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Manus has launched version 1.6, introducing a new "Max" agent that is said to offer higher task success and a 19.2% boost in user satisfaction. The up…

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In China’s far west, the startup is developing modular robots designed to operate in harsh outdoor environments.

Percisphere builds shape-shifting robots to tackle agriculture’s toughest terrains

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Photo of the Pop Mart characters showcased during the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 27, 2025.

China’s tech ecosystem serves as a driving force behind the world’s second largest economy, influencing global digital markets.

Explore East Asia’s thriving tech hubs, global electronics producers, and fast-evolving digital platforms shaping cross-border innovation.

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Pop Mart, a Chinese company, designs and sells toys, figurines, and collectibles, primarily in a blind box format.

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Deals in brief: Pyxis hits first close of SGD 18 million round, BBVA leads Olea’s Series A funding, latest China investments, and more

An alias used when humans and machines team up in our newsroom. Articles under this byline may be shaped with the help of AI, but are always vetted by a human before publication.

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KrASIA tracks China’s tech and business stories, alongside key developments across the broader Asia Pacific region.

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Manus has launched version 1.6, introducing a new "Max" agent that is said to offer higher task success and a 19.2% boost in user satisfaction. The update also adds mobile app development and "Design View," an interactive canvas for image editing and creation.

<a href="/company/bytedance">ByteDance</a> is pursuing <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> smartphone partnerships with <a href="/company/vivo">Vivo</a>, <a href="/company/lenovo">Lenovo</a>, and Transsion to pre-install generative AI plugins on mid- to high-end models. Sources said Vivo has confirmed the collaboration, which aims to open new monetization channels through traffic sharing and subscription revenue. The rollout is expected to start overseas, with plans to reach up to 200 million devices.

TikTok said it will form a US joint venture majority-owned by US investors co-led by Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX, marking a key step in its separation from parent company <a href="/company/bytedance">ByteDance</a>. The USD 14 billion deal, expected to close on January 22, 2026, will give the new TikTok US entity control over data protection and algorithm security, pending Chinese regulatory approval.

AnyMind Group has announced plans to acquire Japan-based beauty distributor Sun Smile, marking its entry into offline retail and its 13th acquisition to date. The deal advances AnyMind’s strategy to integrate social media, <a href="/industry/e-commerce">e-commerce</a>, and nationwide store distribution into an <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a>-powered online-to-offline ecosystem that supports brand growth across Japan.

Venture builder and investor Antler has invested USD 5.6 million in 14 <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> startups demonstrating early commercial traction. Each received USD 400,000 in initial funding, with the portfolio spanning sectors from manufacturing to travel automation.

<a href="/company/byd">BYD</a> is accelerating development of its Level 3 autonomous driving systems after Beijing granted the first production licenses for “hands-off” vehicles. The company has completed more than 150,000 kilometers of testing with Shenzhen authorities and plans to expand efforts as competition in China’s self-driving market intensifies.

<a href="/company/gac">GAC</a> plans to open 600 new multi-brand dealerships by the end of 2026, uniting its Trumpchi, Aion, and Hyptec lines under one roof. The Chinese state-owned automaker aims to revive earnings and modernize the customer experience as competition from <a href="/company/xiaomi">Xiaomi</a>, <a href="/company/huawei">Huawei</a>, and other EV makers intensifies.

Manus said its annual revenue run rate has surpassed USD 125 million, eight months after launching <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> agents designed to execute tasks. The company, which has grown more than 20% month-on-month since releasing Manus 1.5, is accelerating product and feature rollouts as demand increases.

<a href="/company/tencent">Tencent Holdings</a> has appointed former <a href="/company/openai">OpenAI</a> researcher Yao Shunyu as chief <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> scientist, reporting to president Martin Lau. Yao will lead the company’s new AI infrastructure department and oversee R&amp;D of large models.

<a href="/company/xiaomi">Xiaomi</a> has launched MiMo-V2-Flash, an open-source <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> model built for reasoning, coding, and agentic tasks. Operating at 150 tokens per second with 309 billion parameters, it is said to match leading models from <a href="/company/deepseek">DeepSeek</a> and Anthropic at a fraction of typical costs.

Shengshu Technology has launched Vidu Agent, a "one-click" <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> tool that converts images into 15- to 30-second professional videos. By automating planning, scripting, and assembly, Vidu Agent aims to streamline production for creators and brands, supporting formats from advertising to music videos.

Photo of the RT6 vehicle from Baidu’s Apollo Go, used for autonomous vehicle testing in Switzerland as part of a collaboration with a Swiss Post subsidiary.

Baidu leads Chinese search engines, voice assistants, autonomous driving research, and AI platforms connecting users with information and services.

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Trials are underway even as narrow roads and competition from buses pose potential hurdles.

UK, Europe emerge as robotaxi battleground for Baidu and Waymo

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With operations in 170 cities nationwide, the startup is building one of the fastest-growing autonomous delivery fleets in China.

Manus 1.6 launch expands capabilities

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UK, Europe emerge as robotaxi battleground for Baidu and Waymo

How far are brain-computer interfaces from restoring and extending human ability?

Rino.ai raises new funding to accelerate toward mass production of autonomous cargo vans