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Sam Altman and his brother Max have reupped their investment in Coco Robotics, which has raised USD 80 million to expand its autonomous delivery fleet…

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Deals in brief: Atome secures USD 75 million facility, Sam Altman backs Coco Robotics again, 12 new China deals, and more

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Sam Altman and his brother Max have reupped their investment in Coco Robotics, which has raised USD 80 million to expand its autonomous delivery fleet. Returning investors include Pelion, Outlander, and SNR, with new backing from Offline, DeepWater, and Saltwater CEO Ryan Graves. Coco has completed over 500,000 deliveries and is planning a major rollout this year.

US President Donald Trump said on June 12 that he may raise tariffs on imported cars, arguing that higher rates would encourage automakers to expand US production. He cited recent commitments from GM and Hyundai as evidence the strategy works. Industry players have pushed back, with Ford and Subaru warning of rising costs, while GM has estimated USD 4–5 billion in tariff exposure.

<a href="/company/bytedance">ByteDance</a> and SenseTime have unveiled a new round of <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> upgrades. ByteDance launched the Doubao 1.6 series with multimodal reasoning and cut token prices by over 60%, while SenseTime enhanced its chatbot Sensechat with real-time video, audio, and visual reasoning capabilities. The rollout follows recent updates from <a href="/company/deepseek">DeepSeek</a>, <a href="/company/baidu">Baidu</a>, and <a href="/company/alibaba">Alibaba</a>.

<a href="/company/leapmotor">Leapmotor</a> CEO Zhu Jiangming said the company will steer clear of <a href="/industry/ev">EV</a> price wars, calling recent discounts more promotional than structural. Backed by strong cost control and stable pricing, Leapmotor is targeting 50,000–80,000 overseas sales this year and plans to ramp up local production in Europe. The EV maker is expanding globally, having recently <a href="https://www.kr-asia.com/pulses/154528">opened its first store in Hong Kong</a>.

Arm CEO Rene Haas warned that US <a href="/industry/semiconductors">semiconductor</a> export restrictions could stifle global innovation and hurt consumers, while accelerating China’s drive for self-reliance. Speaking in Oxford, Haas echoed <a href="/company/nvidia">Nvidia</a> CEO Jensen Huang’s stance, saying forced decoupling “makes the pie smaller” and poses long-term risks to US industry.

<a href="/company/nvidia">Nvidia</a> CEO Jensen Huang said <a href="/company/huawei">Huawei</a> is ready to more aggressively support China’s <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> ambitions if US chip restrictions persist, warning the company could also serve global markets in the absence of the US. While noting Nvidia’s technology remains “a generation ahead,” Huang repeated his call for policymakers to consider the long-term impact of current policies.

<a href="/company/xpeng">Xpeng Motors</a> is in talks to supply its Turing chip to other automakers, with a debut in Volkswagen’s China models expected in 2026. The chip, already used in Xpeng’s G7 SUV, reportedly delivers 2,200 TOPS and supports advanced assisted driving features.

<a href="/company/openai">OpenAI</a> CEO Sam Altman said Stargate, a project that could invest up to USD 500 billion in AI infrastructure, could unlock major breakthroughs in <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> and science. He predicts 2026 could be an inflection point, with ChatGPT’s widespread adoption giving OpenAI an edge in an increasingly competitive field.

<a href="/company/catl">CATL</a> has begun mass production and delivery of its 587 Ah energy storage cell at its Jining plant. With a reported energy density of 434 Wh/L and an initial efficiency of 96.5%, the cell reduces system components and costs while meeting national transport and grid standards.

<a href="/industry/robotics">Robotics</a> firms Deep Robotics, Uniview, and Xiaoyuan Robot have formed an alliance to co-develop smart patrol and inspection solutions. The partnership brings together Deep Robotics’ quadruped mobility, Uniview’s visual sensing and camera systems, and Xiaoyuan’s integration expertise to accelerate the deployment of AI-powered patrol systems for urban safety and emergency response.

A life-sized mint green Labubu figure has sold for over USD 150,000 at a Beijing auction, highlighting surging demand for <a href="/company/pop-mart">Pop Mart</a> collectibles. Created by artist Kasing Lung, the character has become a global icon amid Pop Mart’s expansion and Asia’s booming collectible toy craze.

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Tencent, a Chinese tech conglomerate, invests in gaming, social media, and cloud services, supporting entertainment and connectivity worldwide.

After four aborted IPO attempts and a brief return to profitability, Ximalaya is being absorbed by Tencent.

Ximalaya’s swan song plays out in a USD 2.9 billion Tencent buyout

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

While robots grab the spotlight, component makers like ZeroErr are quietly benefiting from the surge in demand.

Behind the robotics boom, ZeroErr raises funds to build the parts that power it

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Sam Altman doubles down on Coco Robotics

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Ximalaya’s swan song plays out in a USD 2.9 billion Tencent buyout

Behind the robotics boom, ZeroErr raises funds to build the parts that power it

Deals in brief: Atome secures USD 75 million facility, Sam Altman backs Coco Robotics again, 12 new China deals, and more