Remaking Hanoi: Vietnam Bets on Colossal Capital Renewal to Drive Growth
Vietnam has unveiled a $2.5 trillion, 100‑year master plan to overhaul Hanoi, aiming to double its population to 15‑16 million by 2045 and boost capital‑city GDP to $640 billion. The initiative includes a $32 billion Red River Scenic Boulevard redevelopment, seven new bridges, and a 613‑km network of 14 metro lines to shift the city toward public‑transit‑oriented growth. Funding will blend private capital, social resources, and public investment, while relocation and compensation schemes are being accelerated under new political leadership. Residents like Bui Minh Phuong face uncertainty as mass relocations and higher housing costs loom.
China’s EcoFlow to Sell Solar Panels in British Supermarkets Soon
EcoFlow, a Chinese energy‑storage firm, will begin selling plug‑in solar panels through UK supermarkets such as Lidl and Iceland within months. The move aligns with the British government’s plan to install 1.5 million energy‑efficient homes as part of its net‑zero 2050...
“Huawei Inside” And Everywhere at China’s Car Show
Huawei has cemented its role as a "tier‑0.5" automotive player at the Beijing Auto Show, steering the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) that sold 580,000 vehicles—a 32% jump year‑over‑year. The company supplies design, quality management, onboard systems and sales, while...
Senasic Clears HKEX Hearing as CATL-Backed Chip Platform Eyes IPO
Senasic Electronics Technology cleared its Hong Kong Stock Exchange listing hearing and is moving toward an IPO, backed by joint sponsors CICC and Guotai Haitong. The company, the world’s third‑largest automotive wireless sensing SoC maker and China’s largest, counts CATL...
Airseekers Unveils Tron Ultra Lawn Mowers After Series A+ Round
Airseekers announced an eight‑figure RMB Series A+ round led by Infore Environment Technology Group, bringing total financing to over RMB 100 million (about $15 million). The capital will fund R&D, mass production and global channel expansion for its new Tron Ultra robotic lawn mower....
StepFun Nears USD 2.5 Billion Pre-IPO Round as Industrial Investors Join
StepFun is poised to close a pre‑IPO financing round worth almost $2.5 billion after restructuring as a joint‑stock company and dismantling its red‑chip structure for a Hong Kong listing. The round draws industrial investors—including smartphone ODMs Huaqin and Longcheer, image‑sensor leader...
ASEAN States Boost Oil Imports From Brunei, Libya, and US
Southeast Asian nations are rapidly diversifying oil supplies away from the Persian Gulf after the US‑Iran conflict blocked the Strait of Hormuz. Thailand cut UAE crude imports by more than half in April, while Brunei, Libya and the United States...
Are Smart Driving Companies Heading for a “Physical AI” Reckoning?
Zhuoyu Technology, a DJI spinoff, introduced a native multimodal foundation model for mobile physical AI at the Beijing Auto Show. The company is moving beyond traditional hardware‑sales and development fees, adopting token‑based subscriptions and profit‑sharing for Level 4 autonomous‑driving services such...
Hong Kong’s New Listing Pipeline Remains Undeterred by Iran War Volatility
Hong Kong’s stock exchange is experiencing a listing boom driven by AI and hard‑tech firms despite geopolitical volatility from the Iran conflict. Lightelligence’s IPO raised about $319 million, was oversubscribed 5,700 times and its shares jumped to a 52‑week high of...
Robotics Companies Like MagicLab Turn to Synthetic Data in the Embodied Intelligence Race
Robotics firms are accelerating embodied‑intelligence development, with Chinese makers like Unitree scaling shipments and MagicLab targeting $14 billion in revenue by 2036. At its Global Embodied AI Innovation Summit, MagicLab introduced Magic‑Mix, a world‑model platform that creates synthetic data, alongside the...
Moody’s Readies Stablecoin Ratings as Asian Market Takes Shape
Moody’s Ratings is developing a dedicated credit‑rating methodology for stablecoins, responding to growing investor demand as digital assets gain traction in Asia and globally. The agency’s digital‑economy team, led by Fabian Astic, will assess reserve quality, liquidity, cyber risk and...
Chinese Firms Suspend US Expansion as Business Climate Worsens
Chinese companies largely paused new US investments in 2025, citing a deteriorating business climate and heightened geopolitical risk. A CGCC survey revealed that 15% of firms reduced spending and 6% are weighing a full exit, while 79% intend to reinvest...
