(Yicai) Aug. 20 -- Dreame, a Chinese manufacturer of robot vacuum cleaners, is expanding into the drone sector and has enticed staff from domestic drone giant DJI Technology, which recently turned rival after launching its first robot vacuum, according to a new report.

Dreame has already poached several employees from DJI and Meituan, China's largest on-demand services provider, for its new drone project, Sina Tech reported today, citing sources familiar with the matter.

In addition, Dreame has made job listings for drone navigation and modeling algorithm engineer, drone operations business lead, and other related roles on recruitment platforms.

Suzhou-based Dreame requires candidates to have business-to-business experience and corresponding resources, while also demanding familiarity with the business models of the drone industry, according to one applicant. These suggest that initially it may not target the consumer but the B2B market, which requires extensive industry experience, the person added.

Dreame's move is seen as a counterattack against DJI, which launched its Romo vacuum cleaner series on Aug. 6, generating significant market buzz. The new product has already entered the top three bestselling robot vacuums lists on JD.Com, despite being priced 50 percent higher than its competitors.

Editor: Martin Kadiev