Chinese smartphone giant Huawei will launch its first smart TV before end of this year, to enter the increasingly competitive smart TV market in China, according to Chinese media citing insiders at Huawei’s suppliers.
China’s Tsinghua University Designs Multilayer Graphene Epidermal Electronic Skin
A scientist from China’s Tsinghua University has developed a graphene tattoo-like electronic skin that could be used as biological sensor for medical applications.
Tencent To Reportedly Develop AI Devices In A Joint Venture With Samsung
China’s social media giant Tencent Holdings Ltd. has joined forces with Korean smartphone maker Samsung Electronics to push artificial intelligence-powered devices, according to Korean media insiders.
Xiaomi’s Smartwatch Partner Huami Corp Acquires US Sport Sensor Firm Zepp
Huami Corporation, the maker of Xiaomi’s Mi smart wrist band, announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire core assets of Zepp International Ltd., a multi-sport sensor technology company based in San Jose, California.
Chinese IoT Solution Provider Tuya Smart Raises $200M Series C Round
Chinese Internet of things (IoT) solution provider Tuya Smart has raised a US$200 million series C round from Australian sovereign wealth fund Future Fund and other investors.
iFlytek Expands Healthcare Investment By Leading $3.8M Pre-A Round In Smart Wearable
Chinese artificial intelligence company iFlytek has led a US$3.8 million Pre-A round in Cyrcadia Asia, that develops a smart wearable bra insert and provides accurate early breast cancer detection.
Apple Sets Up $300M China Clean Energy Fund With Support From Suppliers
Apple Inc. announced that it will partner with suppliers to invest nearly US$300 million over the next four years into the China Clean Energy Fund, as part of its commitment to address climate change and increase the use of renewable energy within its supply chain.
IDG Capital Co-Leads $100M Series B Round In Chinese Chip Maker ASR Microelectronic
Shanghai-based chip maker ASR Microelectronic has completed a US$100 million series B financing led by IDG Capital and Wanrong Hongtu Fund, the company announced today.
Baidu’s Raven Studio Head Lu Cheng Leaves Within 2 Years Of Baidu-Raven Acquisition
Lu Cheng, head of Baidu’s Raven Studio has left Baidu a little more than a year after Baidu acquired Beijing-based smart hardware maker Raven Tech.
Baidu Continues Smart Hardware Push With Discounted Smart Speaker
Three months after China’s largest search engine Baidu Inc. launched its smart speaker with screens called Xiaodu Zaijia, the company has introduced another, smaller version at a deeply discounted price.
Royole Starts Mass Producing Fully Flexible Displays In Shenzhen
Chinese rollable display company Royole Corporation announced today that its 1.1-million-square-foot Quasi-G6 mass production campus in Shenzhen, China is up and running for mass production of fully flexible displays.
Chinese AI Firm Mobvoi Beefs Up Smart Hardware Offerings And Releases AI Chip Product
Mobvoi, a Chinese artificial intelligence firm backed by Google and Volkswagen Group China, unveiled a number of smart hardware products and an AI chip as the company continues to build up its product portfolio centered around voice recognition technology.
China Supports Local Semiconductor Firms By Adding Them To Government Procurement List
In a move to promote self-reliance in semiconductors, China has included four homemade central processing unit (CPU) firms to its procurement list for central government’s IT projects, a notice on Central Government Procurement Center’s website shows.
Ant Financial Leads $200M Series D Round In Chinese Motion Sensing Firm Orbbec
Alibaba Group’s financial affiliate Ant Financial has led a D round of more than US$200 million in Shenzhen-based motion sensing firm Orbbec.
Xiaomi Promises To Limit Net Profit Margin To 5% Ahead Of IPO
Chinese electronics giant Xiaomi Inc. has made an unusual promise that it will limit its net profit margin to 5% for its hardware business, including smartphones, IoT and lifestyle products. The news is significant given Xiaomi is reportedly gearing up for an IPO that some say could value the company up to US$100 billion.
Following ZTE Ban, Huawei Said Under Investigation By US Justice Department
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. violated U.S. sanctions related to Iran, according to U.S. media citing insider.
Huawei Receives Approval To Sell 5G Products In Europe
After experiencing a series setbacks in the U.S., Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. has turned to Europe for overseas growth. The tech giant has announced that its 5G products have passed verification requirements to legally enter the European Union market.
