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 leveraged its 99 acquisition to dominate Brazil’s mobility market (≈40% share) and is relaunching food delivery, targeting 100 cities by mid‑2026. Didi also expands electric‑vehicle services, aiming for 100,000 EVs in Mexico by 2030.
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....
China Signals ChiNext Reforms to Tilt Listings Toward Consumer Companies
At the March 6 press conference, CSRC chairman Wu Qing announced plans to introduce a more targeted, inclusive listing framework for the ChiNext board, aimed at high‑quality emerging consumer and modern service companies. The proposal would add a fourth listing standard,...
Dreame-Backed NXMind Enters Commercialization with Tianqiong Chips, Targets Orbital Computing
NXMind, backed by Dreame, announced that its Tianqiong chip series has entered mass production and will be integrated across Dreame’s home‑robot lineup. The heterogeneous system‑on‑chip combines a multi‑core CPU, dedicated NPU and microcontroller to enable real‑time LiDAR, vision fusion and...
Grab Charges Philippine Bike Riders over 230% Interest for In-App Loans
Grab Finance is offering short‑term in‑app loans to Philippine ride‑hailing partners with an effective annual interest rate exceeding 230%, reaching about 277% for a typical PHP 11,000 loan. The loans are repaid through daily deductions from the riders' e‑wallets, a model...
Deals in Brief: Gobi Partners Backs Cortical Labs, TVS Invests in Vietnam’s Dat Bike, 11 China Deals, and More
A wave of Asian tech financing saw Cortical Labs secure an undisclosed round led by Horizon Ventures and Gobi Partners, while Vietnam’s Dat Bike received a $4 million Series B injection from Thien Viet Securities. Singapore‑based AI startups Acceler8 and Sapiens AI...
Can Jia Guolong Save Xibei by Stepping Back?
Xibei’s founder Jia Guolong has stepped down as CEO of its flagship brand, reinstating veteran Dong Junyi to steady the ailing chain. The company is slashing head‑office staff from over 500 to roughly 200 and plans to close 102 outlets,...
Chip Price Hikes Spread as Asia’s Chipmakers Plan Record Spending
Asian chipmakers, from giants to smaller players, are raising prices as AI‑driven demand fuels a record $136 billion capex plan for 2026, a 25% increase over last year. Companies such as Vanguard, Unimicron and Winbond announced price hikes ranging from 5%...
China’s “Palantir Equivalent” Xunce Forecasts Strong Revenue Growth Amid AI Data Surge
Shenzhen‑based Xunce Technology, dubbed China’s Palantir equivalent, forecasted 2025 revenue of RMB 1.283 billion, a 103% year‑on‑year increase. The company expects its adjusted net loss to narrow to RMB 55 million as it expands AI data‑agent infrastructure into robotics and aviation. Revenue surged in...
Xpeng Reframes Autonomous Driving as AI Deployment in the Physical World
Chinese EV maker Xpeng unveiled its second‑generation vision‑language‑action (VLA) model, announcing a strategic shift to bypass Level 3 autonomous driving and aim directly for Level 4 capabilities. The company merged its cockpit and autonomous‑driving divisions into a single AI platform, positioning the...
Puma Bets on Direct Sales Playbook of New Top Shareholder, China’s Anta
Puma reported a record €645.5 million net loss for 2025, driven by a 13% sales decline and heavy discounting in its wholesale‑dominant model. CEO Arthur Hoeld blamed over‑exposure to retail channels and has begun pulling inventory back from stores, while cutting...
Middle East Weekly: Aito Secures First UAE Order, Qatar Launches 36 Digital Services, Dubai Tests Autonomous Taxis, and More
Chinese EV makers are deepening their Gulf foothold as Greenland Group inks a deal to export 5,000 vehicles to the UAE and Aito lands its first 200‑unit order in the Emirates. Dubai is set to launch autonomous taxis, initially deploying...
