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

The Trump Organization's new USD 499 T1 smartphone, marketed as US-made, was likely designed and assembled in China, according to experts. The Android…

Events

Latest

About

36Kr (EN)

Consumer

Robotics

Fintech

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

Consumer Economy

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

Hardware

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

Retail

China

Laifen is sinking serious money into shavers, wagering that innovation will help it trump incumbents like Philips and Braun.

After hair dryers, Laifen targets the other side of bathroom counters with a shaver built from scratch

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

Fashion labels, coffee chains, and lifestyle startups are reimagining what it means to belong in a historic neighborhood that still feels lived in.

Adidas lands on Anfu Road, joining the retail mix shaping Shanghai’s storied street

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

India

Oceania

Philippines

Southeast Asia

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

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

The Trump Organization's new USD 499 T1 smartphone, marketed as US-made, was likely designed and assembled in China, according to experts. The Android device uses various components from Asia, including MediaTek chips, Samsung displays, and Sony sensors, underscoring its reliance on an international supply chain.

InstaPay Technologies has secured USD 3 million in a Series A2 funding round, led by US family offices with renewed backing from ACA Investments. With this funding, the Malaysia-based fintech firm will expand its cross-border services and launch B2B remittance via its Glyd platform to support underbanked users and SMEs across Southeast Asia.

<a href="/company/temu">Temu</a> has signed a cloud hosting deal with Oracle amid ongoing US lawsuits and rising scrutiny over data privacy. The Chinese-owned app is accused of mishandling user data and is following <a href="/company/tiktok">TikTok’s</a> lead in localizing US data to address national security concerns. Temu denies allegations of improper data collection or sharing.

<a href="/company/deepseek">DeepSeek’s</a> updated R1 model has tied Google’s Gemini 2.5 and Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4 on the WebDev Arena coding leaderboard. Released in May, the enhanced R1 reportedly improves reasoning and halves hallucinations despite lower training costs. Developers are awaiting its R2 successor, though the company has yet to disclose a release timeline or details.

Alipay has integrated in-store payment functionality into Rokid’s new AR glasses, enabling users to complete purchases using voice commands and QR scans. With over 250,000 units reportedly preordered, the rollout this month signals a broader push toward hands-free, immersive commerce.

<a href="/company/alibaba">Alibaba</a> has hired speech recognition expert Li Xiangang to lead voice <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> research at its Tongyi Lab, replacing Yan Zhijie. Li brings deep experience from prior roles at <a href="/company/baidu">Baidu</a>, <a href="/company/didi">Didi</a>, and 01.AI, where he developed voice tools now widely used across China’s tech sector.

The Trump administration has issued a third executive order delaying TikTok’s US ban, granting <a href="/company/bytedance">ByteDance</a> 90 more days to divest. The app remains subject to a 2024 law requiring a qualified sale over national security concerns, as critics question the legality of repeated extensions and US-China deal talks falter.

<a href="/company/tencent">Tencent</a> has denied media reports that it is pursuing acquisitions of South Korean firms Nexon and Kakao Mobility. The company rejected claims of a USD 15 billion bid for Nexon and a 40% stake purchase in Kakao's mobility unit as untrue.

10Ants, an urban revitalization startup, has raised USD 500,000 in pre-seed funding from Wavemaker Impact to convert Southeast Asia’s underused buildings into green, affordable hubs for SMEs. Based in Bangkok, its platform matches landlords with vetted small businesses to activate idle spaces, with future plans for eco-retrofits and growth support tools.

US officials considered broader export controls on semiconductor tools to China prior to the recent trade talks in London, potentially targeting equipment for basic chipmaking. Though shelved, the proposal highlights the sensitive state of US-China ties as Washington weighs new tech restrictions while companies like Applied Materials, Lam Research, and KLA remain reliant on Chinese sales.

<a href="/company/baidu">Baidu</a> hosted a six-hour live stream using AI-driven avatars, including a digital version of live streamer Yonghao Luo, drawing over 13 million views and RMB 55 million in sales. Powered by Ernie models, the event is part of Baidu’s broader push to commercialize digital humans in <a href="/industry/e-commerce">e-commerce</a>.

Japan

South Korea

The budget-friendly Kate brand is kicking off a promotional blitz with a fivefold budget boost.

Japan's Kao ramps up Asia makeup push as China, South Korea brands rise

Japan&#8217;s Kao ramps up Asia makeup push as China, South Korea brands rise

As part of 36Kr’s ongoing partnership with Nikkei, you can read selected content from Nikkei Asia on KrASIA.

https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aec5e55596415464d13490d0e0caa9a2?s=96&d=blank&r=g

Nikkei Asia

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

Splat is an app that turns arguments into entertainment, where AI judges your roasts and fighting is framed as a form of connection.

This 26-year-old built a social app where fighting is not a bug, but a feature

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!

How do we operate off Earth? Explore satellites, launch services, and research ventures pioneering new space economies.

Space Tech

Indonesia

Malaysia

Singapore

Thailand

Vietnam

Startups in Southeast Asia are poised to explore new frontiers in the space economy.

Unlocking growth in orbit: How startups can harness opportunities in the booming space economy

Michelle Khoo is the leader of the Deloitte Center for The Edge Southeast Asia. With over a decade of experience in advising business and government leaders on long-term strategies, Khoo is passionate about shaping a more sustainable, fairer, and inclusive future in both physical and digital realms. Her work revolves around artificial intelligence, sustainability, metaverse, disruption, and innovation.

https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0814e6e142e6739b7af3dc5ad1366fdc?s=96&d=blank&r=g

Trump smartphone likely made in China

Latest Pulses

Most Recent

Japan’s Kao ramps up Asia makeup push as China, South Korea brands rise

This 26-year-old built a social app where fighting is not a bug, but a feature

Unlocking growth in orbit: How startups can harness opportunities in the booming space economy