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

Tencent will acquire nearly 10% of SM Entertainment for about USD 180 million from Hybe, which is selling its remaining 2.2 million shares at a 15.3% …

Events

Latest

About

36Kr (EN)

Consumer

Robotics

Fintech

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

China

Believing AI should challenge rather than reinforce habits, Yu Bo is building YouMind to appeal to the better side of human nature.

Most AI tools play to our worst instincts. YouMind is betting on the opposite

Decoding China&#039;s tech and business pulse

KrASIA

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

AI Now!

How does automation advance industry? Analyze robotic arms, drones, and AI-driven tools reshaping manufacturing and services.

Its reel blade tech wowed backers, but weak distribution, costly R&D, and software gaps proved fatal.

Oasa’s robotic mower was clever, but not enough to keep the company alive

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

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

Australia

Indonesia

Malaysia

Oceania

Singapore

Southeast Asia

Vietnam

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

Deals in brief: Temasek’s Xora invests in GridCare, Airwallex raises Series F funding, Antler backs three early-stage SEA startups, and more

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

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

Header Section | KrASIA

Home

Sections

Header Section

<a href="/company/tencent">Tencent</a> will acquire nearly 10% of SM Entertainment for about USD 180 million from Hybe, which is selling its remaining 2.2 million shares at a 15.3% discount. The deal marks a rare Chinese investment in South Korea’s music sector and comes amid expectations that China may lift its longstanding unofficial ban on K-pop performances.

<a href="/company/xpeng">Xpeng</a> has launched the Mona M03 Max in China, an <a href="/industry/ev">EV</a> aimed at bringing high-end AI features to the mass market. Priced around RMB 150,000, the model combines Xpeng’s Turing assisted driving system with its proprietary XGPT LLM and offers up to 620 kilometers of range.

Telegram announced a USD 300 million partnership to integrate xAI’s Grok chatbot across its platform, touting revenue sharing and AI-driven features. But Elon Musk denied on X that any deal had been signed, casting doubt on the agreement’s status and whether terms have been finalized.

Apple will rename all its operating systems by year, starting with iOS 26 in 2025, replacing version numbers to simplify branding across platforms. The change aims to reduce confusion for users and developers, and will be announced at WWDC on June 9 alongside new interfaces and features.

LVMH deputy CEO Stephane Bianchi warned of softening Chinese luxury demand, citing a recent decline in outbound travel and spending. Speaking to French lawmakers, he reported an 11% drop in the company’s Q1 revenue for the region including China, matching the full-year decline in 2024. Bianchi also noted rising interest in domestic brands among Chinese consumers.

<a href="/company/openai">OpenAI</a> may pursue an IPO under its new public benefit corporation structure, CFO Sarah Friar said, though timing depends on market conditions and internal readiness. Speaking at the Dublin Tech Summit, she pointed to the company’s capital needs, including plans for a ten-gigawatt data center, and stressed the importance of predictability and sustained growth.

AMD has acquired Silicon Valley-based Enosemi to bolster its photonics and co-packaged optics capabilities for advanced <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> systems. The deal brings in a team with proven expertise in photonic integrated circuits and supports AMD’s strategy to deliver full-stack innovation across compute, networking, and system architecture.

Honor, the smart device spinoff from <a href="/company/huawei">Huawei</a>, is developing humanoid robots as part of a USD 10 billion push into <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> and emerging tech. The move echoes efforts by Chinese peers like Xiaomi to diversify beyond smartphones and tap growing demand for <a href="/industry/robotics">robotics</a> in industrial and smart device ecosystems.

Jumia, a leading African <a href="/industry/e-commerce">e-commerce</a> platform, is expanding its China-based merchant network to counter rising competition from Temu and Shein, whose app-driven, cross-border models are gaining ground. With fewer resources, Jumia is banking on local delivery, pay-on-delivery, and user familiarity to stay competitive.

<a href="/company/huawei">Huawei</a> is backing Cornerstone Technologies, a Zhuhai-based startup aiming to become China’s end-to-end supplier of chipmaking chemicals. Founded in 2022 with state support, the company is developing photoresists, slurries, and pads to compete with global leaders like Shin-Etsu, JSR, and DuPont.

<a href="/company/luckin-coffee">Luckin Coffee</a> has launched Lucky, an AI-powered virtual assistant, in partnership with <a href="/company/bytedance">ByteDance's</a> Volcano Engine. Powered by Doubao and <a href="/company/deepseek">DeepSeek</a> LLMs, the mascot-based assistant is available via the Luckin app and WeChat, capable of handling voice orders, recalling preferences, and suggesting drinks.

Photo of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang speaking at CES 2025.

Nvidia develops GPUs for gaming, AI, and data centers, fueling graphics, machine learning, and compute-intensive workloads.

Nvidia

The US market serves as both the backbone and the driving force behind global technological advancements.

What grounds digital progress in physical form? Analyze chipsets, sensors, and advanced components driving device performance.

Hardware

What powers digital devices? Delve into chip design, manufacturing bottlenecks, and semiconductor breakthroughs fueling global electronics.

Semiconductors

Nvidia’s data center revenue surged 73%, but new export restrictions triggered a USD 4.5 billion writedown.

Blackwell rollout lifts Nvidia in Q1, but China loss stings

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

How do ideas shape industries? Learn how content, design, and digital artistry influence branding, marketing, and cultural impact.

Creative

What sets the world’s soundtrack? Follow streaming royalties, label strategies, and genre shifts guiding the global music industry’s rhythm.

Music

Ignored by investors and baffling to experts, the startup quietly built one of China’s bestselling smart gadgets: a guitar with no strings.

No strings attached: How LiberLive turned rejection into a runaway hit

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

Tencent takes nearly 10% of SM Entertainment

Latest Pulses

Most Recent

Blackwell rollout lifts Nvidia in Q1, but China loss stings

Deals in brief: Temasek’s Xora invests in GridCare, Airwallex raises Series F funding, Antler backs three early-stage SEA startups, and more

No strings attached: How LiberLive turned rejection into a runaway hit