Malaysia Launches Push to Encourage Local Investors to Buy Stocks
Malaysia's Securities Commission unveiled a five‑year Capital Market Masterplan targeting a market capitalization of $1.4‑$1.6 trillion by 2030, a 35‑47% rise from 2025 levels. The plan tackles weak equity valuations and low retail participation—currently only about a quarter of Malaysians invest directly—by introducing fractional ETFs, fee rebates, and the “MY Value Up” program to spur corporate value creation. It also seeks to list large private firms, having identified roughly 150 candidates, and deepens regional ties through a new MoU with Hong Kong Exchanges. The initiative aims to reposition Malaysia as a more attractive hub in Southeast Asia’s capital markets.
Southeast Asian Beauty Brands Seek Overseas Gloss to Bolster Growth
Southeast Asian beauty and personal‑care markets posted double‑digit growth in 2025, far exceeding regional GDP expansion. Home‑grown brands such as Thailand’s Panpuri, Indonesia’s Wardah and Karmart are leveraging ingredient‑focused skin‑care, halal positioning and digital channels to expand across the region...
Meituan’s Overseas Push Steadies Investors Despite Second Consecutive Loss
Meituan reported full‑year 2025 revenue of $53.3 bn, an 8% YoY increase, but posted a net loss of $3.4 bn and an operating loss of $2.5 bn, marking a second consecutive loss in its core local‑commerce segment. Fourth‑quarter revenue rose 4.1% to $13.4 bn,...
After OpenClaw, This Company Aims to Build “Vibe Hardware” Powered by AI Agents
AutoArk, founded by former Alibaba and Ant Group executive Zeng Xiaodong, is building an AI‑driven operating system called Eva OS that lets edge devices such as robots, earbuds and glasses develop applications through natural‑language commands. The company describes this approach as...
Alibaba Ties E-Commerce Growth to AI After Latest Overhaul
Alibaba has reorganized its e‑commerce AI efforts under a new Alibaba Token Hub (ATH), consolidating smart‑search, recommendation, and multimodal AI units. The overhaul splits the former search division into platform‑users, products, and algorithms teams while folding the future‑innovation group into...
Qingtao Energy Files for Hong Kong IPO After Ramping up Solid-State Battery Deliveries
Qingtao Energy Development Group submitted a prospectus to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on April 8, 2026, with Guotai Junan International, CICC and China Merchants Securities acting as joint sponsors. The company, a pioneer in organic‑inorganic composite solid electrolytes,...
This AI Pet Targets Young Users Seeking Real-World Social Connection
Blinkko, a shoulder‑mounted AI plush, is designed to serve as a social cue for Generation Z, encouraging real‑world connections rather than replacing human interaction. Founded by former Apple employee Shen Tongxin and a team with Harvard and Berkeley backgrounds, the startup...
China’s “Hermes of Gold” Courts Turbulent World After Dazzling at Home
Laopu, dubbed China’s “Hermes of gold,” posted a 221% revenue jump to $4 billion in 2025 and a market cap of about $14 billion, despite a recent gold‑price dip. The Beijing‑based jeweler now runs 45 stores across 16 Chinese cities plus Singapore...
Seres Delivers Strong 2025 Results, Eyes Path to Become China’s Answer to Mercedes-Benz and BMW
Seres Group reported a record 2025 operating revenue of RMB 164.9 bn (≈$24 bn), a 13.6% year‑on‑year increase, and net profit of RMB 5.96 bn (≈$867 m), marking its second consecutive profitable year. Its premium Aito brand delivered over 420,000 units, with the M9, M8 and...
Xiaokuo Files for Hong Kong IPO as It Expands Beyond Oral Care
Xiaokuo Technology, a Shenzhen‑registered oral‑care and personal‑care maker, filed a prospectus on March 27 2026 for a Hong Kong main‑board IPO. The company, whose Canban and About Focus brands cover over 500 SKUs, posted 2025 revenue of $363.6 million and adjusted net profit of...
Why Ride-Hailing Is Harder for AI than Generating Text or Images
Alibaba’s Qwen AI launched a natural‑language ride‑hailing feature that lets users book trips without navigating menus. The rollout highlights the shift from AI as a suggestion tool to an executor of real‑world services. However, the multi‑step fulfillment chain—speech recognition, intent...
