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Tosso, an industrial automation startup based in Shanghai, has closed a Series A funding round, raising an eight-figure RMB sum. Seas Capital led the round, with Mount Capital advising the deal. The company said it will use the funds to support R&amp;D, grow its team, and scale operations. It previously received angel backing from SenseTime.
Founded in 2016, Tosso focuses on automating one of the more persistent manual processes in industrial manufacturing: grinding. The company designs and builds robotic systems for grinding and provides end-to-end automation solutions. Its core technologies include a flexible force-control grinder, a multi-head adaptive grinding tool, an automated abrasive replacement system, an artificial intelligence-powered grinding module, and an optical inspection platform. These components form the foundation of Tosso’s robots, which are deployed across industries such as rail transit, aerospace, wind power, and automotive.
“Grinding is a core step in manufacturing, and it’s needed across a wide range of downstream sectors,” founder Ge Xugang told 36Kr. The company estimates that market demand for grinding robots across rail, automotive, aviation, and wind energy sectors exceeds RMB 35 billion (USD 4.9 billion), with further growth expected.
While automation in areas like welding has advanced significantly, surface grinding remains mostly manual. Fewer than 10% of processes are automated. Human-led grinding is still common, despite being inefficient, inconsistent, and risky in terms of worker safety. Traditional grinding robots, meanwhile, often struggle with programming complexity, force precision, and real-time responsiveness.
Tosso addresses these issues with a full-stack solution that combines proprietary hardware and software. It currently offers two core products: a compound grinding robot mounted on an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) base for handling large, contoured surfaces like aircraft fuselages and wind turbine blades; and a stationary workstation for components such as railcar bodies and aerospace composites.
Technically, Tosso has built capabilities in AI-driven defect detection, real-time path planning, and adaptive force control. It also maintains a broad library of grinding protocols tailored to different sectors. These features enable its systems to handle various materials, including metal, composites, and painted surfaces.
Its flexible force-control grinder adjusts grinding pressure automatically using a single input value. The multi-head adaptive tool responds to curved surfaces ranging from 0 to 5 degrees and supports one, two, or three grinding heads. The abrasive replacement system automates sandpaper alignment and includes built-in inspection, positioning, and data tracking.
“Our optical module is a major differentiator,” Ge said. “It excels in detecting flaws on high-gloss or reflective surfaces.” The system can detect surface flaws like pinholes, paint clumps, shrinkage, and fibers, even on reflective materials with over 98% accuracy, less than 2% false positives, and precision up to 0.15 millimeters. Coupled with optical data, the robots generate optimized grinding paths for complex, curved surfaces.
To illustrate the robot’s impact, Ge cited the example of stripping paint from a small aircraft. Normally, this task requires 14 workers over two full days. With four Tosso grinding robots working in tandem, the job can be completed within the same timeframe.
<figure id="attachment_154793" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-154793" style="width: 480px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-154793" src="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Tosso-Grinding-Robot.jpg" alt="Photo of a Tosso-developed grinding robot." width="480" height="480" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Tosso-Grinding-Robot.jpg 1920w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Tosso-Grinding-Robot-720x720.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Tosso-Grinding-Robot-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Tosso-Grinding-Robot-360x360.jpg 360w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Tosso-Grinding-Robot-768x768.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Tosso-Grinding-Robot-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Tosso-Grinding-Robot-600x600.jpg 600w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Tosso-Grinding-Robot-300x300.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-154793" class="wp-caption-text">Photo of a Tosso-developed grinding robot. Photo and header photo source: Tosso via 36Kr.</figcaption></figure>
“AI and embodied intelligence are increasingly integrated in this space,” Ge said. “Our goal is to keep advancing our systems so they can operate with greater environmental awareness and make autonomous decisions. That’s what enables stable, repeatable results.”
Tosso’s clients include CRRC, Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC), Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), and China National Building Material Group (CNBM). It is also working with automakers, shipbuilders, and metal fabricators. The company is aiming to secure RMB 100 million (USD 14 million) in orders for 2025.
Tosso employs over 30 people, more than 70% of whom are in R&amp;D roles. The team originates from a former unit of German toolmaker Festool and brings long-standing expertise in grinding technologies. Its core technical staff includes alumni from Technische Universitat Berlin, Beijing Jiaotong University, Northwestern Polytechnical University, and Tsinghua University, with specialties spanning robotics, AI, and computer vision.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3338703019946505">article</a> was written by Zhang Zhuoqian for 36Kr.

