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… When Twinkle Twinkle’s “Savor the Moment” series launched on September 29, its plush keychains sold out almost immediately, reportedly fetching resale premiums of up to 15 times on the Dewu app. On Popop’s mini program, Twinkle Twinkle-themed silver jewelry is priced above standard silver pieces.
Since 2024, market expectations for both Pop Mart and Laopu Gold have been driven largely by the global appeal of their products. As the brands and IPs lose some of their luster, investors are reassessing valuations in what analysts describe as a healthy correction that could help eliminate speculative excess and support long-term growth.
Ultimately, both companies need to strengthen their brand identities to sustain high valuations and price premiums. Only by doing so can they seize new opportunities amid record gold prices and secure fresh momentum for growth. For Pop Mart, breaking into the jewelry segment and reshaping the gold market may prove as challenging as its earlier ventures into film and theme parks.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3504229737733253">article</a> was written by Xie Yunzi for 36Kr.

As gold prices soar, Pop Mart and Laopu Gold take opposite bets on sparkle

East Asia

China

Retail

Consumer Economy

… aria-level="1">Traditional drug developers are adopting AI tools without building foundational models. They rely on open-source AI and strong lab capabilities to accelerate programs where they already have expertise in targets and indications.</li>
</ol>
Ma said the key metric for evaluating players is their ability to understand and evolve models. While fine-tuned open-source models may achieve strong results, solving real-world discovery problems often requires breakthroughs at the algorithmic level.
Another expert noted that few firms can afford the cost of training foundational models. Compared with language models, biological data is more expensive to generate. One China-based AI firm, backed by a major tech company, reportedly spent tens of millions of RMB synthesizing and testing thousands of AI-generated antibodies, but still lacked the data volume to reach efficiency thresholds.
Wang agreed, saying that firms able to rapidly generate high-quality experimental data will have the strongest models:
<blockquote>“In the past, automation and high-throughput experiments were about improving screening efficiency. In the AI era, they are also about producing structured, iterative datasets that directly feed model training and optimization.”</blockquote>
Algorithms and data remain the twin pillars of AI drug discovery. Commercialization, however, converges on one goal: producing molecules with real therapeutic value and winning buyer recognition through BD deals.
“As things stand, every new drug company will use AI to some degree. For AI-driven pharma firms, building models alone isn’t enough. They must deliver viable molecules to earn value,” Ma said.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3443394736051590">article</a> was written by Hai Ruojing for 36Kr.

