What Kone China does

KONE China (通力电梯有限公司), established in 1996 in Kunshan, is the wholly-owned Greater China operating subsidiary of Finland-listed KONE Corporation (Nasdaq Helsinki: KONE). The company manufactures, sells, installs, and services elevators, escalators, autowalks, and automatic building doors under a dual-brand strategy — the premium "KONE" line and the broader-market "Giant KONE" (巨人通力) brand, which KONE fully acquired in 2016 after operating it as a joint venture since 2005. KONE China serves enterprise infrastructure customers (developers, contractors, architects, facility managers, government entities) and, through home-elevator sub-brands (KONE Weijia, Yijia, Ruijia), residential consumers via city experience centers.

The company's product platform is anchored by the proprietary fifth-generation EcoDisc disc motor (over 800,000 global installations; 96% rated China's highest Level 1 energy efficiency), the DX Class smart elevator series (launched 2019, the industry's first natively connected elevator line), UltraRope carbon fiber hoisting technology (enabling travel up to 1,000 meters), JumpLift construction elevators, the InnoTrack pit-free autowalk, and the KONE Polaris destination control system. Maintenance and modernization services are delivered under the KONE Care tiered offering (Standard, Plus, Premium), with the Premium tier bundling KONE 24/7 Connected Services — an IoT-enabled predictive maintenance product built on the IBM Watson IoT platform that reports a ~55% reduction in equipment fault rates and ~40% reduction in entrapment risk. R&D and manufacturing are centered at the Kunshan Industrial Park, KONE's largest global production base and largest overseas R&D center, which includes the world's tallest KONE elevator testing tower and exports to 100+ countries.

KONE China operates a project-based enterprise field-sales model with 55+ branch offices and 448+ service sites across all major Chinese provinces, generating revenue from new equipment sales, recurring maintenance contracts (over 600,000 units under maintenance in China), modernization, and managed IoT services. China is KONE's largest single market, accounting for over 20% of the parent's EUR 11.1 billion FY2024 global revenue, with cumulative shipments in Greater China exceeding 1.6 million units. Reference projects include Beijing Daxing International Airport, the Bird's Nest National Stadium, Shanghai World Expo 2010, Beijing Winter Olympics 2022, and the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023, alongside deployments across 70+ Chinese airports, 70+ high-speed rail stations, and metro systems in 20+ cities.

Name

Kone China

Legal name

通力电梯有限公司

Website

https://kone.cn

Company type

Public

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KONE China is the wholly-owned Greater China subsidiary of Finland's KONE Corporation, manufacturing and servicing elevators, escalators, and autowalks under KONE and Giant KONE brands for enterprise infrastructure customers and residential consumers across China.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Shanghai

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices54 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. New Equipment Sales: Sale of new elevators, escalators, autowalks, and automatic building doors for new construction projects. Revenue is project-based, typically won through competitive tendering with developers, contractors, architects, and government entities.
2. Maintenance Services (KONE Care): Recurring maintenance contracts under KONE Care Standard, Plus, and Premium tiers covering preventive maintenance, repair, emergency rescue, and connected monitoring services. Generates recurring revenue from a installed base of 1.7 million units globally and 600,000+ units in China.
3. Modernization Services: Elevator and escalator modernization including full replacement, modular modernization, and component upgrades. Targets aging equipment in existing buildings to improve safety, reliability, energy efficiency, and aesthetics.
4. KONE 24/7 Connected Services (IoT-based): Intelligent remote monitoring and predictive maintenance services bundled within KONE Care Premium tier. Equipment installed in elevators/escalators sends real-time data to KONE's cloud analytics platform for fault prediction and proactive maintenance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KONE China manufactures, sells, installs, and maintains elevators, escalators, autowalks, and automatic building doors for new construction, existing buildings, and infrastructure projects. The company provides comprehensive KONE Care maintenance service packages (Standard, Plus, Premium tiers) for installed equipment, full-service elevator and escalator modernization, and People Flow Intelligence solutions (access control, destination control, information displays, monitoring). Through three home elevator sub-brands (Weijia, Yijia, Ruijia), KONE also sells residential elevators directly to consumers via experience centers.

