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… latest SUVs look similar in price and configuration, but each pushes one part of the experience toward the upper end.
Li Auto’s new Li L9 collected 10,000 locked orders within two weeks of launch, while the new Aito M9 passed 20,000 locked orders within 24 hours. Nio’s ES9 currently shows a delivery wait of 16–18 weeks.
Early order numbers matter, but user structure and brand trajectory matter more. 36Kr previously reported that returning owners accounted for 70% of Li L9 Livis orders in the first 72 hours. Nio salespeople said the ES9’s repeat purchase rate is also high, with nearly half of orders coming from existing owners.
The two brands’ existing customer bases differ. Li Auto’s users prioritize comfort but are also conscious of value for money. Some salespeople said not all existing owners can afford RMB 500,000 models, and many are waiting for cheaper Li L7 and L8 Livis versions. Nio’s customer base is more premium. The ES8, priced above RMB 500,000, exceeded 10,000 annual sales in 2018, two years before Li Auto launched its first model in the RMB 300,000–350,000 (USD 44,213.2–51,582.1) range.
Store visits showed that 20–30% of new ES9 orders were corporate purchases. Even with zero down payment and five-year installment plans with two years interest-free, full-payment purchases remain common. Li Auto, by contrast, has more installment buyers.
Aito resembles Nio, but its premium recognition appears broader. Its influence reaches beyond first- and second-tier cities into lower-tier markets. One Aito salesperson said county-level business owners may prefer Aito because, in business settings, people recognize it in a way they do not recognize Li Auto or Nio.
Nio’s sales are closely linked to its battery swap network, giving it a high-end user profile but also a concentrated market distribution in first- and second-tier cities. Traditional flagship SUVs such as the BMW X5 have broader and more stable influence, covering more than 100 cities even as monthly sales fluctuate.
To take root in the high-end market, Chinese NEV brands need symbols that extend beyond core users and early adopters. For Li Auto, that symbol remains family comfort. For Nio, it is design, service, and owner identity. And for Aito, it is Huawei-backed intelligence and trust.
KrASIA features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3839803361741313">article</a> was written by Xu Caiyu for 36Kr.
Note: RMB figures are converted to USD at rates of RMB 6.79 = USD 1 based on estimates as of June 10, 2026, unless otherwise stated. USD conversions are presented for ease of reference and may not fully match prevailing exchange rates.

China’s electric SUV makers chase high-end buyers

East Asia

Seres

Aito

China

Transportation

Electric Vehicles

Mobility

Che-Chia Wei, chairman and CEO of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), said it will take a long time for Elon Musk's plan to build massive, cutting-edge chip plants from scratch to come to fruition, and that his company is not afraid of competition from Intel, Samsung, or anyone else in the chipmaking business.
"I would say only 'good luck' on Elon Musk's terafab," Wei told the company's annual general assembly on June 4 in answer to a shareholder's question about the SpaceX CEO's plans for a plant to produce <a title="" href="https://asia.nikkei.com/business/technology/tesla-spacex-to-use-intel-14a-process-to-make-ai-chips-at-musk-s-terafab" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one million wafers per month</a>. "It will take quite long to [materialize]."
"In the past 30–40 years, we always faced all kinds of competition and we are not afraid of competition," Wei said. "In the past, I think we won, and I believe we will continue to win."
Wei commented specifically on TSMC's relations with Intel, as its longtime customer is now increasingly competing with the Taiwanese chip titan in the realm of contract chipmaking and chip packaging services, rather than sticking to only producing chips for in-house use. "Now Intel is still one of our top ten customers," Wei said. "We want to earn money from them and also would continue to protect our own intellectual properties and trade secrets."
The CEO also said that continuous hikes in component prices could hurt the consumer electronics industry, vowing that TSMC would not hike prices like some of the "memory chip guys." Unprecedented shortages of memory chips have already hit demand for PCs and electronics.
"We won't raise prices like memory chips—all of a sudden 400% hikes in the short term. Although I do envy their 80% gross margins, we won't do that. That's not realistic," Wei said. "We really think customer trust and sustainability is more important."
The company is also keeping an eye on the Middle East, he said, where tensions "have added further uncertainty to the outlook" for the industry.
Wei maintained the company's outlook for 2026, saying revenue in US dollars could grow 30% as the company continues to build more capacity to meet unprecedented customer demand for massive AI computing infrastructure.
"Our customers and our customers' customers who are mainly cloud service providers continue to give us positive outlooks, so thus we are keeping the faith that [the] AI mega trend will last for multiple years," Wei said.
TSMC said its capital spending would reach a record this year of as much as USD 56 billion.
Last week, TSMC's major customer Nvidia announced that its largest <a href="/industry/ai">artificial intelligence</a> supercomputer platform to date has entered full production. The system incorporates Rubin GPUs, Vera CPUs, networking switch chips, and other key chips, all manufactured by TSMC.
Additionally, Nvidia and MediaTek, also a key TSMC client, unveiled a push into personal computers for the emerging agentic AI era. Meanwhile, several of TSMC's other major customers including Arm, Marvell, and Qualcomm highlighted the chipmaker during the Computex trade show in Taipei as their key manufacturing partner for the latest generation of data center and PC processors.
TSMC has reduced the share of profits allocated to employee bonuses to 10% from the previous 12%, as the chipmaking giant increases spending on environmental, social, and governance initiatives, including investments in renewable energy. The move is also intended to support the company's goal of sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2040.
While there have been complaints from employees about their bonuses, Wei said he has promised that, although the percentage is lower, the value will grow 30% from 2025, and he expects that trend will continue in future years if employees and the management team continue to work hard and grow together.
This article first appeared on <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/business/technology/artificial-intelligence/tsmc-not-afraid-of-competition-as-ceo-wishes-elon-musk-good-luck-on-chips">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>.