AI-driven drugmakers fuel wave of cross-border deals in China

Deep Tech

Biotechnology

… class="wp-caption-text">Aridge (formerly Xpeng AeroHT) showcased its “Land Aircraft Carrier” (pictured) at Etisalat’s pavilion during GITEX Global 2025. Photo by KrASIA.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_157832" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-157832" style="width: 1920px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-157832" src="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GITEX-Global-2025-Aridge-Land-Aircraft-Carrier-Air-Module.jpg" alt="Photo of the air module of Aridge’s Land Aircraft Carrier, on display at GITEX Global 2025." width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GITEX-Global-2025-Aridge-Land-Aircraft-Carrier-Air-Module.jpg 1920w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GITEX-Global-2025-Aridge-Land-Aircraft-Carrier-Air-Module-720x405.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GITEX-Global-2025-Aridge-Land-Aircraft-Carrier-Air-Module-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GITEX-Global-2025-Aridge-Land-Aircraft-Carrier-Air-Module-768x432.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GITEX-Global-2025-Aridge-Land-Aircraft-Carrier-Air-Module-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GITEX-Global-2025-Aridge-Land-Aircraft-Carrier-Air-Module-480x270.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-157832" class="wp-caption-text">Photo of the air module of Aridge’s Land Aircraft Carrier, on display at GITEX Global 2025. Photo by KrASIA.</figcaption></figure>
Across town, Expand North Star marked its tenth edition with a program emphasizing innovation, capital, and cross-border collaboration. Hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, the event brought together early- and growth-stage startups from sectors such as fintech, digital health, and sustainability.
The four-day showcase concluded with the Supernova Challenge 2.0, described by DWTC as one of the world’s largest startup competitions. South Korean startup AIM Intelligence took the top prize of USD 100,000, while Chucao Technology Consultants from Chile and Aerialoop from Ecuador placed second and third, respectively.
<figure id="attachment_157828" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-157828" style="width: 1920px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-157828" src="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Expand-North-Star-2025-Supernova-Challenge-2.0-Winners.jpg" alt="Photo of the Supernova Challenge 2.0 winners." width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Expand-North-Star-2025-Supernova-Challenge-2.0-Winners.jpg 1920w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Expand-North-Star-2025-Supernova-Challenge-2.0-Winners-720x405.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Expand-North-Star-2025-Supernova-Challenge-2.0-Winners-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Expand-North-Star-2025-Supernova-Challenge-2.0-Winners-768x432.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Expand-North-Star-2025-Supernova-Challenge-2.0-Winners-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Expand-North-Star-2025-Supernova-Challenge-2.0-Winners-480x270.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-157828" class="wp-caption-text">Photo courtesy of DWTC.</figcaption></figure>
Brazil served as Expand North Star’s first “country partner,” highlighting growing ties between Latin America and the Middle East. Led by ApexBrasil, the country’s trade and investment promotion agency, the partnership brought more than 50 Brazilian startups and innovation hubs to Dubai. Chile and Ecuador also had a strong presence, contributing to what DWTC called the event’s most internationally diverse edition to date.
<figure id="attachment_157827" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-157827" style="width: 1920px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-157827" src="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Expand-North-Star-2025-Brazil-Pavilion.jpg" alt="Photo of the Brazil pavilion at Expand North Star 2025." width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Expand-North-Star-2025-Brazil-Pavilion.jpg 1920w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Expand-North-Star-2025-Brazil-Pavilion-720x405.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Expand-North-Star-2025-Brazil-Pavilion-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Expand-North-Star-2025-Brazil-Pavilion-768x432.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Expand-North-Star-2025-Brazil-Pavilion-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Expand-North-Star-2025-Brazil-Pavilion-480x270.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-157827" class="wp-caption-text">Photo of the Brazil pavilion at Expand North Star 2025. Photo courtesy of DWTC.</figcaption></figure>
To further extend the global reach of the GITEX event series, DWTC announced plans to expand its annual lineup by launching new editions in Turkey, Brazil, and Serbia. GITEX is scheduled to debut in Istanbul in September next year, followed by Sao Paulo and Belgrade in March and May 2027, respectively. The Brazil edition is positioned as a broader entry into the Latin American market.
In a statement, DWTC said the new locations reflect its mission to bridge emerging markets with the global technology ecosystem. “Our vision is to champion bold, future-shaping innovation on every continent and forge cross-border collaboration, which is especially imperative in the decade of AI,” said Trixie LohMirmand, executive vice president of DWTC and CEO of Kaoun International, DWTC's international arm.
Next year, GITEX Global and Expand North Star will move to Expo City Dubai and shift on the calendar from October to December. The transition will begin with the GITEX Scale Summit on December 7, followed by the main exhibition from December 8–11, 2026.