Most surface grinding is still done by hand, and Tosso wants to change that

Artificial Intelligence

Deep Tech

China

Haomo.AI, the assisted driving company incubated by Great Wall Motor (GWM), is undergoing a wave of senior management departures. Multiple mid- and senior-level executives have left the company, signaling internal turbulence.
According to sources familiar with the matter, chairman Zhang Kai has tendered his resignation, though his next move remains unknown. Vice president of technology Ai Rui and vice president of product Cai Na also exited the company in April.
Founded in 2019, Haomo.AI was spun out from GWM’s assisted driving division under its technology center. In terms of corporate structure, GWM’s largest shareholder is Baoding Great Wall Holdings Group, which is ultimately controlled by GWM chairman Wei Jianjun.
Haomo.AI’s core business is concentrated in two areas: assisted driving systems for passenger vehicles and low-speed autonomous delivery vehicles for last-mile logistics.
However, some employees told 36Kr that both business lines have made minimal progress toward commercialization. In its passenger vehicle segment, Haomo.AI has only secured projects with two Hyundai models, offering features like memory-based driving and automated parking. Delivery for these features is scheduled for August, but development delays have cast doubt on whether that timeline is achievable.
“The sales target for our low-speed delivery vehicle this year is only about 50 units,” one employee said. “The company isn’t developing new models or planning to scale sales. It’s basically trying to clear out existing inventory.”
With weak momentum in commercialization, internal voices are speculating that Haomo.AI might follow the same path as Chery subsidiary ZDrive.ai, which was recently folded back into its corporate R&amp;D structure.
This year has seen aggressive restructuring moves by major Chinese automakers. Subsidiaries that lack competitive edge are being prioritized for consolidation. In late May, Chery merged ZDrive.ai and Lion Tech into its main headquarters, unifying them under a centralized intelligent tech hub to streamline operations. ZDrive.ai’s former general manager Gu Junli is expected to leave, while the R&amp;D team is now led by Wu Xuebin, general manager of Lion Tech.
Haomo.AI’s fate remains unclear, but whatever happens next will likely be a pivotal turning point for the company.
As a spinoff backed by GWM, Haomo.AI was once flush with talent and resources, rivaling many of its startup peers. Chairman Zhang, who previously served as deputy chief engineer at GWM and led its assisted driving programs, was deeply embedded in the company’s key projects, working mostly out of GWM’s office in Baoding, Hebei.
In 2021, Gu Weihao, former general manager of Baidu’s smart vehicle business, joined Haomo.AI as CEO. He was part of a more than 600-person team built from talent drawn from GWM, Baidu, Huawei, and other major tech firms.
Haomo.AI was once a darling of the capital market. In late 2021, the company raised nearly RMB 1 billion (USD 140 million) in a Series A funding round, which pushed its post-money valuation past USD 1 billion, granting it unicorn status. Investors included Meituan, GL Ventures, and Qualcomm.
GWM had allocated significant resources to Haomo.AI, which served as the main supplier for the automaker’s entry- and mid-level assisted driving systems. Over four years, Haomo.AI launched two production-ready advanced driver assistance solutions: map-free navigate-on-autopilot (NOA) for highway scenarios and memory-based driving and parking features. More than 20 vehicle models, including the older Mocha from Wey, the Tank 300 (city edition), and the Haval Shenshou were equipped with these systems.
In September 2022, Zhang announced during a company event that Haomo.AI had been tasked with developing high-level assisted driving features for 34 upcoming GWM models that year, covering nearly 80% of its pipeline.
But Haomo.AI struggled when it came to developing more advanced systems like city-level NOA. Under the original roadmap, the Wey Mocha was expected to debut with Haomo’s city NOA in 2023, becoming the first production model to integrate Qualcomm’s 8650 autonomous driving chip.
The rollout didn’t go as planned. “It was initially scheduled for mid-2023, but got delayed to December—and even then, it wasn’t delivered. That pushed back GWM’s broader high-end assisted driving rollout by a full year,” one source said.
Despite the setbacks, GWM at one point still considered doubling down on Haomo.AI. But the company also diversified its bets. In 2024, Pony.ai impressed GWM with its approach to assisted driving and end-to-end foundation models. Pony.ai’s solution has since been implemented in several Wey-branded models, including the Lanshan. On the capital side, GWM led Pony.ai’s Series C round with a USD 100 million investment.
GWM has also been building out its own in-house capabilities. Its intelligent tech team now exceeds 5,000 people, with software developers accounting for 70% of the workforce. The Wey brand has established an independent smart R&amp;D platform staffed by over 600 top-tier technical experts.
To support the massive compute needs of next-gen assisted driving, Great Wall also launched its Jiuzhou supercomputing center, boasting cloud computing power of 1.64 exaflops. Backed by these internal resources, GWM debuted its end-to-end assisted driving foundation model in April 2023. By November, the company had reportedly achieved nationwide rollout of city-level NOA.
As an externally incubated unit, Haomo.AI has operated with relative independence from its parent. And so far, the turmoil at Haomo hasn’t visibly disrupted GWM’s overarching smart driving ambitions.
But the competition among top-tier assisted driving suppliers has reached fever pitch, matching the intensity of China’s EV price wars. The industry is showing increasingly clear signs of a winner-takes-all dynamic.
As Momenta founder Cao Xudong once put it: “By 2026, we’ll know who the winners are.”
For startups that fall behind in technology iteration and fail to make meaningful commercial breakthroughs, survival itself becomes the real challenge.
For Haomo.AI, a unicorn born from GWM’s ecosystem, the glow of its early promise has dimmed. Now, survival may prove to be a far tougher test than becoming a unicorn ever was.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3340180077115144">article</a> was written by Li Anqi for 36Kr.