AI-Generated Dramas Gain Traction as Technology Improves, but Questions Remain
AI‑generated live‑action dramas are emerging as a fast‑growing segment of the content industry, driven by advances in video‑generation foundation models such as ByteDance’s Seedance 2.0 and Shengshu’s Vidu Q3. Production costs have fallen to under one‑tenth of traditional short dramas—roughly USD 14,500 per...
EV Tigers BYD and VinFast Set Electric Pace in Asia
Chinese EV leader BYD and Vietnam’s VinFast are accelerating their presence in Southeast Asia, posting 95% and 90% year‑on‑year sales growth respectively and moving 100,000 and 70,000 units in the first three quarters of 2025. Their combined 7% share of...
Pop Mart’s Strong Results Fail to Answer “Next Labubu” Question
Pop Mart reported 2025 revenue of $5.4 billion, up 184.7% YoY, with overseas markets contributing over 40% of sales. The Labubu franchise drove $2.7 billion, 38% of total revenue, and propelled plush sales 560% higher than expectations. Despite the strong top line,...
Digital China Posts Higher Revenue as AI Business Expands
Digital China reported FY2025 revenue of RMB 143.8 billion ($20.9 billion), a 12% increase, with AI‑related sales climbing to RMB 33 billion ($4.8 billion), up 48%. Growth was driven by its Smart Vision AI platform, KunTai computing products, and a surge in electronic components distribution tied...
Autonomous Driving Firms Race to List Before the Window Narrows
Chinese autonomous‑driving firms QCraft and DeepRoute.ai have confidentially filed for Hong Kong IPOs, aiming to list before the end of 2026. Momenta, the sector’s largest player, is targeting a valuation above RMB 100 billion (about $14.5 billion), while QCraft is estimated at $1.5‑2 billion. The...
Deals in Brief: Kitar and PolicyStreet Raise Funding; Western Union Completes Dash Acquisition; Five China Investments, and More
A wave of financing and strategic deals swept Asia in April, with Indonesia’s Kitar raising over $10 million to scale its hybrid B2C‑C2C secondhand platform, and Malaysia’s PolicyStreet closing a $21 million Series C to fuel regional expansion. Olam agreed to sell its...
China Taps Rocket, Satellite Startups to Catch up to SpaceX
China is mobilizing private rocket and satellite startups to accelerate its space ambitions and challenge SpaceX’s dominance. State‑owned China Satellite Communications Group plans a 50,000‑satellite low‑Earth‑orbit constellation, while a new $2.9 billion government fund supports over 600 domestic space firms. The...
Indonesian Minimart King Alfamart Boosts Quick Commerce to Reverse Slowdown
Alfamart, Indonesia’s largest convenience‑store chain, is accelerating its quick‑commerce push through the Alfagift app to counter slowing same‑store sales and a 7% net‑income decline in 2024. The app now has 25 million members, drives 8% of revenue, and the retailer is...
China’s Coffee Market Splits in Two as Luckin Moves Upmarket and Mixue Digs Deeper
Centurium Capital is acquiring Blue Bottle’s global retail stores for under $400 million, giving Luckin Coffee a premium brand to complement its low‑price model. Mixue Bingcheng is piloting freshly ground coffee in select outlets, installing $4,800 automatic machines to broaden its...
Why DJI’s Talent Outflow May Be a Sign of Strength, Not Weakness
DJI is on track to exceed $14.5 bn in annual revenue by 2026, driven by strong market share in drones, action cameras and 360‑degree imaging. While former employees frequently launch startups, the company’s talent outflow is being reframed as a purposeful...
Tmall Ramps up Merchant Support as Focus Shifts to Profitability
Tmall announced an expanded merchant‑support program that pivots from pure traffic subsidies to profit‑protecting cash incentives, larger subsidies and AI‑driven efficiency tools. The platform reported a 15% year‑on‑year rise in brands with GMV above RMB 100 million (≈$14.5 M), more than 13,000 brands...
China’s E-Trucks Are Poised to Dominate the Nascent EU Market
Chinese electric‑truck makers are rapidly establishing a foothold in Europe, with Windrose opening an assembly plant in Belgium, SuperPanther gearing up production in Austria, and BYD expanding its Hungarian facility to exceed 1,000 e‑trucks annually. Sany, leveraging its heavy‑duty heritage,...
CaoCao Mobility’s Growth Begins to Translate Into Profit
CaoCao Mobility posted a $2.9 billion revenue for 2025, a 38% year‑on‑year increase, and recorded its first quarterly adjusted net profit. Gross margin rose to 9.4% as scale, AI‑driven dispatch efficiency, and depreciation leverage improved unit economics. The firm now serves...