GITEX Global 2025 wraps in Dubai with strong turnout and new editions on the horizon

Middle East

Events

… Huacang Capital, with continued support from existing investor Monad Ventures. Surgepine Capital acted as the financial advisor. The funding will accelerate development and capacity building in preparation for mass production of its hybrid tiltrotor cargo models. —<a href="https://36kr.com/p/3507049762495616">36Kr</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.designorder.cn/zh">DesignOrder</a>, a generative design software provider for industrial applications, has secured an eight-figure RMB sum in a pre-Series B round from Yonghua Capital and GF Xinde Investment, with StarOcean Capital serving as the financial advisor. The funds will be used for product R&amp;D and market expansion, including international outreach. —<a href="https://36kr.com/p/3506932610587778">36Kr</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.synapath.com/">Synapath AI</a>, an embodied AI data platform, has raised an eight-figure RMB sum in an angel round co-led by Oriental Fortune Capital and JG Investment. The capital will support ongoing training and scaling of its multimodal embodied data pipelines. —<a href="https://36kr.com/p/3503102458780802">36Kr</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Anavi, a power systems developer, has secured several million RMB in an angel round solely backed by Clearwater Bay II Fund. The company will use the funds to refine its functional prototype and prepare for subsequent fundraising. —<a href="https://36kr.com/p/3472117191808905">36Kr</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.robot-gym.com/">RobotGym</a>, a Shenzhen-based eldercare robotics company, has completed a second extension round worth tens of millions of RMB in angel funding from Leaguer Financial, with Yuanhe serving as the financial advisor. The funds will be directed toward technology iteration, product engineering, pilot deployments in elderly care scenarios, and early market expansion. —<a href="https://36kr.com/p/3501633263164548">36Kr</a></li>
</ul>
whereRelatedArticle
<h3>Valtor, Supabase, Yup, and more made recent headlines:</h3>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://valtorsolutions.com/">Valtor Solutions</a>, a construction sourcing and procurement firm based in the Philippines, raised USD 700,000 in a pre-seed round led by climate tech venture builder Wavemaker Impact.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Supabase, an open-source backend-as-a-service provider, raised USD 120 million in a Series E round co-led by Accel and Peak XV. The round also saw participation from Figma and existing investors Y Combinator, Coatue, Felicis, Craft, and Square Peg.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Yup, a digital bank based in Southeast Asia, secured USD 32 million in its Series C1 equity round from US-based investors including Moore Strategic Ventures, Spice Expeditions, and Platanus, alongside existing shareholders.</li>
</ul>
If there are any news or updates you'd like us to feature, get in touch with us at: <a href="mailto:hello@kr-asia.com">hello@kr-asia.com</a>.
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Deals in brief: Tim Draper invests in Ryder, Verta raises seed funding, Xendit acquires Payex, and more

