Alibaba, the Chinese tech giant, has pulled in record sales figures. Yet not all is rosy for the firm. In previous years “Singles Day”—a Chinese Black Friday—has been measured in 24-hour frames.…
China Approves Ant Group’s Potentially Massive IPO
China’s securities regulator has approved fintech company Ant Group’s IPO – and paved the way for what will likely be the world’s biggest-ever listing. Ant, backed by current title-holder Alibaba, will seek…
Ant Financial to Open $1bn SEA and India Fund
Ant Financial, part of the Alibaba Group and formerly known as Alipay, will invest heavily in the future of Southeast Asia and India with the creation of a $1 billion fund dedicated…
Alibaba Pays $2bn for Chinese E-Commerce Firm Kaola
Chinese tech giant Alibaba has acquired e-commerce site Kaola from compatriot NetEase for around $2 billion. Kaola, which sells imported goods in China, and competes with JD.com’s JD Worldwide, and Alibaba’s own…
EMQ’s “Remittance Railroad” Through Southeast Asia Required Patience – and Resolve
Each Sunday, in Hong Kong, hundreds of Philippine migrant workers queue up outside remittance offices, the lines snaking around entire city blocks, to send money home. For most, it’s their only free…
Alibaba Heads Investment in Israel’s SQream DB
Alibaba has spearheaded a Series B funding round in Israeli company SQream DB, marking its first major investment in the Middle Eastern nation. The round, totaling $26.4 million, also included Hanaco Venture…
Alibaba Makes Pakistan e-Commerce Play with Daraz Acquisition
Chinese tech giant Alibaba has made a big play for the South Asian e-commerce market, with its acquisition of Rocket Internet-owned Pakistani platform Daraz. The Karachi-based firm, founded in 2012, operates in…
Alibaba-backed AI Startup SenseTime Bags Record $600m Funding Round
A Chinese artificial intelligence startup has just closed a funding round worth $600 million, which is the single largest venture investment in the burgeoning AI industry. SenseTime, a Beijing-based face and image…
Alibaba Buys Food Delivery Firm Ele.me in $9.5bn Deal
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has acquired Ele.me, an online food delivery service, in a deal worth $9.5 billion. Ele.me, founded ten years ago and headquartered in Shanghai, is operational in over 2,000…
SoftBank Ponders Massive Telco IPO
Japanese telecommunications giant SoftBank is considering an IPO of its Japanese mobile phone business, in a move that could raise ¥3 trillion ($18bn). The share sale, to take place on the Tokyo…