A worker works on the production line of Giiker in Shunde, Foshan City, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 29, 2025. As traditional toys are stuck in price and homogenization competition, a batch of smart educational toys is quietly opening up new markets at home and abroad.

In this emerging market segment, Giiker from Shunde of Foshan City, stands out. Founded in 2018, Giiker started with a Rubik's Cube product and has reached an annual gross merchandise volume of over 500 million yuan (about 71.36 million U.S. dollars) in just six years.

Founder Su Ziming said that unlike the traditional toy industry's strategy of pursuing rapid launch and extensive distribution of new products, Giiker prefers to spend one to two years refining a product, emphasizing a long-term life cycle and high quality.

Another outstanding company in this market segment is GANCUBE, a technology company also based in south China's Guangdong Province. It entered the market in 2014, and has now developed into a smart competitive platform covering smart hardware, AI algorithms, and IoT ecosystem. In the global smart competitive toy segment, GANCUBE holds approximately 20 percent of the market share.

Behind the rapid development lies its continuous R&D and manufacturing investment. GANCUBE has multiple production bases, including a digital factory of over 15,000 square meters. The team has a high proportion of R&D personnel, and it has even independently developed an automated cube production line that is rare in the industry. Its products are sold through platforms like Amazon and Tmall to over 100 countries and regions.

The rise of smart educational toys reflects not only the upgrade of China's toy industry but also the evolution of educational concepts and consumption trends. As "learning through play" becomes a consensus, this market segment is attracting more and more innovators. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

This photo taken in January 2024 shows a staff member (R) introducing a toy produced by Giiker to a client at an international toy fair in Nuremberg, Germany. As traditional toys are stuck in price and homogenization competition, a batch of smart educational toys is quietly opening up new markets at home and abroad. (Xinhua)

A R&D staff member tests an intelligent blocks toy at the headquarters of Giiker in Shunde, Foshan City, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 29, 2025. As traditional toys are stuck in price and homogenization competition, a batch of smart educational toys is quietly opening up new markets at home and abroad. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

This photo shows Rubik's Cube components at an intelligent manufacturing base of the technology company GANCUBE in Shunde, Foshan City, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 29, 2025. As traditional toys are stuck in price and homogenization competition, a batch of smart educational toys is quietly opening up new markets at home and abroad. (Xinhua/Huo Siying)

A customer shows a Super Blocks toy produced by Giiker at a supermarket in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Nov. 28, 2025. As traditional toys are stuck in price and homogenization competition, a batch of smart educational toys is quietly opening up new markets at home and abroad. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

Jiang Ganyuan, founder of the technology company GANCUBE, demonstrates the online gameplay of the smart Rubik's Cube in Shunde, Foshan City, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 29, 2025. As traditional toys are stuck in price and homogenization competition, a batch of smart educational toys is quietly opening up new markets at home and abroad. (Xinhua/Huo Siying)

This photo shows the automated production line of Rubik's Cube at an intelligent manufacturing base of the technology company GANCUBE in Shunde, Foshan City, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 29, 2025. As traditional toys are stuck in price and homogenization competition, a batch of smart educational toys is quietly opening up new markets at home and abroad. (Xinhua/Huo Siying)

Su Ziming (C), founder of Giiker, discusses the company's smart educational toy products with employees in Shunde, Foshan City, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 29, 2025. As traditional toys are stuck in price and homogenization competition, a batch of smart educational toys is quietly opening up new markets at home and abroad. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

Workers work on the production line of Giiker in Shunde, Foshan City, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 29, 2025. As traditional toys are stuck in price and homogenization competition, a batch of smart educational toys is quietly opening up new markets at home and abroad. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

An employee of the technology company GANCUBE participates in a Rubik's Cube competition held within the company in Shunde, Foshan City, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 29, 2025. As traditional toys are stuck in price and homogenization competition, a batch of smart educational toys is quietly opening up new markets at home and abroad. (Xinhua/Huo Siying)

A staff member of Giiker introduces an intelligent blocks toy via livestreaming in Shunde, Foshan City, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 29, 2025. As traditional toys are stuck in price and homogenization competition, a batch of smart educational toys is quietly opening up new markets at home and abroad. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

Staff members of Giiker discuss the packaging of products in Shunde, Foshan City, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 29, 2025. As traditional toys are stuck in price and homogenization competition, a batch of smart educational toys is quietly opening up new markets at home and abroad. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

Employees of the technology company GANCUBE participate in a Rubik's Cube competition held within the company in Shunde, Foshan City, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 29, 2025. As traditional toys are stuck in price and homogenization competition, a batch of smart educational toys is quietly opening up new markets at home and abroad. (Xinhua/Huo Siying)

Jiang Ganyuan, founder of the technology company GANCUBE, shows the built-in sensor and bluetooth chip inside a smart Rubik's Cube in Shunde, Foshan City, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 29, 2025. As traditional toys are stuck in price and homogenization competition, a batch of smart educational toys is quietly opening up new markets at home and abroad. (Xinhua/Huo Siying)

Children play an intelligent military chess produced by Giiker outside a stadium in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 27, 2025. As traditional toys are stuck in price and homogenization competition, a batch of smart educational toys is quietly opening up new markets at home and abroad. (Xinhua/Huo Siying)