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… 15,000 units.
Meanwhile, competitors offering both fully electric and range-extended models have captured more market share. Huawei’s Aito and Li Auto regularly post monthly sales of over 40,000 units, and Leapmotor saw its August sales surpass 30,000 units.
With the launch of range-extended models, Xpeng is positioning itself to pull another lever for sales growth. “Xpeng’s mission is to popularize artificial intelligence and smart technology in cars, ultimately achieving autonomous driving. Right now, choosing the right powertrain is about scaling sales,” an internal source said.
Accelerating the rollout of REEVs and seizing market share early is likely one of Xpeng’s top priorities in the near future.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/2948161708153474">article</a> was written by Li Anqi for 36Kr.

Xpeng's next move: Range-extended EVs poised for 2025 debut

Xpeng Motors

China

Electric Vehicles

Mobility

DJI is rapidly expanding its agricultural-drone business by catering to young farmers in its home market of China, growing its cumulative sales 15-fold in five years to 300,000 units.
Drones flying over fields to spray pesticides are an increasingly common sight in rural China. These vehicles use aerial photos to set flight paths and can avoid obstacles automatically. The latest models are equipped with two sprayers that can apply 18 liters of chemicals per minute.
DJI drones are used to work about a third of Chinese farmland, mainly by large-scale farmers in their 30s and 40s. Demand is growing for the technology to alleviate a labor shortage as China's population ages.
With price tags in the RMB 50,000 (USD 7,000) range, DJI drones are reportedly favored as a more cost-effective option than competing models.
China's QY Research forecasts the global market for farming drones growing from about USD 3.1 billion in 2024 to USD 9 billion in 2030. DJI is currently in the lead with a roughly 30% share, with Yamaha Motor a distant second at 11%.
DJI began selling farming drones in 2015. In 2022, the business was the second largest contributor to its RMB 30 billion (USD 4.2 billion) in revenue, behind its mainstay consumer camera drones.
The company offers extensive customer support to build long-term relationships with young Chinese farmers. It has around 6,000 instructors, mainly in China, who teach staff at retailers to become certified trainers themselves, and operates 1,100 repair centers that it says can fix 95% of problems in six hours or faster.
Outside China, DJI logs substantial sales of agricultural drones in the Americas, where wheat and corn are major crops, and in Southeast Asia, mainly for rice. Australian farmers employ DJI drones for weed control in pastures, and Japan is a major market as well.
A rice farmer in western Japan's Tottori Prefecture uses a DJI drone to sow seeds directly onto his 16 hectares of rice paddies as well as apply pesticide and fertilizer. "The work goes five times as fast as before," he said.
He used to work in the fields with his father using equipment such as rice-planting machinery. The drone has "reduced the physical and mental burden," he said.
Buying a JPY 1.8 million (USD 12,000) drone and a JPY 250,000 (USD 1,666.7) battery is cheaper than purchasing all of the equipment that would be needed otherwise, according to the farmer.
A new DJI model offers improved spraying on sloped surfaces, which the company hopes will see use for fruit and tea cultivation in Japan's many mountainous regions.
In the US and Europe, DJI faces a less friendly environment. Washington has placed DJI on its Entity List blacklist of companies under trade restrictions.
The fiscal 2025 defense spending bill passed by the US House of Representatives in June included tighter restrictions on DJI drones. The version being considered by the Senate reportedly removed these provisions amid objections from users, but the trend toward tougher regulation looks likely to continue.
As the performance of civilian drones improves, worries are growing that they could be diverted for military use. DJI has avoided sending farming drones to historically conflict-prone central Africa.
This article first appeared on <a tabindex="0" href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/China-tech/China-s-DJI-taps-young-farmers-to-cultivate-drone-market" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-token-index="1">Nikkei Asia</a>. It has been republished here as part of 36Kr’s ongoing <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.kr-asia.com/nikkei-teams-up-with-36kr-in-asia-tech-news-coverage/" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-token-index="3">partnership with Nikkei</a>.

