AsianFin -- Chinese robot vacuum cleaner maker Dreame Technology has denied social media claims that it was coercing employees to invest in its private equity fund.

The company, which recently announced plans to expand into the automotive and smartphone sectors, said Thursday the fund has always followed the principles of marketization, specialization, and compliance, and that it has never introduced mandatory investment requirements for staff.

The rebuttal follows a social media post alleging that Dreame required employees to commit at least 10,000 yuan (USD1,370) to the fund and threatened layoffs for those who refused. The original post has since been deleted, and attempts by Yicai to reach the author went unanswered.

The clarification comes as Dreame seeks to diversify beyond its core home-appliance business, an expansion strategy that has drawn wide public attention in recent weeks.