Haomo.AI hits crossroads amid leadership shakeup and tech setbacks

East Asia

Great Wall Motor

Transportation

Autonomous Vehicles

Mobility

Chinese <a href="/industry/ai">artificial intelligence</a> company Whobot, which develops AI voice agents for enterprise clients, has raised Series A funding in the eight-figure RMB range. GSR Ventures led the round, with Xiangyang Capital Management serving as the financial advisor. The funds will be used for technology development and market expansion, according to the company.
Founded in 2023, Whobot describes itself as a digital employee platform designed for enterprise communication. It uses proprietary large language models, voice interaction systems, and real-time operating systems to build AI agents that integrate conversational and task-execution capabilities, aiming to improve lead conversion efficiency for its clients.
In the year since launching its first product, Whobot has grown to a 13-person team and said it has signed more than 100 clients. The company reported a 100% renewal rate among paying users.
Whobot's platform sets itself apart from traditional call centers and enterprise software by reducing labor costs, operating continuously, and adapting to specific business needs. Its AI agents handle lead qualification, customer engagement via WeChat, product sales, hotline response, and customer service.
Founder Dong Lianping characterized Whobot’s key differentiator in one word: humanlike.
<figure id="attachment_154790" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-154790" style="width: 480px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-154790" src="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Whobot-Dong-Lianping.jpg" alt="Photo of Dong Lianping, founder of Whobot." width="480" height="480" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Whobot-Dong-Lianping.jpg 1920w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Whobot-Dong-Lianping-720x720.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Whobot-Dong-Lianping-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Whobot-Dong-Lianping-360x360.jpg 360w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Whobot-Dong-Lianping-768x768.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Whobot-Dong-Lianping-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Whobot-Dong-Lianping-600x600.jpg 600w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Whobot-Dong-Lianping-300x300.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-154790" class="wp-caption-text">Photo of Dong Lianping, founder of Whobot. Photo and header image source: Whobot via 36Kr.</figcaption></figure>
Speed and accuracy are strengths of AI, but meaningful communication is shaped by tone, word choice, and context, Dong said in an interview with 36Kr. “Whobot’s AI voice agents are trained to simulate real-time, interactive behavior, like talking while taking action,” he said.
He illustrated this with a scenario: if a user cuts a call short because of a meeting, a basic AI agent might call back too soon and repeat its message. Whobot’s system, by contrast, records the exchange, waits for an appropriate window, and resumes the conversation with a more natural opener like, “Hi, I called you earlier…”
Flat intonation, canned scripts, and poorly timed callbacks are dead giveaways that the speaker is an AI. “People can tell right away when they are not talking to a person,” Dong said. “And when that happens, they feel disrespected.”
Whobot addresses this by combining dialogue modeling with a multimodal decision engine. Its agents can now manage conversations that are reportedly up to three times longer than earlier versions. They are trained to insert pauses, use filler words, adjust their tone, and react to interruptions or hesitation.
The company said internal data shows 65% of users mistake its AI for human customer service.
A key part of this realism comes from training data. Whobot has developed more than 100 proprietary corpora based on real scripts from top-performing sales agents. These datasets allow its AI to learn new industry scenarios rapidly.
“Anywhere there’s a phone-based job, Whobot can fill it,” Dong said.
So far, the company has worked in sectors including education, automotive, customer service, and telecommunications. In one telecom project, Whobot completed 1,000 conversions for RMB 30,000 (USD 4,200), about one-tenth the cost of a human team.
Another standout feature is multitasking. Traditional AI phone bots often stop after qualifying leads or sending follow-ups. Whobot’s agents, by contrast, can perform operations mid-call.
For example, in education campaigns, getting users to add service reps on WeChat is key to conversion. Text-based prompts can lead to user dropoff. Whobot’s agents initiate the WeChat friend request during the call, either adding the user directly or prompting them to add the rep.
In trials for RMB 19.9 (USD 2.8) demo classes, Whobot reported a conversion rate of up to 95%, compared to 87% for human agents.
Dong also noted applications in fraud prevention. During lead generation campaigns, the system tracks user behavior to flag dropped deals or suspicious activity.
Whobot’s founding team brings experience from major Chinese internet firms. Dong was previously a senior executive at edtech company Zuoyebang and held technical leadership roles at Baidu. CTO Liang Bin has nearly 20 years of engineering experience, including senior positions at Alibaba Cloud and Baidu.
“Whobot delivers productivity, not control,” Dong said. He sees the company’s value not in replacing people, but in redefining service workflows. By taking over repetitive, high-volume tasks, the AI allows human employees to focus on work that requires creativity and judgment.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3324470532188680">article</a> was written by Zhong Yixuan for 36Kr.