TikTok Shop Narrows the Gap with Shopee in Southeast Asia’s E-Commerce Market
TikTok Shop is rapidly closing the gap with Shopee in Southeast Asia, especially in Vietnam where it captured over 41% of e‑commerce market share in 2025, down from 24% two years earlier. Shopee’s lead slipped to 56%, and together the...
Hong Kong’s Stablecoin Drive Nears Quiet Climax
Hong Kong is set to announce the first batch of stablecoin licences this month, after a licensing process that began with 77 interested parties and narrowed to 36 applicants. The pool has thinned further as mainland Chinese firms withdrew following...
Can JD Property’s Overseas Push Reshape Its IPO Valuation Story?
JD Property has filed an A1 IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, showcasing a portfolio of 285 logistics and industrial assets across China and ten overseas markets, with total AUM of RMB 121.5 billion. Revenue has grown at roughly 20% annually,...
Metal Powder Supplier Sinchin Raises Funding Ahead of Planned 2028 IPO
Hangzhou‑based Sinchin New Materials closed a pre‑IPO round, raising roughly RMB 100 million (US$14 million) from investors including Lenovo Capital and Zhejiang Communications. The funding will back R&D, capacity expansion and market development for its nanoscale metal powders, notably nickel for MLCC electrodes...
Zelos Achieves RMB 10 Billion Valuation After New Fundraise and Cainiao Fleet Merger
Zelos, a Chinese Level‑4 autonomous logistics firm, closed a $300 million funding round that lifted its valuation above RMB 10 billion (≈$1.4 billion). The company completed a merger with Cainiao’s unmanned‑vehicle unit, creating a combined fleet of more than 20,000 robots operating in over...
China’s Xiaomi Starts In-House Appliance Production in Push for Quality
Xiaomi has launched an in‑house home‑appliance production line at a new Wuhan plant, investing roughly RMB 2.5 billion ($350 million) and achieving a capacity of up to 7 million units annually. The company plans to manufacture about 20% of its air‑conditioners and other key...
Singapore Chases “Growth” IPOs as Hong Kong Attracts AI Listings
Singapore announced a SGD 3.5 billion package to attract growth‑stage IPOs, including SGD 1.5 billion for pre‑IPO financing, SGD 1 billion for private‑funding schemes, and SGD 1.5 billion to develop its fund‑management sector. The Monetary Authority of Singapore also plans a dual‑listing programme with Nasdaq to give startups...
BYD Adds to China’s Expanding Automotive Footprint in Pakistan
Chinese EV maker BYD is set to begin local vehicle assembly in Pakistan, with a 25,000‑unit annual plant near Karachi slated for operation in the third to fourth quarter of 2026. The $150 million facility will make BYD the first electric‑vehicle...
Moonshot AI Sparks Investor Frenzy as Z.ai and MiniMax Reset Valuation Benchmarks
Moonshot AI is close to extending its $500 million funding round to $700 million, potentially pushing its valuation above $100 billion. The extension adds existing backers Alibaba, Tencent, 5Y Capital and Gaorong Capital, plus new investor Cathay Capital, which is making its first...
Deals in Brief: Grab to Acquire Stash, Gobi Partners Backs Valiance Health, Humain Invests in xAI, and More
Grab announced a $425 million acquisition of US fintech Stash, expanding its super‑app’s financial services and eyeing AI‑driven investing tools for Southeast Asia. Gobi Partners led a pre‑seed round in Malaysia’s Valiance Health, which is building the country’s first large‑scale AI‑standardized...
With the U1, LiberLive Aims to Address Music Instrument Dropout
LiberLive launched the U1, a stringless guitar that instantly generates chords with a magnetic pick, topping Tmall’s sales rankings on day one. In its first month the U1 and C2 series claimed three of the category’s top bestseller spots, while...
Middle East Weekly: Baidu’s Apollo Go Operates Driverless Fleet at WGS, QIA Commits USD 2 Billion to Startups, Qatar Signs...
