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… id="caption-attachment-158423" class="wp-caption-text">Through MindOn’s approach, bipedal robots could even become playmates for activities such as a game of frisbee. Graphic source: MindOn Robotics.</figcaption></figure>
Discussing the company’s financing, Zhu said MindOn’s technical differentiation is the main reason investors committed quickly. He noted that these investors are already heavily involved in embodied intelligence but chose MindOn because its technology complements their broader portfolios.
Zhu predicts that as training efficiency improves, the timeline for humanoid robots entering households will shorten to three to five years. Before that, he expects bipedal versions to enter retail or fast casual dining environments, such as unmanned fast food outlets, within one to two years. These environments feature fixed tasks and controlled conditions that support rapid validation and commercial deployment.
Asked about MindOn’s moat, Zhu said:
<blockquote>“When everyone believed in teleoperation, we recognized its fundamental flaw and found another path. Our real moat is the ability to take an immature idea and turn it into reality, step by step.”</blockquote>
The following transcript has been edited and consolidated for brevity and clarity.
<h3>36Kr: Why do you believe teleoperation has a fundamental flaw?</h3>
Zhu Qingxu (ZQ): At its core, teleoperation forces a person to use the brain’s “slow system” to control a robot. The operator must observe, think, and then act. That process is inherently slow, jerky, and full of unnecessary pauses.
Training robots like this is akin to learning from a teacher who moves unnaturally. It locks the robot’s performance ceiling. All those robot videos you see that require sped-up playback? That is the root cause.
For tasks requiring tactile sensitivity, such as twisting a bottle cap, teleoperation is even worse. Without true force feedback, operators cannot tell whether the robot’s hand is gripping correctly, which lowers efficiency.
<h3>36Kr: If teleoperation is flawed, why did it become so widely adopted?</h3>
ZQ: The initial goal was simple: to get robots to manipulate real objects and collect real-world data. Teleoperation was the first feasible solution.
<h3>36Kr: How does your system work, and what are its advantages?</h3>
ZQ: It balances data quality with data scale. Motion capture records natural, instinctive full-body movements. UMI allows operators to manipulate objects at scale, capturing detailed hand-object interactions. Together, they generate far higher quality data than video-only approaches and in far larger quantities than teleoperation. Essentially, it captures the subconscious actions robots should be learning.
<h3>36Kr: Once the data is collected, how does your architecture work?</h3>
ZQ: It mirrors how intelligence forms. The “cerebellum” learns basic human actions such as walking, running, crouching, grasping, and pulling. Using motion capture data, we train these in simulation. Once built, the library becomes universal.
The “cortex” handles perception, instructions, and planning, calling the cerebellum’s skills to execute actions. They evolve together. The richer the cerebellum’s skills, the more the cortex can do, and the smarter the cortex becomes, the more precisely it can deploy those skills.
<h3>36Kr: You mentioned humanoid robots entering unmanned stores in one to two years. How would that work?</h3>
ZQ: Tasks in places such as unmanned fast food outlets are limited and enumerable. We can capture every action in the motion capture lab. Because our data quality is high, robots learn these primitive actions efficiently. It takes only two to three days to learn all the roles. Then we collect UMI data in the real store to support generalization. Teleoperation cannot match this efficiency.
<h3>36Kr: Motion capture requires a studio filled with cameras. You are not going to build one inside a kitchen, so how do you handle scenario-specific teaching?</h3>
ZQ: You do not need to. Actions can be captured fully in the lab. Household or kitchen tasks break down into finite movements such as grasp, place, lift, and shake. These can all be captured with motion capture equipment. Then we gather UMI and environment data on-site.
<h3>36Kr: What is the biggest challenge in generalizing from controlled environments to real households?</h3>
ZQ: Generalization is the biggest challenge. We need to address three types: object generalization, positional generalization, and scene generalization. This requires substantial and diverse scene data. We believe in scaling laws, but only when data quality and quantity are sufficient.
<h3>36Kr: Why will the embodied intelligence system that enters households likely take the humanoid form?</h3>
ZQ: Humanoid robots have challenges such as stability and control, but their advantages outweigh the downsides. Homes are designed for people. Many layouts and tasks are unfriendly to wheels, including stairs, uneven levels, and thick carpets. Tasks that involve changing heights also favor the humanoid form. For non-human forms, you would need to enumerate and solve shape-specific problems continuously. Training relies on human motion data, and such datasets do not exist for non-human forms.
<h3>36Kr: How will users teach robots new tasks once they enter homes?</h3>
ZQ: Ideally, robots will come equipped with most commonly employed skills. For new tasks, we may later release a simple demonstration tool that allows users to teach a task once through hands-on demonstration, after which the robot can learn through observation and minimal practice.
<h3>36Kr: Some say algorithms are weak products and that hardware companies will eventually build their own algorithms. Where is MindOn’s moat?</h3>
ZQ: Technology has no permanent moat, only temporary leads. Our moat is judgment and iteration. When everyone believed in teleoperation, we recognized its fundamental flaw and found another path. Our real moat is the ability to take an immature idea and turn it into reality, step by step.
<h3>36Kr: What is your outlook for the sector?</h3>
ZQ: The sector will go through a shakeout. The companies that survive will be the ones “working out,” not “putting on makeup.” For us, we aim to deepen our technical foundation and focus on long-term capability. When the industry matures, we want to remain standing.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3559983402023814">article</a> was written by Fu Chong for 36Kr.

