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At USD 90 per unit, Seauto is quietly sweeping the pool robot market

5 mins read

Pulses

01.AI co-founder Gu Xuemei exits firm

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36Kr
Gu Xuemei, co-founder of 01.AI, has left the company and is preparing to launch a new venture. At 01.AI, she led AI model training and consumer-facing products. Her departure signals a shift for the firm, which is moving away from tools like Wanzhi and Mona after lackluster performance, and refocusing on enterprise-oriented offerings.

China’s robot output jumps 51.5% in April

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SCMP
China produced 71,547 industrial robots in April 2025, marking a 51.5% YoY icrease. Total output for the first four months reached over 221,000 units, up 34.1% from the same period last year. Companies like UBTech and Unitree are scaling up production of humanoid and quadruped robots to meet automation-driven demand, with China now ranking third globally in robot density, behind South Korea and Singapore.

Huya loses copyright appeal in music case

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The Paper
A final ruling upheld Huya’s liability for the unauthorized use of music on its live streaming platform. Guangzhou’s IP court confirmed the platform used protected songs without permission and affirmed a compensation order of RMB 22,000, underscoring growing concerns over copyright violations in live streaming.

Douyin cracks down on AI account abuse

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The Paper
Douyin has clamped down on the misuse of AI to mass produce misleading or sensational content. Recent enforcement actions included banning 15 major accounts and removing 311 posts that promoted fake personas, content farming tactics, and AI account sales. The platform urged creators to label AI-generated content and warned against account transfers or monetization schemes.

Meituan rolls out label for real eateries

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Ebrun
To enhance transparency and address ghost kitchen concerns, Meituan Waimai has upgraded its "open kitchen" initiative with an in-app label system that highlights verified brick-and-mortar eateries. Merchants can obtain the label through consumer data analysis or by submitting video footage of their dine-in environment. The initiative includes subsidies for eligible hardware and installation costs.

Xiaomi to launch YU7 SUV on May 22

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Reuters
On May 22, Xiaomi will unveil the electric YU7 SUV, aimed at competing with Tesla’s Model Y in China. The company also plans to introduce its XringO1 chip and Xiaomi 15S Pro smartphone as part of a broader product push.

CrediLinq raises funding to scale embedded finance

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CrediLinq
Singapore-based CrediLinq has closed an USD 8.5 million Series A round led by OMVC and MS&AD Ventures, with participation from Citi and other new and returning investors. The B2B embedded finance platform will use the funds to expand into the US, UK, and Australia, with planned investments in hiring and technology upgrades.

China–Malaysia fund to back gaming, digital content

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MDEC
Malaysia’s MDEC and China’s CICC Capital have signed an MoU to launch a fund targeting gaming and digital content firms expanding into Malaysia. The initiative will focus on PIPE deals and growth-stage ventures, aiming to strengthen cross-border collaboration in the digital sector.

Niu grows sales in China, trims quarterly loss

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Niu Technologies
Niu Technologies posted Q1 revenue of RMB 682 million, up 35.1% YoY, driven by a 57.4% surge in e-scooter sales. Net loss narrowed to RMB 38.8 million, though gross margin fell to 17.3%, weighed down by a 14.2% drop in revenue per unit amid lower pricing in China and rising costs overseas.

BeiDou hits trillion-scale daily usage in China

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CCTV
BeiDou, China’s equivalent of GPS, processed over one trillion location requests per day in 2024, according to the national satellite navigation association. 11 major digital map providers now use BeiDou as it moves toward full lane-level road coverage nationwide.

Sohu’s Q1 results underline gaming-media split

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Sohu
Sohu’s Q1 results highlighted the widening gap between its stable gaming business and a weakening media arm. Online game revenue held at USD 117 million with gross margins of 85%, while marketing services fell 15% YoY to a multi-year low of USD 14 million. Total revenue for the quarter was USD 136 million, down 3% from a year earlier.

Lalamove launches delivery services in UAE

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Lalamove
Lalamove has launched operations in the UAE, offering on-demand delivery in Dubai and select services in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. The logistics platform aims to support local SMEs with real-time tracking and a flexible vehicle fleet, helping meet rising regional e-commerce demand.

Xiaomi to invest RMB 50 billion in chip design

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Reuters
Xiaomi plans to invest at least RMB 50 billion in chip design over the next decade, starting in 2025, according to founder Lei Jun. The firm has already spent over RMB 13.5 billion developing its XringO1 chip and employs over 2,500 in its chip unit.

Sohu CEO warns of AI’s double-edged impact

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Caijing
At a May 17 forum, Sohu CEO Charles Zhang called for clear thinking amid AI advances, warning that easy access to information can obscure truth. Zhang was speaking alongside fellow panelists who concurred that AI should augment and not replace human cognition, as applications such as humanoid robotics scale across sectors.

Nvidia unveils new products at Computex

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Nvidia
At Computex, Nvidia unveiled several new AI products including RTX Pro servers, touted as faster than its H100 GPU, and DGX Cloud Lepton, a service that connects AI developers to computing resources. CEO Jensen Huang also announced that GB300 systems will launch in Q3 2025 and outlined a more open chip design strategy.

China’s factory output beats forecasts in April

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Bloomberg
China’s industrial output rose 6.1% in April, beating expectations despite a slowdown from March. Retail sales growth, however, eased to 5.1%, highlighting weak consumer demand amid property woes and job insecurity. Economists warn these pressures may not be fully offset by the recent pause in US-China tariff tensions.

Tencent Cloud, Xuanwu Cloud sign AI pact

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Zhitong Finance
Tencent Cloud and Xuanwu Cloud signed a partnership on May 16 to co-develop AI-driven retail solutions, combining Tencent's smart retail ecosystem with Xuanwu's AI capabilities. The collaboration also includes building next-gen cloud communications infrastructure and integrated enterprise services.

Nvidia rules out new Hopper chips for China

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Reuters
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the company will not release another Hopper-series chip for China, following US export restrictions on its H20 model. Calling the regulations misguided, Huang noted that China accounted for 13% of Nvidia’s fiscal 2024 revenue and warned the curbs could further strengthen domestic rivals like Huawei.

Chang’an starts EV production in Thailand

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People's Daily
Chang’an Automobile’s new factory in Rayong, Thailand, has begun producing EVs, with plans to scale capacity to 200,000 units annually. Targeting right-hand-drive markets such as Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand, the plant will manufacture Deepal and Avatr models as part of the company’s Southeast Asia strategy.

Pop Mart leads TikTok sales in April

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Ebrun
Pop Mart claimed the top spot on TikTok Shop US in April, leaping 18 places month-on-month with estimated sales of USD 6–7 million. Fueled by demand for collectibles and IP-driven merchandise, the brand outperformed established players in beauty and health, including Medicube and Tarte Cosmetics.
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