Snap is channeling Asia’s messaging giants with its move into gaming
Snap is taking a leaf out of the Asian messaging app playbook as its social messaging service enters a new era. The company unveiled a series of new strategies that… Read more »
Category: Tencent
China’s Tencent is raising $6 billion through a bond sale
Tencent, Asia’s largest tech firm, is raising $6 billion after the Hong Kong-listed firm announced a new note sale today. Tencent last tapped the markets when it raised $5 billion… Read more »
Google reshuffles its leadership in Asia Pacific
There’s a changing of the guard within Google’s Asia Pacific business. In recent weeks, personnel changes within two of its most important roles show the search giant is entering a… Read more »
China’s grocery delivery battle heats up with Meituan’s entry
Fast, affordable food delivery service has been life-changing for many working Chinese, but some still prefer to whip up their own meals. These people may not have the time to… Read more »
Cross-border fintech startup Airwallex raises $100M at a valuation of over $1B
Australia-based Airwallex is the latest tech startup to enter the billion-dollar ‘unicorn club.’ The company announced today that it has closed a $100 million Series C round that values its… Read more »
Razer hooks up with Tencent to focus on mobile gaming
Razer is summoning a big gun as it bids to develop its mobile gaming strategy. The Hong Kong-listed company — which sells laptops, smartphones and gaming peripherals — said today… Read more »
Spotify rival Tencent Music posts maiden quarter loss of $130M on one-off costs
Tencent Music Entertainment Group, the Chinese answer to Spotify that Tencent spun out and floated on the New York Stock Exchange in December, reported a net loss of 876 million… Read more »
Camera maker Insta360 raises $30M as it eyes 2020 IPO
Insta360, one of the pioneers in making 360-degree cameras, just raised $30 million in a Series C+ funding round from Chinese investors, including Everest Venture Capital, MG Holdings and Huajin Capital…. Read more »
TikTok parent Bytedance is getting serious about games
A turbulent 2018 for China’s gaming market hasn’t held back newcomers. Bytedance, the world’s most valuable startup behind a collection of rising new media apps including TikTok and Jinri Toutiao,… Read more »
This YC-backed startup preps Chinese students for US data jobs
In recent years, data analysts have gone from optional to a career that holds great promise, but demand for quantitative skills applied in business decisions has raced ahead of supply… Read more »
The “splinternet” is already here
Keith Wright Contributor Share on Twitter Keith Wright is a Villanova School of Business instructor of Accounting and Information Systems, founder of Simplicity On-Demand LLC and former Senior Vice President… Read more »
China’s Qutoutiao is burning millions of dollars to take on TikTok parent
Chinese startup Bytedance is finding itself surrounded by challengers as its empire of new media products, including global video app TikTok and Chinese news aggregator Jinri Toutiao, gather steam. Tencent… Read more »
China’s authorities propose to keep minors out of live streaming
China is getting serious about the way live streaming videos affect tens of millions of youngsters, so much so a top authority has proposed to tighten restrictions on underage use…. Read more »
Bike sharing pioneer Mobike is retreating to China
In a telling sign of the state of bike sharing, Mobike, a once red-hot startup that attracted billions in investment capital, is closing down all international operations and putting its… Read more »
Moka raises $27M led by Hillhouse to make hiring more data-driven in China
Moka, a startup that wants to make talent acquisition a little more data-driven for China-based companies that range from smartphone giant Xiaomi to Burger King’s local business, announced Monday that… Read more »
India’s Ola spins out a dedicated EV business — and it just raised $56M from investors
Ola, Uber’s key rival in India, is doubling down on electric vehicles after it span out a dedicated business, which has pulled in $56 million in early funding. The unit… Read more »
Alibaba challenger Pinduoduo is bringing imported goods to rural homes
Pinduoduo, the latest challenger to China’s ecommerce dominators Alibaba and JD.com, wants to bring affordable, imported items to shoppers in China’s smaller cities and rural areas. The three-year-old Tencent-backed ecommerce… Read more »
Two former Qualcomm engineers are using AI to fix China’s healthcare problem
Artificial intelligence is widely heralded as something that could disrupt the jobs market across the board — potentially eating into careers as varied as accountants, advertising agents, reporters and more… Read more »
First China, now Starbucks gets an ambitious VC-funded rival in Indonesia
Asia’s venture capital-backed startups are gunning for Starbucks . In China, the U.S. coffee giant is being pushed by Luckin Coffee, a $2.2 billion challenger surfing China’s on-demand wave, and… Read more »
Meet the little-known Chinese WiFi startup that rubs shoulders with WeChat and Alipay
A service that connects people to WiFi hotspots for free turned out to be one of China’s most popular apps, nestling in the top ranks with Tencent’s WeChat messenger and… Read more »
Go-Jek makes first close of $2 billion round at $9.5 billion valuation
Southeast Asia-based ride-sharing firm Go-Jek is making progress with its plan to raise up to $2 billion in fresh capital to fund its battle with close rival Grab . Indonesia-headquartered… Read more »
New policy puts revenue squeeze on China’s payments giants
The era that saw China’s mobile payments providers making handsome interest returns on client money has officially ended. Starting this week, non-bank payments companies must place 100 percent of their… Read more »
Grab moves to offer digital insurance services in Southeast Asia
Grab is Southeast Asia’s top ride-hailing firm, thanks in no small part to its acquisition of Uber’s local business last year, but the company also houses an ambitious fintech arm,… Read more »
Go-Jek’s Southeast Asia expansion runs into a roadblock in the Philippines
Southeast Asian ride-hailing challenger Go-Jek has expanded into three new markets as it bids to expand beyond its native Indonesia, but it is having major issues getting into a fourth…. Read more »
Up to $818 million deal between J&J and Locus Biosciences points to a new path for CRISPR therapies
The up to $818 million deal between Locus Biosciences and Janssen Pharmaceuticals (a division of Johnson & Johnson) that was announced yesterday points toward a new path for CRISPR gene… Read more »
Tencent left out as China approves the release of 80 new video games
Chinese internet giant Tencent has been excluded from the first batch of video game license approvals issued by the state-run government since March. China regulators approved Saturday the released of 80… Read more »
Alibaba-backed Hellobike bags new funds as it marches into ride-hailing
2018 has been a rough year for China’s bike-sharing giants. Alibaba-backed Ofo pulled out of dozens of international cities as it fought with a severe cash crunch. Tencent-backed Mobike puts a… Read more »
Alibaba just gave Chinese youth another reason to never leave their desk
People in China have a host of reasons not to go outdoors these days. They may be too busy to leave their office, wary of air pollution or have chosen… Read more »
China’s WeChat is the latest to get Snap-like ‘Stories’
WeChat, the Chinese messaging giant with over 1 billion monthly active users around the world, just added a Snap-like ephemeral video feature as part of its biggest overhaul since 2014. The… Read more »
Winter is ending: China to restart game approvals
As 2018 draws to a close, China’s gaming industry — which has been beaten by a nine-month-long freeze in license approvals — woke up to exhilarating news as officials announced… Read more »