US Carmakers’ China Balance: Cooperate Abroad, Protect Turf at Home
Ford is weighing a partnership with China’s Geely to boost its European competitiveness while resisting any technology transfer that would allow Chinese automakers to enter the U.S. market. CEO Jim Farley emphasized the need for global IP sharing but framed...
Taocheche Files for Hong Kong IPO as China’s Leading Used Car Trading Platform
Yusheng Holdings, the parent of used‑car platform Taocheche, filed a prospectus on May 6 to list on Hong Kong’s main board, with Citi as sole sponsor. The company reported 2025 GMV of RMB 15.5 billion ($2.3 billion), a 3.8% market share, and revenue of RMB 6.7 billion...
ByteDance Explores AI Monetization for Doubao with Paid Subscription Tiers
ByteDance’s AI assistant Doubao is set to launch a paid subscription model alongside its free tier. The company announced three plans—Standard at $10 per month, Enhanced at $29.3 per month, and Professional at $73.3 per month—with annual discounts. While the...
Style3D’s Fashion Tech Offers Unexpected Answer to a Tough Robotics Problem
Style3D, a Hangzhou fashion‑tech firm, launched SynReal—a physics‑simulation platform that creates high‑fidelity synthetic data for deformable objects like fabric. By leveraging a decade of 3D garment data, SynReal claims 5‑10× faster performance and 20% lower error rates than Nvidia’s Isaac...
Global Drugmakers Eye More China Biotech Deals After Record Year
Global pharmaceutical firms are intensifying their pursuit of Chinese biotech partners after 2025 set a record $135.7 billion in out‑licensing deals, nearly three times the 2024 total. Executives from Johnson & Johnson and Merck highlighted plans to expand on‑the‑ground resources and...
Making Sense of Dreame’s Rocket-Boosted Car and Automotive Ambitions
Dreame launched the Nebula Next 01 Jet Edition, a red supercar equipped with a custom rocket‑based booster that can generate 100 kN of thrust and accelerate from 0‑100 km/h in 0.9 seconds. The launch also introduced the DHX1 4,320‑line full‑color LiDAR, an all‑solid‑state...
Triple-Color Laser Opens a New Window for Sonnoc’s Projector Ambitions
Sonnoc launched its Xiaolong series of pure triple‑color laser professional projectors in spring 2026, after a decade‑long R&D effort. The projectors claim double the color gamut and brightness of mainstream models, leveraging patented TRS scanning and domestic laser‑diode modules that...
Middle East Weekly: Li Auto Expands UAE, Saudi Footprint; UAE Launches Industrial Fund; Qatar Rolls Out Business Measures; and More
Li Auto announced its entry into the UAE and Saudi Arabian markets, launching its L series through partnerships with Al Fahim Motors and Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors. Lenovo confirmed that its Riyadh factory will start commercial production this year, targeting two million devices annually...
Pop Mart Announces Upgrade to Beijing Theme Park Pop Land
Pop Mart unveiled a new phase of Pop Land in Beijing, adding three themed zones and five large‑scale rides such as a rotating drop tower and a Labubu‑styled pirate ship. The 40,000‑square‑meter park, which opened in September 2023, turned profitable in its...
Deep Robotics Completes IPO Tutoring, Moving Closer to Star Market Listing
Deep Robotics has finished its IPO tutoring phase, positioning the Hangzhou‑based robotics firm for a future listing on Shanghai’s Star Market. The tutoring, which ran from Dec. 23 to Apr. 16, highlighted compliance gaps in labor contracts and internal controls. The company...
Southeast Asia’s Deep Tech Startups Look to Japan for Growth
Southeast Asian deep‑tech startups are increasingly looking to Japan for patient capital and market access as regional funding dries up and domestic markets stay small. At the SusHi Tech conference, nearly 70 firms from the region showcased technologies ranging from...
China’s Carmakers Surge Past Japan, European Peers with AI, Battery Tech
Chinese automakers are outpacing Japanese and European rivals by deploying advanced AI driver‑assistance chips and ultra‑fast‑charging Blade batteries. Volkswagen’s 5% stake in Xpeng now feeds Turing AI chips into its ID Unyx 08, while BYD showcases a battery that reaches 97%...