TSMC "not afraid of competition" as CEO wishes Elon Musk good luck on chips

TSMC

Deep Tech

Semiconductors

… startups, and most are not large. The pressure of each building its own computing and data chain is too high,” Zhou said.
Healthcare is another focus. Huawei formed a healthcare corps in March 2025 and made AI-assisted diagnosis a corps-level strategic direction. Huawei Cloud now has a representative case: a pathology large model jointly developed with Ruijin Hospital. China has only about 20,000 doctors who can read pathology slides, while remote hospitals face higher misdiagnosis risks. The model allows county- and city-level hospitals to call advanced diagnostic capabilities through the cloud, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances.
Huawei Cloud also released a hybrid cloud white paper and confidential computing solution for agents, targeting the data security and localization concerns of governments, financial institutions, and state-owned enterprises. The approach combines public and private cloud routes.
By Zhou’s description, Huawei aims to build a second computing plane. That means it is not trying to match the scale of Nvidia-centered global infrastructure, but to give developers another technical route and ecosystem option.
KrASIA features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3840016255126016">article</a> was written by Deng Yongyi for 36Kr.
Note: RMB figures are converted to USD at rates of RMB 6.79 = USD 1 based on estimates as of June 10, 2026, unless otherwise stated. USD conversions are presented for ease of reference and may not fully match prevailing exchange rates.

