Domestic News

Tencent Dingdang and Skyworth Xiaopai release AI intelligent voice projection P2

On March 8, it was reported that the AI intelligent voice projection P2 launched by Tencent Dingdang and Skyworth was officially released and put on sale on JD.com, priced at 1,999 yuan. This intelligent voice projection, which combines Skyworth's hardware advantages and Tencent's Dingdang AI application solution, greatly improves users' intelligent interactive experience and listening experience, further meeting the projection needs of daily families and light businesses.

The new Skyworth Xiaopai Intelligent Voice Projector P2 is small and lightweight. It is about the size of a mobile phone and can be projected on a 100-inch large screen. It has a symmetrical dual audio system sound effect and a multi-piece glass lens. It supports trapezoidal correction, 3D and 4K video playback, and is also a step forward for business use. The battery capacity has been increased to 5600mAh, with longer battery life. It also supports WPS software for office work.

After iQiyi, JD.com PLUS members notified the rights of reading members

According to news on March 8, after opening up iQiyi, JD PLUS members announced today that they have reached a cooperation with Zhihu members and jointly launched the "Jingzhi Co-branded Membership Card" to realize the interoperability of the rights and interests of JD PLUS members and Zhihu Reading members.

In the future, new JD PLUS members will be able to enjoy the various rights and interests of Zhihu reading members on the Zhihu platform. Users can enjoy many rights and interests, including more than 600 audio lectures interpreted by economist Liang Xiaomin, sociologist Li Yinhe, physicist Li Miao and others, more than 10,000 popular and classic e-books from publishing institutions, e-books such as "Zhihu Hour" and "Zhihu Salt" series produced by Zhihu, and year-round high-quality reading Live. At the same time, Xinzhihu reading members will also enjoy the gift packages brought by JD PLUS members, including 10 times the shopping rebate to Jingdou, a gift package of 360 yuan shipping coupons for the whole year, iQiyi VIP membership, a monthly 100 yuan coupon gift package, monthly 10% off coupons for clothing categories, exclusive prices for more than 5 million items, etc.

Foreign News

Amazon stops purchasing products from third parties: encourages sales through the marketplace platform

On March 8, Amazon suddenly stopped purchasing goods from many wholesalers and instead encouraged them to sell directly to consumers through the company’s marketplace platform.

Allowing merchants to sell directly on the platform benefits Amazon because it allows it to charge fees for warehousing and logistics services and take a commission from each transaction without the risk of overstocking. The shift in strategy comes as growth in Amazon's core business slows. Allowing more buyers to sell directly through the marketplace platform can help Amazon activate this data, especially in the area of ​​third-party seller services. At the same time, Amazon is investing heavily in private-label merchandise and other items sold exclusively on the site.

SoftBank launches innovation fund, committing to invest US$2 billion in Latin American startups

On March 8, SoftBank Group announced the creation of the Innovation Fund, which will first commit to investing US$2 billion in technology start-ups in Central and South America, especially in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, covering areas such as e-commerce, digital financial services, healthcare, mobile and insurance.

In addition, SoftBank also announced that it will establish a group called "SoftBank Latin America Local Hub" (SoftBank Latin America Local Hub), which will work with companies receiving SoftBank investment to help them enter the regional market. This is the first time SoftBank has created such a fund focused solely on a single region, although it has pioneered big bets in specific countries such as India in the past. And it also appears to be the first time SoftBank has formally formed a group to help other portfolio companies expand in a region.

More efforts before IPO! Airbnb announces acquisition of hotel booking platform HotelTonight

On March 8, Airbnb announced that it would acquire HotelTonight, a San Francisco-based service company that allows users to instantly book discounted hotel rooms in 40 countries around the world. The company did not disclose how much money it invested in acquiring the nine-year-old company.

AiThe move by rbnb reflects another trend in the industry. Rival booking sites such as Expedia and TripAdvisor have expanded beyond hotels into vacation rentals. HotelTonight reportedly turned a profit in 2018. The pre-IPO acquisition could make Airbnb more attractive to investors. Users can already book boutique hotels, bed and breakfasts, hostels and resort rooms on Airbnb. The company also said that acquiring HotelTonight and integrating it into Airbnb will make it easier for users to quickly find the perfect hotel. Airbnb said: “After using Airbnb to book a hotel room for the first time, nearly 90% of users use our app again to book a room on their second trip.”

Financial Investment

Baidu led the investment, and WM Motor completed 3 billion yuan in Series C financing

It was reported on March 8 that WM Motor has completed a Series C financing totaling 3 billion yuan. This round of financing was led by Baidu Group, with participation from Taihang Industrial Fund, Linear Capital and others. The financing will be mainly used for user experience and technology research and development. Up to now, WM Motor’s cumulative financing amount has reached nearly 23 billion yuan. In addition, according to people familiar with the matter, WM Motor’s valuation is expected to be further improved after this round of financing.

Under the wave of new car manufacturing brought by electric vehicles, the first batch of leading companies including WM Motor have entered the delivery process. Currently, for new car manufacturers, the construction of user experience has become particularly important. It is understood that after completing the C round of financing, Weimar will continue to strengthen its investment and construction in user experience.

Yiqi Battery Exchange completed hundreds of millions of yuan in Series B financing, led by Tencent, and followed by NIO Capital, Cathay Capital, and New Cognition United

It was reported on March 8 that Yiqi Battery, a new energy two-wheel travel service provider, has officially completed hundreds of millions of yuan in Series B financing. This financing was led by Tencent, with participation from NIO Capital, Cathay Energy Fund, and New Cognition. Yiqi Battery Exchange has previously received angel round and Series A investments from Sinovation Ventures, Ruchuan Capital and Meihua Venture Capital.

After this round of financing, Yiqi will continue to increase investment in R&D, continue to put safety as the first premise, maintain the R&D iteration of battery and related BMS technologies, and at the same time increase the coverage density of power swap cabinets in the city, reducing the service radius between city power swap stations to 2.5 kilometers. By laying nearly 10,000 power cabinets, it will form a high-quality service network and use it.Electricity has become as convenient as refueling, and the vision of “hundred stations in a single city, tens of thousands of stations in a hundred cities, and seamless coverage of urban power replacement networks” will eventually be realized.