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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.
The Ministry of Commerce says it will work with other Chinese regulators to assess whether Meta’s acquisition of Manus complies with the country’s export controls and technology transfer rules. Photo: Shutterstock
Artificial intelligence

Review of Meta-Manus deal underscores China’s tightening grip on AI exports

AI agent start-up may face half a year of regulatory checks on data security, dual-use technologies and overseas investment rules: analysts.

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong sets up 13-member expert panel to help mainland firms expand overseas

IPO

Chinese AI start-up MiniMax shines on Hong Kong IPO debut

DeepSeek

Core team of Chinese researchers behind AI model R1 remains intact: DeepSeek

The 18 core scientists behind R1 continue to power the start-up’s AI ambitions and capabilities amid growing anticipation of a new release.

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The updated technical paper of DeepSeek’s R1 development shows the start-up retained all 18 scientists behind the much-acclaimed AI model. Photo: Shutterstock
Artificial intelligence

China to probe Meta’s purchase of Manus over export controls, tech concerns

Probe comes amid concerns the US$2.5 billion acquisition could breach tech export controls and encourage more start-ups to relocate offshore.

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Artificial intelligence

DeepSeek to customise namesake chatbot for Italian users following probe

The firm agrees to a package of commitments, including tackling AI model ‘hallucination’ issues, with the Italian Competition Authority.

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ByteDance

ByteDance boosts Shenzhen presence with ‘second headquarters’ for Douyin unit

The Chinese short video giant’s new base in Nanshan district was announced by the city’s publicity department on Tuesday.

ByteDance operates Douyin, China’s most popular video-sharing platform. Photo: Shutterstock
Artificial intelligence

Shenzhen eyes bigger role in world robotics arena as firms vow to boost output

Premier Li Qiang urges faster adoption of robotics to benefit industries and households during a meeting with tech companies in Shenzhen.

Artificial intelligence

China’s DeepSeek adds advanced ‘thinking’ feature amid buzz over next model

Hangzhou-based AI start-up installs ‘interleaved thinking’ as monthly users surge 90 per cent to nearly 131.5 million.

Artificial intelligence

Chinese quant fund joins DeepSeek in AI race with LLM rivalling GPT-5.1, Claude

Beijing-based Ubiquant launches code-focused systems claiming benchmark wins over US peers despite using far fewer parameters.

Ubiquant is one of the first quant trading funds in China to apply AI at scale to quantitative investment. Photo: Shutterstock
Robotics

China’s humanoid robot makers, Hong Kong start-ups set to dazzle CES 2026

Nearly a dozen Chinese humanoid robot makers are expected at the trade show, while Hong Kong sends its largest-ever delegation.

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Chinese humanoid robot maker AgiBot is expected to bring its full product portfolio at CES 2026. Photo: AgiBot
Artificial intelligence

China takes confident strides to develop more AI innovation in 2026

‘China’s tech innovation is poised for policy-driven growth in 2026, with AI placed at the centre of the country’s economic agenda,’ NYU’s Winston Ma says.

IPO

Biren surges, China military drills, CES technology show

This week: Biren Technology jumps on Hong Kong debut, PLA holds drills off Taiwan and factory activity returns to expansion. Next week: Chinese tech firms at CES, December CPI release, HSBC-Hang Seng Bank buyout vote, and more.

Artificial intelligence

China’s Moonshot AI raises US$500 million in latest funding round: report

The Kimi AI model developer is now valued at US$4.3 billion, with cash reserves worth US$1.4 billion.

Kimi developer Moonshot AI is in no rush to go public after raising a hefty sum in its latest funding round. Photo: Shutterstock
Artificial intelligence

China-founded Tripo AI updates 3D content platform as users more than double

‘This shows that we’re on the right track,’ founder and CEO Simon Song Yachen says.

Tripo AI’s flagship platform, Tripo Studio 1.0, generates 3D content from text or images in seconds. Photo: Handout
Artificial intelligence

China-founded AI start-up Manus acquired by Meta for ‘billions’

Deal will bring Singapore-based Manus’ ‘leading agent to billions of people’, Meta says.

IPO

China’s Zhipu AI launches US$560 million share sale amid heated IPO tech race

The company, marketed overseas as Z.ai, eyes US$6.6 billion valuation with Hong Kong’s first large language model listing.

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Robotics

How a Chinese start-up is scaling 3D printing from sneakers to robots

Materials expert Wang Wenbin founded PollyPolymer in 2017 and developed a mature 3D-printing technology for footwear two years later.

3D-printed footwear accounts for 60 per cent of PollyPolymer’s total revenue. Photo: Handout
Banking & finance

China launches venture capital fund to lead the charge on tech investment

The fund, which will put state-backed money behind early tech bets, could guide trillions of yuan in private capital to chosen sectors.

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Semiconductors

Chinese EV battery giant CATL and Guoxin Micro set up new automotive chip firm

The two companies expect to launch Tongxin Micro Technology as a developer of automotive domain controller chips.

Artificial intelligence

China’s AI toy boom: Huawei, JD.com, UBTech make big push into growing sector

China’s AI toy sector is forecast to expand to US$12 billion by 2030, up from US$3.5 billion this year.

Huawei Technologies’ Smart Hanhan marks the latest foray by Chinese Big Tech companies into the growing global AI toy market. Photo: Huawei
Artificial intelligence

ByteDance, other major Chinese tech firms lead local consumer AI market: report

ByteDance-owned Doubao remains the country’s top consumer AI app, as DeepSeek’s namesake chatbot takes the No 2 spot.

ByteDance’s top-ranked Doubao AI app. Photo: Shutterstock
Robotics

China’s AgiBot aims for US$142 million revenue as humanoid robots gain momentum

Fast-growing robotics start-up expects to ship out 5,000 units in 2025 amid Beijing backing of the embodied intelligence industry.

Artificial intelligence

China’s Zhipu and MiniMax release latest AI models ahead of Hong Kong listing

The near-simultaneous release on Monday underscores the two firms’ efforts to drum up interest for their respective Hong Kong IPOs.

TikTok

Exclusive | TikTok owner ByteDance’s valuation hits US$500 billion as US plan advances

Figure marks a record for China’s tech giant, which will divest its US entity into a joint venture that includes Oracle and Silver Lake.

Investors are happy as ByteDance can continue to reap earnings from TikTok in the US, according to a source. Photo: Reuters
IPO

Chinese GPU maker Biren kicks off bookbuilding for US$624 million Hong Kong IPO

The company, which is selling 247.7 million shares between HK$17 and HK$19.60 each, will become the first listing of 2026 on January 2.

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Biren’s IPO has attracted 23 cornerstone investors, including major asset management firms, domestic mutual funds and insurers. Photo: Handout
Artificial intelligence

SenseTime pushes open-source AI model to provide a ‘smart brain’ for every robot

The Chinese AI pioneer also releases first robot dogs under new venture Ace Robotics.

Robotics

CATL marks trailblazing deployment of humanoid robots at scale in China plant

The initiative underscores the growing use of intelligent Chinese-made robots in the country’s manufacturing industry.

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