Product overview

KONE China (通力电梯有限公司) operates a dual-brand strategy under KONE and Giant KONE, providing elevators, escalators, automatic doors, and comprehensive maintenance and modernization solutions. The product portfolio encompasses elevators (KONE MiniSpace DX compact machine room, KONE MonoSpace DX machine-room-free, KONE TranSys DX freight, KONE Bed elevator for medical use), escalators and autowalks (KONE TravelMaster commercial escalators, KONE TransitMaster transit escalators, KONE InnoTrack pit-free autowalks), and People Flow Intelligence solutions (KONE Access access control, KONE Destination Control, KONE InfoScreen information displays, KONE E-Link monitoring). For existing buildings, KONE offers KONE Care maintenance services in three tiers (Standard, Plus, Premium), full elevator/escalator replacements, modular modernization, component upgrades, and solutions for buildings without elevators (KONE ProSpace, KONE MonoSpace 500 with external shaft). The residential segment features three home elevator sub-brands: KONE Weijia (with EcoDisc technology), KONE Yijia (economical), and KONE Ruijia (platform lift). The KONE DX Class represents the smart elevator line with built-in digital connectivity. Key innovations include KONE UltraRope carbon fiber technology for supertall buildings up to 1,000m travel distance, the fifth-generation EcoDisc motor, KONE JumpLift construction elevators, and KONE Polaris destination control systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 通力唯家 (KONE Weijia): Machine-room-less home elevator featuring KONE's fifth-generation EcoDisc motor, available in speeds of 0.4 m/s, max travel 18m, load 250/320/400kg, up to 6 floors.
• 通力怡家 (KONE Yijia)
• 通力瑞家 (KONE Ruijia)
• KONE Care 24/7 Connect

Products and services

• KONE MiniSpace DX elevator (KONE MiniSpace DX 小机房乘客电梯) Compact machine-room elevator for mid-rise residential and commercial buildings, driven by the KONE EcoDisc motor with industry-leading safety, energy efficiency, and flexible car interior designs.
• KONE MonoSpace DX elevator (KONE MonoSpace DX 无机房乘客电梯) Machine-room-free elevator for residential and commercial buildings offering flexible design options, excellent energy efficiency, industry-leading passenger comfort, and award-winning car interiors.
• KONE TranSys DX elevator (KONE TranSys DX 无机房货梯) Heavy-duty machine-room-free freight elevator for high-volume goods and service transport in supermarkets, shopping centers, airports, warehouses, hospitals, hotels, factories, and offices.
• KONE Bed Elevator (KONE Bed elevator 医用电梯) Specialized machine-room-free elevator designed for hospitals and medical facilities, providing safe, smooth, and reliable operation optimized for patient transport.
• KONE TravelMaster escalator (TravelMaster 商用型自动扶梯) Eco-efficient commercial escalator optimized for retail environments with smooth, safe operation, intelligent energy-saving modes, and vibrant visual design.
• KONE TransitMaster escalator (TransitMaster 公共交通型自动扶梯) Heavy-duty escalator for the most demanding public transportation environments (metro stations, airports) with extended running hours, intelligent operation modes, and durable construction.
• KONE InnoTrack horizontal autowalk (InnoTrack 自动人行道) World's first pit-free modular horizontal autowalk offering unparalleled flexibility, easy length adjustment, color changes, and relocation by relocating pit components to the balustrade.
• KONE Weijia home elevator (通力唯家) Machine-room-less home elevator featuring KONE's fifth-generation EcoDisc motor, available in 0.4 m/s with max travel 18m, loads 250/320/400 kg, up to 6 floors.
• KONE Yijia home elevator (通力怡家) Machine-room-less economical home elevator with compact permanent magnet gearless drive using single-phase 220V power, speeds 0.4/0.63 m/s, max travel 18m, loads 320/400 kg, up to 6 floors.
• KONE Ruijia home elevator (通力瑞家) Platform-style machine-room-less home elevator with minimum 1 sqm footprint, speeds 0.15/0.3 m/s, pit 0/60 mm, max travel 12m, loads 180/250/320/400 kg, up to 5 persons and 6 floors.
• KONE UltraRope (carbon fiber hoisting technology) Ultra-lightweight carbon fiber rope technology enabling elevator travel up to 1,000 meters, with up to 15% energy savings versus steel rope for 500-meter travel, superior durability and immunity to building sway.
• KONE Care maintenance service (KONE Care 维保方案) Maintenance service packages in Standard, Plus, and Premium tiers providing preventive maintenance, repair coverage, emergency response, IoT-based remote monitoring, and customized reporting for elevators, escalators, and automatic building doors.
• KONE 24/7 Connected Services (通力电梯云管家 / Cloud Manager) IoT-based intelligent remote monitoring and predictive maintenance service using IBM Watson IoT, transmitting real-time equipment data to KONE's cloud for analytics, fault detection, and proactive maintenance response.