China's DJI taps young farmers to cultivate drone market

China Tech

Deep Tech

Agriculture

Drones

… next best option: turning the tables and giving perpetrators a taste of their own medicine.
Xiao Zihao, co-founder of RealAI, explained how his company regularly conducts “red versus blue” exercises, where engineers are split into two teams: the red team, which simulates real-world attacks, and the blue team, which works to defend against them. Xiao revealed that red team engineers have infiltrated cybercriminal networks to gather intelligence, continuously innovating their strategies.
For those combating deepfake with AI, the job is a constant battle against new, unforeseen cases. Tweaking new software models every two weeks and iterating full-scale models every two months has become the norm.
However, most of this work focuses on early warning and prevention. When real violations occur, protecting women requires the firm hand of the law.
In November 2022, China introduced its first regulation specifically targeting deepfake technology. This law governs the creators, service providers, and distributors of deepfake content.
But Zhang, as a veteran lawyer who has spent 20 years fighting for women's rights, said there’s a long road ahead before the law can be effectively enforced. Over her career, she has noticed a clear structural issue: most of the police officers, lawyers, and judges involved in handling these cases are men. “Even the legislative bodies are predominantly male,” she said, citing this as one of the reasons for weak sentencing and poor legal enforcement.
Zhang recalled attending a forum on the abolition of lenient sentences for soliciting underage girls. At the event, many male lawyers argued that changing the law to classify such acts as rape might drive offenders to resort to more dangerous methods, endangering victims even further.
In most cases where perpetrators have been detained and convicted, it’s largely thanks to women’s proactive efforts.
In 2023, during an AI face-swapping incident at Soochow University, the victim infiltrated the chat room where the deepfaked images were being shared. Using a methodical process of elimination, she posted photos with different tags across multiple groups, gradually narrowing down the suspects. Her persistence eventually led to the identification and capture of the perpetrator.
To advance legislation and public awareness, landmark legal cases are needed.
“With legal precedents, this history of women’s victimization could be included in school textbooks, pushing gender education forward,” a feminist activist in Japan said.
Given the current AI industry to be a male-dominated field, some also believe that, to some extent, from R&amp;D to product implementation, women are at greater risk of becoming a demographic “oppressed” by AI.
For deepfake legislation to advance meaningfully, society must also grapple with the industry’s darker undercurrents. According to Avolution.ai’s Li, adult content makes up a significant portion of AI training data—as much as 40% for internet-sourced video models, with 80% of that content featuring women's bodies.
"Pornography is the most commercially successful business model for AI consumer products today," an investor told 36Kr. For some developers, the economic incentives are simply too lucrative to resist.
Challenging this industry inertia is extraordinarily difficult. During Avolution.ai's fundraising rounds, several investors, both male and female, suggested that relaxing restrictions on adult content would make commercialization smoother.
As the co-founder of a startup committed to ethical AI use, Li has refused to follow this path. "It would be easier to commercialize if we didn't limit adult content, but once we open the floodgates, bad money will drive out the good," she said.
From Li’s view, the future of AI would look different if more women held leadership roles in the tech industry. On September 4, Zhang Xinyi, a female engineer at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, took a step toward that vision. Her team made their deepfake detection model open-source, allowing anyone to use it for free.
In a Weibo post, Zhang wrote: “If one person’s torch is too small, we’ll pass the flame to everyone in the world.”
Zhang meant to highlight the belief that, while individual efforts may seem small, sharing and uniting with others can amplify their impact, creating a collective force for change.
Indeed, when new technology rapidly evolves, and the law struggles to keep pace, it’s the collective voices and actions of ordinary people that ultimately push society forward.
South Korean women are a living testament to this. In a deeply patriarchal society, every step forward for women’s rights has been hard-won through battles marked by blood and sweat. Since 2015, South Korean women have led a series of feminist movements tackling issues like MeToo, online sexual violence, and the decriminalization of abortion. These movements have been pivotal in shaping public opinion and changing laws.
Despite enduring relentless online abuse and harassment, the two female journalists who exposed the original Nth Room case, Kang Kyung-yoon and Park Hyo-sil, have persisted in their fight. One of them even suffered multiple miscarriages due to the mental toll of the attacks.
Yet, the women of South Korea have never stopped pushing forward. After the Nth Room case, RESET, a women’s organization focused on combating sexual exploitation crimes, was established. RESET has been instrumental in the creation of new laws targeting digital sex crimes. Earlier this year, one of the university students who helped expose the Nth Room played a key role in bringing a deepfake perpetrator to justice.
"We can’t stop, and we can’t give up," Ji-young told 36Kr, reflecting the sentiments of women on the frontlines of the deepfake crisis. "This isn’t just a fight for our generation, but for the future of all women. I want a world where my friends, my family, and all women feel safe."
Women across the globe are now joining forces in solidarity with South Korea. On September 3, a group of Chinese feminists living in London marched from Trafalgar Square to the South Korean embassy in London. Singing a feminist anthem, they protested South Korea’s deepfake and voyeurism scandals.
Emblazoned in bold red on their banners were the words: “My life is not your porn.”
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/2947180658285190">article</a> was written by Deng Yongyi, Zhou Xinyu, and Qiu Xiaofen for 36Kr.

