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

Perplexity AI is in talks with mobile device makers to pre-install Comet, its new browser, on smartphones. The company aims to grow its user base by t…

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

Enterprise services is an over-arching term to describe an architecture combining engineering discipline and computer science to solve practical business problems. 

Enterprise Services

China

The 22-year-old founder isn’t looking to make marketers more efficient. She wants Head AI to make them obsolete.

With Head AI, this Gen Z dropout aims to replace marketing teams entirely

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 is healthcare going digital? Investigate telemedicine, wearable sensors, and data-driven platforms improving patient experiences.

Health Tech

AI-powered therapy tools are emerging in the mental health space, but questions around empathy, safety, and readiness remain unresolved.

AI may offer a listening ear, but can it close mental healthcare gaps?

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

Photo of Augmentus’ co-founders. From left to right: Daryl Lim, Leong Yong Shin, and Chong Voon Foo.

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

Europe

India

Oceania

Singapore

Southeast Asia

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

Deals in brief: Augmentus raises Series A+ funding, Coda to acquire Recharge, Origgin Capital debuts second fund, 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

Perplexity AI is in talks with mobile device makers to pre-install Comet, its new browser, on smartphones. The company aims to grow its user base by tapping into browser stickiness, while stabilizing its desktop beta and targeting tens of millions of users next year.

Shenzhen-based LimX Dynamics has raised an undisclosed amount in a funding round led by <a href="/company/jd">JD.com</a>. It plans to begin public sales of its full-size <a href="/industry/robotics">humanoid robot</a> in the second half of 2025. The two companies will also explore applications in logistics, retail, and services, as LimX scales production and rolls out a new <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> training system based on video data.

<a href="/company/bytedance">ByteDance's</a> Douyin has rolled out its own film rating feature, aiming to build a user-driven review system linked to video content. Early adoption has reportedly been limited, with scores visible for only a few titles. The move marks a shift away from film production and ticketing toward shaping how audiences discover and assess movies.

Chinese exports of rare earth magnets to the US surged 660% in June to 353 tons after a trade deal resolved licensing delays. The sharp rebound follows export restrictions imposed in April that had disrupted global <a href="/industry/ev">EV</a> and turbine supply chains and forced some automakers to cut output.

Hong Kong-listed WuXi Biologics said five Wuxi-based sites passed a nine-day FDA inspection with no critical findings, including three drug product plants and two drug substance facilities. The company added it has now secured 97 manufacturing licenses from regulators across six regions.

<a href="/company/zeekr">Zeekr</a> denied claims it sold secondhand cars with zero mileage, stating the vehicles in question were unregistered showroom models sold at a discount due to stock age. The company said buyers retain full first-owner rights and has launched an internal review of dealer practices to ensure transparency.

Elon Musk said xAI will launch a children’s version of its chatbot, called Baby Grok, though no further details were disclosed. The announcement comes amid backlash over antisemitic content from Grok and shortly after the release of its latest version, Grok 4.

<a href="/company/douyin">Douyin</a> said it has no plans to build its own delivery network, as its food delivery efforts under Suixintuan focus on grou buying deliveries for lifestyle merchants. The company has cut GMV targets and slowed expansion, citing challenges competing with <a href="/company/meituan">Meituan</a> and <a href="/company/alibaba">Alibaba’s</a> Ele.me.

China has introduced new policy measures to encourage reinvestment by foreign firms, with seven agencies pledging support across tax, land, and financial services. The plan emphasizes integration, streamlined approvals, and local collaboration, as the country doubles down amid a 10.4% YoY rise in foreign-invested enterprises in the first five months of 2025.

China’s top market watchdog summoned <a href="/company/alibaba">Alibaba's</a> Ele.me, <a href="/company/meituan">Meituan</a>, and <a href="/company/jd">JD.com</a> on July 18, urging “rational” competition and compliance with e-commerce, food safety, and anti-unfair competition laws. The move follows a <a href="https://kr-asia.com/meituan-scrambles-on-super-saturday-as-taobao-shangou-tops-80-million-daily-orders">fierce price war</a> and a surge in transactions as platforms fight for market share through subsidies and flash sales.

Blackstone has reportedly withdrawn from a consortium bidding for <a href="/company/tiktok">TikTok’s</a> US operations as delays and political uncertainty mount. The group, co-led by Susquehanna and General Atlantic, had been favored by the Trump administration, but the deal remains stalled amid ongoing US-China tensions.

Indonesia

Malaysia

Philippines

Thailand

Vietnam

ASEAN nations aim to diversify exports as shipments to the US show signs of slowing.

Trump tariffs push Indonesia, Thailand toward trade deals with EU

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

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

Despite early traction in hardware, the startup is focused on building a full-stack robotics system that unites the “brain” and “body” of machines.

More than a hardware play: Robot Era’s founder sets the record straight on the company’s true ambitions

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

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

Electric Vehicles

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

Logistics

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

Challenges remain, but the NEV maker sees significant upside in expanding its commercial vehicle business beyond China.

Perplexity aims to preload Comet on phones

Latest Pulses

Most Recent

Trump tariffs push Indonesia, Thailand toward trade deals with EU

More than a hardware play: Robot Era’s founder sets the record straight on the company’s true ambitions

As China’s commercial vehicle market slows, Gecko Motors shifts gears abroad for growth