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Start-ups

Start-ups
Articles about early-stage companies; pre-IPO, including those still being funded by angel investors, private equity or venture capitalists.
(From left) Beyond Phoebe Gates – Nabihah Ahmad and Eshita Kabra-Davies are among the many female founders also making a splash in the world of fashion and tech. Photos: @phoebegates; @nabihah.ahmad; @arentyoueshita/Instagram
Fashion

Beyond Phoebe Gates’ Phia: 5 female-owned fashion-tech apps to know

From Indyx and By Rotation to SSQRD, these apps help you organise your wardrobe, rent clothes and discover indie brands at the tap of a button.

Banking & finance

Hong Kong aims to scale its tech ecosystem, nurture more unicorns: HKSTP CEO

Artificial intelligence

DeepSeek seeks 150 engineers in hiring spree to overhaul back end systems

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China technology

Global investors flock to China’s Shenzhen to ride wave of AI and robotics

Major banks such as HSBC and UBS host thousands of executives in southern tech hub this week to connect foreign capital with domestic firms.

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David Liao, HSBC’s co-chief executive for Asia and the Middle East, speaks at the bank’s 13th annual China Conference on Tuesday. Photo: handout
Singapore

Singapore to invest US$173m over 3 years to boost fintech innovation

The money will help co-fund at least 1,000 internships under the Financial Sector Technology and Innovation Scheme to build young talent.

Hong Kong economy

John Lee urges start-ups to seize opportunities through ‘gateway’ of Hong Kong

City leader makes familiar pitch to attendees at summit, citing Hong Kong’s ability to help global firms enter mainland China and vice versa.

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Artificial intelligence

Home province of DeepSeek, Moonshot founders seeks to retain future AI talent

After losing top founders in artificial intelligence to rivals, the southern province aims to better attract, retain talent.

A view of Guangzhou, in China’s southern Guangdong province. Photo: Shutterstock
Artificial intelligence

Back in the Harness: DeepSeek continues its pivot towards agentic AI

With the launch of Harness, China’s DeepSeek continues to build the foundational digital scaffolding for autonomous AI agents.

Hong Kong stock market

From chasing robots to chasing profits: the numbers moving markets

Unitree Robotics, US inflation rates, gold prices, Hong Kong homes and CK Hutchison’s interim results were in the spotlight this week.

Artificial intelligence

DeepSeek’s flagship AI model update underwhelms – except in cybersecurity

Chinese AI start-up’s model impresses in niche areas like cybersecurity but leaves some developers disappointed in its overall capabilities.

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Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek quietly released an updated version of its latest flagship model, DeepSeek-V4-Pro-0813, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
Honor

Robot in a pocket: Honor’s new phone camera nods back at users

The Chinese smartphone maker has integrated embodied AI to control camera movement, along with other features to boost interest amid a cooling market.

Chinese smartphone maker Honor has launched the Robot Phone, a handset with a motorised, fold-out gimbal camera. Photo: Handout
European Union

Europe hails AI gigafactory plan, but industry fears deeper US tech reliance

Brussels’ €30b tender for up to 7 AI hubs already benefits US chipmakers and could result in EU-funded computing capacity being sold to US tech giants.

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Hong Kong science and tech

In Focus | Hong Kong aims to be a global tech hub, but can it hold on to its young talent?

An increasingly risk-averse culture and a lack of early-stage support may push young start-up founders to look overseas, critics warn.

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Artificial intelligence

Tencent ramps up overseas AI push with wider roll-out of flagship Hy3 model

Hy3’s release is the first major update in Tencent’s AI strategy since former OpenAI researcher Yao Shunyu joined the Chinese tech giant.

The Tencent logo. Photo: Reuters
US-China trade war

US lawmakers investigate DoorDash’s use of Moonshot AI’s Kimi K2.6 model

Food delivery giant latest targeted as rising adoption of China-built AI models pushes Washington to find strategies to combat trend.

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US President Donald Trump receives a McDonald’s delivery via DoorDash outside the White House in Washington on April 13. Photo: Reuters
Robotics

Unitree to launch IPO next week as US-China robotics rivalry intensifies

The Hangzhou-based firm will launch its listing in Shanghai next week, as a string of Chinese robotics start-ups pursue plans to go public.

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Ant Group

Ant Group spin-offs pursue independent growth with strategic capital moves

The Chinese fintech giant’s three spin-off units are accelerating their capital-raising efforts after gaining operational autonomy in 2024.

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Robotics

China sweeps global humanoid robot start-up ranking as US imposes ban

The LexisNexis study identified a ‘clear shift towards China’ in the humanoid robot race, with the US falling behind.

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Humanoid robots work on an imitation factory production line at a robot training centre in east China’s Jiangsu province. Photo: AFP
Alibaba

From CXMT to Zhipu AI, Alibaba’s strategic investments are paying off

The company’s strategic shift to AI and chip investments is not only yielding significant returns, but also boosting its tech portfolio.

China’s private sector

How Beijing became China’s biggest tech venture capitalist, from AI to chips

China’s tech sector thrives on state-backed investment, reshaping funding dynamics and sparking a debate about balancing risk and innovation.

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IPO

Chinese GPU start-up MetaX confidentially files for Hong Kong listing: sources

Firm’s year-end listing plan underscores China’s chip self-reliance and follows Biren, Iluvatar and Moore Threads in the fundraising rush.

MetaX is said to be targeting a listing by the end of 2026. Photo: Reuters
Banking & finance

Shanghai to launch ‘choke point’ tech funds, relax some pre-profit listing rules

The city will unveil dedicated funds and new offshore yuan channels while allowing pre-profit AI and nuclear fusion start-ups to list on the Star Market.

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A woman in Beijing walks by a display promoting the Star Market after its establishment in 2019. Photo: AP
Robotics

Chinese robot maker AgiBot targets a listing in Hong Kong’s booming market

Leading robot maker plans a Hong Kong IPO with Citic, CICC, and Morgan Stanley as sponsors.

Artificial intelligence

China’s Moonshot AI accelerates fundraising push ahead of planned IPO: source

Per a source, the company closes fundraising round at US$30 billion valuation, as it signals it may go public in next six months.

China property

Tech-driven surge: new wealth fuels luxury housing boom in China’s AI stronghold

Landmark deals push Hangzhou’s luxury homes to fresh highs, powered by the country’s newly rich from start-ups and finance.

Buyers cleared all 66 units in Wangtianji’s first phase as soon as sales opened on July 16. Photo: Handout
Artificial intelligence

BrainCo claims mind-to-robot link at China’s World AI Conference

Hangzhou-based firm says users can control robots using only their thoughts via EEG headsets, marking a leap in embodied AI tech.

Brain-controlled robot demonstration by Chinese tech unicorn BrainCo. Photo: Handout
Artificial intelligence

On-device models steal the spotlight as China’s edge AI sector heats up

A growing number of tech firms are pivoting to lightweight models designed to run entirely on smartphones and laptops.

Malaysia

Malaysia’s US$47 million investment in Indonesian start-up revealed as fraud

The finance ministry said pension fund KWAP lost the money to eFishery despite rigorous due diligence.

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