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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.
DeepSeek’s meteoric rise has propelled the growth of the open-source AI ecosystem by spurring its competitors to join the movement. Photo: Shutterstock
DeepSeek

DeepSeek a year on: how a Chinese start-up sparked a global AI arms race

DeepSeek’s meteoric rise propelled the growth of the open-source AI ecosystem by spurring its competitors to join the movement.

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Robotics

China’s Unitree ships over 5,500 humanoid robots in 2025, surpassing US peers

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Robotics

China dominates global humanoid robot market with over 80% of installations

China stock market

China pushes slow bull run with tightened margin financing rules

‘Investors should reduce their leverage levels to guard against the risk of volatility,’ BOC International’s Wang Jun says.

The tightened margin trading rules’ immediate impact was to cool market sentiment. Photo: Shutterstock
Semiconductors

SpacemiT to launch server-class RISC-V processor following capital injection

CEO Chen is betting on Edge AI – which can run AI algorithms locally rather than in the cloud – to boost the adoption of RISC-V chips.

Artificial intelligence

DeepSeek stays mum on next AI model release as technical papers show frontier innovation

Hangzhou-based start-up’s technical papers bode well for potential advances in its next major AI models.

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US-China tech war

Editorial | Review of Meta-Manus deal a reminder of what’s at stake in US-China rivalry

As Chinese firms look abroad, the authorities have to balance intellectual property protection and national security against commercial interests.

The Manus AI logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen with the Meta logo in the background. Photo: Getty Images
Artificial intelligence

China’s AI unlikely to surpass US soon despite progress, researchers say

China’s top AI scientists warn of chip deficits and resource limits, though some predict breakthroughs within five years.

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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

Establishment of Expert Committee on Professional Services for Going Global builds on new platform to help match local providers with firms.

Pedestrians cross the street in Central. Photo: Jelly Tse
IPO

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

The shares jump as much as 113.2 per cent to HK$351.80 before ending the day 109.1 per cent higher at HK$345.

Executives of MiniMax Group, Suzhou Ribo Life Science, Yunnan Jinxun Resources and HKEX at the IPO listing ceremony on Friday. Photo: Jonathan Wong
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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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.

The Italian Competition Authority praised DeepSeek for committing to lower the hallucination rate of its AI models through technical fixes. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

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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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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.

Photo: handout
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.

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.

Zhipu AI is moving closer to becoming the first large language model developer listed in Hong Kong. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

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