman of the Skolkovo Foundation; Alexander Kuleshov, Rector of Skoltech University; Alexander Molodtsov, Vice President of the Russian Export Center; Kristina Kastorama, Head of Moscow’s Department for Entrepreneurship and Innovation; and other industry professionals.
“It was an engaging discussion,” said Maksim Oleynikov. “I received more questions than any other participant. Many experts are already familiar with the Waybot brand but not yet deeply immersed in the cleaning market. Mikhail Kuleshov remarked that our product would only truly be in demand when it’s ‘cheaper than three janitors with mops.’ But that time has already come! Since 2022, the cleaning industry has faced a severe labor shortage. Market participants report a 70% increase in wages for cleaning staff. Considering taxes and payroll costs, the salary of just one cleaner now exceeds the monthly rental cost of an autonomous cleaning robot. We are confident that within the next couple of years, professional cleaning robots will become standard in nearly all public spaces — including neighborhood stores.”
Experts were also curious about the “level of Russian origin” — a question we get asked frequently. Our robots are developed and assembled in Russia, run on proprietary software, and some components are also produced domestically. Considering the cost of Waybot’s years-long R&D and engineering efforts, Chinese components account for no more than 10% of the robot’s total value."
One of the key outcomes of SPIEF for Waybot Automacon Robotics was the company’s inclusion in the large-scale “Know Our Own” competition of Russian brands. Ten winning brands will be presented to the President in early July.
One of the key outcomes of SPIEF for Waybot Automacon Robotics was the company’s inclusion in the large-scale “Know Our Own” competition of Russian brands. Ten winning brands will be presented to the President in early July.