Huawei Cloud shifts the AI cloud fight beyond token prices

Artificial Intelligence

AI Infrastructure

… managers’ index rising to 52.8 from 51.5 in April, <a href="https://english.aawsat.com/business/5279979-saudi-non-oil-private-sector-activity-hits-3-month-high-may">Asharq Al-Awsat</a> reported. The reading was the highest in three months.
Supply chain conditions improved as businesses relied more heavily on local suppliers, resulting in shorter delivery times for the first time in three months. Survey data pointed to stronger domestic demand, more normalized working conditions, a recovery in contract activity, and more stable supply chains.
<h3>Humain and Nvidia partner on robotaxis</h3>
Humain, the <a href="/industry/ai">artificial intelligence</a> company backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, will partner with Nvidia to support the deployment of robotaxis in the Middle East, <a href="https://www.agbi.com/transport/2026/06/humain-partners-with-nvidia-for-robotaxi-launch/">AGBI</a> reported.
The two companies plan to develop the infrastructure, intelligent systems, and operational capabilities required for autonomous transportation, with a focus on Saudi Arabia’s autonomous mobility ecosystem.
Nvidia recently upgraded its Drive Hyperion robotaxi platform to support ride-hailing fleets capable of Level 4 <a href="/industry/autonomous-vehicles">autonomous driving</a>.
<h3>Qatar updates business activity classifications</h3>
Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced a three-phase update to registered business activities that began June 1, according to <a href="https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/01/06/2026/moci-announces-phased-update-of-commercial-activities-for-existing-companies">The Peninsula</a>.
The changes are intended to align Qatar with the Gulf Cooperation Council’s Unified Guide for Economic Activities Classification, improve data quality and transparency, and simplify administrative procedures.
The ministry said the update will not affect companies’ existing business activities or commercial registrations.
<h3>Qatar growth supported by diversification efforts</h3>
Qatar’s economy has continued to grow, supported by long-term planning, investment inflows, and diversification efforts, according to data from the Qatar International Media Office cited by <a href="https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/04/06/2026/qatars-diversification-drive-fuels-economic-expansion-attracts-strong-investment-flows">The Peninsula</a>.
Qatar’s GDP has grown 38-fold over the past three decades, while the economy has expanded at an average annual rate of around 6% over the past 15 years.
Outbound foreign direct investment stock reached QAR 210 billion (USD 57.7 billion) in 2025, up 8.1% year-on-year, while inward FDI stock rose 2% to QAR 165.4 billion (USD 45.4 billion).
<h3>Startup Grind Doha partners ArcPath Partners to support startups</h3>
Startup Grind Doha and ArcPath Partners have partnered to provide discounted operational support packages for startups in Qatar, <a href="https://www.gulf-times.com/article/726733/business/partnership-eases-compliance-burden-for-qatar-startup-founders">Gulf Times</a> reported.
The services cover company formation, compliance, human resources, payroll, and accounting, allowing founders to focus on product development, customer acquisition, and business growth.
Startup Grind Doha said founders increasingly require practical operational support as the startup ecosystem matures, in addition to inspiration, networks, and capital.
<h3>Qatar ports container volumes rise 44%</h3>
Container throughput at Hamad Port, Al Ruwais Port, and Doha Port increased 44% in May 2026 compared with April, according to data released by Mwani Qatar and cited by <a href="https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/02/06/2026/qatar-ports-see-44-surge-in-container-volumes-in-may">The Peninsula</a>.
The three ports handled more than 73,000 twenty-foot equivalent units during the month, while vessel traffic also increased.
Mwani Qatar said the growth reflects the benefits of the country’s strategic location and expanding shipping network, as Qatar’s ports work to improve cargo flows, transshipment efficiency, and the country’s role as a regional trade and logistics hub.
This <a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/5JlCIQ_l5VXXfKcFsWSzRw">article</a> was adapted based on a feature originally written and published by Al Shasia. KrASIA is authorized to translate, adapt, and publish its contents.
Note: AED, QAR figures are converted to USD at rates of AED 3.67 = USD 1 and QAR 3.64 = USD 1 based on estimates as of June 10, 2026, unless otherwise stated. USD conversions are presented for ease of reference and may not fully match prevailing exchange rates.

Middle East weekly: Dubai plans smart medical visa, Saudi fund expands overseas project support, Qatar updates business activity classifications, and more

