nintendo Nintendo Switch Breaks U.S. Sales Record During Thanksgiving Week The Nintendo Switch sells over 830,000 units in the U.S. during Thanksgiving week, marking its best sales week ever. A forthcoming launch in China promises to push global numbers even higher.
china Chinese Cloud Infrastructure Spending Surges to $2.9 Billion China's cloud infrastructure market grows over 60% to reach $2.9 billion in a single quarter, securing its position as the second-largest cloud market globally. Domestic giant Alibaba dominates the sector, driven heavily by rapid demand for artificial intelligence services.
alibaba Alibaba Breaks 2019 IPO Record With $11.2 Billion Hong Kong Listing Alibaba raises $11.2 billion in a record-breaking secondary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, marking a triumphant return five years after a dispute delayed its initial debut there.
wechat WeChat Blocks Viral Deepfake App Zao Over Privacy and Security Fears WeChat restricts access to the popular face-swapping app Zao amid intense backlash over its aggressive data policies and deepfake security risks. The app, which went viral in China for its realistic celebrity face replacements, promises to update its controversial user terms.
zhihu Chinese Q&A Giant Zhihu Secures $434 Million in Record Funding Round Zhihu, China's top question and answer platform, raises $434 million in a Series F round led by Kuaishou with participation from Baidu and Tencent. The company plans to use the funds for technology and product development while expanding its expert-driven content.
lime Lime Co-Founder Brad Bao Takes CEO Reins as Toby Sun Shifts Roles Scooter-sharing giant Lime undergoes a major leadership change as co-founder Brad Bao replaces Toby Sun as CEO. Sun transitions to focus on company culture and research and development.
google Google Launches Budget Pixel 3a Amid Scooter Sales and Gaming Shifts in China Google introduces cheaper Pixel 3a smartphones and rebrands its smart display at I/O 2019. Meanwhile, Bird begins direct-to-consumer scooter sales and Tencent replaces PUBG in China to comply with government regulations.
samsung Samsung Delays Galaxy Fold As TechCrunch Highlights Major Funding Rounds Samsung delays the launch of its Galaxy Fold smartphone due to reported display malfunctions. Meanwhile, TechCrunch's daily roundup covers major moves from Tencent, SiriusXM, Pax Labs, and Sony.
go-jek Indonesian Ride-Hailing Giant Go-Jek Tops $1 Billion in Latest Funding Round Go-Jek secures over $1 billion in the first close of its Series F round, bringing its valuation to approximately $9.5 billion as it battles Grab for Southeast Asian dominance.
go-jek Go-Jek Raises $920 Million at $9.5 Billion Valuation to Rival Grab Southeast Asian ridesharing giant Go-Jek secures $920 million from existing backers like Google and Tencent, pushing its valuation to $9.5 billion. The company continues to seek additional investors to reach its $2 billion fundraising target.
go-jek Go-Jek Secures $920 Million at $9.5 Billion Valuation Amid Rivalry with Grab Southeast Asian ride-hailing giant Go-Jek raises an initial $920 million from existing backers like Google and Tencent. The new round values the company at $9.5 billion as it seeks to expand its services and compete with Grab.
free-to-play Free-to-Play Games Dominate Global Entertainment With $88 Billion Haul Free-to-play games generate an impressive $88 billion in 2018, dwarfing traditional game sales and the film industry. Mobile platforms drive the majority of this growth, with Fortnite leading all titles as the top earner.
wechat WeChat Quietly Launches Credit Scoring System for Over 1 Billion Users Tencent's WeChat introduces a credit-scoring system for its billion-plus users, challenging Alibaba's Sesame Credit.
wechat WeChat Quietly Launches Payment Score System for Deposit-Free Services Tencent introduces a new credit scoring system for WeChat that rewards users with deposit-free rentals based on their digital behavior. The feature directly competes with Alibaba's Sesame Credit system.
ubtech Ubtech Shows Off Pair of Humanoid Robots at CES Chinese robotics company Ubtech showcases its advanced humanoid robots Walker and Cruzr at CES 2019.