Robotruck startup TuSimple has partnered with German auto supplier ZF to develop and commercialize technology for autonomous trucks. Why it matters: TuSimple aims to begin testing truly driverless trucks—those without safety personnel on board—by 2021. ZF is one of the largest automotive suppliers in the world and has made a significant push into autonomous driving. […]
Posted inHeavy Hitters
Tencent, Huawei are partnering on a cloud gaming platform
Tencent has signed a deal with Huawei to set up a laboratory to develop a cloud gaming platform, the Chinese gaming giant said in a statement Friday. Why it matters: Tencent is the world’s largest gaming company and it is actively building up cloud gaming services, a function that runs games on remote servers and […]
Posted inTurf Wars
New Taobao ‘C2M’ app takes aim at Pinduoduo
Alibaba’s e-commerce marketplace Taobao is aggressively expanding its direct-to-customer selling platform for bargain-seeking consumers, further escalating its already contentious competition with rival Pinduoduo. Why it matters: The business model known as customer-to-manufacturer (C2M) powered Pinduoduo’s meteoric rise and has been adopted by rivals like JD.com and Netease’s Yanxuan. Alibaba’s move will further fan the inferno that China’s e-commerce […]
Posted inTurf Wars
Disengagements and the race for self-driving supremacy
Baidu’s reports contain significantly less information about disengagements than its peers, causing industry insiders to raise questions about the quality of the company’s tests.
Posted inHeavy Hitters
Alipay will be central in China’s digital money system
Alipay is set to play a crucial role in China’s digital currency and what shape it will take, according to patents filed over the past month. Why it matters: China’s currency system needs an upgrade. “Digitalization is just the tip of the iceberg,” Thomas Zhou, founder of Cryptology Ltd. and a partner of Africa Pay, told […]
Posted inTech for Good
WeChat to support Covid-19 Global Hackathon
WeChat is joining with industry peers to launch the COVID-19 Global Hackathon to build software solutions, submission ends on March 30, 2020.
Posted inHeavy Hitters
Tesla’s China-made Model Y may soon be a reality
The made-in-China Model Y may start rolling off the Shanghai Gigafactory production lines of US electric carmaker Tesla earlier than expected. The company has placed a RMB 220 million ($31 million) order from a Chinese auto parts supplier for its compact SUV, TechNode confirmed on Thursday. Why it matters: Locally sourcing parts and assembling vehicles […]
Posted inUp and Comers
Ehang’s passenger drone sales are taking off
Chinese passenger drone maker Ehang has more than quadrupled its revenues and significantly narrowed its losses in the fourth quarter, the company said Wednesday, but it expects some short-term effects from Covid-19 in 2020. Why it matters: In Ehang’s first quarterly financial results since listing on Nasdaq in December, the urban air mobility company recorded […]
Posted inTurf Wars
Pinduoduo accuses Alibaba of blocking employees’ personal accounts
Pinduoduo staff say Alibaba has blocked their personal Taobao accounts, while workers from office neighbor AI firm Yitu say the same.
Posted inThe Numbers
Tencent, JD, PDD earnings, and Jeffrey Towson discusses the battle royale for services.
China Tech Investor is a weekly look at China’s tech companies through the lens of investment. Each week, hosts Elliott Zaagman and James Hull go through their watch list of publicly listed tech companies and also interview experts on issues affecting the macroeconomy and the stock prices of China’s tech companies. Make sure you don’t […]