Venture Capital

Private Equity

Investment

Merger &amp; Acquisition

Singapore

Malaysia

Philippines

Southeast Asia

Europe

… influencer marketing, relying instead on slower, community-driven engagement. In the past, this signaled authenticity. Today, it risks irrelevance.
Decathlon built its empire on affordability and a massive integrated supply chain. Its open showrooms doubled as marketing, drawing large numbers of entry-level consumers. But as outdoor shifts toward fashion, that populist approach restricts upward mobility. In 2023, its global revenue grew only 1.15%, prompting a transformation.
Ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Decathlon rebranded globally, cutting product lines, adding design emphasis, and upgrading its image. The goal was to move upscale while fending off <a href="/company/shein">Shein</a> and <a href="/company/temu">Temu</a> from below. Yet a structural paradox remains: its DNA is scale and cost control, while premium branding relies on scarcity and differentiation. The two are difficult to reconcile. Once the gateway brand for generations, Decathlon now faces the challenge of proving it can remain a choice across consumer tiers.
whereRelatedArticle
If Decathlon is “trapped” in the mass market, Fjallraven is “stuck” in being defined by a single product. The unexpected success of its Kanken backpack in 2012 drove strong sales but also fixed the brand’s image, overshadowing its Swedish heritage and fabric technology.
In response, Fenix Outdoor, which operates Fjallraven in China, began shifting strategy in 2016. It closed bag-focused stores in favor of full-fledged flagship outlets, tweaked classic apparel for local tastes, and launched the more stylish ValleyRiver line to capture Kanken-driven traffic. It narrowed its marketing to hiking and trekking, emphasizing a philosophy of enjoying nature rather than conquering it.
Compared with peers like Anta or Pelliot, its marketing moves remain modest. Lin and global president Alex Koska share the view that pacing, rather than chasing growth at all costs, is more important. The tradeoff is clear: by avoiding influencer-heavy campaigns, Fjallraven risks invisibility in the broader market. Its community-based messaging fosters loyalty among core users but may leave its technical positioning muted beside louder rivals.
<figure id="attachment_157808" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-157808" style="width: 1920px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-157808" src="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Fjallraven-Kanken.jpg" alt="Photo of the iconic Kanken backpack in an icy outdoor setting." width="1920" height="1280" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Fjallraven-Kanken.jpg 1920w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Fjallraven-Kanken-720x480.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Fjallraven-Kanken-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Fjallraven-Kanken-768x512.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Fjallraven-Kanken-1536x1024.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-157808" class="wp-caption-text">Photo of the iconic Kanken backpack in an icy outdoor setting.</figcaption></figure>
<h3>Final note</h3>
As the tide recedes, a central question emerges: will outdoor growth in China be built on real landscapes or on virtual feeds? So far, the evidence points to the latter. It is efficient, but also precarious, as trends and moods shift quickly.
If outdoor apparel is worn mainly as fashion rather than for activity, the category risks becoming another version of stylized workwear. In that case, the true competitors for outdoor brands will not be one another but Zara, Uniqlo, and luxury labels.
For now, the momentum seems irreversible. Brands have grown reliant on traffic-driven sales, and consumers are accustomed to paying premiums for symbolic value. Outdoor gear is far from essential, and calls to return to functional roots seem unlikely.
The rules of the market have changed, pulling players toward extremes. At one end are the “symbol makers,” racing to create new desires before old ones fade. At the other are the “professionals,” who must abandon mass appeal and focus on smaller, loyal communities.
Those attempting to straddle both walk a narrow path, using technical credibility to support symbolic value and recycling profits into expertise. It forms a loop, but one that is difficult to sustain.
The bets are down, and the sector cannot easily turn back.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3462127217481347">article</a> was written by Wang Li for 36Kr.

In China, the outdoor boom is starting to look more like a fashion cycle than a lifestyle shift