Saudi Arabia

Qatar

Middle East

On June 2, NBA star Stephen Curry signed a ten-year endorsement deal with Chinese sportswear brand <a href="/company/li-ning">Li-Ning</a>. Neither side disclosed the value of the agreement, but industry accounts have largely converged around one figure: more than USD 400 million.
Citing multiple reports, 36Kr said Curry will receive a guaranteed annual endorsement fee of USD 30 million, a share of sales from his personal Curry Brand, and equity incentives tied to Li-Ning’s listed shares. The structure, combining a large guarantee, sales participation, and equity upside, resembles the kind of treatment Nike once gave Michael Jordan.
Curry brings a rare combination of performance record, traffic, and market appeal. He is widely regarded as one of the NBA’s most influential players and one of the greatest guards in league history.
In April, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/high-school/2026/04/21/best-nba-players-all-time-2026-list/89657967007/">USA Today</a> ranked Curry fourth on its list of the 25 greatest NBA players, behind only Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant. Other sports media rankings have tended to place him lower, but Curry still offers much of what a sports brand wants in a global endorser.
<h3>Why Li-Ning made the bet</h3>
The commercial value of a basketball endorsement usually rests on two forms of leverage.
The first is performance-led sales, where a player’s on-court output directly moves product. At 38 and entering the later stage of his career, Curry carries more uncertainty on that front. The second is broader IP value. Jordan’s brand continued selling long after his retirement, but building that kind of asset requires time, patience, and sunk cost.
Seen from that angle, Li-Ning can be seen as signing Curry after the peak of his playing career. Capital markets also tend to be wary of long-cycle bets. The question then, is whether Li-Ning’s spending will prove worthwhile.
Li-Ning and Nike both showed interest in Curry in 2013. At the time, he was a rising young player whose right-foot injuries made brands hesitant. Under Armour made a more committed offer, and the two sides eventually reached a deal reportedly worth USD 4–5 million per year. What followed became a textbook sports marketing case.
As Curry’s value rose, Under Armour’s basketball business surged with him. In 2015, Curry’s first signature shoe, Curry 1, generated USD 160 million in sales. Under Armour’s basketball shoe sales jumped 350% that year, and the company’s total revenue rose from USD 2.3 billion in 2013 to USD 4 billion.
In November 2025, Curry’s partnership with Under Armour expired, giving Li-Ning another opening.
US sports journalist Shams Charania said on social media that Curry had tried different shoes and found himself most comfortable in the signature models of Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler. Both products are made by Li-Ning.
Li-Ning signed Wade to a lifetime deal in 2018, as the former NBA star neared retirement, and built the Way of Wade sub-brand around him. It has become one of the company’s most prominent case studies. Li-Ning’s strategy with Butler has been more performance-oriented, with the Jimmy Butler 1 and 2 positioned as high-end basketball shoes for serious players.
<h3>Why Curry chose Li-Ning</h3>
Curry’s decision to choose Li-Ning over richer offers was not driven only by recommendations from teammates.
Charania added that Li-Ning and <a href="/company/anta">Anta</a> were the final two contenders, and that Li-Ning pulled ahead because it offered Curry a more diversified investment portfolio rather than a simple one-to-one endorsement agreement.
Materials provided by Li-Ning also show that the company and Curry will jointly operate Curry Brand, with products spanning basketball shoes, golf goods, and sports lifestyle apparel. The two sides will build the brand together and explore broader possibilities for the globalization of both Li-Ning and Curry Brand. Standalone Curry Brand stores are also planned.
All of this points in one direction: Li-Ning wants Curry Brand to become the next Air Jordan.
In China, Li-Ning still benefits from the national recognition and symbolic appeal of its founder, a former elite athlete. But replicating Air Jordan will be difficult.
The industry’s broad view, according to 36Kr, is that Air Jordan succeeded because Nike made an all-in bet at the right time, during an era dominated by television and powered by rapid global growth in basketball. Today, younger consumers are less attached to live basketball than previous generations were.
The challenge is visible in viewership data. The first game of the 2025 NBA finals drew fewer than 11 million television viewers, down 5% from 2023. Some reports said the second game of the finals drew only 8.6 million viewers globally, the lowest level since 2007.
whereRelatedArticle
If lower ratings reflect fragmentation caused by shortform video and other media channels, financial results offer a more direct view of the industry slowdown.
Li-Ning’s 2025 annual report showed that sales from its basketball category fell 19% year-on-year. The decline reflected both broader weakness in basketball participation and consumption, as well as the company’s own adjustments over the past two to three years.
At the company’s earnings call, Li-Ning group executive director and co-CEO Qian Wei said the company believes maintaining investment and market leadership in basketball could help it keep expanding market share before the category recovers. “Basketball is extremely important to Li-Ning,” Qian said. “The tougher the market environment, the more we need to stay committed to deepening our work in the category.”
A company insider also told 36Kr that the Curry signing is viewed internally as a key move in Li-Ning’s globalization strategy.
JPMorgan has said it takes at least 15–18 months to build a mature brand matrix, while amortization costs and R&amp;D spending tied to the contract will start affecting the company from 2026. Still, JPMorgan views the impact as manageable and forecasts that Li-Ning’s advertising and promotion expenses will account for 12% of total sales this year. In recent years, the figure has generally stayed around 9%.
As of publication, institutions including JPMorgan and CICC continued to rate Li-Ning as “overweight” or “buy.”
KrASIA features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3838185031305474">article</a> was written by Xie Yunzi for 36Kr.

Will Li-Ning’s Stephen Curry deal cut both ways?