Reconova Targets Embodied Intelligence with Robots Deployed in Airports
Reconova, a 14‑year AI specialist, announced a shift from pure perception to full embodied intelligence, targeting complex, vertical use cases such as airport baggage handling. The company now offers a three‑layer system—perception, decision‑making via a visual‑language‑action model, and execution with...
Willand Reaches One Million Units, Expands Production in China and Malaysia
Willand, the operator of the Segway Navimow brand, celebrated the rollout of its one‑millionth robotic lawn mower at its Changzhou R&D and manufacturing base. The achievement arrives as global robotic mower sales jumped 327% in the first half of 2025 and...
Lightelligence Debuts in Hong Kong as Optoelectronic Computing Gains Traction
Lightelligence became the first publicly listed company focused on silicon‑photonic AI chips when it debuted on Hong Kong’s main board on April 28 under code 1879. The IPO valued the firm at more than HKD 80 billion (about $10.2 billion), making it the largest...
After Mass Production, Agibot Shifts Focus to Architecture and Ecosystem
Agibot announced that it has rolled out its 10,000th robot and is pivoting from pure hardware to a full AI‑driven ecosystem called AIMA, which unites motion, interaction and task intelligence. The company unveiled six AI models, including the GO‑2 and...
From VW to Nissan, Automakers Bet on “in China, for Global” Strategies
Foreign automakers are shifting to an “in China, for global” model, debuting China‑developed EVs and software at the Beijing Auto Show. Volkswagen, with a 5% stake in Xpeng and a joint venture with Horizon Robotics, unveiled four new models and...
Deals in Brief: Cube and PvX Partners Raise Series A Funding; Singapore’s MPA Backs Six Firms; Eight China Investments; and...
Cube secured a $3.7 million Series A to broaden its e‑commerce data intelligence platform beyond Southeast Asia into North Asia and Latin America, while PvX Partners raised $10.5 million to scale its AI‑driven cohort financing model for consumer apps. Singapore’s Maritime and Port...
Honor Sees Phones as Key to On-Device AI, Even if They Are Not the Endgame
Honor is shifting from a pure smartphone maker to an AI‑device company, committing $10 billion to AI over the next five years. It launched MagicOS and the Yoyo AI agent, embedding on‑device intelligence into its flagship Magic V6. The phone can act...
Dubai Open for Business, as Economic Head Cites Oman “Green Corridor”
Dubai’s economic chief Hadi Badri reassured investors that the emirate remains a safe haven despite escalating Iran‑U.S. tensions, highlighting a new “green corridor” with Oman that streamlines customs for air and road shipments. On April 1 the government unveiled a AED 1 billion...
Auntie AI: China’s Chatbot Makers Cultivate Senior Users
Chinese chatbot makers are aggressively courting the nation’s rapidly aging population, with ByteDance’s Doubao leading the charge by offering voice‑first, dialect‑aware interactions that feel like a family member. By the end of 2025, China will have 323 million people aged 60+,...
With New Funding, Can Elegoo Close the Gap with Bambu Lab in 3D Printing?
Elegoo, a Chinese 3D‑printer maker, closed a nine‑figure RMB Series B+ round backed by Meituan’s DragonBall Capital, Hillhouse and other top investors. The funding follows a prior round with DJI and is intended to accelerate software development and close the performance...
What Does the Fate of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Reveal About China’s Game Industry?
Leenzee Games’ souls‑like title *Wuchang: Fallen Feathers* sold roughly two million copies and earned about $73 million, yet the studio was disbanded after revenue only covered development costs. The game’s $36.3 price in China pushed domestic single‑player titles into blockbuster pricing territory...
TikTok, Sea, Alibaba-Owned E-Commerce Corner ASEAN Markets
A Momentum Works report shows Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop will dominate 99 % of ASEAN e‑commerce by 2025, with Shopee holding over 50 % market share and $83.2 billion GMV. TikTok Shop doubled its sales to $45.6 billion, while Lazada stayed at $18 billion....
Nasn Moves Closer to Hong Kong Listing After CSRC Filing
Nasn Automotive Electronics filed a China Securities Regulatory Commission notice confirming its overseas offering and upcoming Hong Kong listing after submitting a confidential prospectus to HKEX and satisfying hearing prerequisites. Founded in 2016, the Hangzhou‑based firm specializes in chassis‑by‑wire solutions, integrating...