At the 2026 World Governments Summit in Dubai, Baidu’s Apollo Go deployed the event’s only fully autonomous ride‑hailing fleet, showcasing Chinese driverless technology on a high‑profile international stage. Meanwhile, Qatar Investment Authority announced a $2 billion expansion of its fund‑of‑funds program to...
Indonesian Coffee Chains Brew Stronger Overseas Ambitions
Indonesian coffee chains such as Kopi Kenangan, Fore, Tomoro and Janji Jiwa are leveraging low‑price, locally‑sourced beans and Indonesian‑flavored drinks to differentiate themselves as they expand beyond their home market. Kenangan, the largest with over 1,100 stores, has already entered...
This Company Has Built a Backpack-Style System for Robotics Data Collection
Lumos, a robotics startup founded in September 2024, unveiled FastUMI Pro, a backpack‑mounted universal manipulation interface designed to accelerate embodied AI data collection. The company aims to deploy 10,000 units across six real‑world environments by 2026, targeting one million hours...
IFlytek’s Audio Transcription Tool Reaches 100 Million Users
iFlytek’s iFlyrec audio transcription app has surpassed 100 million users, becoming the company’s second core product to hit nine‑figure adoption. The service relies on a subscription‑based SaaS model rather than advertising or subsidies, delivering over 60% gross‑profit growth for three straight...
Genki Forest Calls 2025 a Breakthrough Year, Tightens Ops to Focus on Steady Growth
Genki Forest celebrated its ninth anniversary by declaring 2025 a breakthrough year, achieving its first sustainable profitability and higher‑quality growth. The company credited tighter expense control, disciplined pricing and a trimmed SKU portfolio for the improvement, while deepening channel penetration...
Sagrada Madre Enters Mainland China After Building a Following in Hong Kong
Argentine incense brand Sagrada Madre has opened 15 counter stores in mainland China, moving from a Hong Kong souvenir niche to a structured retail presence. The brand commands roughly 30% of incense‑related searches on Xiaohongshu, signalling strong digital visibility. Leveraging patented...
“Costco of Healthcare” Makes Hong Kong Debut with Trust at Its Core
Chinese‑founded Distinct Healthcare debuted on Hong Kong’s main board, branding itself as the “Costco of healthcare.” The company posted a compound annual growth rate above 30% from 2022‑2024, driven by a trust‑centric, referral‑only model that keeps marketing spend near 1%...
Aito Partners with Abu Dhabi Motors to Enter the UAE
Chinese premium EV brand Aito has signed a cooperation agreement with Abu Dhabi Motors to launch its high‑end models in the United Arab Emirates. The partnership gives ADM responsibility for sales, delivery, after‑sales service and brand‑experience centers, while Aito brings...
After Batteries, CATL Targets Next Growth Phase in Swap Stations with Partners
Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) is expanding beyond battery manufacturing into a nationwide battery‑swap network called Choco‑Swap, targeting 30,000 stations across China. Its subsidiary Era Electric has already built 1,000 stations by end‑2025 and plans to add 2,000 more in 2026,...
Europe Urged to Follow China’s Industrial 3D Printing Strategy
Europe risks falling behind China in additive manufacturing as Beijing embeds 3D printing in its Made in China 2025 plan, while EU leaders treat the technology as a niche. Chinese firms now ship 94% of desktop printers worldwide, outpacing the...
Deals in Brief: Sleek EV and Polybee Raise Funding, Sea Limited Backs Noematrix, Eight Other China Investments, and More
Sleek EV secured $8.5 million Series A to expand Thailand production, AI software and battery‑swap networks, positioning the firm as a regional two‑wheel electric leader by 2026. Singapore‑based Polybee raised $4.3 million to scale its AI‑driven agricultural drones across 4,000 acres, while Australian...
Baidu-Backed Smart Lock Maker Lockin Applies for Hong Kong IPO
Lockin, the Baidu‑backed smart‑lock maker, has filed a prospectus for a Hong Kong main‑board IPO, with China Galaxy International as sole sponsor. The company shipped 1.3 million locks in 2024, ranking fourth globally (2.6% share) and leading China’s apartment segment with 5.8%...