Is teleoperation holding robotics development back? MindOn Robotics makes its case

Deep Tech

Embodied Intelligence

China

… https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Mr-Shadow-720x405.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Mr-Shadow-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Mr-Shadow-768x432.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Mr-Shadow-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Mr-Shadow-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Mr-Shadow-480x270.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-158448" class="wp-caption-text">Mr Shadow, shown in his first appearance in the demo in an encounter with Hollowone as she undergoes her SEAL interview. Image source: Hoyoverse.</figcaption></figure>
Combat hews closely to Hoyoverse’s trademark style: fast, fluid encounters built around character swapping and chained abilities against a variety of shadowy foes. One notable motif is the recurring symbolism of the umbrella, structured by the game as a multitoll used as both weapon and narrative marker. In a cutscene between Hollowone and Mr Shadow in the demo, the former discloses that the person she’s looking for within SEAL carries a snake-scale umbrella.
<figure id="attachment_158449" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-158449" style="width: 1920px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-158449 size-full" src="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Umbrella.jpg" alt="Image of Hollowone using an umbrella to glide through the air." width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Umbrella.jpg 1920w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Umbrella-720x405.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Umbrella-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Umbrella-768x432.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Umbrella-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Umbrella-480x270.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-158449" class="wp-caption-text">Hollowone uses an umbrella as both weapon and tool, enabling her to unleash a series of magical abilities and glide through environments. Image source: Hoyoverse.</figcaption></figure>
The game’s central threat, mindrot, ties the story to themes of mental health. Mindrot appears as a tar-like substance that leaks from objects and manifests into monsters. SEAL is introduced as the body responsible for containing these incidents and preventing further spread, as advanced forms of mindrot give rise to fully fledged shadow creatures. A brief explanation in the demo describes humanity’s collective consciousness as the “rain of thought,” and suggests that when this system is improperly drained, rot forms, becoming mindrot.
<figure id="attachment_158452" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-158452" style="width: 1920px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-158452" src="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Shadow-Monster.jpg" alt="Image of a shadow monster that forms as a result of mindrot." width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Shadow-Monster.jpg 1920w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Shadow-Monster-720x405.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Shadow-Monster-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Shadow-Monster-768x432.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Shadow-Monster-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Shadow-Monster-480x270.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-158452" class="wp-caption-text">A shadow monster that forms as a result of mindrot. Image source: Hoyoverse.</figcaption></figure>
Varsapura leans further into the paranormal with scenes showing distortions of reality. In one sequence, Hollowone enters an alternate dimension as part of her SEAL evaluation, where a set of camera-like devices collectively opens a gateway. Operatives appear capable of manipulating the environment inside, a skill that becomes urgent when mindrot suddenly begins seeping into the space and Hollowone and Sayuki attempt to escape.
<figure id="attachment_158454" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-158454" style="width: 480px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-158454 size-full" src="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hoyoverse-Varsapura-Escape.webp" alt="A sequence showing Hollowone and Sayuki rushing to escape the dimension where Hollowone’s final SEAL assessment is taking place before it becomes overwhelmed by mindrot." width="480" height="270" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-158454" class="wp-caption-text">Hollowone and Sayuki rush to escape the dimension where Hollowone’s final SEAL assessment is taking place, before the space becomes overwhelmed by mindrot. Graphic source: Hoyoverse.</figcaption></figure>
The title adds to Hoyoverse’s lineup of announced projects, which includes Petit Planet and Honkai: Nexus Anima. Whether familiar mechanics, at least as presented so far, will support or complicate the company’s expansion remains unclear. Hoyoverse’s earlier hits, including Genshin Impact and entries in the Honkai series, have long relied on recurring events and activities to maintain engagement. That formula has been broadly effective, but its time-consuming nature may test players’ willingness to adopt new titles with similar systems at the same time.

