Quicktron Robotics, a Chinese mainland maker of self-driving forklifts and other robots used in warehouses, has confidentially filed for a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region initial public offering that could raise at least $100 million as early as next year, according to people familiar with the matter.

Deliberations are ongoing, and the size and timing of the deal may change, the people said, asking not to be identified because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. The company didn’t reply to a request for comment.

Quicktron joins the growing list of firms making use of confidential filings after Hong Kong eased rules for doing so in the technology and biotechnology industries. Before then, they were typically reserved for firms listed on another exchange. 

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Quicktron, which was founded in 2014 and has over 1,000 clients including global giants such as Huawei Technologies Co and AP Moller-Maersk A/S, counts Alibaba Group Holding Ltd’s Cainiao logistics arm and a venture-capital fund under Saudi Arabian Oil Co as its backers. Last year, it raised more than $100 million in a funding round.