Quantifiable outcome

• Equipment fault rate reduced by approximately 55% through KONE 24/7 Connected Services predictive maintenance
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability7 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Indoor Ninja (Estonian Startup)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014KONE mentored Indoor Ninja, an Estonian startup, to develop a visitor management app that integrates with KONE Access elevator destination control. After host authorization, the elevator automatically takes visitors to their destination floor, eliminating reception staff needs and enhancing building security.
• SlushminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2014KONE participates in Slush, the world's leading startup matchmaking event, to engage with the innovation ecosystem. KONE held an API Challenge at Slush 2014 and an Open Call for People Flow Ecosystems to identify and partner with startups for new customer experience solutions.
• iBeaconfiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Winner of KONE's Slush 2014 API Challenge, receiving €15,000 in prize money for joint prototyping with KONE on beacon-based elevator applications.
• IBM Watson (IBM IoT Platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationKONE 24/7 Connected Services (通力电梯云管家) uses IBM Watson IoT platform and other advanced technologies to connect, remotely monitor, and optimize elevator and escalator equipment performance, reliability, and safety in real time.
• 巨人通力电梯 (Giant KONE Elevator)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKONE operates a dual-brand strategy in China with KONE Elevator (通力电梯) and Giant KONE Elevator (巨人通力电梯). Giant KONE was established as a joint venture in 2005 and became a wholly-owned KONE subsidiary in 2016, serving a broad market segment with differentiated products.
• CEMS (European Schools of Management)minorOthersKONE is a corporate partner of CEMS — an alliance of 26 top academic institutions — working with leading universities to develop management education and share expertise. KONE also partners with IMD Business School (Switzerland) for leadership development.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems: Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems is a Japanese elevator manufacturer with China operations. Directly competes with KONE China in new equipment, maintenance, and modernization across commercial, residential, and infrastructure projects.
• Mitsubishi Electric (Elevator & Escalator Division): Mitsubishi Electric is the largest elevator brand in China by installed base and a top-tier premium competitor. Competes head-to-head with KONE China in high-rise and supertall projects, as well as maintenance and modernization portfolios.
• Fujitec: Fujitec is a Japanese elevator and escalator manufacturer with established China operations. Directly competes with KONE China in new equipment and maintenance across commercial and high-rise segments.
• Canny Elevator: Canny is a leading domestic Chinese elevator and escalator manufacturer listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Directly competes with KONE China in mid-tier commercial and residential segments, typically on price in competitive tendering.
• TK Elevator: TK Elevator (formerly ThyssenKrupp Elevator) is a global Big Four competitor with material China operations. Competes with KONE China in new-equipment, service, and modernization segments, including digital service platforms.
• Hitachi (Hitachi Elevator China): Hitachi operates one of the largest elevator businesses in China through Hitachi Elevator (China). Directly competes with KONE China in new equipment, maintenance, and modernization across commercial, residential, and infrastructure projects.
• Schindler Group: Schindler is another global Big Four elevator company with significant China operations. Directly competes with KONE China in mid- and high-rise elevators, escalators, and digital maintenance services.
• Otis Worldwide: Otis is one of the global Big Four elevator and escalator companies with substantial China operations (Otis Elevator China). Directly competes with KONE China across new equipment, maintenance, and modernization in commercial, residential, and infrastructure segments.
• Hyundai Elevator: Hyundai Elevator is a Korean elevator manufacturer with established operations in China and globally. Directly competes with KONE China in mid- and high-rise commercial projects, maintenance services, and modernization.
• STEP Electric Corporation: STEP is a Chinese-listed elevator and electrical drive manufacturer that competes directly with KONE China in residential, commercial, and industrial elevator segments, leveraging domestic cost advantages.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kone-china

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kone China