What we know so far about Varsapura, Hoyoverse’s next game

Gaming

Creative

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<div class="embed-container"><iframe src="https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/26372158/embed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen> frameborder="0" scrolling="no" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-scripts allow-downloads allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe></div>
Meanwhile, the number of operating cinemas reached a record 13,400 nationwide, with 108 million screenings. Yet the number of films surpassing RMB 100 million (USD 14 million) is at its lowest in years. As more screens open and fewer hits emerge, theater owners face shrinking margins and tougher operating conditions.
A more concerning trend is the loss of younger viewers. According to TopCDB, in 2025 the share of viewers aged 25 and under dropped to a new low. Few films cater directly to younger audiences, and among those that surpassed RMB 500 million (USD 70 million), only The Legend of Hei 2 and Detective Chinatown 1900 had youth audiences making up more than 20%.
Shortform videos and dramas are drawing attention away from cinemas. TopCDB reported that the short drama market surged in the past two years, reaching RMB 48.46 billion (USD 6.8 billion) last year, more than triple its size from two years earlier.
When Zootopia premiered in 2016, a third-year middle schooler could enjoy it as a tween. Nine years later, that same viewer may now be an office worker with a stable income. Whether Zootopia 2 can bring younger audiences back to theaters may be the question exhibitors care about most.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3559591276821639">article</a> was written by Wang Yuchan for 36Kr.