Can AI handle your next sales call? Whobot says yes

Japan's Kao is making a renewed marketing push for cosmetics brand Kate across Asia, quintupling promotional expenses there and underlining its Japanese identity on social media to try to fend off rapidly rising Chinese and South Korean competitors.
The health and beauty company announced a new overseas strategy for low-priced brand Kate on June 4 that focuses on becoming a leading Tokyo-based brand in Asia and spreading a worldview that expresses individuality.
Kate specializes in makeup such as lipstick and eye shadow. Rather than relying on face-to-face sales by beauty consultants at department stores, it is sold off the shelf primarily at drugstores and other retail outlets. Prices are around JPY 1,000–2,000 (USD 7–14).
A new sales promotion strategy is intended to spread the brand in Asia and cultivate long-term fans. The first round involves a limited-edition product with packaging featuring a character from "Jujutsu Kaisen," an anime series popular throughout Asia, which will go on sale June 21.
The company is using around 10 influencers from Japan and elsewhere in Asia to market the project through social media, videos and other online and offline forms. This will mark Kate's largest social media marketing campaign.
In addition, a limited-time attraction opens at Osaka's Universal Studios Japan in September where customers can step inside the world of Kate. Taking advantage of the theme park's popularity with foreign visitors, Kao hopes people will become fans of Kate even after returning home.
Though no specific cost has been disclosed, the company said it is boosting promotional expenses for this effort fivefold.
Kate has expanded into nine Asian markets including Thailand, Taiwan, and Malaysia, but until now the finances involving promotions have been managed separately by location.
Promotions were carried out locally, two to three months later than in Japan, resulting in low brand consistency and synergy.
"We aim to be number one in Asia with a consistent brand message led by Japan," said Arihiro Iwata, Kate's brand manager. "We will continuously develop ideas that won't end as a passing fad."
The impetus for new promotions in Asia involves the rise of Chinese and South Korea brands. Kate currently ranks second only to France's L'Oreal in Asia, but its share of low-priced cosmetics in the region has remained mostly flat for the past five years, per UK research company Euromonitor. Newer brands like South Korea's Clio are on the rise, and they have closed the gap with some top Asian brands to less than one percentage point.
China's Florasis, known for packaging made to resemble Chinese traditional sculpted art, sells mid- to high-range cosmetics priced JPY 5,000 (USD 35) and up.
Florasis opened its first overseas flagship store in Tokyo in January and is developing Asian markets including Japan using real-world and digital efforts. It has surpassed Kate in overall Asian market share at times in the past five years, according to Euromonitor.
Asia's market for low-priced cosmetics is expected to expand by about 30% to USD 15.8 billion in 2029 from USD 12.4 billion in 2024.
Kao regards cosmetics as a pillar of its overseas growth and plans to increase foreign sales by 13% from 2024 to over JPY 800 billion (USD 5.6 billion) by 2027.
Oasis Management, a Hong Kong activist investor that holds 5.23% of Kao shares as of December 2024, has criticized Kao for not fully tapping its growth potential overseas.
Kao does not disclose sales by cosmetics brand, but Kate is thought to account for over JPY 30 billion (USD 210 million), or about 10% of the company's total cosmetics sales. Kao plans to boost that figure to JPY 50 billion (USD 350 million) by fiscal 2030, and double the proportion of overseas sales compared with 2023.
Yet Kao's cosmetics business posted JPY 3.7 billion (USD 25.9 million) in operating losses for 2024 despite accounting for 15% of total sales. Sluggish consumption in China played a role.
"Makeup is easy to communicate effectiveness and appeals to the digital generation, but that alone does not translate into profits," said Akiko Kuwahara, a senior analyst at JPMorgan Securities. "After expanding awareness in Asia, the key to growth is whether Kate can differentiate itself by leveraging its functionality and technical capabilities, such as its long-lasting lipstick and three-dimensional eye shadow."
This article first appeared on <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Consumer/Japan-s-Kao-ramps-up-Asia-makeup-push-as-China-South-Korea-brands-rise">Nikkei Asia</a>. It has been republished here as part of 36Kr’s ongoing partnership with <a href="https://www.kr-asia.com/nikkei-teams-up-with-36kr-in-asia-tech-news-coverage/">Nikkei</a>.

