Alibaba

ByteDance

Huawei

Meituan

Tencent

Xiaomi

Most Followed

KrASIA Connection

100 AI Creators

China's Auto Sector

Inside China's Startups

Venture Roundup

Our Events

View All

Collections

News

Features

Insights

Ecosystem

Press Releases

Anker

DeepSeek

Li Auto

MiniMax

Pop Mart

Xpeng

On the Radar

Hesai Group has raised USD 531 million in a Hong Kong listing to expand LiDAR sensor production amid growing global demand for autonomous driving tech…

Events

Latest

About

Consumer

Robotics

Fintech

Collaborate

What guides machine-led insights? Uncover AI applications, language models, and decision-making systems transforming sectors worldwide.

Artificial Intelligence

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

Consumer Economy

What lies beyond familiar frontiers? Investigate emerging tech—like quantum computing and AI—transforming traditional sectors.

Deep Tech

Embodied Intelligence

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

Retail

China

While humanoid robots remain the holy grail, companies like Dreame are tapping AI to enhance a wide range of household devices.

Dreame’s new floor washers show embodied intelligence entering homes first through appliances

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

Huawei, a global telecom and smartphone vendor, delivers networking equipment, 5G solutions, and consumer devices integrating cutting-edge tech.

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

Electric Vehicles

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

The alliance is betting on scale to reach its goals, though overlap within its lineup poses risks.

Huawei’s HIMA plans 17 car launches to secure position in premium car market

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

Singapore

Southeast Asia

Thailand

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

Deals in brief: SGInnovate leads investment in Greenitio, Living Roots and LineWise raise funding, eight deals in China, 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

Hesai Group has raised USD 531 million in a Hong Kong listing to expand LiDAR sensor production amid growing global demand for autonomous driving technology. The Shanghai-based firm, the world’s largest automotive LiDAR maker, plans to scale manufacturing in China and Southeast Asia.

TikTok’s US operations may be spun off into a new venture backed by Oracle, Andreessen Horowitz, and Silver Lake, under a tentative deal that would cut <a href="/company/bytedance">ByteDance’s</a> stake to below 20%. US-China talks are underway to finalize terms ahead of a December 16 divestiture deadline extended by the White House.

KKR has acquired Hoken Minaoshi Hompo Group, a major insurance distributor in Japan with 350 locations and omnichannel services. Backed by KKR’s Asian Fund IV and K-Series, the investment will support growth through sales enablement, digital upgrades, and bolt-on acquisitions.

China is cracking down on online disinformation in the automotive sector, with national authorities launching a three-month campaign targeting false advertising and slander. Amid rising social media attacks, automakers including <a href="/company/byd">BYD</a> and MG have offered rewards of up to RMB 5 million for tips on malicious accounts.

<a href="/company/mixue-bingcheng">Mixue Bingcheng</a> trimmed its overseas store count to 4,733 in H1 2025, down from 4,895 at the end of 2024, closing underperforming locations in Indonesia and Vietnam as part of an operational shift to improve efficiency. Despite the near-term pullback, the chain is expanding into Brazil and Central Asia.

Carlyle, Boyu Capital, EQT, and HongShan have been shortlisted to acquire a majority stake in Starbucks’ China business, which bidders are valuing at around USD 5 billion based on earnings projections. Goldman Sachs, which is running the process, is expected to select a buyer by the end of October.

UltraGreen.ai, a specialist in fluorescence-guided surgical technologies and precision healthcare, has raised USD 188 million in a funding round co-led by 65 Equity Partners and Vitruvian Partners, with participation from August Global Partners. Valued at USD 1.3 billion, the company will use the capital to scale its <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a>-powered imaging platform and expand across Asia and global surgical markets.

Seon has raised USD 80 million in a Series C round led by Sixth Street Growth, with participation from existing investors IVP, Creandum, and Firebolt, and new investor Hearst. The funding brings Seon’s total raised to USD 187 million and will support its expansion into LATAM, scaling of its fraud and AML platform, and deeper engagement with financial institutions amid rising cybercrime.

A Beijing court has ordered <a href="/company/tesla">Tesla</a> to release 30 minutes of driving data preceding a 2021 crash involving a Model 3, siding with Zhang Yazhou after a four-year legal battle. Zhang, who drew national attention by protesting atop a Tesla at the Auto Shanghai expo, aims to verify possible brake failure and may pursue further legal action.

US President Donald Trump’s willingness to let <a href="/company/tiktok">TikTok</a> shut down was a key turning point in deal talks with China, treasury secretary Scott Bessent said. The stance helped shift Beijing’s position, leading the White House to extend ByteDance’s divestiture deadline to December 16 as negotiations with potential buyers continue.

Saison Capital has launched Onigiri Capital, a USD 50 million blockchain fund focused on startups advancing real-world asset innovation across Asia. Co-led by Qin En Looi and Hans de Back, the fund has secured USD 35 million to date and targets segments including stablecoins, DeFi, and tokenized assets.

Mixue Bingcheng runs beverage shops, leveraging mobile ordering and social commerce to serve refreshing drinks and desserts.

Mixue Bingcheng

Closures in Indonesia and Vietnam mark growing pains, but domestic scale, coffee, and new supply hubs give the group fresh momentum.

Mixue trims abroad, doubles down at home, and brews up Lucky Cup’s rise

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

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

Used in everything from humanoid robots to pool cleaners, RobStride’s modules are becoming the unseen foundation of China’s embodied intelligence wave.

RobStride builds the joints that keep China’s robots moving, and a thriving industry around them

Coffee

A buyer is expected to be chosen by October.

LiDAR maker Hesai doubles down after HK listing

Latest Pulses

Most Recent

Mixue trims abroad, doubles down at home, and brews up Lucky Cup’s rise

RobStride builds the joints that keep China’s robots moving, and a thriving industry around them

Brewing takeover: Four firms in final race to buy Starbucks China