Overseas:
1. Zopa, the UK P2P lending company, closes £60M round on path to launching a bank
2. Ford buys electric scooter startup Spin
3. Netflix’s hackathon produces a way to navigate its iOS app with ARKit and Face ID
4. TwelveSouth put a wireless charger in a picture frame
5. Facebook is facing an EU data probe over fake ads
6. Amazon Echo and Alexa arrive in Mexico
7. Spotify Connect speakers will soon work with its free tier
8. Storyblocks makes it easier for developers to integrate its stock media services
9. Monashees raises $150 million for its eighth Latin American fund
10. Self-driving car industry needs standards and security: executives
11. Amazon invested 17 million USD in Amazon Transportation Services(ATS)
12. SoftBank IPO Seeks $18 Billion From Retail Investors
China:
1. WeChat reaches 1M mini-programs, half the size of Apple’s App Store
3. China can apparently now identify citizens based on the way they walk
4. CIIE: China puts on a trade show, but the West isn’t buying
5. QQ takes leaf from sibling WeChat’s mini-program book
6. SoftBank reportedly investing in Alibaba-backed bike-sharing firm HelloChuxing
7. With fresh funding, Hong Kong’s Goxip readies itself for major fintech play
8. “Guojia(果加)” completed 150 million C round of financing, smart door locks ushered in a key year
9. Taiwan’s KKday raises Series B+ from LINE Ventures, Alibaba to expand globally
Cross-border:
As new AirPods 2 clues appear, Xiaomi AirDots enter the game
Blockchain:
Blockchain tech is taking on renewable energy trading in Singapore
Mobile:
1. Google is adding Android support for foldable screens
2. Oppo comes to Europe with the RX17 Pro and RX17 Neo
Emerging Market:
Grab raises US$50M from KASIKORNBANK to bring GrabPay to Thailand
Cover picture credits from Techcrunch