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

Retail

Consumer Economy

Japan

South Korea

… influenced you most?</h3>
CT: Elon Musk. He takes hit after hit and never falls.
The other day, I was eating at McDonald’s when Tesla’s stock had just dropped. A group nearby started trashing Musk, questioning why he always puts himself in risky positions. One of them said, “A wise man avoids the edge of the cliff.” I didn’t bother responding. People like that will never understand.
If you want to reshape the world in a meaningful way, you can’t be afraid to get your feet dirty. If losing USD 1 trillion brought the world one step closer to his vision, Musk would do it without hesitation.
I’m that kind of person too. I started my first venture in college. I never cared about grades, never thought about money, or what would happen if I failed. Even now, I’ve never paid myself a salary. During the hardest times, I poured everything I made trading crypto back into the project.
I work out of a free coworking space. At lunch, I check to see if other teams left any boxed meals, and I take them.
When you truly want to build something, you don’t weigh the pros and cons. You just go. If the world is run by people who always choose the safest option, it’ll never move forward.
<h3>AN: What are three books you’d recommend?</h3>
CT: My favorite author is Wang Xiaobo. I recommend starting with “The Silver Age.”
Second is “Zizhi Tongjian,” a study of Chinese history that helps distinguish enduring values from outdated or harmful ideas.
Third is “The Story of Romans” (published by CITIC Press Corporation). It’s incredibly fun and readable, and that’s important to me. If a book isn’t readable, I won’t finish it.
<a href="/collections/100-ai-creators">100 AI Creators</a> is a collaborative project between AI Now! and KrASIA, highlighting trailblazers in AI. Know an AI talent we should feature? <a href="mailto:ainow@kr-asia.com">Reach out to us.</a>

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

… PhilSA has already made significant progress in catalyzing the country’s space economy. Besides signing 11 agreements to establish relations with various space-related organizations, PhilSA plans to launch 11 satellites over the next decade, aligning with national development goals and opening doors to a wealth of commercial and research partnerships.
Additionally, Vietnam’s startup ecosystem, ranked 56th globally in 2023, is expected to serve as a key enabler of space sector development. It benefits from supportive government policies, such as the “Digital Infrastructure Master Plan” and “National Green Growth Strategy.” Space applications are expected to play a key role in these targets, especially in environmental monitoring and data analysis.
<h3>How startups can “step into” space</h3>
Space technologies are becoming integral to modern information infrastructure. Startups that use space-derived data to generate insights and create value are best positioned to tap into a growing range of commercial opportunities.
In Southeast Asia, EO technologies are expected to have the greatest impact on agriculture, mining, and the oil and gas sectors. These fields could account for nearly 80% of the additional USD 100 billion in GDP projected from EO adoption in the region.
With opportunities to integrate space-based tools into existing business processes, startups in these sectors can explore space innovations to solve local challenges and unlock growth potential.
For instance, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/asean-space-trade-billion-dollar-playbook-casie-lane-millhouse-fdo5c/">satellite data</a> is already being used to predict oil price movements, track global shipping, and forecast agricultural output. Companies in the region are increasingly employing satellite imaging to optimize trade routes, reduce inefficiencies, and mitigate disruptions in global trade.
Malaysia has integrated EO data into supply chain risk analysis, helping industries track logistics efficiency and mitigate asset risk across its USD 372 billion trade network. For example, Malaysian startup <a href="https://www.urbanmetry.com/">UrbanMetry</a> utilizes geospatial data and novel indicators to provide market intelligence to real estate investors across asset classes. By mapping areas prone to landslides and floods and overlaying this information with loan data, the company enables more comprehensive and informed climate risk evaluations. This is particularly significant for logistics assets, whose exposure to extreme weather can significantly disrupt supply chains and economic activity.
Meanwhile, in Indonesia, EO data is supporting precision agriculture, enabling better crop management and resource allocation. The <a href="https://rspo.org/">Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)</a> uses satellite monitoring to track plantation activity and ensure adherence to sustainability standards.
Thailand-based startup <a href="https://www.web.ricult.com/">Ricult</a> provides smallholder farmers with free access to localized weather data, farm advisory services, and farm health monitoring powered by satellite imagery. These tools enable farmers to time their planting, fertilising, and harvesting activities to maximize agricultural productivity, while satellite-based analysis of their crops and land provide collateral to access farm loans.
These examples show how startups can play a meaningful part in the space economy by applying satellite data to solve practical problems and differentiate their offerings. Beyond that, partnerships with government agencies, international institutions, and other stakeholders can further amplify their impact.
With the right mix of investment, policy support, and technical capacity, Southeast Asia has the potential to build a robust and inclusive space economy. For startups and businesses willing to explore space-powered innovation, the opportunity is both real and growing.
About the author: This article was authored by Michelle Khoo, 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, Michelle is passionate about shaping a more sustainable, fairer, and inclusive future in both physical and digital realms. Her work revolves around artificial intelligence, sustainability, the metaverse, disruption, and innovation.