Baidu Expands Smart Hardware Unit With $160M Skyworth TV Acquisition
Baidu Inc. has agreed to invest RMB1.01 billion (US$159.6 million) in Coocaa, a smart TV unit owned by consumer electronics producer Hong Kong Skyworth Digital Holdings, according to Skyworth’s security filing.
IPO Strips Huami Of Its Unicorn Status; More Unicorn Downgrades To Come?
Huami Corporation, a Chinese manufacturer of low-cost wearable devices backed by smartphone maker Xiaomi, raised a smaller-than-expected US$110 million in a public float on the New York Stock Exchange today. The offering, which was less than the hoped for US$150 million, gives Huami a market valuation of US$690 million, much lower than its previously rumored US$1 billion price tag.
JD.com Gains Approval From China’s Civil Aviation Administration For Large-Scale Drone Delivery Tests
China’s second largest e-commerce player JD.com Inc. has gained approval from China’s Civil Aviation Administration for the first national pilot program to test delivery drones on a large scale in China. The program will be rolled out in the northern province of Shaanxi.
Former Sinovation Partner Chris Lai Joins Shunwei Capital
Chris Lai, ex-venture partner at Sinovation Ventures, has moved to Shunwei Capital, a venture capital firm founded by Xiaomi’s founder Lei Jun.
Xiaomi’s Smartwatch Partner Huami Corp Files For US$150M IPO
Huami Corporation, the maker of Xiaomi’s Mi smart wrist ban is seeking a US$150 million initial pubic offering in the U.S., according a securities filing. The company is applying for the listing of its ADSs on Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “HMI”. Pricing terms were not disclosed.
Former Baidu M&A Director Peter Fang Returns To Sinovation Ventures As Partner
Baidu’s former corporate investment, mergers and acquisitions senior director Peter Fang has joined Sinovation Ventures as a partner, focusing on investment in artificial intelligence and relevant technologies, according to a Sinovation announcement. Fang previously worked for Sinovation from 2011 to 2014.
Chinese Drone Maker DJI Denies US Accusation Of Stealing Sensitive Data
The world’s largest consumer drone maker DJI has vehemently denied accusations from U.S. Immigration and Customers Enforcement (I.C.E) that the company’s drones have been collecting sensitive data on American infrastructure and sending it back to the Chinese government.
DealShot: Plum Ventures Leads $30M Pre-IPO Round In Chinese Drone Maker MicroMultiCopter
China Money Network’s DealShot provides detailed information on venture capital and private equity deals in China on a daily basis. Here you can find out where Chinese investors have been investing their money in at around 5pm each workday.
China’s Baidu, Xiaomi Announce Partnership In Artificial Intelligence And IoT
Chinese Internet giant Baidu Inc. and smartphone maker Xiaomi Inc. have entered into a partnership leveraging the two companies’ strengths in artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT).
From Drone Hackers to Cyber Bodyguards, China Cyber Security a Growing Concern
China Money Network’s Special Situations Team brings you the latest installment in our “Industry Specialist” series, sitting down with Bill Sims, a Managing Director for Cybersecurity, Investigations & Business Intelligence Asia Pacific Stroz Friedberg to discuss the current cybersecurity challenges facing Chinese companies and foreign investors in the country. China is home to the world’s largest group of Internet users. However, the country is behind the curve in terms of cybersecurity. The number of cyber attacks on Chinese and Hong …
DealShot: Tendence Leads $9.4M Round In Chinese Agricultural Drone Developer Beehive Technology
China Money Network’s DealShot provides detailed information on venture capital and private equity deals in China on a daily basis. Here you can find out where Chinese investors have been investing their money in at around 5pm each workday.
China’s JD.Com Partners With Nvidia To Deploy One Million Logistics Drones In Five Years
Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com Inc. is partnering with U.S. technology firm Nvidia Corp. to deploy one million logistics drones in China over the next five years.
Google-Backed Mobvoi Dreams Of Powering Smart Hardware Revolution
Zhifei Li, founder of Chinese artificial intelligence firm Mobvoi, once joked in a Wechat post that the best business model for a Chinese AI company was to become an Internet celebrity via smart marketing and then pivot to become an e-commerce firm. But, he added self-deprecatingly, "because I’m not handsome enough and my Mandarin is terrible, I choose to sell premium hardware powered by our own proprietary AI technology."
BlueRun Ventures China Leads $32.5M Round In Drone Maker Airobotics
BlueRun Ventures China has led a US$32.5 million series C round in Airobotics, an Israeli manufacturer of fully automated industrial drones, with participation from Microsoft Ventures, crowdfunding platform OurCrowd.com and an unnamed strategic investor.