Big Tech in Asia: News, Analysis & Insights
Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance, and Asia's tech giants
Disney Sues ByteDance for AI "Raid"
Disney Sues ByteDance for AI "Raid" ByteDance's AI video generator Seedance 2.0 caused a stir last week: Users generated videos of Tom Cruise against Brad Pitt,
ByteDance Develops Own AI Chip with Samsung
ByteDance Develops Own AI Chip with Samsung ByteDance headquarters in Beijing ByteDance wants to break free from the shackles of US sanctions and dependence on
That’s how much GDP each square kilometer generates in Shenzhen’s Nanshan tech district — China’s most productive patch of land.
That’s how much GDP each square kilometer generates in Shenzhen’s Nanshan tech district — China’s most productive patch of land. The trillion-yuan club: Coverin
Ford & Xiaomi: Secret Liaison or "Fake News"?
Ford & Xiaomi: Secret Liaison or "Fake News"? The Ford CEO’s secret love Rumors are swirling on Wall Street and in Detroit: According to the Financial Times , F
That’s how many Vietnamese internet users are active on Facebook, making the country one of Asia’s hottest social media markets.
That’s how many Vietnamese internet users are active on Facebook, making the country one of Asia’s hottest social media markets. Chat turns into the storefront:
Grace Wang 王来春
Grace Wang 王来春 From factory floor to Apple’s inner circle Wang Laichun didn’t start in a boardroom. She started on the assembly line. In the 1980s, she was a fa
Korea’s memory kings: Samsung and SK Hynix shatter all records
Korea’s memory kings: Samsung and SK Hynix shatter all records The AI boom is pushing South Korea’s chip giants to historic profits. SK Hynix has overtaken Sams
TikTok deal sealed: U.S. future legally secured
TikTok deal sealed: U.S. future legally secured TikTok has formally secured its future in the United States. Just ahead of the statutory deadline, a new U.S. jo
That’s how old chimpanzee “Ai,” Japan’s famous primate “genius,” became.
That’s how old chimpanzee “Ai,” Japan’s famous primate “genius,” became. Pioneer of cognition: Ai recognized more than 100 Chinese characters, the entire Englis
Lee Jae-yong 이재용
Lee Jae-yong 이재용 ️ The billionaire behind Samsung Lee Jae-yong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics , has spent decades quietly steering Samsung through semico
🔌 SoftBank’s $4B takeover sends DigitalBridge shares up 50% premarket
SoftBank’s $4B takeover sends DigitalBridge shares up 50% premarket After the Nvidia sell-off tears: Masayoshi Son finds a new AI love AI needs concrete: SoftBa
🎄 The tree is on fire: ZF Friedrichshafen sells driver-assistance unit to Samsung
The tree is on fire: ZF Friedrichshafen sells driver-assistance unit to Samsung Source: Roland Hecht, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php
🤝 TikTok Deal: 170 million Americans can breathe easier
TikTok Deal: 170 million Americans can breathe easier After years of back-and-forth, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has sealed the seemingly impossible. The company is
💰 Silicon Maharaja: Microsoft’s $17.5B bet on Asia’s tech future
Silicon Maharaja: Microsoft’s $17.5B bet on Asia’s tech future Mega Bet on India: Microsoft will invest around $17.5B in AI and cloud infrastructure by 2029. It
💥 Naver absorbs Upbit and builds a fintech empire
Naver absorbs Upbit and builds a fintech empire Naver HQ in Seongnam, Korea Korea’s fintech super-deal: Naver Financial and Dunamu are forging a digital finance
🐎 Is SoftBank betting on the wrong AI horse?
Is SoftBank betting on the wrong AI horse? $65B Power Play: SoftBank has raised over $64B via retail bonds, nearly 42% of Japan’s entire market. The money flows
🛜 The next TikTok? A router in the crosshairs of the United States
The next TikTok? A router in the crosshairs of the United States TP-Link, one of the most widely used router brands in the United States, is under growing scrut
This is how many AI server racks Foxconn can now build per week.