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

Space Tech

Singapore

Malaysia

Thailand

Vietnam

Indonesia

Philippines

Southeast Asia

… during glacier expeditions. Norrona has also introduced features such as tunnel tents, backpack monitoring systems, and avalanche safety tech.
Both brands cover a broad price range, though Arc’teryx tends to be more expensive in China due to stronger brand recognition. Norrona’s men’s hardshell jackets retail from EUR 219–1,199 (USD 250–1,367), with the Lofoten series at the top end. Prices are expected to stay consistent in China. Arc’teryx jackets range from USD 99–999 overseas, with limited editions exceeding USD 3,600. In China, they typically sell for RMB 3,000–15,000 (USD 420–2,100), and popular items like the Alpha SV jacket often sell out. Some buyers turn to resale platforms, where prices have surpassed RMB 20,000 (USD 2,800).
Norrona leans into Scandinavian minimalism, combining sleek silhouettes with vibrant colors designed to improve visibility in snowy terrain. Even its more mainstream offerings like the Lofoten line use bold palettes.
Arc’teryx, in contrast, favors muted, nature-inspired tones and emphasizes ergonomic design to support comfort and movement. Some female consumers have described its aesthetic as overly masculine. Ironically, when comparing men’s jackets from both brands, Arc’teryx may be the one that looks more like the “old man’s head.”
Despite its design credentials and technical merit, Norrona remains one of the few outdoor brands with a recognizable nickname but no clear Chinese name, making it harder to build brand identity.
As one industry observer put it, “Chinese outdoor consumers need a badass logo.” That visual identity must be backed by a compelling origin story, the source added. Arc’teryx delivers on that front: its name and logo are derived from the fossil of the Archaeopteryx, the earliest known bird, symbolizing evolutionary progress.
Norrona, for all its heritage, lacks a singular narrative hook. Cold climates and rugged terrain are common to Nordic brands, making its origin story less distinct. The region is also crowded, with competitors like 66North and Helly Hansen already established.
<figure id="attachment_154641" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-154641" style="width: 1920px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-154641" src="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Norrona-Store-Interior.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Norrona-Store-Interior.jpg 1920w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Norrona-Store-Interior-720x405.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Norrona-Store-Interior-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Norrona-Store-Interior-768x432.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Norrona-Store-Interior-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Norrona-Store-Interior-480x270.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-154641" class="wp-caption-text">Norrona emphasizes its historical roots, a theme reflected in the design of its stores. Still, its brand story can feel less distinctive when compared with other Nordic labels that share similar origins. Photo source: Norrona.</figcaption></figure>
<h3>The “Nordic Arc’teryx” needs its own Anta</h3>
Arc’teryx’s success in China wouldn’t have been possible without Anta Group. Like most international outdoor brands, Norrona requires a strong local partner to gain traction.
The brand’s first attempt at the China market came in 2016 via Sanfo Outdoor. At its peak, Sanfo represented over 400 brands, including Arc’teryx, The North Face, and labels under Amer Sports. It also distributed names like Haglofs, Mammut, Discovery Expedition, and Klattermusen.
With so many responsibilities, Sanfo didn’t prioritize Norrona. The brand never received a proper Chinese name, and its Western sizing and fit posed challenges for local consumers. Within three years, Norrona exited the market due to low brand awareness and disappointing sales.
By contrast, Arc’teryx gained momentum the following year when Anta acquired its parent company. Anta repositioned Arc’teryx as a premium brand for China’s middle class, opened stores in top-tier locations, implemented a quota-based model to create scarcity, and shifted to direct-to-consumer retail.
The pandemic further accelerated growth in the outdoor segment. Activities like camping, skiing, and hiking became increasingly popular, and Arc’teryx emerged as a market leader. By 2024, the brand reportedly generated USD 2 billion in global revenue.
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Chinese consumers are also evolving, moving from buying the most expensive to buying what’s most suitable. Affordable brands like Pelliot and Montbell have gained a following, while Arc’teryx reported no net store expansion in its latest quarter, hinting at a more measured approach to high-end growth in China.
Norrona’s second entry into the market depends on its ability to work more closely with a committed partner. This time, it’s betting on Topsports to oversee brand building, sales, and consumer engagement.
Topsports has shown promise post-pandemic by moving away from its Nike-inspired model and successfully developing brands like Hoka and Kailas. For Norrona, this could mark the beginning of a more sustainable chapter in China.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3302168864889350">article</a> was written by Peng Qian for 36Kr.