"My life is not your porn": Documenting women’s fight against deepfake abuse

Facial Recognition

Korea

… still face significant challenges, particularly in delivery, technology, and talent.
China’s CNC systems often lack versatility and stability, making them more suitable for low to mid-end machines. Mid- to high-end CNC systems are typically delivered on a case-by-case basis, but even then, they often fail to meet expectations. While domestic manufacturers have made progress in designing and producing mid- to high-end machines, they tend to remain dependent on imported CNC systems. Moreover, very few Chinese engineers have experience in core R&amp;D for high-end CNC technology, leaving a critical talent gap.
"Our goal is to produce genuine mid- to high-end CNC systems, not just deliver systems on a project basis," said the First Automation spokesperson.
"Many domestic companies are working on CNC systems, but there’s still a long way to go before we can achieve stable and reliable performance. Many domestic products look similar to foreign ones on paper, but in practice, they don’t perform the same," the spokesperson said. This is why First Automation has chosen a more challenging path—developing both software and hardware from scratch, including the underlying algorithms and functional modules.
"Though we’re focused on independent development, we aren’t trying to make the chips ourselves," the spokesperson added. "First Automation follows a framework that allows us to select domestic chips and real-time operating systems that are controllable. As of now, 85% of the hardware in our CNC system prototype is sourced domestically."
While hardware forms the foundation of a CNC system, software is where the technological focus truly lies. Over 80% of First Automation's R&amp;D team is involved in software development. After a year of refinement, this team has become well-coordinated and is steadily producing various CNC functionalities.
First Automation's primary product is its metal-cutting CNC system, one of the most challenging and demanding types of CNC systems. It is targeted at industries such as aerospace, engine manufacturing, and defense, where precision requirements are often measured in nanometers. Furthermore, these industries demand that precision be maintained even after extended operation.
Currently, First Automation's CNC system has been designed with universal compatibility, allowing it to work with various foreign machine tools. Its latest motion control algorithm is said to be comparable to those of high-end international CNC systems like Fanuc and Mitsubishi, achieving nanometer-level interpolation. The system’s target mean time between failures (MTBF) is 25,000 hours.
First Automation expects to launch its first-generation engineering prototype by the end of this year. The initial product will focus on CNC turn-milling composite machine tools—among the most advanced and complex tools in terms of processing efficiency, precision, and complexity, placing the highest demands on CNC systems. In recent years, turn-milling composite machining has been increasingly integrated into machine tool applications, replacing traditional methods.
Compared to traditional turning and milling, which require separate operations, turn-milling composite machines can clamp the workpiece once and complete multiple processes, reducing errors caused by changing reference points. This also cuts down on labor and time costs during loading, unloading, and machine maintenance.
High-end turn-milling composite machines often feature advanced real-time detection, enabling precise, onsite monitoring and control of key manufacturing data. This significantly improves machining accuracy and allows complex operations to be completed quickly and cost-effectively, even when high precision is required for complex shapes.
Machine tools generally have a service life of about ten years, after which their stability and precision decline sharply. With the industry now undergoing a wave of updates, more manufacturers are entering the market. Whether First Automation, as a new player, can shake up the field remains to be seen.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/2944097392499329">article</a> was written by Lin Qingqing for 36Kr.

Can First Automation step up to break China’s CNC bottleneck?

