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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.
Photon Matrix raised US$2.8 million through crowdfunding, but mass production has been delayed until August
Mainland China

Video | This Chinese bug zapper kills mosquitoes with lasers

Photon Matrix raised US$2.8 million through crowdfunding, but mass production has been delayed until August.

China’s private sector

China’s unicorns rise to 381 as ByteDance ranks in top 3 globally: Hurun index

Artificial intelligence

China keeps an eye on AI smart glasses as privacy concerns come into focus

Artificial intelligence

How a Chinese physical AI start-up’s new paradigm bypasses US road maps

Shanghai-based Fysics AI says Fysiverse is a ‘new-generation physics-based world model that adheres to real-world physical laws’.

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The logo of Shanghai-based Fysics AI. Photo: Handout
China’s private sector

iPhone supplier Luxshare passes key hearing for Hong Kong listing

The firm, a key supplier for AirPods and iPhones, is a step closer to joining other mainland Chinese tech heavyweights in HKEX listing.

China manufacturing

Will China’s AI-powered agribots repeat its EV success story?

Chinese tech and mass production capabilities could transform the nation’s farming industry with AI-enabled workforce.

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Nuclear fusion

Chinese start-up tackles fusion energy software bottleneck with help of AI

FusionAlpha is a simulator designed to help developers test reactor designs on computers before committing to expensive physical experiments.

The HH70 is the world’s first full superconducting tokamak device, developed and built by Energy Singularity. Photo: Handout
Banking & finance

Opinion | AI has been known to hallucinate. So have financial markets

Stock markets are booming on the assumption that US tech giants will deliver, but as liquidity becomes scarce, a reality check will ensue.

Artificial intelligence

Anthropic opens powerful Mythos AI model to public – with some safeguards

Access was previously limited to organisations like the US government due to the model’s ability to unearth cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

Universities in Hong Kong

Hong Kong commits US$383 million to university spin-offs in tech hub push

Launched in October 2023, the scheme requires university teams to successfully commercialise their R&D outcomes within five years.

Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong delivers opening remarks at the HKUST Unicorn Day on Tuesday. Photo: Handout
Banking & finance

Hong Kong’s venture fund eyes bigger bankroll after double-digit return

Financial secretary says investment arm will also take lead on new offshore yuan-denominated venture capital fund.

Hong Kong Investment Corporation CEO Clara Chan Ka-chai speaks at a forum at Regent Hong Kong on May 22, 2025. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Robotics

World of humanoid robots set for new blueprint as Nvidia teams with Asian firms

The tech trio team up to create a state-of-the-art robot reference design allowing researchers to build, fine-tune and deploy skills faster.

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Robotics

‘Arms race’: why investors can’t let go of robotic hand developers in China

Funding blitzes spotlight the dexterous hand sector, which is focused on the toughest component in humanoid hardware.

Artificial intelligence

As China’s humanoid-robot hype cools, Unitree sees profit plunge

A filing shows adjusted profit fell 53 per cent, even as revenue continued to rise, highlighting tough competition in humanoid robot sector.

A Unitree humanoid robot displayed during an international exhibition on AI in Cannes, France, on February 12. Photo: EPA
Robotics

China unveils first humanoid robot for household chores, ready as early as 2027

Companies are still improving data required for robots to perform complex household tasks, some of which require embodied AI.

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A humanoid robot, the SeeLight S1, performs a household chore. Photo: Changjiang Daily
Artificial intelligence

DeepSeek adds former Jane Street engineer to harness team amid agentic AI push

Move underscores start-up’s efforts to build harnesses – software that turns an AI model into a functional and autonomous AI agent.

Artificial intelligence

Chinese premier urges faster, broader adoption of AI in advanced manufacturing

Premier Li Qiang says boosting AI-powered manufacturing can help drive new growth for the economy.

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Artificial intelligence

China’s Moonshot AI moves to unwind offshore structure in IPO pursuit: sources

Beijing-based unicorn tells shareholders it will dismantle VIE model as regulators tighten oversight, as shift may signal new era for foreign tech investment.

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Founder of Moonshot AI Yang Zhilin speaks at the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing on March 25. Photo: Reuters
Artificial intelligence

Ex-Meta Chinese star joins race for self-improving AI with US$4.6b start-up

The funding round was led by venture capital firms GV and Greycroft, with ‘major participation’ from Nvidia and AMD.

Artificial intelligence

Kimi developer Moonshot AI valued at US$20b as it navigates new IPO rules

Firm raised US$2 billion from investors including Meituan’s venture and China Mobile, taking total to US$3.9 billion in the last six months.

Art

Are NFTs the hero or villain in the contemporary art scene?

In March, Art Basel Hong Kong featured a dedicated space for digital practices, raising the question: what’s next for non-fungible tokens?

The financial hype behind NFTs may have evaporated, but blockchain technology still has many applications. Photo: Josh Ye
Robotics

Hype or real: China’s robot boom faces reality check as commercialisation lags

Capital floods into China’s robotic sector but profitability remains elusive as challenges emerge with the industry’s business model.

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One of Agibot’s wheeled robots works at a supermarket checkout as the robotics sector reconsiders its business model to make the venture profitable. Photo: Handout
Venture capital market

Hong Kong tech hub progress ‘significant’, Dalton Venture’s Steve Sun says

City’s measures to retain research talent and encourage the commercialisation of research results ‘gradually taking effect’, venture capitalist says.

Artificial intelligence

DeepSeek mystery: who is speaking for start-up amid CEO Liang Wenfeng’s absence?

Researcher Chen Deli is emerging as DeepSeek’s new public face as speculation over the whereabouts of the company’s founder and CEO lingers.

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Millionaires, billionaires and trillionaires

Elon Musk’s trial against Sam Altman reveals power struggle for OpenAI

Musk, one of the original co-founders of OpenAI, is seeking US$150 billion in damages from the company and Microsoft, one of its largest investors.

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman approached ​Musk about co-founding OpenAI in May 2015. Photo: TNS
Artificial intelligence

DeepSeek takes step away from Nvidia amid export curbs on China

DeepSeek’s new artificial intelligence model puts up a price challenge to US rivals and is a further step towards a stand-alone Chinese AI ecosystem.

Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

DeepSeek unveils next-gen AI model as Huawei vows ‘full support’ with new chips

The company says its cost-efficient new V4 model is competitive with top closed-source models from OpenAI and Google DeepMind.

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Artificial intelligence

Beijing sounds alarm over urgent need to clean up online ads

Market watchdog flags AI abuse and traffic-driven tactics as it launches first campaign to overhaul online advertising.

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