The “Nordic Arc’teryx” returns to China, but will Norrona finally find its name?

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Chinese major hotelier H World Group aims to add about 9,000 hotels by 2030, mostly on its home turf, betting that demand for affordable stays will continue to grow as the domestic economy faces headwinds.
Headquartered in Shanghai, the group has over 20 hotel brands—in China and overseas—with 11,685 properties as of the end of March, up 538 locations from the previous quarter. In 2025 alone, it plans to add 2,300 hotels, while also shutting down between 500 to 600 underperforming properties, according Jihong He, the company's chief strategy officer.
The group aims to keep a similar pace of expansion through 2030 and potentially longer.
"In five years time, we would like to double our number of hotels in China," He told Nikkei Asia in an interview. "After we reach 20,000 hotels, our next goal is 30,000. Our vision is to cover China with our product offering as much as possible."
By hotel count, H World trails behind the country's top hotelier, Jin Jiang International, which operated 13,513 hotels as of the end of March. However, the Shanghai municipal government-owned hospitality group added only 97 hotels in the first quarter, meaning H World is poised to overtake Jin Jiang sometime next year if both groups continue to expand at their current pace.
Formerly known as China Lodging Group, H World was founded in 2005 by Qi Ji, who also co-founded travel booking platform <a title="" href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/Interview/Trip.com-aims-to-double-overseas-revenue-ratio-within-5-years-CEO" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trip.com Group</a> and the Home Inns hotel chain. The Nasdaq and Hong Kong-listed company began with its budget brand HanTing before expanding into the mid-tier segment with its Ji and Orange brands. It also manages several brands of the French hotel group Accor in China, including Mercure and Ibis, and ventured overseas with its 2020 acquisition of Germany's Steigenberger Hotels.
H World's expansion comes amid growing headwinds in the Chinese economy, including a property market downturn, a weak job market, and ongoing trade tensions with the US. While the economy <a title="" href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/China-GDP-grows-5.4-in-first-quarter-as-tariff-war-darkens-outlook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grew by 5.4%</a> year-on-year (YoY) in the first quarter, the consumer price index has remained in negative territory since February, extending deflationary pressures that have persisted for the past two years as supply continues to outpace demand. China's travel industry is growing but it remains vulnerable to intense price competition.
According to a survey by real estate consultant JLL last October, 33% of hotels in Greater China expected the average daily room rate to worsen YoY in 2025, a higher ratio than any other Asian region. In comparison, just 2% of hotels in North Asia and 9% in Southeast Asia anticipated a drop in room rates.
H World's average room rate, excluding Steigenberger, was RMB 272 (USD 38.1) in the first quarter, down 2.6% from a year ago.
He likened the current hotel market in China to the image of a water drop, where demand is heavily skewed toward budget hotels with limited amenities and narrows toward the most expensive properties. "Our goal is to absolutely dominate the limited-service hotel segment," He said, while also capturing the cost-cutting trend in business travel with its Ji and upper midscale Intercity brands.
"In the last couple of years, a lot of corporations have cut their spending budget," He noted, adding that investment bankers now also stay at those properties. She said that while there is a "cloud of uncertainty" over the outlook of the US-China tariff war, the company has so far not felt any major impact and has not revised its guidance for the year.
Still, competition remains intense with local chain Atour Lifestyle Holdings planning to open 500 hotels this year. US hotel group Hilton aims to open 600 locations of its midscale Hampton brand by 2034 under a franchise agreement with Jin Jiang.
Marriott CFO Leeny Oberg said in an investor call last month that 10% of existing rooms and 18% of its pipeline are in China. "In China, there's been terrific interest in particular in our select-service brands," she said, referring to brands like Courtyard and Four Points that offer limited amenities.
H World's revenue grew 2.2% YoY to RMB 5.4 billion (USD 756 million) in the first quarter, while net profit increased 35.7% to RMB 894 million (USD 125.2 million). Analysts say the challenge for H World is maintaining the quality of its hotels while managing a rapidly growing number of franchisees.
Billy Qi, an analyst at 86Research, said H World's plan to add 1,800 hotels this year is still within reach, but "the pace is likely to moderate in the years ahead." "Expansion also hinges on the ability to maintain product quality, which makes purely volume-driven growth structurally unsustainable over the long term," he said.
More than 90% of H World's hotels are built by franchisees but operated by general managers hired and trained by the company, a model that the company calls "manachised," designed to ensure that its properties meet its standards.
H World's He explained that the franchisees later reimburse the cost of the managers. The group also charges the franchisees a fee for using its technology suite, which includes its reservation system, property management system and customer database.
He defended the company's business model as well-suited to the current challenging macro environment.
"We also cannot dictate supply growth," He said. "But in the bigger picture, our hotels are the most resilient in the whole industry because they are affordable, and people are still willing to pay to stay in them."
This article first appeared on <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Travel-Leisure/China-s-H-World-to-add-9-000-hotels-by-2030-in-budget-travel-push">Nikkei Asia</a>. It has been republished here as part of 36Kr’s ongoing partnership with <a href="https://www.kr-asia.com/nikkei-teams-up-with-36kr-in-asia-tech-news-coverage/">Nikkei</a>.