Zootopia 2 lands in China as Hollywood’s biggest test of the year

Entertainment

Video

Content

… pricing differential is based on industry estimates and is not independently verified.
This year, Russia and several Central Asian countries introduced restrictive policies. In April, Russia required Chinese vehicles transiting through Central Asia to pay all applicable taxes and fees upon entering the country. This removed the cost advantage of parallel-imported Chinese vehicles. As a result, Li Auto’s parallel export volume has dropped to a few hundred units per month.
China’s Ministry of Commerce and three other ministries also tightened rules governing used car exports. Starting January 1, vehicles registered for fewer than 180 days will not qualify for export licenses. This change effectively closes Li Auto’s parallel export channel.
While Li Auto hesitated, companies such as <a href="/company/xpeng">Xpeng</a>, <a href="/company/leapmotor">Leapmotor</a>, and Nio made overseas expansion a central part of their strategies. Within Li Auto, the topic surfaced repeatedly, yet the company did not settle on a direction.
Li Auto formed a 30-person team in 2021 focused on overseas marketing and strategic analysis, but by early 2022 the team was reassigned to domestic operations. Over the next two years, Li Auto continued to question when and how to approach overseas markets. CEO Li publicly stated in 2023 that the company would not enter global markets before 2025. In February 2024, Li Auto announced plans for a direct-sales model overseas, before shifting again in May to a hybrid model combining direct sales and dealer partnerships.
This year, Li Auto clarified its strategy. It will focus on the Middle East, Central Asia, and Europe. The company has taken concrete steps, including establishing R&amp;D centers in Germany and the US and opening retail locations in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. All new models launching in 2026 and beyond will comply with overseas regulatory requirements.
<h3>Doubling down on AI and chips</h3>
Like other ambitious automakers, Li Auto is deepening its investment in AI. During the strategy meeting, the company dedicated an entire day to AI and its future direction. Part of the discussion centered on AI and Li Auto’s second-generation chip. Lu Qi, head of the now-shuttered YC China, joined remotely.
According to sources, Li Auto has committed to increasing its investment in AI, especially in inference compute capacity. One insider said Lu argued, “In the future, the scarce resource will not be training compute, it will be inference compute.” According to the latest data, Li Auto currently has ten exaflops of training compute capacity and three exaflops of inference compute, with inference compute set to grow.
Sources also said Li Auto is rapidly iterating on its self-developed in-vehicle chips. The second-generation chip is planned for release in two years. Unlike <a href="https://kr-asia.com/nio-and-xpengs-in-house-chips-enter-tapeout-phase-paving-way-for-deployment">Xpeng’s Turing chip or Nio’s Shenji chip</a>, Li Auto’s second-generation chip will place greater emphasis on inference performance.
Li Auto’s first-generation chip was successfully taped out early this year and has returned from fabrication. It is now undergoing in-vehicle testing and is expected to be deployed in flagship models next year.
According to CTO Xie Yan, Li Auto has designed a new data flow architecture for its AI chips. In this design, model execution is driven largely by data instead of instructions, allowing higher parallelism and making it well-suited for large neural networks. “Compared with the most powerful chips on the market today, ours can deliver twice the performance for large language model workloads and triple the performance for vision models such as convolutional neural networks,” Xie claimed.
The meeting also concluded that Li Auto’s exploration of AI cannot remain limited to vehicle integration. It must invest substantially in robotics and terminal devices. Li Auto’s early approach focused on adapting AI technologies to individual business lines to find real-world use cases. At the 2023 autumn strategy meeting, Meituan’s Wang argued that combining large models with Li Auto’s in-car assistant would not unlock true AI potential.
Li Auto now believes it needs to go broader. At the 2024 autumn meeting, management discussed the necessity and feasibility of developing its own smart glasses. In June, the company established two new departments focused on “spatial robotics” and “wearable robotics.” To date, however, Li Auto has not released AI-driven hardware products outside the automotive category.
Li Auto’s overall pace remains in transition. But based on the reflections and recalibrations at its strategy meeting, the company is moving toward a faster and more agile product cycle and a more determined push into AI and global markets as it works to rebuild competitiveness for the next phase of industry competition.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3559733792488584">article</a> was written by Xiao Man for 36Kr.

