A startup called Clawlab has just announced what sounds like an interesting new take on home crafting: a smart knitting machine designed to let people turn their own ideas into knitted products without needing specialist knitting expertise.
The upcoming device, which the company says will be unveiled to a global audience at CES 2027, is targeting a technical barrier within the sector: although interest in personalized and hands-on creation is growing, most knitting equipment is still built for industrial or professional users.
Clawlab’s system is designed to turn an image or idea into a finished knitted item. It takes care of the pattern preparation, stitchwork, and repetitive production; users are in control of the design, colors, and final application. Potential uses include scarves, doll clothing, pet accessories, and personalized gifts. The company also sees opportunities for users to move from hobby projects into custom work or small-scale businesses.
The company has secured more than $15 million in a pre-A3 funding round led by miHoYo, with Vision Plus Capital and Shunwei Capital increasing their investments through super pro rata participation. The financing brings Clawlab’s total funding to around $25 million across four equity rounds, with other shareholders also including Sequoia China and YM Capital.
Founder and CEO Wenxin Hu, who previously worked as a hardware engineer at DJI and Meituan, said: “Textiles meet a broad, long-standing need in everyday life. Standardized products are abundant, but consumers’ desire for personal style, customization, and emotional expression remains underserved. We want to reconnect ideas, design, and production so that people without professional training can create through knitting.”
For home creators, the new machine could mean spending less time wrestling with the technical side of knitting, and more time on being creative, as the company aims to make knitting an everyday medium of expression.
