H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (18 January 2019) – Why Appen is only now becoming a tech company; New policy puts revenue squeeze on China’s payments giants Tencent & Alibaba who must place 100 percent of their customer deposit funds under centralized, interest-free accounts as Beijing moves to rein in financial risks

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (18 January 2019) – Why Appen is only now becoming a tech company; New policy puts revenue squeeze on China’s payments giants Tencent & Alibaba who must place 100 percent of their customer deposit funds under centralized, interest-free accounts as Beijing moves to rein in financial risks

Companies

• Maoyan Entertainment, China’s biggest online movie ticketing platform, is seeking to raise as much as $345 million in a Hong Kong initial public offering. (Bloomberg)
• Apple Supplier Nidec Issues Profit Warning, Blames Weak Chinese Demand; ‘I’ve been a manager for almost half a century, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a large single-month drop in orders for us,’ CEO says (WSJ)
• Line Bets Mizuho and Nomura Could Help Open 78 Million Wallets (Bloomberg)
• Fifth-generation iPad mini coming in the first half of 2019, says Taiwan suppliers; GIS is like to provide the touch system for over 40 percent of new iPad devices in 2019 (AI)
• Afterpay shares soar after strong US launch (AFR)
• Why Appen is only now becoming a tech company (AFR)
• Carsales CEO Cameron McIntyre wants half his business to be global (AFR)
• Atlassian surges after joining billion dollar club in ‘ripper’ second quarter (AFR)
• Bravura, The $900m Aussie fintech winning big from wealth management (ID)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Samsung, Softbank

• Baidu seeks to play catch up in mobile app race with bet on world’s most-watched TV show (SCMP)
• Alibaba and Tencent dominate China new economy deals as market cools to lowest level in three years (SCMP); China’s Tencent and Alibaba hit the brakes after dealmaking binge; Weaker macro environment could increase internet giants’ reliance on investment income (FT)
• New policy puts revenue squeeze on China’s payments giants; Starting this week, non-bank payments companies must place 100 percent of their customer deposit funds under centralized, interest-free accounts as Beijing moves to rein in financial risks (TC); China’s payment companies can no longer collect interest on transfers (Technode)
• WeChat’s new candy to lure corporate clients: customised “red envelopes” (KRA)
• Game of Thrones Is Coming to Phones in China, Thanks to Tencent (Bloomberg)
• Taiwan Semiconductor: wafer wobbles; Investors rely on chipmaker’s tech prowess to pull it through but it could be difficult (FT)
• The most powerful person in Silicon Valley; Billionaire Masayoshi Son–not Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, or Mark Zuckerberg–has the most audacious vision for an AI-powered utopia where machines control how we live. And he’s spending hundreds of billions of dollars to realize it. Are you ready to live in Masa World? (FastCo)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Google is buying Fossil’s smartwatch tech for $40 million (TC)
• Microsoft to launch its biggest AI, IoT lab in Shanghai1 min read (Technode)
• Apple reportedly looking to subsidize Watch with Medicare plans (TC)
• Apple’s Guidance on Its Services Revenue Left Analysts With More Questions; The iPhone maker’s services business got a boost from new accounting rules, but some analysts and investors didn’t catch the change (WSJ)
• Amazon investors want it to quit selling facial-recognition tech to the government (CNN)
• Netflix’s Strategy Is Growth, So It Can’t Have Growing Pains; It has to have rapid expansion to distract from a big cash bonfire and looming IOUs. (Bloomberg)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Chinese AI unicorn Megvii bets $300 million on smart logistics1 min read (Technode)
• China steps up push to nurture cybersecurity companies to support digitisation of economy (SCMP)
• India’s Ola is adding a monthly billing option for its ride-hailing customers (TC)
• Mirae Asset, Naver invest W56b in Indonesian e-commerce unicorn (Investor)
• Classplus: Classroom confidential; The startup makes it easier for tutors to manage students and assignments through an app (Forbes)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Former Facebook engineer picks up $15M for AI platform Spell (TC)
• OrCam’s MyMe uses facial recognition to remember everyone you meet (TC)
• VC funding of cybersecurity companies hits record $5.3B in 2018 (TC)
• Nike’s auto-laced future; Nike’s Adapt BB shoe has utility for pros, but is also a lens into a connected future (TC)
• The Attention Economy Is a Malthusian Trap; Big tech companies now trade at one of the smallest premiums in history. (Atlantic)
• All the startups the PayPal Mafia have invested in since 1995 (qz)
• ServiceNow CEO John Donahoe Wants Clients to Embrace Digital Transformation (Barron’s)
• Why This Venture Capitalist Believes Uber Is a Better Bet Than Lyft (Fortune); What Investors Should Know Before Uber and Lyft Go Public (Barron’s)
• The gadgets of the future know everything wrong with you right now (CNN)
• Niantic valued at almost $4bn as it arms for AR war (FT)
• Driverless Cars Tap the Brakes After Years of Hype; Developers take a more cautious, low-key approach in testing and talking about autonomous vehicles after Uber crash (WSJ)
• Fidelity looks to AI as the future of portfolio management and asset selection (SCMP)
• Cool Tech or Meaningful Disruption? The Dilemma Of The Venture Investor (Forbes)

 

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