Li-Ning

Consumer Economy

Chinese battery and automotive makers are working to develop the next generation of batteries for <a href="/industry/ev">electric vehicles</a>, with manufacturers SAIC Motor and <a href="/company/byd">BYD</a> set to launch EVs equipped with all-solid-state batteries (ASSB) in 2027.
In early March, state-owned SAIC and battery startup Qingtao (Kunshan) Energy Development Group assembled a prototype <a href="/industry/ev">EV</a> equipped with an ASSB dubbed the "Guangqi" battery. The companies aim to bring the product to market in 2027 after repeated testing for mass production.
ASSBs replace the liquid electrolyte used in conventional batteries with a solid material. They are seen as a game changer for EVs because they address the shortcomings of existing lithium-ion batteries.
Among their advantages is improved safety, with next-generation batteries eliminating the risk of thermal runaway—uncontrollable heat buildup—caused by electrolyte leakage. They also boast a high energy density that is expected to enable driving ranges of over 1,000 kilometers.
SAIC and Qingtao Energy are working on both ASSBs and their precursor, semi-solid-state batteries. MG, a British brand under SAIC's umbrella, has already launched models equipped with semi-solid batteries that reduce liquid electrolyte content to 5%.
Among the brand's MG4 EV lineup, the semi-solid battery version offers a driving range of 530 kilometers on a full charge, based on China's testing standards. The vehicle is priced from RMB 90,000 (USD 13,248.2). The battery is said to maintain stable performance even in low temperatures. It is being adopted in additional models, such as the recently released MG4X sport-utility vehicle.
Chinese automaker BYD is aiming to install ASSBs in some vehicles around 2027. Originally a mobile phone battery maker, the company now develops and produces lithium iron phosphate batteries in-house. It began work on ASSBs as early as 2013 and is targeting 2030 for large-scale production.
The ASSB market is projected to reach RMB 5.7 billion (USD 839 million) in 2027 and RMB 113.8 billion (USD 16.8 billion) in 2030, according to Guosen Securities. An industry group forecasts that by 2040, about half of global battery demand will be replaced by solid-state or semi-solid batteries.
China held a more than 70% share of the global car battery market in 2025, based on installed capacity. Japanese and South Korean companies are stepping up their own ASSB development programs in an effort to catch up.
In Japan, Toyota Motor aims to commercialize EVs with ASSBs between 2027–2028, working with Idemitsu Kosan and Sumitomo Metal Mining to prepare for mass production. Nissan Motor is targeting commercialization by fiscal 2028, while Honda Motor is aiming for the latter half of the 2020s.
But the path to widespread ASSB adoption differs significantly between Japan and China. Chinese firms are actively developing and deploying semi-solid batteries as a bridge to ASSBs, while Japanese companies for the most part have not pursued semi-solid battery development.
At a major battery exhibition held in mid-May in Shenzhen, enthusiasm for new battery tech bubbled over as attendance reached a record high.
At the booth of battery maker Gotion High-tech, crowds gathered around a semi-solid battery pack that the company expects to be installed in cars from major manufacturers from as early as this year.
"The ultimate goal for battery companies is to install all-solid-state batteries in vehicles," said a company representative at the booth. Gotion has already completed a production line with a capacity of two gigawatt-hours for ASSBs. It aims to significantly lower costs in the future—down to RMB 1 (USD 0.1) per watt-hour—by expanding production of materials like sulfide-based solid electrolytes.
Battery makers CALB and EVE Energy, along with automakers such as <a href="/company/chery">Chery</a> and <a href="/company/gac">GAC</a>, are likewise pursuing commercialization of ASSBs while using semi-solid technologies. The Chinese players are working with semi-solid batteries in part because "they need to continuously release new products in short cycles, or else they'll lose to the intense competition in the country," according to an employee at a Japanese battery company.
But challenges to widespread adoption remain. "Semi-solid batteries can utilize about 80% of existing production lines, whereas all-solid-state batteries require new lines, meaning double or more the required investment," said Tang Jin, senior researcher at Mizuho Bank. "Costs are particularly burdensome in the initial stages, when economies of scale aren't yet achievable."
As long as production of ASSB-equipped vehicles remains limited to around 20,000–30,000 units, some think the price of ASSBs could be more than five times that of current lithium-ion batteries. Companies like Gotion are looking to cut costs, but it is unclear whether there will be enough demand for mass production.
Stable mass production will also require the creation of new manufacturing processes and supply chains.
But China has the world's largest market for electrified vehicles, with EV and plug-in hybrid car sales totaling about 16 million units annually, nearly half of new car sales. The puts Chinese companies in a position to accelerate the adoption of new technologies and stay ahead of rivals elsewhere.
This article first appeared on <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/business/technology/china-s-byd-saic-motor-eye-evs-with-all-solid-state-batteries-in-2027">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>.
Note: RMB figures are converted to USD at rates of RMB 6.79 = USD 1 based on estimates as of June 8, 2026, unless otherwise stated. USD conversions are presented for ease of reference and may not fully match prevailing exchange rates.

