Pandaily’s Digest #20220221
As an Olympics like none before draws to a close, Pandaily had a look at some of the key technologies underpinning the Beijing Olympics’ so-called “closed loop management”.
A Look at the Tech Inside an Olympics Like No Other
After the International Olympic Committee selected Beijing as the host for this year’s Winter Games, organizers in the city got to work strategizing methods to showcase recent accomplishments in China’s technology industry on this highly coveted global stage. But when it became evident that the Covid-19 pandemic would necessitate a significant shift in gears, planners were forced back to the drawing board. The new challenge had suddenly become finding a way to maintain China’s steadfast zero-Covid approach, while also welcoming in thousands of foreign visitors and effectively displaying to the world its technological and economic prowess. The result? An expansive city within a city – a techno-utopian half-prison, half-paradise in which athletes compete, journalists report, and hazmat-clad workers scurry about to keep it all running efficiently and free of infection.
Disinfection Robotics Company PeroPure Raises Nearly $10M in New Funds
Chinese health technology firm PeroPure has successively completed Pre-A and Pre-A+ rounds of financing, with investment from DCM and ZhenFund, respectively. The two rounds have raised a total of nearly $10 million in new funds, to be allocated for the iteration of existing products, research and development of disinfection robots, team expansion and market development.
Meituan Stock Price Tumbles, Govt Requires Service Fees to Be Lowered
China’s national Development and Reform Commission and other departments issued new guidelines on Friday, asking food delivery platforms to cut fees for restaurants to reduce their business costs.
At the “Two Sessions” meeting in 2021, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce has submitted a proposal, suggesting that take-out platforms should cut their fees. According to the proposal, it is acceptable for restaurants to charge a 10-15% delivery fee, but, in practice, the actual commission of small catering enterprises with limited brand influence reached as much as 18-20%.
XPeng Responds to Delayed Delivery of P5 EV Model
In recent months, new owners of the 460 version of XPeng’s P5 electric vehicle model across China have encountered delays in delivery due to tight supply of vehicle batteries and other components.
One buyer complained that XPeng had failed to deliver the car on time, which led to his loss of the qualification to enjoy a subsidy of 10,000 yuan ($1,581) in Guangzhou. Some buyers suspect XPeng of discriminating against consumers. “From December 2021 to January 2022, orders for 550 version and 600 version of the P5 model booked in December have been delivered. Why do the orders for 460 version get delayed?”
BYD Launches Yuan Plus, Reaches Cooperation With Uzbekistan’s UzAuto
The BYD Yuan Plus, the first A-class SUV from the Shenzhen-based company’s all-electric e-platform 3.0, on February 19 simultaneously entered the Chinese and Australian markets. The model is named the ATTO 3 in Australia.
Tencent Alpha Tests Community Group Buying Product
Chinese tech giant Tencent has recently alpha tested a community group buying (CGB) applet “Exiangtuan” (鹅享团 Èxiǎngtuán) on WeChat, Xinyan Finance reported last Friday. Exiangtuan is a service tool for small and micro businesses, aiming at serving private domain transactions on WeChat, which can improve efficiency and private traffic operation.
Chip Firm Tianyihexin Bags Several Hundred Million Yuan in C-Round Financing
On Monday, Nanjing Tianyihexin Electronics Co., Ltd. announced that it had recently completed a C round of financing worth several hundred million yuan. This round was led by CDH Fund and followed by CITIC, SL Capital, Nanjing Gaoke and Everest Venture Capital. Its previous shareholders Xiaomi Changjiang Industrial Investment Fund and Juntong Capital continued to increase their investment, and Winsoul Capital acted as the exclusive financial consultant.
Huawei Hubble Invests in Glinsun.ai
Chinese business inquiry platform Tianyancha shows that Wuhan Glinsun Artificial Intelligence Technology Co., Ltd. (Glinsun.ai) has recently changed its official industrial and commercial information, with registered capital rising to 36.1696 million yuan ($5.71 million), an increase of 13.74%. In addition, Shenzhen Hubble Technology Investment –established by domestic telecoms and electronics leader Huawei in 2019 – has become a new investor in the company.
CATL Industrial Project Starts Construction in Lingang, Shanghai
Shanghai’s Lingang New Area held a commencement ceremony on Saturday for a group of construction projects including the “CATL (Shanghai) Smart Technology Integrated Electric Chassis Development Project” and the “Riting Shanghai Smart Power System Project (Phase II).”
Chinese Online Ride-Hailing Orders See Annual Decrease of 25 Million
Data released Wednesday by the Chinese ride-hailing regulatory information website showed that domestic platforms received 704.203 million individual ride orders in January, up 5.3% from the previous month, but less than the 730 million orders recorded in January 2021.