As Kansai’s Deep Tech Push Gains Speed, Can GSE 2026 Take It Global?
Kansai’s metropolitan area of Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe is being positioned as Japan’s next global deep‑tech hub. The regional METI office and the Union of Kansai Governments announced a ¥10 trillion (≈$63 billion) investment plan through 2027, targeting 100 unicorns and 100,000...
CATL, BYD Join over 100 China Firms in Perovskite Solar Cell Race
More than 100 Chinese companies, including battery giant CATL and EV maker BYD, are racing to mass‑produce perovskite solar cells. The sector already boasts gigawatt‑scale production lines, such as UtmoLight’s 1.8 million‑cell annual facility and GCL Optoelectronic’s $724 million plant targeting 2 GW....
Chinese Furniture Maker Takes on US Incumbents in Bid to Expand Foothold
Sunon, a Chinese office‑furniture maker, is shifting from contract manufacturing to selling under its own brand in the United States. The company earned $60 million from the U.S. market last year and targets a 50% revenue increase this year, backed by...
SenseTime Narrows Losses in 2025 as Generative AI Drives Growth
SenseTime reported 2025 revenue of RMB 5 billion ($724 million), up 32.9% year‑on‑year, driven largely by generative AI. The generative‑AI segment grew 51% to $521 million, accounting for 72.4% of total revenue. EBITDA turned positive in the second half, reaching $54.5 million, while the full‑year...
Anta’s Core Label Slows in 2025 as Fila and Other Labels Pick up the Pace
Anta Sports posted a 13.3% revenue increase to $11.6 billion in 2025, driven largely by its Fila label and smaller brands, while the core Anta brand grew only 3.7%. Operating profit rose 15% to $2.8 billion, with margins expanding to 23.8% despite...
Kuaishou Shares Fall as AI Spending Overshadows Solid Earnings
Kuaishou reported solid Q4 2025 results, with revenue rising 11.8% to $5.7 billion and adjusted net profit up 16.2% to $796.5 million. The company disclosed that 2026 AI‑related capital expenditure could reach $3.8 billion, about $1.6 billion more than the prior year, prompting a...
FS.com Lists in Hong Kong, Riding Demand for AI-Era Networking Hardware
Chinese networking specialist FS.com debuted on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on March 23, completing its IPO. The Shenzhen‑based firm, which supplies optical modules, high‑speed cables, switches and cloud‑enabled software, now ranks second globally in the direct‑to‑consumer networking market with...
Can ChackTok Untangle Southeast Asia’s Fragmented Photo Booth Market?
The global photo‑booth market, valued at $584.6 million in 2024, is projected to reach $1.4 billion by 2032 with an 11.5% CAGR. Southeast Asia contributes roughly one‑fifth of that market but remains highly fragmented, relying on outdated tools. ChackTok offers a hardware‑agnostic...
China’s EV Battery Makers Widen Lead to over 70% Global Share
Chinese EV battery manufacturers surged to a global installed‑capacity share of over 70% in 2025, up from under 50% in 2021. CATL led the market with a 39.2% share and posted a record net profit of RMB 72.2 billion (≈$10.5 billion), a 42%...
Didi’s Overseas Push Stays on Track as LATAM Expansion Accelerates
Didi reported fourth‑quarter and full‑year 2025 results showing its international segment accelerating, especially in Latin America. International gross transaction value hit $5.3 billion in Q4, up 47% year‑on‑year, and $17 billion for the year, while order volume surpassed 1.26 billion trips. The company...
BYD Says It “Can’t Compete” In Japan with EV Subsidy Gap
Chinese automaker BYD announced that its four EV models sold in Japan received no increase in government subsidies, leaving them at ¥350,000‑¥450,000 (approximately $2,200‑$2,800). In contrast, Toyota and Tesla saw their subsidies rise to the new ceiling of ¥1.3 million (about...
China Renaissance Sets Sights on Cross-Border Deals with New US Hire
Beijing‑based China Renaissance, managing about $4.6 billion in assets, has appointed Enna Weng as head of its U.S. capital markets unit and plans to add at least seven North‑America bankers this year. The move signals a renewed push to help Chinese...
What Is OpenClaw? 8 Things to Know as the AI Agent Draws Hype, Confusion, and Caution
OpenClaw, an open‑source AI agent framework nicknamed “lobster,” ignited a frenzy in Shenzhen, attracting many former Web3 participants eager for the next growth wave. While some early adopters have found niche uses—such as automated crypto briefings—most report limited practical value,...
