Alibaba

Baidu

ByteDance

Meituan

Pinduoduo

Tencent

Most Followed

KrASIA Connection

China's Auto Sector

Earnings Reports

Inside China's Startups

Venture Roundup

Our Events

View All

Collections

News

Features

Insights

Ecosystem

DeepSeek

Kuaishou

Li Auto

Xiaohongshu

Xiaomi

Xpeng

On the Radar

Biotechnology firm Phase Scientific has completed a USD 34 million Series A funding round led by a private equity fund managed by Value Partners Group…

Events

Latest

About

36Kr (EN)

Consumer

Robotics

Fintech

How does finance become frictionless? Examine digital banking, payment innovation, and lending platforms redefining financial access.

How does credit flow online? Explore digital lending tools, alternative scoring, and services accelerating capital access.

Lending

What streamlines global commerce? Examine digital wallets, cross-border remittances, and instant settlement technologies.

Payments

China

Indonesia

Southeast Asia

With a localized strategy and China-tested tech, Yup is expanding credit access across emerging markets in the region.

Can Yup become Southeast Asia’s answer to Nubank?

Decoding China&#039;s tech and business pulse

KrASIA

36Kr is China's most influential business and technology network, delivering high-quality content focused on China’s innovation and new economy trends since 2010. With its extensive traffic and network, 36Kr has built a comprehensive database and strong data analytics capabilities to provide insights into China’s technology landscape.

36Kr English

What sets the bar for convenience? Examine on-demand platforms, subscription models, and personalization transforming consumer expectations.

Consumer Economy

How do clicks replace aisles? Explore global marketplaces, payment solutions, and technology accelerating online retail’s growth.

E-commerce

How do goods cross borders seamlessly? Examine warehousing tech, route optimization, and data analytics building efficient supply chains.

Logistics

How do platforms deliver on immediacy? Analyze ride-hailing, instant deliveries, and gig models meeting consumer needs fast.

On-demand Services

Hong Kong

Middle East

The logistics platform joins a crowded field but aims to win on transparency, tech, and adaptable delivery services.

With UAE launch, Lalamove bets its SME-first model can scale in the Gulf

An alias used when humans and machines team up in our newsroom. Articles under this byline may be shaped with the help of AI, but are always vetted by a human before publication.

Sudo Lim

How do markets shape wealth creation? Study portfolio diversification, asset classes, and strategies balancing growth and risk.

Investment

When do companies invite public investment? Understand listing criteria, underwriter roles, and regulatory steps defining initial offerings.

Why do firms join forces? Investigate synergy goals, valuation methods, and negotiations driving corporate consolidation.

Merger &amp; Acquisition

What happens after acquisitions close? Examine deal structures, operational improvements, and exit strategies molding corporate outcomes.

Private Equity

What fuels startup ecosystems? Review funding rounds, investor strategies, and market insights guiding entrepreneurial growth.

Venture Capital

Central Asia

Singapore

South Korea

Thailand

Vietnam

Bringing you the latest updates on funding deals and activities in the Asia Pacific.

Deals in brief: Granite Asia leads investment in VFlowTech, Alterno and BrioHR raise funding, latest China deals, and more

KrASIA tracks China’s tech and business stories—alongside key developments across the broader Asia Pacific region.

Header Section | KrASIA

Home

Sections

Header Section

Biotechnology firm Phase Scientific has completed a USD 34 million Series A funding round led by a private equity fund managed by Value Partners Group, with support from undisclosed new and existing investors. The funds will be used to accelerate R&amp;D and commercialization of the company’s urine-based diagnostic technology, aimed at making early disease detection more accessible through at-home testing.

<a href="/company/meituan">Meituan</a> is preparing to launch NoCode, an <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> programming platform designed for non-technical users. Built by its R&amp;D efficiency team, NoCode enables dialog-based app creation with features like multi-step reasoning and automated deployment. Initially built for internal use, the tool marks Meituan’s first public-facing move to extend its AI strategy into productivity tools for merchants and general users.

Quantified Energy, a deep tech spinoff from SERIS at NUS, has closed an undisclosed Series A funding round led by Vertex Ventures SEAI. The company, which offers drone-based solar inspection technology, will use the funding to scale globally with a plug-and-play model for drone operators.

<a href="/company/tencent">Tencent</a> has launched Hunyuan-Game, a new platform that provides AI tools for game designers to rapidly generate concept art and 3D-ready assets from sketches or text prompts. Built on multimodal datasets and tailored for game development, Hunyuan-Game aims to significantly accelerate production workflows.