Hardware

… maintained stable communication even in harsh electromagnetic environments.
Geespace also entered a strategic partnership with Oman’s Azyan Telecom to provide services in regions where infrastructure is sparse, focusing on remote monitoring, data transmission, and emergency communication for key oil and gas production areas.
In October, Geespace signed an agreement with Malaysian telecom operator Altel to accelerate the deployment of smart port and smart agriculture solutions, capitalizing on the country’s extensive port and agricultural resources.
<h3>A massive industry and an era of space-based “super Wi-Fi”</h3>
The commercial value of satellite internet is becoming clearer by the day. In 2023, Starlink’s revenue skyrocketed to USD 4.2 billion, up from USD 1.4 billion in 2022—an increase of more than 200%. The global market for internet connectivity services is valued at USD 1 trillion, and SpaceX estimates that Starlink could capture as much as 3% of that market, translating to annual revenues of up to USD 30 billion.
But satellite internet’s impact goes far beyond simple connectivity. Consider the United States government’s decision to stop jamming civilian GPS signals in 2000. That shift dramatically improved GPS accuracy, revolutionizing industries like mapping and helping to fuel the rise of the mobile internet era.
Once GPS was made available for civilian use, mapmakers could collect precise location data points, leading to the creation of navigation systems like Google Maps. Similarly, location-based services exploded, with apps like Airbnb and Uber thriving—transforming how people live and work.
In much the same way, Geesatcom’s constellation could herald a new era for transportation. The constellation’s broad coverage and reliability will offer low-latency, real-time data for smart and autonomous vehicles, ensuring they remain connected and safe in any environment.
Geesatcom will also play a crucial role in optimizing global logistics. With satellite communication, commercial vehicles will be able to track their precise location and operational status, improving efficiency, reducing energy consumption, and cutting carbon emissions—critical factors in the digital transformation of supply chains.
Looking further ahead, Geesatcom’s impact will likely extend beyond the automotive industry—the constellation could help create a globally connected ecosystem of devices. Through satellite networks, smartphones, wearables, and other devices will gain uninterrupted connectivity, enabling intelligent services wherever users may be. This could lay the foundation for smart cities and smart living on a global scale.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/2942477875993481">article</a> was written by Xiao Xi for 36Kr.

Geesatcom completes third orbital deployment, bringing its satellite network closer to full global coverage

Space Tech

… participation from Anchorless Bangladesh, Osiris Group, South Asia Tech, and Openspace Ventures.</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://ifarmer.asia/">iFarmer</a>, an agritech startup in Bangladesh, secured an investment from Razor Capital. The financial details were not disclosed.</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: CarbonEthics secures seed funding, Wavemaker Partners backs Checkmate and Tour Amigo, Xero to acquire Syft Analytics, and more