Fashion

Creative

… XbotPark incubator along with Li Zexiang and Gan Jie, Gao had early stakes in DJI and many other hardware successes.
When Li met him, he found a smiling old man, not the stern academic he had imagined. “Professor Gao has all these whimsical ideas and a great sense of humor,” Li said. Gao’s WeChat bio reads in Cantonese simply as “the most important thing is to have fun.”
After an hour’s conversation, Li thought he might secure RMB 1–2 million (USD 140,000–280,000). Instead, Gao immediately offered USD 1 million, telling Li: “Write up an agreement and I’ll sign it.” No due diligence, no back-and-forth. The money arrived within a month.
“Maybe there really are people in this world who don’t care about money, they just care about passion,” Li said.
Two years later, Haivivi was considered an easy fundraising case. But Li never forgot the day Gao saved his company: “Without him, we’d be dead.”
Ten years ago, such chances were rare. Investors widely believed hardware was like gambling: high cost, high risk, low return. “Why not put the money in internet companies instead?” one fund partner asked a colleague in 2015.
It was only idealists, like the professors at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), who put money behind young founders. In 2014, they launched XbotPark in Songshan Lake, investing just a few million RMB per project, enough to help a company build a prototype without dying early. DJI, Narwal, Liberlive, Agilex Robotics, and ePropulsion all passed through its doors.
Narwal nearly didn’t make it. Founder Zhang Junbin was just 26, dismissed as a naïve student. “You’re just a kid, what do you know about supply chains?” one investor scoffed. Others compared him unfavorably to rivals Ecovacs and Roborock.
When Narwal first tried to raise funds, investors demanded aggressive financial guarantees. In the end, Li Zexiang and his fellow professors invested their own money to keep it alive. In 2019, Narwal launched its J1 mop-and-vacuum robot, which sold RMB 20 million (USD 2.8 million) in its first year. Soon, self-cleaning mops became an industry standard feature.
By 2020, Narwal was too valuable for early-stage funds to afford. In five years, it raised eight rounds, pulling in backers like Tencent and ByteDance, with its valuation surpassing RMB 10 billion (USD 1.4 billion).
whereRelatedArticle
The successes of Anker, Insta360, and others gradually changed investor attitudes. “This year is a mini spring for hardware. It’s reviving the whole market,” one investor told 36Kr.
Competition for deals has reached internet-era frenzy. One lawn mower startup raised three rounds in six months, totaling over RMB 100 million. Another leading hardware firm had investors lining up without even holding a roadshow.
Behind today’s prosperity lies a decade of hardship, one many firms would not have survived without their early backers. As Li Zexiang once put it:
<blockquote>“Walking down a dark road alone is frightening. But with a few companions, a flashlight, and a stick to ward off dogs, it’s not so bad.”</blockquote>
Now, the road is crowded with fellow travelers.
Eighty years ago, in postwar Japan, Sony co-founder Akio Morita declared his ambition to overturn the world’s perception of “Made in Japan” as cheap and shoddy. Today, DJI’s Wang voices a similar determination:
<blockquote>“I’m tired of being a second-class citizen in culture, values, and products. I look forward to the day when the US bows to our products.”</blockquote>
That conviction, spanning time and borders, is alive again in a new generation of Chinese entrepreneurs. With the support of world-class supply chains, investors who still believe in ideals, and vast global markets, their stage has never been bigger.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3470301182891396">article</a> was written by Yuan Silai for 36Kr.

After DJI, China’s founders find faith and ambition to drive the next wave of global hardware giants

… battery life, and high maintenance costs.
Apollo delivers up to five hours of operation, or four hours under a full payload of 20 kilograms. It can traverse unstructured environments such as staircases or rubble fields, bridging gaps left by wheeled or tracked systems. The robot supports over 140 kilograms when stationary and more than 40 kilograms while walking, and it remains operational in extremely low temperatures. Its modular design simplifies maintenance, reduces downtime, and aligns with industrial demands for cost efficiency and reliability.
<figure id="attachment_157785" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-157785" style="width: 1920px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-157785" src="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mirror-Me-Apollo.jpg" alt="Image of the Apollo quadruped robot." width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mirror-Me-Apollo.jpg 1920w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mirror-Me-Apollo-720x405.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mirror-Me-Apollo-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mirror-Me-Apollo-768x432.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mirror-Me-Apollo-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mirror-Me-Apollo-480x270.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-157785" class="wp-caption-text">Image of the Apollo quadruped robot. Image source: Mirror Me.</figcaption></figure>
Meanwhile, balancing speed and stability has long been a technical hurdle in high-mobility legged robotics. Black Panther 2.0, which broke Boston Dynamics’ longstanding record, is now being tested for use in specialized operations and emergency response.
<figure id="attachment_157786" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-157786" style="width: 1920px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-157786" src="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mirror-Me-Black-Panther-2.0.jpg" alt="Image of the Black Panther 2.0 robot." width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mirror-Me-Black-Panther-2.0.jpg 1920w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mirror-Me-Black-Panther-2.0-720x405.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mirror-Me-Black-Panther-2.0-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mirror-Me-Black-Panther-2.0-768x432.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mirror-Me-Black-Panther-2.0-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mirror-Me-Black-Panther-2.0-480x270.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-157786" class="wp-caption-text">Image of the Black Panther 2.0 robot. Image source: Mirror Me.</figcaption></figure>
According to 36Kr, Mirror Me is also pursuing a project that aims to surpass human motion and manipulation capabilities within three years. Initial applications are planned for hazardous environments, followed by industrial and household settings.
While industrial clients face lengthy procurement cycles and strict certification requirements, the consumer market emphasizes affordability and clear functionality. Globally, most firms remain focused on lab demonstrations and pilot projects. In contrast, Chinese robotics companies have seemingly expanded their focus, targeting industrial and consumer markets simultaneously to accelerate commercialization and achieve scale.
“Speed can be achieved in months,” Wang said. “But entering factories and homes requires stable products, manageable costs, and a mature supply chain.” He added that China’s strength lies in its manufacturing ecosystem and engineering talent, but cautioned that the industry should avoid overstating short-term progress.
<h3>Investor perspective</h3>
According to Ivy Capital, the embodied intelligence industry remains in its early stages, offering significant investment potential. As in the automotive industry, robot manufacturers are expected to capture the most value, supported by China’s robust supply chain and engineering talent.
Ivy Capital cited five reasons for investing in Mirror Me:
<ol>
<li aria-level="1">A forward design methodology using proprietary differentiable simulation software to identify optimal configurations under complex constraints.</li>
<li aria-level="1">In-house development of high-performance components such as integrated joints and dexterous hands.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Continuous model training through imitation and reinforcement learning based on extensive human and animal motion data.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Automotive-grade product reliability, which has already generated a significant volume of commercial orders.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Strong academic foundations at Zhejiang University, combined with the founder’s decade of technical expertise.</li>
</ol>
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3471946984724102">article</a> was written by Huang Nan for 36Kr.