Tokyo-based Headline Asia has closed its fifth fund at USD 145 million to back early-stage tech startups across Japan, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and selectively in South Korea. Backers include JIC, Taiwan’s NDF, South Korea’s KVIC, and SME Support Japan. The fund targets seed to Series A rounds in sectors such as e-commerce, fintech, AI, and logistics, and has already invested in 17 companies.

Leapmotor reported record Q1 2025 revenue of RMB 10.02 billion, up 187.1% YoY, as vehicle deliveries surged 162.1% to 87,552 units. Gross margin improved to 14.9%, supported by increased scale, cost controls, and a stronger product mix. Net loss narrowed to RMB 130 million from RMB 1.01 billion, with cash and equivalents totaling RMB 25.7 billion as of March 31.

Cainiao is expanding its logistics operations in the Americas to meet rising cross-border e-commerce demand. Parcel volume to Brazil surged 80% in April, while Mexico and the US recorded strong weekly growth in May. Recent upgrades include new distribution hubs in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and Chicago, along with a three-day delivery service across Mexico.

Shares of Chinese battery giant CATL opened at HKD 296 in their Hong Kong debut, rising 12.5% from the IPO price of HKD 263. The listing raised USD 4.6 billion, making it the largest global IPO so far in 2025. As of 11 a.m. local time, the stock had edged up to HKD 298.8.

Qifu Technology reported Q1 2025 revenue of RMB 4.69 billion and non-GAAP net income of RMB 1.93 billion, up roughly 12.9% and 59.9% YoY, respectively. The company facilitated RMB 88.9 billion in loans across 24.4 million transactions. Nearly half of its lending volume now comes from capital-light models, with funding provided by partners through automated systems and third-party platforms.

<a href="/company/ant-group">Ant Group’s</a> international division generated nearly USD 3 billion in revenue in 2024 and recorded its second consecutive year of adjusted profit. Headquartered in Singapore, the unit is expanding across Southeast Asia through platforms such as Alipay+, Antom, WorldFirst, and other cross-border financial solutions.

Prop tech startup MilikiRumah has launched a USD 50 million rent-to-own housing fund, achieving a first close of USD 10 million. Backed by Ruifeng Wealth Management, Tembusu Partners, and Trigger Asset Management, along with angel investors, the four-year closed-end fund aims to deliver freehold homes to Indonesia's underbanked. It targets a 20% IRR and will focus on municipalities across Greater Jakarta.

How do stores adapt to digital shifts? Explore e-commerce integration, inventory analytics, and omnichannel strategies for modern shoppers.

Retail

Bananain founder Zang Chongyu explains why physical stores matter, prices need defending, and why fashion still needs fun.

Not the next Uniqlo: Inside Bananain’s plan to stay meaningful, not massive

https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a6b9ace74da9df391d5f7ba1892f4393?s=96&d=blank&r=g

China’s tech ecosystem serves as a driving force behind the world’s second largest economy, influencing global digital markets.

What guides machine-led insights? Uncover AI applications, language models, and decision-making systems transforming sectors worldwide.

Artificial Intelligence

What lies beyond familiar frontiers? Investigate emerging tech—like quantum computing and AI—transforming traditional sectors.

Deep Tech

Founder Vakee Lai says Bobby marks a shift in retail investing from tools that explain markets to agents that interpret intent, manage risk, and trade in real time.

RockFlow’s Bobby is an AI agent that trades on your worldview, and it’s here

AI Now! is a global AI community of Chinese developers, professionals, and founders.

https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f0ec64bc524c1edf0ae454b5b9aabacd?s=96&d=blank&r=g

AI Now!

Explore East Asia’s thriving tech hubs, global electronics producers, and fast-evolving digital platforms shaping cross-border innovation.

East Asia

Leapmotor

What powers tomorrow’s roads? Explore EV adoption, charging infrastructure, and battery advances sparking the shift toward sustainable transport.

Electric Vehicles

How is the way we move evolving? Explore developments in autonomous transportation, electric vehicles, and more efficient urban transit.

Mobility

How do goods and people flow worldwide? Examine transport networks, logistics innovations, and policies shaping global connectivity.

Transportation

Europe

Backed by Stellantis, the Chinese automaker is narrowing losses and gaining ground at home, but trade tensions may cloud its European expansion.

Leapmotor rebounds in Q1 on strong EV sales, but Europe remains a looming test

https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6ff53490f679f358bf543998d228fb32?s=96&d=blank&r=g

Phase Scientific raises Series A funding

Latest Pulses

Most Recent

Not the next Uniqlo: Inside Bananain’s plan to stay meaningful, not massive

RockFlow’s Bobby is an AI agent that trades on your worldview, and it’s here

Leapmotor rebounds in Q1 on strong EV sales, but Europe remains a looming test