China's H World to add 9,000 hotels by 2030 in budget travel push

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<blockquote>China Recap is a weekly roundup tracking Chinese companies expanding abroad, covering market entries, funding rounds, product launches, and global partnerships.</blockquote>
China’s corporate globalization strategy is evolving fast. Industry giants are rewriting the global playbook, while a new generation of companies charts fresh paths overseas.
China Recap tracks both—focusing on strategic expansion, brand building, and localized operations—to help readers make sense of shifting trends and understand how Chinese firms are reshaping their global approach.
Here’s what made headlines last week:
<h3>China doubles down on embodied intelligence</h3>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Uniview <a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/UE0Kk5j5yNLloBjjHhJbzA">said</a> it has formed an alliance with Deep Robotics and Xiaoyuan Robot have formed an alliance to co-develop smart patrol and inspection solutions. The partnership brings together Deep Robotics’ quadruped mobility, Uniview’s visual sensing and camera systems, and Xiaoyuan’s integration expertise to accelerate the deployment of <a href="/industry/ai">artificial intelligence</a>-powered patrol systems for urban safety and emergency response.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Horizon Robotics plans to raise HKD 4.67 billion (USD 594.9 million) through a top-up share placement to support business expansion and R&amp;D. The self-driving chipmaker will sell 681 million shares at HKD 6.93 (USD 0.9) each, with support from existing investors and placement agents Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and UBS, amid bullish sentiment in Hong Kong. —<a href="https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3314097/horizon-robotics-plans-raise-us595-million-hong-kong-share-placement">SCMP</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Nanjing launched an action plan to grow its embodied AI sector to over RMB 10 billion (USD 1.4 billion) by 2027. At a June 11 conference, the city unveiled a dedicated industry park and alliance, aiming to support more than 150 companies and scale mass production. The plan includes new R&amp;D hubs, data labs, and pilot deployments in the public sector. —<a href="https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_30967852">The Paper</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Kandi Technologies and Deep Robotics agreed to jointly develop smart golf gear and quadruped security robots for the North American market. Kandi will oversee product adaptation, manufacturing, and marketing, while Deep Robotics provides core technology and components. —<a href="https://www.36kr.com/newsflashes/3333305544927494">36Kr</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Chinese <a href="/industry/robotics">robotics</a> firm EngineAI filed a patent for a control method enabling straight-leg walking in humanoid robots. The system reportedly combines gait data, adversarial networks, and real-world feedback to enhance energy efficiency, stability, and human-like agility. —<a href="https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-06-10/China-s-humanoid-robot-startup-develops-straight-leg-walking-control-1E5wbtQJ1RK/p.html">CGTN</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">China launched a three-year pilot to deploy eldercare robots in homes, communities, and institutions, aiming to ease labor shortages and improve quality of life for seniors. Backed by state ministries, the initiative includes over 200 trials and promotes standards development. By 2035, seniors will make up over 30% of the population. —<a href="https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3313739/china-turns-robots-elderly-care-national-pilot-programme">SCMP</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>TikTok launches first showroom in Ho Chi Minh City</h3>
<a href="/company/tiktok">TikTok</a> has opened its first offline showroom in Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Binh district, offering product displays, live sampling, and daily live streams. The center will host monthly content creator events and closed-door merchant workshops to enhance product engagement and creator access. —<a href="https://www.ebrun.com/ebrungo/zb/582179.shtml">Ebrun</a>
<h3>Gojek migrates services to Tencent Cloud</h3>
Gojek, the ride-hailing and delivery arm of Indonesia’s GoTo Group, has migrated over 1,000 microservices to <a href="/company/tencent">Tencent Cloud</a>. The cutover was completed within five hours after eight months of joint planning and testing. —<a href="https://36kr.com/newsflashes/3322985136024067">36Kr</a>
<h3>ASD plans Vietnam plant investment</h3>
Chinese home appliance maker ASD plans to invest up to RMB 150 million (USD 21 million) in Vietnam to develop cookware, small appliances, and industrial robots. The company said the move would enhance its global layout and help mitigate external economic uncertainties. —<a href="https://36kr.com/newsflashes/3320725600610823">36Kr</a>
That wraps up this edition of China Recap. If your company is expanding internationally, we’d love to hear about your latest milestones. <a href="mailto:changweiqian@global.36kr.com">Get in touch</a> to share your story.

China Recap | Doubling down on embodied intelligence