China's BYD, SAIC Motor eye EVs with all-solid-state batteries in 2027

Battery

… bringing its total fundraising over the past three months to more than RMB 1 billion (USD 147.2 million). Investors include a Liangxi fund managed by Broad Vision Funds, Yangzhou Longtou Xinli, ZBJL Capital, ThunderSoft, Kingswood Inks, and returning investor CAS Investment Management. An unnamed listed company also participated. The company’s valuation has surpassed RMB 10 billion (USD 1.5 billion). —<a href="https://36kr.com/p/3836068296209537">36Kr</a></li>
</ul>
whereRelatedArticle
<h3>SG Enviro, E3A Healthcare, Volant, and others made recent headlines:</h3>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">SG Enviro, a Singapore-headquartered industrial water and wastewater engineering company, completed its Series A round with backing from Emerald Ventures and Seeds Capital.</li>
<li aria-level="1">E3A Healthcare, a Singapore-founded medical technology company focused on women’s health, completed its Series A and Series A1 rounds. The funding was led by Kapok Capital, with participation from Watten Capital, Kangaroo Mommy, and Solebay Capital.</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.volantaerotech.com/en">Volant Aerotech</a>, a developer of eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft, raised nearly RMB 1 billion in a Series C+ round. The financing was led by China Life Investment, with participation from Minjin Investment, Nio Capital, CoStone Capital, and existing shareholder China Internet Investment Fund (CIIF).</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>.
Note: RMB, SGD figures are converted to USD at rates of RMB 6.79 = USD 1 and SGD 1.29 = USD 1 based on estimates as of June 9, 2026, unless otherwise stated. USD conversions are presented for ease of reference and may not fully match prevailing exchange rates.

Deals in brief: Handshake Finance, Clear Robotics raise funding; VoidZero joins Cloudflare; GIC invests in Supabase and Ramp; and more

Venture Capital

Private Equity

Investment

Merger &amp; Acquisition

Singapore

Thailand

South Korea

New Zealand

Southeast Asia

Europe

Oceania

Shi Xiaoxin, senior director of product planning at <a href="/company/xpeng">Xpeng’s</a> robotics arm, left the company earlier this month, according to 36Kr.
Shi spent more than four years at Xpeng’s <a href="/industry/robotics">robotics</a> business, a period that covered the integration of Pengxing Intelligence, the team’s incorporation into Xpeng, and the full development cycle of the Iron humanoid robot, from prototype iteration to production preparation. He was one of the early figures involved in building Xpeng’s humanoid product system from the ground up.
Shi holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Nanjing University and a master’s degree in information technology from the University of Technology Sydney. Earlier in his career, he worked overseas in commercial service robotics and oversaw Aldebaran’s Nao robot as Asia-Pacific technical lead. He led several robotics deployment projects at major international technology exhibitions and was among China’s early specialists in humanoid interaction and product implementation.
Around 2021, Shi joined Xpeng’s robotics business. In 2023, after Xpeng completed its acquisition of Pengxing Intelligence and formally committed to developing the Iron humanoid robot, Shi became the product lead responsible for defining the full Iron product line and deploying Iron as an in-store guide.
Public information shows Shi remained active in the field as recently as May, when he spoke as a guest lecturer at ShanghaiTech University about Xpeng’s approach to mass production design for humanoid robots. His departure one month later came as the company prepared for Iron’s next production phase.
Xpeng has not officially announced any personnel change. The timing is notable because 2026 is expected to be a decisive year for Iron’s production rollout. Xpeng chairman He Xiaopeng has said the next-generation Iron robot will be unveiled in the fourth quarter, with scaled production by year’s end and commercial deliveries in China and overseas in 2027. In the first quarter of this year, Xpeng began building a full-chain humanoid robot production base in Guangzhou.
Shi’s next move is unclear. Multiple sources said he is not currently looking for a job. One person familiar with the matter said Shi has turned down offers from several leading robotics companies and new energy vehicle makers, and plans to take a short break before deciding on his next role.
KrASIA features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3839560961116417">article</a> was written by Chen Tong and Fang Tingyu for 36Kr.

Xpeng loses product lead before Iron robot enters critical phase

Xpeng Motors

Robotics

Embodied Intelligence

… data-tmfx-note="1">Note: RMB figures are converted to USD at rates of RMB 6.79 = USD 1 based on estimates as of June 9, 2026, unless otherwise stated. USD conversions are presented for ease of reference and may not fully match prevailing exchange rates.

WeChat opens the door to phone-based AI agents, on its own terms

WeChat