This is how many AI server racks Foxconn can now build per week. ️ AI factories running hot: Scaled up, Foxconn’s AI racks could accommodate up to 1.5 million G
📝 Samsung’s US$ 310B mega plan
Samsung’s US$ 310B mega plan Source: Oskar Alexanderson, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Mega-Invest: Samsun
👋 Bye Bye Nvidia: SoftBank goes all-in on OpenAI
Bye Bye Nvidia: SoftBank goes all-in on OpenAI BFF: Masayoshi Son and Sam Altman AI Cash Check: SoftBank sold its entire Nvidia stake for USD 5.83 billion and r
Liang Jun
Liang Jun The next AI giant? Career beginnings at Huawei: From engineer to chief architect of the HiSilicon Kirin chips — the Chinese answer to Apple and Qualco
That’s how much Samsung has been ordered to pay Pictiva Displays by a U.S. jury for allegedly infringing two OLED patents.
That’s how much Samsung has been ordered to pay Pictiva Displays by a U.S. jury for allegedly infringing two OLED patents. Broad product range affected: Accordi
💾 Amazon Turns Korea into an AI Hub: $5 Billion for Data Centers
Amazon Turns Korea into an AI Hub: $5 Billion for Data Centers Investment Surge: AWS will invest over $5 billion by 2031 in data centers across Incheon and Gyeo
🚗 Huawei partner Seres aims to raise 1.7 billion USD in Hong Kong IPO
Huawei partner Seres aims to raise 1.7 billion USD in Hong Kong IPO Seres builds the cars. Huawei makes them smart. Big plans: Chinese EV maker Seres is targeti
🏨 Airbnb drops ChatGPT, turns to Alibaba AI
Airbnb drops ChatGPT, turns to Alibaba AI (Source: Screenshot cnbc.com ) Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has announced that ChatGPT will not be integrated into the trav
💰 Samsung heirs cash out at record high
Samsung heirs cash out at record high Samsung HQ. By Oskar Alexanderson - originally posted to Flickr, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9110337 S
01 .AI
01 .AI Founder and CEO Kai-Fu Lee China’s answer to OpenAI: In March 2023, Kai-Fu Lee (former head of Google China and a Microsoft VP) founded 01.AI in Beijing,
💻 The great shift begins: Microsoft exits China
The great shift begins: Microsoft exits China Microsoft goes hard Microsoft will move the production of its Surface laptops, servers, and Xbox consoles largely
💸 8.5 billion US$ profit: Samsung rides the AI wave
8.5 billion US$ profit: Samsung rides the AI wave There was definitely reason to pop champagne at Samsung headquarters in Seoul yesterday. Details Record Quarte
🏀 Alibaba brings the NBA back to China
Alibaba brings the NBA back to China James 23 on his way to the next three-pointer NBA China and Alibaba Cloud have entered a multi-year partnership. The timing
🇨🇭 SoftBank buys ABB’s robotics unit for 5.4 billion USD
SoftBank buys ABB’s robotics unit for 5.4 billion USD AI, baby Details ️ Robots made in Zurich, vision made in Tokyo: SoftBank is acquiring the robotics divisio
🏥 “Hospital in Your Pocket”: JD.com launches AI hospital
“Hospital in Your Pocket”: JD.com launches AI hospital Her application for the AI hospital has been rejected… At its tech conference in Beijing, JD.com unveiled
💼 SoftBank cuts jobs, goes all in on AI
SoftBank cuts jobs, goes all in on AI Will soon be spending his lunch breaks with machines instead of people: Masayoshi Son SoftBank’s multibillion-dollar Visio
Samsung group plans a massive hiring spree over the next five years to fuel growth and open doors for young talent.
Samsung group plans a massive hiring spree over the next five years to fuel growth and open doors for young talent. Where the jobs are. Semiconductors, biotech,
⚙️ Huawei lays out AI roadmap through 2028
️ Huawei lays out AI roadmap through 2028 Huawei rotating chairman Xu Zhijun At its in-house expo in Shanghai, Huawei unveiled an ambitious roadmap: between 202
📶 China Unicom bets on Alibaba’s AI chips
China Unicom bets on Alibaba’s AI chips No. 3 in China, No. 6 Worldwide: China Unicom Details Chip, Chip, Hooray: For a new data center in Qinghai, China Unicom
🛒 Deal or No Deal: Sainsbury’s Ends Talks With JD.com Over Argos
Deal or No Deal: Sainsbury’s Ends Talks With JD.com Over Argos We finally found it: a sunshine shot from the UK. Details Negotiation Breakdown: Sainsbury’s has
⚖️ TikTok and Tariffs: U.S. and China Keep Talking
️ TikTok and Tariffs: U.S. and China Keep Talking They’ve been shaking hands a lot lately: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lif
🖼️ Seedream 4.0: ByteDance Challenges Google
️ Seedream 4.0: ByteDance Challenges Google Prompt: Apply the clothing and accessories from images 2 and 3 to the woman in image 1, and have her hold the bag fr
💸 Alibaba Bets 140 Million USD on Humanoid Robots
Alibaba Bets 140 Million USD on Humanoid Robots Main goal of the funding round: In the future, all these windows are supposed to be cleaned by humanoid robots.
