H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (13 May 2019) – Gates’s Law: How Progress Compounds and Why It Matter

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (13 May 2019) – Gates’s Law: How Progress Compounds and Why It Matter

Companies

• Pinduoduo wants you to buy a product together with 9,999 strangers; Pinduoduo is spending big bucks hoping to kickstart a new social shopping frenzy (KRA)
• Chinese social apps Momo, Tantan and DingTalk suspend user posts amid government crackdown; Tantan is China’s biggest dating platform, with 90 million registered users and six million daily active users (SCMP)
• So Young, More Beautiful – The Allure of China’s Plastic Surgery Market (PD)
• Fanuc to build new plant to harness 5G and self-driving demand; Robot maker to invest $28m to mass-produce equipment for high-end lenses (Nikkei)
• Delta to invest up to NT$13bn in Taiwan (TT)

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

• Lazada extends e-commerce edge in Southeast Asia despite lull in overall visits to site; The Alibaba-backed e-commerce company scored the highest average monthly active users in Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Singapore (SCMP)
• Tencent links up with the State Grid of China to build industrial internet infrastructure for the power sector (KRA)
• Despite propaganda concerns, Tencent launches subscription-based video streaming app in Taiwan (KRA)
• Masa’s $100 Billion Fund Plays a Game of Hot Potato; The trick in venture capital is finding someone to buy your stake for more than you paid. A listing would grant new sources of cash. (Bloomberg); SoftBank’s Market Value Slides $9 Billion as Uber IPO Flops (Bloomberg)
• Apple Partner TSMC Starts Building Chips for the Next Generation of iPhones (Bloomberg)

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

• Facebook files lawsuit against South Korea data analytics group; Social network says case against Rankwave relates to misuse of ad and marketing services (FT)
• TV networks emerge as obstacles on YouTube’s hunt for ads (Reuters)
• Amazon rolls out machines that pack orders and replace jobs (Reuters)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Douyin competitor Kuaishou targets USD 4 billion in revenue and profitability in 2019 (KRA)
• Fashion platform Mogu connects livestreamers and brands (TN)
• China’s ‘data doors’ scoop up information straight from your phone; The security screeners scan more than your face, picking up MAC addresses and IMEI numbers (SCMP)
• METI and JETRO to boost e-commerce support for Japanese firms via Japan Mall websites (JT)
• Hotstar, Disney’s Indian streaming service, sets new global record for live viewership (TC)
• India’s most popular services are becoming super apps; Companies like Paytm and Amazon bundle other services to give users an all-in-one experience (TC)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Markets Are 10X Bigger Than Ever (EG)
• Bosch goes for platinum-light fuel cells (Reuters)
• What’s next for the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Avengers: Endgame is not really the end. Spider-Man, Black Panther, Guardians and more-here’s a comprehensive list-and possibilities-of what’s coming at you from the superhero stables (Forbes)
• MuleSoft chases Aussie transformation mania (AFR)
• The investor who turned down Uber at a $5m valuation; ‘Aargh’ says Mark Suster, who went to Open Angel Forum in 2010 (FT)
• As TV Industry’s $20 Billion Week Starts, Signs That Streaming Isn’t King Yet; The so-called upfronts are traditional television’s annual hype-fest, and a way locking advertisers into lucrative deals. They’re also a reminder of the medium’s continuing relevance (NYT)
• AI arms race risks rise of uncontrollable killer robots; US, China and Russia poised to field unmanned weapons before global rules take shape (Nikkei)
• Uber Is Too Mature and Immature; It has the hallmarks of a slowing, established company and the unprofitable economics of an upstart, making it hard for investors to love. (Bloomberg); Morgan Stanley Got Rich Clients Into Uber. Then the IPO Stumbled (Bloomberg)
• French start-up targets hi-tech anti-pollution mask at Asia’s health-conscious consumers; Founder says US$220 price tag should not deter consumers who value their health above all else. (SCMP)

Life

• Gates’s Law: How Progress Compounds and Why It Matters (FS)
• Police arrest Kangde Xin’s major shareholder in a show of force to support regulator’s crackdown on corporate malfeasance; Police arrested Zhong Yu, the major shareholder and former chairman of Kangde Xin, after its auditor refused to sign off on the listed company’s cash position (SCMP)
• Best World confirms allegations that CEO’s brother-in-law owns main customer in China (ST)
• Degrees of Confidence (MH)
• What Does It Mean to Be Great? Not What You Think. (ZR)