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.…
Tencent to Plow $70bn into “New Infrastructure” Tech
Chinese mega-investor Tencent will pour 500 billion yuan ($70bn) into emerging technology, as part of an ambitious five-year investment project. The move follows April’s creation of a Chinese blockchain committee by the…
Why has it taken Asia to Kickstart Latin America’s Tech Boom?
Oftentimes at tech events, when companies pitch the breadth of their market, or investment opportunities, their Powerpoint presentation misses Latin America entirely. It’s not that they simply forget to mention the 639…
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 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…
China’s Bike-Share Market a Failure of Transparency and Tech
Bluegogo, one of China’s largest bike-share companies, appears on the edge of ruin, with its office empty, debts unpaid and its CEO suddenly absent. The firm, which has raised $58 million and…
China is Making 2018 a Great Year for Southeast Asian Tech
It’s been a busy year for Southeast Asia’s dealmakers. The region has seen a vast uptick in big funding rounds, in companies such as Malaysian ride-hail app Grab and Indonesia’s e-commerce platform Tokopedia.…
Can a Disputed Patch of Land Reinvigorate Hong Kong’s Tech Scene?
The Lok Ma Chau Loop is a sprawling, swampy stretch of land on Hong Kong’s northernmost border with China. It was once the focus of a land dispute between the two entities.…