Li Auto enters crisis mode as sales falter and rivals pull ahead

East Asia

Transportation

Electric Vehicles

Mobility

<a href="https://www.robotera.com/en/">Robot Era</a>, an embodied intelligence company, has completed a Series A+ funding round, raising nearly RMB 1 billion (USD 140 million). The round was led by Geely Capital, with participation from BAIC Capital, the Beijing Artificial Intelligence Industry Investment Fund, and the Beijing Robot Industry Development Investment Fund.
Since its founding two years ago, Robot Era has attracted several well-known investors, including <a href="/company/alibaba">Alibaba</a>, Haier Capital, <a href="/company/lenovo">Lenovo</a>, <a href="/company/geely">Geely</a>, and BAIC.
As orders rise across the <a href="/industry/robotics">robotics</a> sector, 36Kr has learned that Robot Era’s commercialization efforts are also accelerating. The company has secured more than RMB 500 million (USD 70 million) in commercial orders for 2025 and has established partnerships with Geely, Renault, SF Express, TCL, Haier, and Lenovo.
In logistics, Robot Era’s largest single order is reportedly close to RMB 50 million (USD 7 million). In commercial services, robots co-developed with Haier have already entered retail stores.
Co-founder Xi Yue told 36Kr that the company’s commercialization strategy includes identifying deployment scenarios that align with different stages of technological development. In manufacturing, Robot Era’s robots can handle component picking, high-precision assembly, and quality inspection. In commercial service environments, they support in-store cleaning and guided tour services.
In the developer ecosystem, Robot Era’s robots have been adopted by <a href="/company/bytedance">ByteDance’s</a> robotics lab, Skild AI, and other institutions engaged in robotics R&amp;D and technology transfer.
<figure id="attachment_158420" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-158420" style="width: 1920px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-158420" src="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Robot-Era-Logistics-Sorting-Robots.jpg" alt="Photo of a Robot Era robot sorting and packing goods in a logistics facility." width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Robot-Era-Logistics-Sorting-Robots.jpg 1920w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Robot-Era-Logistics-Sorting-Robots-720x405.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Robot-Era-Logistics-Sorting-Robots-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Robot-Era-Logistics-Sorting-Robots-768x432.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Robot-Era-Logistics-Sorting-Robots-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Robot-Era-Logistics-Sorting-Robots-480x270.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-158420" class="wp-caption-text">A Robot Era robot sorting and packing goods in a logistics facility. Photo source: Robot Era.</figcaption></figure>
For robotics manufacturers, standardization is a key step toward improving commercialization efficiency. Xi said Robot Era is piloting a standardized, reusable handling and sorting solution for logistics clients. The solution is built on the company’s L7 humanoid robot, powered by its vision-language-action model ERA-42 and integrated into logistics clients’ business systems.
Robots can participate in parcel sorting and scanning within logistics workflows, improving operational flexibility. Logistics systems can issue task-level commands directly to the embodied model, which provides real-time updates on progress and status. This approach addresses a common challenge in logistics workflows, where operational processes often function as a black box.
Robot Era has deployed pilot installations of this solution with multiple global logistics companies.
Beyond the domestic market, the company is expanding overseas. 36Kr has learned that Robot Era’s products have entered North America, Europe, Japan, and South Korea, with overseas revenue accounting for about half of total revenue. According to the company, nine of the world’s ten largest tech companies are now its clients.
Alongside commercialization, Robot Era continues to advance its R&amp;D in hardware and embodied intelligence. Last year, the company launched ERA-42, its first system combining a world model with a fast-slow hierarchical architecture. ERA-42 extends the utility of large volumes of online video data into embodied intelligence applications, enabling robots to learn physical principles and perform more refined operations.
In October, Robot Era collaborated with Stanford University’s Chelsea Finn to propose Ctrl-World, a controllable generative world model that enables robots to conduct task rehearsals, strategy evaluation, and self-iteration within an “imagination space.” The model is claimed to improve task completion rates in unfamiliar environments by 44.7%.
whereRelatedArticle
On the hardware front, Robot Era distinguishes itself by creating robots using a modular, Lego-like approach. Over the past two years, it has released modular components including dexterous hands (XHand 1 and XHand 1 Lite), the Q5 commercial service robot, the bipedal L7 robot for industrial use, and the M7 upper-body modular platform.
Xi said modular design allows the team to adjust configurations to meet the needs of different industries.
Robot Era also continues to focus on in-house hardware development. More than 95% of its components, including joints, dexterous hands, and motors, are self-developed, according to the company.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3560734133091207">article</a> was written by Su Jianxun for 36Kr.