Venture Capital

Private Equity

Investment

Merger &amp; Acquisition

Indonesia

Southeast Asia

India

Oceania

… href="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Shengshu-Vidu-AI-Blonde-Woman-Blue-Eyes.mp4">https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Shengshu-Vidu-AI-Blonde-Woman-Blue-Eyes.mp4</a></video></div>
Video generated by Vidu AI in response to a prompt requesting “a blonde woman with blue eyes walking along the beach.” Vidu AI’s reference-to-video feature was used. The image generated by Kling AI was used as a reference.
Vidu AI excelled here, nearly perfectly replicating the woman’s facial features and outfit while seamlessly transitioning her into a sunlit beach environment. Natural shadows and lighting effects added depth, showcasing Vidu AI’s ability to maintain continuity across formats.
With these prompts, Vidu AI completed each task within a minute, significantly faster than Kling AI and Hailuo AI, with Kling AI taking noticeably longer. Though Vidu AI sometimes exceeded its advertised 30-second generation time, it consistently delivered outputs in under a minute. Of course, factors like platform traffic and network latency could have influenced these times, meaning Vidu AI may perform even faster under optimal conditions.
whereRelatedArticle
<h3>The tech and team behind Vidu AI</h3>
Vidu AI’s capabilities are powered by Shengshu’s universal vision transformer (U-ViT) model. Developed by chief scientist Zhu Jun and his team, U-ViT was first introduced in a 2022 research paper. This system combines transformer and diffusion algorithms, resulting in a flexible and powerful architecture capable of generating a wide array of video outputs.
Since its launch, Vidu AI has begun making waves, particularly in the film industry. Notably, Chinese director Li Ning is said to be incorporating Vidu AI and other generative AI tools into the production of what is set to become China’s first fully AI-generated movie, scheduled for release later this year. Vidu AI’s ability to maintain visual consistency across scenes is likely essential in this groundbreaking project, offering a glimpse into how AI could transform future filmmaking.
Shengshu itself is a young company, founded in March 2023 by a team from Tsinghua University’s Institute for AI Industry Research (AIR). Despite its youth, Shengshu has quickly managed to secure substantial financial backing. In March, the company completed a funding round led by Qiming Venture Partners, with participation from several other investors. Just a few months later, Shengshu announced a pre-Series A round co-led by Baidu and the Beijing Artificial Intelligence Industry Investment Fund. Ant Group, Alibaba’s financial affiliate, is also on board, adding to Shengshu’s impressive list of backers.
While Vidu AI has made a good first impression, it’s far from alone in the burgeoning generative AI space. The competition is heating up fast. In July, Zhipu AI’s video-generating tool, Ying, hit the market. At the same time, ByteDance’s Faceu Technology—best known for its video editing app CapCut—has also entered the fray. Faceu’s Jimeng AI, still in its early rollout stages, could soon emerge as another serious contender in the race to dominate the AI-generated video market.
Regardless, Shengshu is making its ambitions clear. CEO Tang Jiayu has his sights set on challenging global giants like OpenAI and Google. Accordingly, Shengshu’s current focus is on refining its core applications in film production, anime creation, and the digital restoration of cultural relics—areas that align with China’s broader push to lead in AI-driven industries.
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Can Shengshu’s Vidu AI text-to-video generator outcompete its rivals?

Artificial Intelligence

Video

Creative

… e-commerce platforms and has seen some success.
EchoTik data shows that Anker operates two local stores in the US. One is the AnkerUS flagship store, which sells portable power banks, outdoor power supplies, universal accessories, and projectors. The other is the Anker Innovation store, which focuses on secondary 3C products such as Bluetooth headphones. Since joining TikTok Shop in September 2023, AnkerUS has sold over 330,000 products, generating an estimated gross merchandise value (GMV) of nearly USD 10.5 million.
As of August and early September this year, Anker sold 65 items on TikTok, with universal accessories dominating sales. Products priced under USD 100 accounted for the highest sales, followed by those priced between USD 100–200. There remains significant growth potential in higher-priced markets.
However, Anker’s GMV and average product prices on TikTok are not yet comparable to those on Amazon.
Nonetheless, Anker is clearly willing to invest heavily. Several TikTok sellers told 36Kr that running e-commerce on TikTok requires significant investment, including influencer marketing fees and video promotion costs, which have become more expensive as more sellers join the platform.
This suggests that Anker’s success on TikTok Shop likely came at a high cost.
For large brands like Anker, new cross-border e-commerce platforms not only welcome them but also offer support.
Last year, when Shein launched its US site, Anker was one of the first brands to join. At that time, Anker’s prices on Shein were consistent with those on Amazon. Reports indicated that Shein waived sales commissions for the first three months, with a subsequent 10% fee, lower than Amazon’s.
In the first half of this year, online channels contributed more than 60% of Anker’s revenue, with Amazon accounting for over half of that—though its share is gradually declining. The relationship between platforms and sellers is both mutually beneficial and competitive, and overreliance on a single platform can be risky for any brand.
In the past, Anker actively expanded its independent website and offline channels to reduce dependence on Amazon. However, since last year, its pace of offline expansion has slowed.
When asked about this, Anker explained to investors that it is gradually adjusting its offline strategy to focus on long-term, high-quality growth, in view of the rising global e-commerce penetration rate. As a result, its offline gross margin increased by 6.91 percentage points in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Clearly, the rise of new cross-border e-commerce platforms has given Anker the confidence to continue growing its online channels.
As a leading seller, Anker will continue to take advantage of the rise of new platforms. Despite its long-term reliance on Amazon, the company is acutely aware of the risks of overdependence and is eager to seize new opportunities.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/2944425372212100">article</a> was written by Leslie Zhang for 36Kr.

After a bold pivot, Anker finds its anchor in charging products once again

MiniMax’s product chief steps back amid China’s AI leadership shakeup

East Asia

MiniMax

Artificial intelligence