Shenzhen LDROBOT, the Hong Kong-listed company behind the ANTHBOT robot mower brand, has agreed to buy SABO-Maschinenfabrik GmbH, a German lawn mower manufacturer founded in 1932. The agreement was signed on October 7, 2026 after trading hours and disclosed the same day in a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The deal has not closed.
What Was Agreed
LDROBOT (stock code 1236) and its Singapore subsidiary will acquire 100% of SABO from SABO Holding GmbH. The total outlay is capped at EUR 6.0 million, which the filing says is about HK$53.43 million. That figure is made up of a EUR 1.0 million purchase price for the shares plus up to EUR 5.0 million injected into SABO as capital for liquidity support. About 75% of the money comes from the proceeds of LDROBOT’s Hong Kong listing and 25% from internal resources.
The money is paid in stages: EUR 1.5 million of liquidity support on signing, up to EUR 2.75 million more between signing and completion, then the EUR 1.0 million purchase price and up to EUR 0.75 million on the completion date.
The seller’s ultimate owners, Lars Daniel and Christoph Schindler, guarantee the seller’s obligations and have agreed not to compete with SABO for two years after completion.
Who SABO Is
SABO is registered in Gummersbach, Germany. According to the filing it makes petrol and battery lawn mowers, scarifiers, leaf blowers, hedge trimmers, lawn tractors and high-grass machinery for residential and commercial customers, and sells and services them through more than 1,400 specialist retailers across Europe.
The filing is frank about SABO’s recent performance. Unaudited revenue fell from EUR 22.6 million in 2024 to EUR 18.2 million in 2025, which LDROBOT attributes to “insufficient product innovation and intelligentization”. Profit after tax moved from a loss of EUR 0.9 million in 2024 to a profit of EUR 1.1 million in 2025. Total assets were EUR 10.9 million at the end of 2025, down from EUR 13.2 million a year earlier. LDROBOT says SABO “has experienced a continuous decline in revenue in recent years and is urgently seeking strategic transfer opportunities”.
Why LDROBOT Wants It
The stated reason is distribution. LDROBOT says it wants SABO’s brand, dealer channels, service network and local supply chain to cut the cost, time and service barriers of bringing robot mowers to Europe, and to sell its own robot lawn mowers through SABO’s 1,400 retailers. It also plans joint R&D, shared procurement and manufacturing, and an integrated range covering traditional petrol and battery tools alongside gardening robots.
LDROBOT says it has completed three generations of robot lawn mower products between 2024 and 2026. ANTHBOT is described in an earlier LDROBOT filing as the group’s global smart robotic lawn mower brand.
What Still Has to Happen
Completion depends on two conditions: outbound direct investment clearance for LDROBOT from Chinese authorities, and a third party’s consent to the change of control at SABO. If the conditions are not met within 180 days of signing, either side may rescind the agreement, and LDROBOT may claim back money already paid. The filing states plainly that the acquisition “may or may not proceed”.
The transaction is classed as a discloseable transaction under Chapter 14 of the Hong Kong Listing Rules, meaning it is large enough to require an announcement but not a shareholder vote.
Why It Matters
Chinese robot mower makers have mostly entered Europe through online marketplaces and a small number of distributors. Buying a German manufacturer with a dealer and service network in place is a different route. If the deal closes, ANTHBOT would gain a physical service footprint across Europe, and SABO’s dealers would gain a robot mower line. For European dealers and buyers, the open question is how the two brands will be presented together; the filing does not say.
FAQ
Has LDROBOT bought SABO?
Not yet. An agreement was signed on October 7, 2026. Completion depends on regulatory clearance and a third-party consent, and the filing says the deal may or may not proceed.
How much is LDROBOT paying?
No more than EUR 6.0 million in total: EUR 1.0 million for the shares and up to EUR 5.0 million of capital support for SABO.
What does SABO sell?
Petrol and battery lawn mowers, scarifiers, leaf blowers, hedge trimmers, lawn tractors and high-grass machinery, through more than 1,400 specialist retailers in Europe.
Sources: www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2026/1007/2026100702047.pdf · www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2026/0611/2026061101611.pdf
Author: AI Mow
AI Mow is the AI-assisted news desk of AI Mower News. It monitors manufacturer announcements, trade shows and industry sources, and drafts stories in our editorial voice. Every article is checked against its original source before publication — our fact gate holds anything that claims testing we did not do or specs the source does not support — and is published under this byline for transparency. How we work: https://aimowernews.com/editorial-guidelines/ · The people behind it: https://aimowernews.com/our-team/
Sources & evidence
Each figure in this article is tied to where it came from. “Manufacturer claim” means the maker states it and AI Mower News has not tested it.
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMLDROBOT's board announced that on October 7, 2026 (after trading hours) the company and its Singapore subsidiary agreed to acquire the entire equity interest in SABO-Maschinenfabrik GmbH. — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMShenzhen LDROBOT Co., Ltd is listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under stock code 1236. — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMOn completion the Singapore subsidiary will hold 100% of SABO, which becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary consolidated into the group's accounts. — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMThe total transaction amount shall not exceed EUR 6.0 million (approximately HK$53.43 million). — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMThe amount comprises a purchase price of EUR 1.0 million for the shares and up to EUR 5.0 million of capital injected into SABO for liquidity support. — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMAbout 75% of the amount is funded from LDROBOT's Global Offering proceeds and 25% from internal resources. — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMPayment: EUR 1.5 million of liquidity support on signing, up to EUR 2.75 million more before completion, then EUR 1.0 million purchase price plus up to EUR 0.75 million on completion. — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMSABO-Maschinenfabrik GmbH has its registered seat in Gummersbach, Germany, and was incorporated in 1932. — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMSABO distributes through a network of more than 1,400 specialist retailers across Europe. — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMSABO's range covers petrol and battery lawn mowers, scarifiers, leaf blowers, hedge trimmers, lawn tractors and high-grass machinery for residential and commercial customers. — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMSABO's unaudited revenue fell from EUR 22.6 million in 2024 to EUR 18.2 million in 2025. — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMSABO's unaudited profit after tax was a loss of EUR 0.9 million in 2024 and a profit of EUR 1.1 million in 2025. — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMThe filing says SABO has experienced a continuous decline in revenue in recent years and is urgently seeking a strategic transfer. — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMLDROBOT says it will use SABO's brand, channels, service network and supply chain to roll out intelligent gardening robots in Europe and sell robot lawn mowers through SABO's retailers. — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMLDROBOT says it completed three generations of robot lawn mower products between 2024 and 2026. — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMCompletion depends on outbound direct investment clearance for LDROBOT and a third party's consent to the change of control; either side may rescind if conditions are unmet 180 days after signing. — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMThe filing warns the acquisition may or may not proceed. — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMThe seller is SABO Holding GmbH; its ultimate owners, Lars Daniel and Christoph Schindler, guarantee the seller's obligations and agree not to compete for two years after completion. — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMThe deal is a discloseable transaction under Chapter 14 of the Hong Kong Listing Rules because the percentage ratios exceed 5% but are below 25%. — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMANTHBOT is LDROBOT's global smart robotic lawn mower brand (HKEX voluntary announcement, 11 June 2026). — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMSABO's total assets were EUR 10.9 million at the end of 2025 and EUR 13.2 million at the end of 2024 (unaudited, HGB). — www1.hkexnews.hk
- MANUFACTURER CLAIMDates named in the article: announcement October 7, 2026; published October 8, 2026. — www1.hkexnews.hk
Last checked October 8, 2026. Spot an error? Tell us.
