Hesai to Supply Solid-State Lidars for Food Delivery Company Meituan's Drone Delivery Brand, Keeta Drone

Rhea-AI Summary

Hesai Technology (NASDAQ: HSAI) announced a partnership to supply its second-generation solid-state lidar FTX for Meituan's Keeta Drone delivery fleet, aiming to accelerate low-altitude commercial drone logistics.

Key points: Keeta operates 65 delivery routes and has completed >740,000 deliveries. FTX offers 2x resolution, a 66% weight reduction, ultra-wide field of view, all-weather performance, and is slated for large-scale production and delivery in 2026. Keeta demonstrated a 2-km nighttime lidar-only flight, highlighting lidar-based navigation without satellite or vision reliance.

Positive

• Supply partnership with Keeta Drone for FTX lidars
• FTX mass production scheduled for 2026
• Performance gains: 2x resolution and 66% weight reduction
• Proven nighttime navigation via 2-km lidar-only flight
• Keeta scale: 65 routes and >740,000 deliveries

Negative

• None.

Key Figures

Robot hardware revenue USD 25 trillion Projected global robot hardware revenue by 2050

Annual robot sales 1.4 billion robots Projected annual robot sales by 2050

Total robot base 6.5 billion robots Projected total number of robots by 2050

Drone routes 65 routes Keeta Drone delivery routes across multiple cities

Deliveries completed more than 740,000 deliveries Total Keeta Drone deliveries to date

Night flight distance two kilometers Demonstrated nighttime flight relying on lidar navigation

Weight reduction 66% reduction FTX lidar weight vs previous generation

Mass production timing 2026 Scheduled start of large-scale FTX mass production and delivery

Market Reality Check

$27.61 Last Close

Volume Volume 2,609,519 vs 20-day average 2,112,762, showing modestly elevated trading activity. normal

Technical Price 22.75 is trading above 200-day MA at 21.15, despite a -3.44% move pre-news.

Peers on Argus

Peers show mixed, mostly modest moves with changes between about -1.81% and +1.67%, while HSAI was down -3.44% pre-news, pointing to a stock-specific setup rather than a clear sector trend.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement details a strategic partnership under which Hesai’s second-generation solid-state lidar FTX will equip Keeta Drone’s next-generation delivery drones, with large-scale mass production targeted for 2026. The news highlights growing low-altitude logistics use cases, including 65 routes and over 740,000 completed deliveries. Investors may watch for concrete revenue disclosures, deployment milestones, and broader robotics demand trends as key indicators of the partnership’s eventual financial significance.

Key Terms

lidar technical

"the world's first commercial delivery drone with lidar as a standardized component"

Lidar, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a technology that uses laser beams to create detailed, three-dimensional maps of the environment. It works like a sophisticated eye that measures distances by bouncing light off objects, helping machines see and understand their surroundings. For investors, lidar is important because it enables advancements in autonomous vehicles, robotics, and mapping, which can drive innovation and growth in related industries.

solid-state lidar technical

"Hesai will supply its second-generation solid-state lidar FTX for the next-generation drones"

Solid-state lidar is a compact sensor that maps surroundings by sending out laser light pulses and measuring the time it takes for reflections to return, producing a 3D picture without any moving parts. Like replacing a bulky rotating scanner with a fixed camera that paints depth with light, it matters to investors because the smaller size, lower cost and higher reliability can speed adoption in cars, drones, robots and mapping, affecting manufacturers’ growth and margins.

gnss technical

"combined with vision and GNSS for multi-modal sensor fusion"

GNSS stands for Global Navigation Satellite System, a network of satellites that provide precise location and timing information anywhere on Earth, like a constantly available digital map and clock. It matters to investors because many industries—transportation, agriculture, telecom, finance and defense—rely on this positioning and timing for products, services and critical infrastructure; improvements or disruptions in GNSS can change costs, create new revenue streams, or introduce operational risk.

multi-modal sensor fusion technical

"combined with vision and GNSS for multi-modal sensor fusion"