Inside Punggol, the “Smart Town” Singapore Is Building with AI
Singapore is turning its northeastern district of Punggol into the nation’s first "smart town," a digital district built on an Open Digital Platform that links sensors, energy management and AI services. In early April, autonomous‑mobility provider WeRide and ride‑hailing giant...
TOPNC Clears Filing Step for Hong Kong IPO as Its Lead in Five-Axis CNC Tools Grows
Top Numerical Control Technology (TOPNC) cleared a China Securities Regulatory Commission filing, advancing its Hong Kong IPO to the hearing stage. The company dominates the five‑axis CNC tool market in 2024, supplying China’s aerospace programs such as the C919 jet and...
ByteDance’s Global E-Commerce Push Lifts Revenue as AI Costs Mount
ByteDance’s overseas revenue surged nearly 50% in 2025, outpacing its domestic growth of about 20%. The boost came largely from TikTok Shop, whose gross merchandise value jumped roughly 70% year‑on‑year and approached $100 billion, pushing the overseas share of total revenue...
Xiaomi Boosts EV Business with New Hires, Including First CTO Appointment
Xiaomi announced the creation of a chief technology officer role for its automotive division, appointing veteran engineer Hu Zhengnan as vice president and CTO, while naming former Tesla executive Song Gang as vice president and chief of staff. The moves...
Deals in Brief: Baskit Raises USD 4.4 Million, Tencent Buys Kaspi.kz Stake, Six China Investments, and More
A wave of capital is reshaping Asia’s tech landscape, highlighted by Baskit’s $4.4 million Series A and a $3 million HSBC credit line to scale its offline‑trade platform across Indonesia and the Philippines. Tencent entered Central Asia’s fintech arena with a $518 million purchase...
Alamar Lists on Nasdaq, Giving Qiming Its Fifth IPO in 2026
Alamar Biosciences, a proteomics company founded in 2018, debuted on Nasdaq, delivering Qiming Venture Partners its fifth IPO in 2026. The firm’s Nulisa technology provides femtogram‑level sensitivity and a 12‑log dynamic range, while its Argo HT instrument has installed over 100...
Xiaomi, HongShan Back X Square Robot in Series B Round
X Square Robot closed a Series B round that raised nearly RMB 2 billion (about USD 292.8 million), with Xiaomi and HongShan as co‑lead investors. The funding adds to backing from Meituan, Alibaba and ByteDance, making X Square the only Chinese embodied‑intelligence firm funded by...
Tencent Opens International Beta for AI Agent Product QClaw
Tencent has opened an international beta for QClaw, an AI‑agent product from its PC Manager team, aimed at non‑technical users. The tool lets users launch agents through email, WhatsApp or Telegram without writing code or configuring APIs. Built on the...
Pongbot Uses AI-Powered Robots to Address Sports Coaching Gap
Pongbot, founded by Zhang Haibo, has turned AI‑driven robotics into a scalable tennis‑training solution. After a successful 2024 Kickstarter that raised over $2.7 million, the company completed a Series A, bringing total funding to roughly $29.3 million across three rounds. Its Pace series...
China’s Oppo Takes on iPhone in Japan with USD 2,000 Foldable Phone
Oppo is launching its flagship foldable, the Find N6, in Japan at a suggested retail price of ¥318,000 (about $1,999), positioning it above Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold7. The device boasts a proprietary hinge that reduces the unfolded crease to just...
After Tech Giants, a New Cohort of “AI Tigers” Finds Footing in China
China’s AI sector is expanding beyond the traditional giants as a new wave of "AI tigers" gains market visibility. Six startups—including 01.AI, Baichuan AI, MiniMax, Moonshot AI, StepFun and Zhipu—are targeting narrow, high‑value use cases rather than competing head‑on with...
DJI’s Osmo Pocket 4 Raises the Bar on Specs While Lowering the Cost
DJI launched the Osmo Pocket 4 on April 16, upgrading to a one‑inch CMOS sensor, 14‑stop dynamic range and ten‑bit D‑Log color while adding 4K 240 fps slow‑motion. The pocket‑sized gimbal now ships with 107 GB of internal storage and 800 MB/s export speeds, and...
China Produces the World’s Tea, but Brands Lag Behind
China remains the world’s largest tea producer, outputting 3.92 million metric tons in 2025 and exporting 418,800 tons worth about $1.6 billion. Despite the volume, Chinese tea commands an average price of $4‑5 per kilogram, far lower than Sri Lankan black tea ($6‑8)...