Appliance Makers Place the Future of Home Robots on Display at AWE 2026
At the 2026 Appliance & Electronics World Expo in Shanghai, traditional appliance manufacturers pivoted toward embodied intelligence, unveiling a range of home‑service robots. Companies such as Dreame, Ecovacs, Haier, TCL, Hisense and Tesla demonstrated prototypes for chores, elder care, and...
Deals in Brief: QCraft Raises Series D Funding, Grab Acquires Foodpanda’s Taiwan Delivery Business, Seven China Investments, and More
QCraft closed a $100 million Series D round to push its Level 4 autonomous‑driving platform and world‑model AI research, targeting deployment in over 50 vehicle models by 2026. Grab agreed to buy Delivery Hero’s Foodpanda Taiwan operation for $600 million, marking its first expansion...
Xpeng-Backed Aridge Raises Funding to Advance Modular Flying Car Production
Aridge, Xpeng's flying‑car subsidiary, secured nearly USD 200 million in a new equity round, pushing its cumulative funding to almost USD 1 billion and making it the most capital‑rich eVTOL firm in Asia. The financing, led by Hillhouse Capital, HongShan, Gaorong Ventures and Fortune...
Tencent Gets Bolder with Agentic AI as OpenClaw Sparks Hype and Competition
Tencent has accelerated its AI strategy by unveiling OpenClaw, an open‑source agent framework, at a high‑visibility offline event that installed the system for over 500 participants. The rollout introduced a suite of related tools—WorkBuddy, QClaw, Lighthouse and SkillHub—designed to embed...
Didi’s Core Business Remains Strong as Global Expansion Pressures Earnings
Didi Chuxing posted a 10.5% revenue increase in Q4 2025, driven by strong domestic mobility growth, while its international expansion sharply lifted costs and erased overall profitability. Domestic gross transaction value rose 11.2% to RMB 87.2 billion and adjusted EBITA turned positive...
Asian Executives Flag Rising Supply Chain Risks From Iran War
Asian petrochemical and shipping executives warn that the U.S.-Iran conflict has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off vital naphtha shipments from the Gulf. Formosa Petrochemical and other regional producers have issued force‑majeure notices and plan to run facilities...
Huawei Veterans Raise Funding for Startup Powering AI Data Centers
Matrix Power Technologies, a Shanghai startup founded by former Huawei executives, closed an eight‑figure RMB Series A round led exclusively by StarCharge. The funding will accelerate R&D of high‑voltage DC power platforms—400 V and 800 V designs—and support North American expansion. Matrix aims...
Diagens Nears IPO with Medical Imaging AI, Foundation Model
Diagens Biotechnology cleared its Hong Kong Stock Exchange listing hearing and is poised to become the world’s first publicly listed AI‑driven medical imaging company built on a foundation model. Its flagship AI Autovision, powered by the iMedImage model, achieved 100%...
Meizu Slashes Workforce as Smartphone Unit Winds Down
Meizu announced a sweeping restructuring that will see more than half of its workforce, roughly 400 employees, leave the company as it winds down its in‑house smartphone development. The Pandaer lifestyle brand will be spun off as an independent profit‑center,...
Sunmi Lays the Rails for Brands Chasing Global Chain Expansion
Sunmi, the world’s largest Android‑based BIoT provider, is capitalizing on the wave of “chainization” among retail and F&B brands seeking global scale. With over 10% market share and operations in more than 200 countries, Sunmi supplies integrated hardware like the...
China’s Global Port Push Reveals Supply Chain Security Goals
A new AidData report shows China granted or loaned $23.9 billion to finance 168 ports across 90 countries between 2000 and 2025. The investments, covering construction, expansion and equipment, often sit near Chinese‑financed mines and have hosted naval visits at more...
PixVerse Hits Unicorn Valuation with New Series C Funding
AI startup AIsphere's PixVerse achieved unicorn status after closing a Series C round led by CDH Investments. Although the amount raised and valuation were undisclosed, the company already reports over 100 million users in 175 countries and subscription revenue covering...
Li Auto Ends 2025 on a Steady Note, but Turnaround Remains in Progress
Li Auto posted a modest Q4 2025 profit of RMB 20.2 million, with vehicle margin improving to 16.8% and free cash flow turning positive at RMB 2.5 billion. However, revenue fell 35% year‑on‑year and operating loss remained at RMB 442.6 million, indicating the recovery is limited....
