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

Flash Coffee has appointed Bardon Matthew as CEO to lead its growth in Indonesia, its sole focus market. A veteran of the region’s F&amp;B sector, Bar…

Events

Latest

About

36Kr (EN)

Consumer

Robotics

Fintech

krasia ai artificial intelligence machine learning

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

Once dismissed, companies like MiniMax and AIsphere are proving that video generation models can scale with sustainable revenue.

China’s video AI startups are doing what LLM firms haven’t: Making money

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

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

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

East Asia

JD.com, a Chinese e-commerce leader, ensures trusted transactions, efficient logistics, and a wide product selection for online shoppers.

JD.com

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 does dinner arrive at your door? Study platform partnerships, last-mile delivery, and culinary trends powering the takeaway economy.

Food Delivery

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

What drives global exploration? Discover evolving tourism trends, hospitality services, and the shift toward personalized travel experiences.

Travel

In a candid address, JD.com’s founder maps a future grounded in core principles and innovation.

Richard Liu and 20 things he wants you to know about JD.com’s future

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

Hong Kong

Indonesia

Singapore

Southeast Asia

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

Deals in brief: East Ventures invests in Sxored, Shieldbase and Transcelestial raise funding, HeySara enters Hong Kong with ILS acquisition, 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

Flash Coffee has appointed Bardon Matthew as CEO to lead its growth in Indonesia, its sole focus market. A veteran of the region’s F&amp;B sector, Bardon is tasked with scaling operations and store count to over 500, starting with 80 stores by year's end. The move follows performance gains and a renewed push for operational excellence.

China’s trade surplus reached USD 114.7 billion in June, as exports rose 5.8% YoY on pre-deadline orders ahead of a potential US tariff snapback. Shipments to ASEAN surged 16.8%, while US-bound exports rose 32.4% MoM. Analysts warn momentum may slow as frontloading wanes and tariff risks return.

<a href="/company/nio">Nio</a> shares jumped in Hong Kong on July 14 after its Onvo L90 SUV beat pricing forecasts. Buoyed by strong demand and analyst optimism, the model is expected to support Nio’s Q4 2025 profit goal. With deliveries starting in August, the L90 targets leadership in the premium three-row electric SUV segment.

NTT DC REIT rose 3% on its USD 773 million debut, the largest IPO in Singapore since 2016. GIC joined as a rare local cornerstone investor. With the public tranche nearly ten times subscribed and regional peers watching, SGX officials hope the deal signals a turning point for the country's stalled IPO market.

<a href="https://kr-asia.com/too-cold-to-shovel-this-startup-built-a-snow-robot-that-actually-works">Yarbo</a>, a Chinese maker of snow-clearing robots, has raised over RMB 100 million in Series B+ funding from investors including CAS Investment, CICC Capital, and Joyoung’s venture arm. The funds will support R&amp;D, supply chain upgrades, and global expansion, with Yarbo already operating a US base in New York.

<a href="/company/ele-me">Ele.me</a> will retire its legacy tiered membership system by July 31, shifting users to a new program launched during the 618 shopping festival. Aimed at high-frequency users, the updated scheme introduces stricter eligibility thresholds based on three-month order volume and total spending.

Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas said the firm will use Moonshot AI’s Kimi K2 model for post-training, citing its strong benchmark performance. Released on July 11, the open-source model ranks among the top globally and follows Perplexity’s <a href="https://kr-asia.com/a-new-ai-disruptor-businesses-rush-to-integrate-deepseek-r1">earlier use of DeepSeek’s R1</a>.

<a href="/company/meituan">Meituan</a> hit 1.5 billion daily orders on July 12 as China’s top delivery platforms escalated subsidy campaigns with “zero yuan” deals and steep discounts. While demand surged, analysts warned of profit pressure, declining share prices, and growing risks to market stability as the price war deepens.

Five key executives from Chinese power bank brand Romoss have reportedly fled to Malaysia after the company <a href="https://kr-asia.com/chinas-power-bank-crisis-romoss-collapse-exposes-industry-fault-lines">suspended operations following a large-scale product recall</a>. Insiders claim profits were siphoned off, leaving little cash to manage the fallout. The shutdown affects all but recall-related staff for six months.

SpaceX is investing USD 2 billion in xAI as part of the latter’s USD 5 billion equity funding round. It marks SpaceX’s first known stake in the Grok chatbot maker and reflects Elon Musk’s broader strategy of using his business empire to support ventures under his control, including <a href="/company/tesla">Tesla</a>, X, and The Boring Company.

Moonshot AI has released Kimi K2, a trillion-parameter open-source model built on a MoE framework and designed for math, coding, and agentic tasks. Offered in base and instruct versions, the <a href="/company/alibaba">Alibaba</a>-backed firm joins <a href="/company/deepseek">DeepSeek</a> and Zhipu AI in advancing China’s global open-source <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> push.

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

Retail

Haagen-Dazs must reinvent itself in China or weigh an exit as it contends with fierce competition, narrow margins, and cautious consumer spending.

Once a luxury indulgence, Haagen-Dazs faces an identity crisis in China

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

Recalls, probes, and product launches mark a volatile phase for China’s electronics firms.

China Recap | Device makers juggle innovation amid scrutiny

Vicky is a senior reporter based in Hangzhou, covering news about Chinese companies expanding their footprints abroad.

https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/dfe5e445d494bfd7f380c7d91c1df6d9?s=96&d=blank&r=g

Vicky Chang

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

Ten years after launching in a basement, the B2B robotics company is expanding across the logistics value chain.

Flash Coffee appoints new CEO

Latest Pulses

Most Recent

Once a luxury indulgence, Haagen-Dazs faces an identity crisis in China

China Recap | Device makers juggle innovation amid scrutiny

Geek+ goes public in Hong Kong with a global robotics agenda