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Liu Wei, the former Tencent scientist behind its flagship AI model, has raised USD 50 million for his Singapore-based startup Video Rebirth, which wil…

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Liu Wei, the former <a href="/company/tencent">Tencent</a> scientist behind its flagship <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> model, has raised USD 50 million for his Singapore-based startup Video Rebirth, which will launch an AI platform in December to rival OpenAI’s Sora. Backed by Qiming Venture Partners and Actoz Soft, the company plans to target professional users and expand globally from Singapore.

Chinese <a href="/industry/ev">EV</a> maker <a href="/company/xpeng">Xpeng</a> plans to launch robotaxis next year and begin mass production of its humanoid robot, Iron, as part of a broader <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> expansion. The Guangzhou-based firm unveiled three robotaxi models powered by its Turing chips and said trials will start in Chinese cities in 2026, aligning its strategy more closely with <a href="/company/tesla">Tesla’s</a>.

<a href="/company/jd">JD.com</a>, <a href="/company/gac">GAC</a>, and <a href="/company/catl">CATL</a> have jointly unveiled the Aion UT Super, an <a href="/industry/ev">EV</a> dubbed the “national car,” as the first unit rolled off GAC Aion’s Changsha smart factory line. The model features CATL’s swappable battery system, a <a href="/company/huawei">Huawei</a>-powered infotainment platform, and a 500-kilometer range, with presales and test drives now underway.

<a href="/company/bytedance">ByteDance</a>-backed coding app Trae has discontinued the use of Anthropic’s Claude models after the US firm imposed global restrictions on Chinese-owned entities. Trae said it would rely on other models from <a href="/company/openai">OpenAI</a>, Google, and <a href="/company/deepseek">DeepSeek</a> to maintain performance, as the move underscores widening US-China tech divisions.

<a href="/company/meituan">Meituan’s</a> Dianping unit will invest at least RMB 3 billion over the next five years to upgrade its local services information infrastructure. The initiative aims to expand global data verification capabilities and build an <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a>-driven calibration system using Meituan’s proprietary enterprise model, accelerating its push into overseas markets.

<a href="/company/ant-group">Ant Group’s</a> AQ health app has surpassed ten million monthly active users four months after launch, becoming the first professional-grade <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> app to reach the milestone. Data from QuestMobile show its compound monthly growth rate of 83.4% far outpaces the industry average of 13.5%, highlighting growing demand for AI-driven health services.

Wiz.ai, a Singapore-based voice <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> company, has raised an eight-figure USD sum in a Series B round led by SMBC Asia Rising Fund, with participation from Beacon VC, SMIC SG Holdings, and existing investors Singtel Innov8 and Granite Asia. The funding will strengthen its enterprise AI platform and support expansion into new markets, including Latin America.

HeyMax, a Singapore-based loyalty platform, has launched in Hong Kong, its first overseas market, alongside a new partnership with Cathay. The collaboration integrates their miles systems for travel and lifestyle rewards, expanding HeyMax’s open loyalty ecosystem across Asia following its acquisition of Hong Kong <a href="/industry/fintech">fintech</a> firm Krip.

Uzum, Uzbekistan’s first tech unicorn, is planning a final pre-IPO funding round in Hong Kong next year after <a href="/company/tencent">Tencent’s</a> USD 70 million investment boosted its valuation to USD 1.5 billion. The <a href="/industry/e-commerce">e-commerce</a> and <a href="/industry/fintech">fintech</a> firm, registered in Abu Dhabi, is targeting a 2027 listing and sees growing Chinese investor interest in Central Asia’s digital market.

China’s vice premier He Lifeng has urged Hong Kong to align with the country’s next five-year plan and deepen cooperation with the mainland’s economy and financial markets, underscoring Beijing’s push for closer integration. Regulators also unveiled new measures to expand cross-border access and strengthen Hong Kong’s role as a bridge to global capital.

A Chinese court has upheld Mihoyo’s defamation win against blogger Peng Moumou, ruling that Peng’s repeated videos targeting Mihoyo and players of <em>Genshin Impact</em> and <em>Zenless Zone Zero</em> went beyond fair criticism. The court ordered all offending content removed, a public apology, and RMB 110,000 in damages.

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iMile CEO Rita Huang explains how the Dubai-based company rebuilt its systems after 2023’s warehouse chaos.

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Ant Group is expanding its cross-border business from Hong Kong as the city rolls out initiatives to help Chinese enterprises expand overseas.

In Hong Kong, Ant Group finds an anchor for its global fintech ambitions

CHENG Zi is based in China, covering technology and business-related events. She works with her colleagues at 36Kr Global to provide coverage in both English and Chinese.

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Video Rebirth raises USD 50 million

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