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Could Watcha be “China’s Product Hunt” for AI products?

6 mins read

Pulses

Xpeng unveils redesigned P7 sedan

just now
Jiemian News
Xpeng Motors has launched an all-new P7 sedan in Beijing, offering up to 820 kilometers of CLTC-rated range and powered by in-house AI chips supporting voice, cockpit, and driving functions. Featuring 800-volt fast charging, streamlined aerodynamics, and a tech-focused luxury interior, the EV reportedly secured over 10,000 preorders within seven minutes.

Alibaba to exit Eternal via block deal

just now
Reuters
Alibaba is set to exit India’s Eternal through a block deal worth INR 53.75 billion, CNBC-Awaaz reported. Its unit Antfin Singapore will sell its entire 2.08% stake at INR 285 per share, reflecting a 4.6% discount to Eternal’s August 6 closing price. Eternal owns Zomato and Blinkit.

Xiaomi hires BMW veteran Kai Langer

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Sina
Xiaomi has hired Kai Langer, former head of design for BMW’s i series, as it expands its EV ambitions. Langer joins Li Tianyuan, formerly the lead designer of BMW’s iX SUV, to help shape Xiaomi’s car lineup. The duo represents a fusion of legacy automotive expertise with the company’s tech-driven approach to EVs.

iQiyi plans secondary listing in Hong Kong

just now
Bloomberg
Video streaming platform iQiyi is in talks to raise USD 300 million through a Hong Kong listing, joining a wave of US-listed Chinese firms moving closer to home amid renewed delisting risks under US audit laws. The Baidu-backed company has not confirmed a timeline or deal structure.

Kimi K2 leads Hugging Face rankings

just now
36Kr
Chinese open-source AI models have reportedly gained traction on Hugging Face, led by Kimi-K2-Instruct with over 400,000 downloads in a month and a daily average of 16,000. DeepSeek-V3-0324 and R1-0528 also topped 15,000 daily downloads. All three models rank among the largest in scale, with parameter counts from 670 billion to one trillion.

Huawei sues Transsion again in Europe

just now
National Business Daily
Huawei has filed a new patent lawsuit against Transsion at the Unified Patent Court in Munich, accusing the smartphone maker of infringing a video image filtering patent. It is Huawei’s second case against Transsion, which is also facing a separate patent dispute with Qualcomm in India.

Xiaomi taps SenseTime for smart eyewear

just now
IT Zhijia
Xiaomi has reportedly integrated SenseTime’s SenseChat platform into its AI glasses, enabling real-time voice and video interaction with fast response, memory of past conversations, and improved noise filtering. The rollout signals deeper AI integration in wearables, with nearly 50,000 units sold in the first three days.

Tariff truce fails to lift sea freight

just now
Nikkei Asia
Container rates from China to the US have dropped nearly 60% after a brief surge driven by a tariff pause. With retailers already stocked up and factory orders declining, analysts expect weak demand through early 2026. Carriers are cutting capacity by skipping sailings or shifting vessels to intra-Asia routes.

Heytea launches Chiikawa campaign

just now
Dao Insights
Heytea has launched its first co-branding of the year with Japanese IP Chiikawa, ending an eight-month hiatus. Rolled out via Alibaba’s Alifish, the campaign features returning drinks, themed visuals, and merchandise, tapping into the growing appeal of IP-based collaborations in China’s consumer market.

Vast’s Tripo AI used in NetEase game

just now
SCMP
Tripo AI, a 3D content platform developed by Vast and showcased at this year’s ChinaJoy, was reportedly used in NetEase’s Where Winds Meet, launched in December 2024 as a potential blockbuster. The release underscores the expanding role of AI in China’s game development industry.

OpenAI debuts two open-weight models

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Bloomberg
OpenAI has released two compact open-weight models, GPT-OSS-120B and GPT-OSS-20B, marking its first open launch since 2019. Available on Hugging Face and other platforms, the models can generate text and handle tasks like coding. While the weights are open, the training data remains undisclosed, stopping short of full open-source status.

eFishery, TaniHub probed for fraud

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Nikkei Asia
eFishery's former CEO and two executives have been detained over alleged embezzlement involving inflated investments totaling IDR 15 billion. A forensic audit found falsified financial records and revenue inflation. Separately, TaniHub is under investigation for misusing USD 25 million in state-backed funding.

Taobao to launch unified membership plan

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Sina
Taobao will launch a unified membership program that bundles services and perks from Ele.me, Fliggy, and Hema, expanding 88VIP into a comprehensive lifestyle offering. The move reflects Alibaba’s strategy to evolve from e-commerce into a broader consumer platform.

Tencent invests in Uzbekistan’s Uzum

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TechCrunch
Tencent has co-led a USD 65.5 million funding round in Uzbekistan-based startup Uzum, pushing its valuation to USD 1.5 billion. The deal marks Tencent’s entry into Central Asia’s digital economy as Uzum scales its fintech and e-commerce services and prepares for a larger Series B round in 2026.

Geely to consolidate autonomous driving teams

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National Business Daily
Geely is reportedly in talks to merge autonomous driving teams from Zeekr, its R&D arm, and Megvii’s Mach unit into a joint venture established in June. The move aligns with Geely’s strategy to centralize smart driving R&D and deploy a unified system across its brands.

WeRide begins night robotaxi tests in Beijing

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WeRide
WeRide has begun night-time robotaxi testing in Beijing, operating from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. under a new city permit. The Nasdaq-listed firm aims to build a round-the-clock autonomous mobility network, using a full sensor suite and proprietary tech to ensure safety in low light and adverse weather.

BrainCo in talks for pre-IPO funding

just now
Bloomberg
China’s BrainCo is in talks to raise USD 100 million at a valuation above USD 1.3 billion ahead of a potential IPO in Hong Kong or mainland China. The Hangzhou-based startup develops brain-computer interface technology and is positioning itself as a rival to Neuralink.

Alibaba to shut all Hema X stores

just now
The Paper
Alibaba's Hema will close its final X membership store in Shanghai on August 31, ending its foray into the warehouse club model launched in 2020. The move reflects a companywide pivot toward core formats Hema Fresh and NB, which are set to add nearly 100 new stores in fiscal year 2025.

Keep plans AI pivot after profit signal

just now
Gelonghui
Chinese fitness app Keep is expecting RMB 10 million in adjusted net profit for H1 2025, with founder Wang Ning calling it “sustained profitability” after cutting unproductive growth. He said Keep will fully pivot to AI, aiming to preempt disruption by building the next-gen fitness product itself.

PingPong to support Wero rollout in Asia

just now
Sina
PingPong will support Wero, Europe’s new unified payment app, starting October. Backed by 16 banks, Wero enables real-time cross-border payments using a phone number or email and targets 250 million users. PingPong clients will gain access to EU retail, point-of-sale, and subscription payments through a single system.
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