Chinaccelerator Daily Digest 2019/7/15

Overseas:

1. US overtaken by Southeast Asia as China’s No. 2 trade partner

2. Israel holds 5G mobile network tender, aims for 2020 launch

3. Facebook open-sources Hermes JavaScript engine to improve React Native Android app performance

4. Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs backs Umbrella, a community marketplace for boomers

5. City Pantry, the UK corporate catering marketplace, has been acquired by Just Eat for £16M

6. Macquarie’s MEIF 6 Fibre unit to buy UK telecoms firm KCOM

7. Brainworks uses smartphone camera and AI to detect your heart rate, breathing

8. Social VR platform Bigscreen TV adds 50 free live channels

9. 23andMe is moving into Apple’s territory with a pilot to pull in medical data, not just DNA info

10. UK’s Roxi Music plans for new product launches as it steps closer to IPO

China:

1. China home to 10 of the 30 biggest listed Internet companies, one more than last year

2. JD.com 京东 adopting AI in order to drive growth in small cities

3. Starbucks launching first Chinese store, branded as ‘Starbucks Now’ dedicated to takeout and online orders

4. China’s Ping An 平安 to invest in education startup iTutorGroup

5. Inke.com 映客, mobile live-streaming platform, acquiring Jimu 极目, dating platform

6. Guandata.com 观远数据, intelligent data analysis platform, to receive 9-digit RMB B funding round

7. Szlcsc 立创商城, component trading platform, to receive a 250M RMB A funding round

8. Jimiqizu.com 机蜜企租, office equipment rental platform, to finish 7-digit RMB A funding round

Cross-Border:

1. Japan to set up model field in India to promote farm tech

2. Japan mobile pay companies seek international partners in China and South Korea to capture additional revenue from tourists

3. China’s ByteDance leads $57m Series C in US edtech firm Minerva Project

4. Vietnamese tech major FPT invests in US-based IoT company Homa

Emerging Market:

1. Unicorn India Ventures launches $58.3m B2B tech-focused fund

2. Amazon invests $7.4m in Quess Corp arm, QDigi, an after-sales support company for electronic products

3. Founded by Docker, Apple and LinkedIn Holberton School Colombia inaugurates new Medellín campus for aspiring techies

4. Smart locks creator Igloohome launches new enterprise solutions following $15m round

5. E-commerce solution provider Ace Turtle bags $4m in pre-Series B funding from Vertex, others

Image credits: China Money Network