FEATURES
VC roundup: State-backed ‘big funds’ manage 60% of China’s VC/PE money
From semiconductors, to advanced manufacturing, to ‘internet innovation,’ China uses public ‘big funds’ to guide private capital into strategic tech fields.
INSIGHTS | ‘Second landlord’ platforms get tenants in debt to fund growth
China’s second landlord platforms are highly susceptible to downturns. Many have already collapsed—and there’s no guarantee even the largest will survive.
Much needed big numbers from 618 shopping festival
A lot of people were counting on a big 618 to kickstart consumption—and early numbers from China’s second-biggest shopping festival suggest it worked out.
World AI Conference 2020 goes live on July 9 – 11
WAIC 2020 will gather prominent experts from all over the world to discuss AI technology: its development, its applications, and its trends.
Asia Hot-Tech Battle x Life’s a Pitch to ignite innovation
Merging Asia Hot-tech battle and Life’s a Pitch will be a win-win collaboration, increasing the benefits for startup founders in this tough period.
Views
India shoots itself in the foot with app ban
Who does India’s app ban really hurt more? China, or its own consumers and entrepreneurs. Delhi would be better advised to reconsider.
Investors beware: there’s a new ‘China Hustle’
Luckin Coffee’s multi-billion-dollar collapse should alert investors to a “New China Hustle”—risks of falsified growth and management acting in bad faith.
I spent weeks playing games on Taobao and won $1.55
We thought Taobao shopping festivals were about discounts. Turns out they’re just playing games with us.
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INSIGHTS | Corporate intrigue triple header
Chaos in the C suite at Dangdang, Arm China, and Bitmain as managers test the limits of their powers—and sometimes sideline their own boards.
From funded to funder: how Tencent places its VC bets
Tencent has become as much VC as tech giant as it’s amassed China’s largest portfolio of global startups in gaming and beyond.
INSIGHTS | Who owns ‘internet literature’?
Powered by grassroots fans, Chinese ‘internet literature’ is big business. It does for Chinese film and TV what Marvel comics do for Hollywood.
AVs in mirror are farther than they appear
Three years ago funding for AVs was a free for all, but now late-stage startups are getting all the attention as the industry matures.