Multi-modal sensor fusion is the process of combining information from different kinds of sensors—like cameras, radar, microphones and temperature sensors—into a single, clearer picture that a system can act on. For investors it matters because better fusion improves product accuracy, safety and reliability, which can speed adoption, reduce costly errors or recalls, and create a competitive edge in markets such as autonomous vehicles, robotics and smart devices.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hesai Technology (NASDAQ: HSAI; HKEX: 2525), a global leader in lidar solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with Keeta Drone — Meituan's autonomous urban delivery sub-brand — accelerating the commercialization of the low-altitude economy. Under the agreement, Hesai will supply its second-generation solid-state lidar FTX for the next-generation drones of Keeta Drone.

Recently, Morgan Stanley's Global Embodied AI team released The Robot Almanac, highlighting that by 2050, global robot hardware revenue is projected to reach USD 25 trillion, with annual sales of 1.4 billion robots and a total number of 6.5 billion robots. Robots are expected to take many forms — including industrial robots, service robots, delivery drones, robotaxis and robotrucks, humanoid robots, and companion robots — with applications across manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, and beyond.

As a pioneer in low-altitude logistics, Keeta Drone has built an integrated air–ground delivery network through its self-developed drone systems, expanding use cases from food delivery to pharmaceuticals and emergency supplies. To date, Keeta Drone has 65 delivery drone routes across multiple cities, including Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Dubai, completing more than 740,000 deliveries total.

Keeta Drone unveiled its fourth-generation long-range drone, the M-Drone 4L — the world's first commercial delivery drone with lidar as a standardized component, combined with vision and GNSS for multi-modal sensor fusion. Hesai's FTX lidar delivers advanced 3D perception capabilities that ensure safe and reliable delivery drone operations in complex urban, low-altitude environments. Featuring an ultra-wide field of view, FTX provides precise detection of power lines, tree branches, and other small obstacles along flight paths. Unaffected by lighting conditions or adverse weather, FTX enables a stable perception of delivery drones at night and in rain or fog.

During the launch event, Keeta Drone demonstrated a two-kilometer nighttime flight relying entirely on lidar-based navigation. This integration of lidar and breakthroughs in positioning technology allows Keeta Drone to perform nighttime navigation without relying on satellite or vision-based systems, achieving precise flight and positioning solely through lidar.

Compared with its previous generation, FTX offers a twofold increase in resolution, a significantly optimized form factor, and a 66% reduction in weight, substantially reducing integration complexity and manufacturing costs for delivery drone applications, and is scheduled to enter large-scale mass production and delivery in 2026.

Looking ahead, Hesai and Keeta Drone will continue to work closely together to enable Keeta Drone to build a robust, all-weather, high-density urban low-altitude logistics network supporting a wide range of real-world delivery scenarios.

 

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SOURCE Hesai Technology

FAQ

What did Hesai (HSAI) announce on December 23, 2025 about Keeta Drone?

Hesai announced it will supply its second-generation solid-state lidar FTX to Keeta Drone for next-generation delivery drones.

How will Hesai's FTX lidar affect Keeta Drone operations for HSAI shareholders?

FTX provides all-weather 3D perception, ultra-wide FOV, and is expected to support safer urban low-altitude deliveries when deployed at scale.

When is Hesai's FTX scheduled for large-scale production and delivery for HSAI?

FTX is scheduled to enter large-scale mass production and delivery in 2026.

What concrete performance improvements does FTX offer for HSAI's product line?

FTX offers a twofold increase in resolution and a 66% reduction in weight versus the previous generation.

How large is Keeta Drone's existing delivery network referenced in the HSAI announcement?

Keeta Drone operates 65 delivery routes across multiple cities and has completed more than 740,000 deliveries.

Did Keeta Drone demonstrate FTX capabilities in real conditions mentioned by Hesai (HSAI)?

Yes; Keeta demonstrated a two-kilometer nighttime flight using lidar-based navigation without satellite or vision systems.