Technology News
Latest technology news and updates
Total: 2639
Alibaba and Tencent Back High‑Valued Chinese AI Startup in $700m Round as Founder Says Cash Hoard Tops ¥10bn — ‘Not IPO‑Driven’
A major Chinese AI startup raised over $700 million in a round led by Alibaba and Tencent, valuing it above $10 billion. The founder — a post‑1990s entrepreneur — said the company holds more than ¥10 billion in cash and is not pursuing an IPO, highlighting a shift toward long‑term, control‑oriented growth amid an intensely competitive AI funding surge.
Chinese Lab’s Aluminium‑based EV Cell Passes -25°C Road Test, Charging to 90% in 20 Minutes
A Chinese Academy of Sciences institute reports an aluminium‑based lithium‑ion battery that, when fitted to a production EV, sustained over 92% discharge efficiency and charged to 90% in 20 minutes after a 24‑hour soak at −25°C. The result, if validated and scalable, could reduce winter range loss and simplify thermal management, widening EV usability in cold markets.
China’s Spring Gala Puts Humanoid Robots Center Stage — Embodied AI Moves From Lab to Spotlight
China’s Spring Festival Gala prominently featured humanoid robots whose stage performances were presented as signs that embodied intelligence is moving from innovation into industry. Firms showcased advances in facial actuators, dynamic balance and large embodied datasets, a combination that could accelerate commercialization but raises questions about robustness, safety and regulation.
China’s Kimi Rockets to a $10–12bn Valuation After Two Rapid Funding Rounds Exceeding $1.2bn
Kimi, a Chinese AI startup also known as Yue Zhi Anmian, has raised over $700 million in a new funding round led by existing investors, bringing two consecutive financings to more than $1.2 billion and valuing the company at $10–12 billion. The deals signal strong investor appetite for large AI models in China and a scramble by tech giants to secure model supply, but commercialisation and regulatory risks remain significant.
AI Eyewear Becomes a Lunar New Year Must‑Buy as China’s Wearables Move from Gimmick to Gadget
AI‑enabled smart glasses emerged as a standout Lunar New Year purchase in China, with sales up 70–80% in Shenzhen’s electronics district amid a broader tech spending rebound. Subsidies, rapid miniaturisation and on‑device AI models are pushing the category from niche headsets toward everyday wearables, while global production plans and shipment forecasts suggest the market could scale to tens of millions of units within a few years.
Robots Steal the Show at China’s New Year Gala — and Send Consumer Orders Soaring
Robotic performances at China’s Spring Festival Gala triggered a surge in consumer demand — orders jumped about 150% and several models sold out within minutes. The televised showcase amplified commercial interest in domestic robotics while prompting debate over reliability, safety and the broader geopolitical signal of China’s tech ambitions.
How China’s ‘Red Envelope’ Algorithm Levelled the Playing Field in the Hongbao Scramble
Chinese platforms adjusted hongbao allocation from pure randomness to a "double-average" cap that limits each claim to twice the remaining per-person average. The tweak reduces the early-grabber advantage, preserves randomness and keeps users feeling the distribution is fair while maintaining the ritual’s social and engagement value.
China’s Spring Gala Puts Robots Center Stage — Markets Cheer, Reality Lags Behind
China’s 2026 Spring Festival Gala showcased multiple robot makers and shone a spotlight on listed suppliers and investors with exposure to embodied-intelligence technologies. While the public debut boosted attention and prompted capital-market scrutiny, most corporate participants report only small-batch orders and pilot-stage business, leaving the sector’s commercial inflection point uncertain.
Apple Goes Live in Shanghai as Siri Upgrade Stumbles: A Global Experience, Minus a Clear Reveal
Apple has scheduled simultaneous, in‑person “Apple experience” events in Shanghai, New York and London for 4 March, emphasizing hands‑on media engagement while offering no livestream or product clues. The company is also grappling with setbacks to a major Siri upgrade, which may push flagship AI features out of the March iOS 26.4 update into later releases.
Musk’s SpaceX and xAI Join Pentagon Contest to Build Voice‑Controlled Drone Swarms
SpaceX and xAI have entered a Pentagon $100 million prize challenge to build voice‑controlled autonomous drone swarms, joining a small group of competitors. The move highlights the US military’s reliance on commercial innovators while raising technical, legal and geopolitical questions about autonomy, oversight and proliferation.
Spring Gala Turns Robots into Hot Sellers: JD Sees Searches Jump Over 300% and Models Sell Out in Minutes
Exposure on China’s Spring Festival Gala produced a sharp, short‑term surge in robot interest on JD.com — searches jumped over 300%, inquiries rose 460% and orders climbed 150%, with several models selling out within minutes. The event demonstrates the Gala’s power to convert cultural visibility into commerce, but sustaining demand will depend on scaling production, lowering costs and building service networks.
China’s Gala Robot Claims Real-Time Autonomy — Promise or Primetime Performance?
Galaxy General Robots showcased a humanoid, "Xiao Gai," at China’s Spring Festival Gala performing dexterous household tasks and claimed its AstraBrain system made real-time autonomous decisions rather than running pre-scripted routines. The demonstration signals strides in embodied AI and serves as a high-impact marketing moment, but independent verification and real-world robustness remain open questions.