📉 Huawei: Profits plunge, R&D spending rises
Huawei: Profits plunge, R&D spending rises Details Half-year results: Revenue edged up to CNY 427bn (USD 58.9bn), but net profit fell 32% to CNY 37.2bn (USD 5.2
🚘 Alibaba Takes Smart-Cockpit Subsidiary Public in Hong Kong
Alibaba Takes Smart-Cockpit Subsidiary Public in Hong Kong Details Background: Banma was founded in 2015 as a joint venture between Alibaba and SAIC Motor. In 2
💰 Record Revenue: Xiaomi Grows on EVs
Record Revenue: Xiaomi Grows on EVs A Xiaomi in the wild: Its warning colors serve to scare off enemies. Details Quarterly Results: Xiaomi increased revenue by
💻 SoftBank Invests 2 Billion USD in Intel
SoftBank Invests 2 Billion USD in Intel Details Investment Size: SoftBank bought Intel shares worth 2 billion USD at 23 USD per share. This equals about 2 perce
💻 Foxconn – 27% Profit Boost Driven by AI Server Boom
Foxconn – 27% Profit Boost Driven by AI Server Boom These workers could soon see their jobs replaced by AI… Foxconn, the world’s largest contract manufacturer a
+15 %
+15 % Tencent’s quarterly revenue rose by this percentage thanks to strong gaming and AI-driven expansion. Tencent Music Beats Expectations : Net profit surged
🏠 IKEA Accelerates China Expansion with JD.com
IKEA Accelerates China Expansion with JD.com A popular weekend outing spot for Chinese middle-class families. The furniture giant opened an official flagship st
🚗 Xiaomi Targets Premium EV Market
Xiaomi Targets Premium EV Market The Chinese tech giant is stepping up its electric-vehicle game with fresh design and German expertise. Xiaomi has just appoint
🧠 Alibaba Transforms into an AI Superpower
Alibaba Transforms into an AI Superpower Alibaba’s biggest fail: The mascot. Even a German fifth-tier football club has a better one… Alibaba is ditching its pr
🚖 Baidu and Lyft Launch Europe’s First China-Built Robotaxis
Baidu and Lyft Launch Europe’s First China-Built Robotaxis Drawback: No one left to complain to that “everything was better in the good old days”… China’s tech
💰 Samsung Lands Tesla Mega Deal
Samsung Lands Tesla Mega Deal It’s not known which drug cocktail Elon Musk is using to celebrate the deal… Details Record-Size Contract Manufacturing: Samsung w
📱 Huawei Overtakes Apple: Back as Market Leader in China
Huawei Overtakes Apple: Back as Market Leader in China Unlike Germans, the Chinese at least know how to pronounce Huawei correctly… Huawei reclaimed the lead in
Zhang Yiming
Zhang Yiming From Outsider Engineer to TikTok Mastermind: Zhang Yiming founded ByteDance in 2012, launched the AI‐driven news app Toutiao and the global hit Dou
💰 JD.com to Acquire MediaMarkt & Saturn
JD.com to Acquire MediaMarkt & Saturn The colors already match: Will MediaMarkt soon be Chinese? Details Cash Offer: JD.com is considering a voluntary takeover
🤖 TikTok Parent ByteDance Bets on Robotic AI
TikTok Parent ByteDance Bets on Robotic AI We’ve already pre-ordered a household robot and named it “Alfred.” TikTok owner ByteDance has unveiled the vision–lan
🤖 Amazon Closes AI Lab in Shanghai – Next US Pullback
Amazon Closes AI Lab in Shanghai – Next US Pullback Amazon Web Services (AWS) is shutting down its AI Shanghai lablet —opened in 2018—which was the last AWS res
Yang Zhilin
Yang Zhilin From LLM researcher to a $3.3B AI unicorn: Yang Zhilin founded Moonshot AI , brought Alibaba and Tencent on board, and at the age of 31 he is seen a