Backed by China’s automakers, Robot Era moves to fulfill major orders

Geely

Chinese toy brands are rushing to enter Thailand in response to the popularity of characters such as Labubu from toy manufacturer <a href="/company/pop-mart">Pop Mart</a>, seeking a gauge for success as competition for the next craze heats up.
"I come here twice a month. It's all just so cute," said one 33-year-old Thai man visiting a 52Toys location in a Bangkok mall on Monday. His current favorite is the tiger character known as Fat Tiger. He was not looking for anything in particular on that visit, but still made a purchase of THB 1,000 baht (USD 30.7) with a friend.
52Toys is operated by China's 52Toys Development. The company debuted its first dedicated shop outside of China in Bangkok in 2023, and has opened shops in malls here continually since. Its animal characters like Panda Roll—modeled after a baby panda—are popular in the Southeast Asian country. Its stores are full on the weekends.
Another Chinese brand, Heyone, was founded in 2022 and held large events to promote its characters including Ozai in Thailand during September and October. Store chain Top Toy, run by the operator of general merchandiser <a href="/company/miniso">Miniso</a>, also has <a href="https://kr-asia.com/top-toy-targets-southeast-asia-with-first-store-in-thailand-expanding-minisos-footprint">locations in Thailand</a>.
These companies' characters are meant to be enjoyed by adults as well, designed with great attention to detail. They are seen as closer to "art toys" than mass-produced toys. They all use the blind box system, which means buyers do not know which version they are getting until they open the box.
"We're seeing more [Chinese companies] expand into Thailand as China's market stagnation and the free trade agreement [between China and ASEAN] have become a tailwind," said Shuhei Hashimoto, an expert in the Thai retail sector at German consultancy Roland Berger.
Labubu became an international hit when Lisa, a member of K-pop girl group Blackpink, showed off her Labubu on social media. Lisa is Thai, which helped spark the toy's popularity among young people in the country.
Thailand can be seen as a litmus test regarding the potential of overseas expansion for such characters, and Chinese companies are stepping up efforts here in hopes of finding the next Labubu.
Pop Mart is also moving on from Labubu. Its largest store in the world, located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Thailand, features a display of its Molly character in traditional Thai dress.
Japanese characters like Doraemon, Crayon Shin-chan, and Hello Kitty have been popular in Thailand for many years as well, but the continued popularity of Chinese characters could lead to a decline in Japanese characters there.
This article first appeared on <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/business/retail/chinese-brands-try-out-toys-in-thailand-to-find-next-labubu">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>.

Chinese brands try out toys in Thailand to find next Labubu

Retail

Consumer Economy

Thailand

Southeast Asia

… thick, thinner than standard eyeglass lenses.
According to <a href="https://my.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS53809325">IDC</a>, global shipments of display-free smart glasses are projected to reach 14.3 million units in 2025, up 39.2% year-on-year, and rise to 43.1 million units by 2029.
The Ray-Ban Display could redefine consumer expectations by making built-in screens the new standard. For optical waveguide suppliers such as Greatar, this signals a market that is set to expand even further.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3548062348750723">article</a> was written by Leslie Zhang for 36Kr.

Smart glasses: The optics behind the comeback of wearable displays

Hardware

… reliability laboratory." width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Laifen-Laboratory.jpg 1920w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Laifen-Laboratory-720x405.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Laifen-Laboratory-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Laifen-Laboratory-768x432.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Laifen-Laboratory-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Laifen-Laboratory-480x270.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-158391" class="wp-caption-text">Laifen’s reliability laboratory. Photo source: Laifen.</figcaption></figure>
Laifen will launch its second-generation sonic oscillating electric toothbrush in December. The company also said it plans to expand into new product categories next year.
Inside the flagship store, several design elements hint at possible directions. The lighting fixtures are self-developed, and the store’s clean floors and maintenance routines suggest an interest in home cleaning solutions.
When asked whether Laifen will move beyond personal care, a company representative said observers could infer potential categories based on the store’s lights, mirrors, and flooring. Together, these clues suggest that Laifen is expanding beyond personal care in a way that aligns with common trajectories in the home appliance sector.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3560743718304905">article</a> was written by Ou Xue for 36Kr.

Laifen turns to offline retail to anchor its next phase of growth

… href="https://36kr.com/p/3541430128898178">article</a> was written by Xiao Xi for 36Kr.

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