After breaking Boston Dynamics’ record, China’s Mirror Me targets new frontiers in robotics

Robotics

Embodied Intelligence

… he added.
As the AI glasses race heats up, US and China players will eventually come head to head in the global market. How good their fundamental AI models are could be the deciding factor in who emerges on top.
Chinese players have a number of advantages on their side. The tech supply chain in their country may help domestic smart-glasses makers to beat their competitors in cost and efficiency, similar to how smartphone makers like <a href="/company/huawei">Huawei</a>, <a href="/company/xiaomi">Xiaomi</a>, and <a href="/company/oppo">Oppo</a> are quickly catching up to Apple in terms of global market share.
"Chinese players benefit from a massive domestic user base and superapp ecosystems, such as WeChat and Douyin, that drive everyday use cases, along with a strong hardware supply chain and cost efficiency, giving them an edge in rapid iteration and competitive pricing," Tang said.
Meanwhile, US tech giants "have greater financial resources to invest in AI and software R&amp;D, excel in hardware-software integration, and enjoy globally recognized consumer brands," Tang added.
While <a href="/company/deepseek">DeepSeek</a> and other models in China are rapidly reaching parity with US rivals in performance, Chinese makers of AI glasses can not win over the global market "without good English language models, and that's going to be the stopping point for the Chinese OEMs (original equipment manufacturers)," said O'Donnell at Technalysis.
Guan at Rokid disagrees.
The company is planning to launch its first AI glasses in the US in November with a price tag of USD 599. This global version will be supported by both Alibaba and GPT models.
"Users can choose which AI models they want to use, it's not an issue," Guan said.
Despite the potential AI glasses hold, analysts and industry participants said wearable devices are unlikely to replace smartphones in the foreseeable future, given constraints in computing power and on-device AI processing, as well as challenges in heat dissipation and battery life, all while needing to keep the product lightweight and compact.
"Everyone wants a JARVIS, the all-mighty AI assistant to Iron Man, but there is only so much a pair of glasses can do now given how limited the space we can work with [is]," Guan said.
As Meta's botched live demo showed, it could be years before AI glasses and similar products become as mature a product as smartphones are today and adopted by the masses.
"It's getting interesting, but it's still not there yet," O'Donnell said.
This article first appeared on <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/business/technology/tech-asia/are-ai-glasses-the-next-smartphone-race-between-the-us-and-china">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>.

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