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Asia sees VC deals decline in fourth quarter, 2019, finds KPMG analysis

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Hong Kong saw interest from venture capital (VC) investors during Q4’19, led by a USD 180 million funding raised by data centre construction and engineering company Chayora. Life sciences and TMT sectors remain of interest for VC investors in Hong Kong, according to KPMG’s Venture Pulse Q4’2019 analysis.

The VC market in Asia remained soft in Q4’19. Despite two USD 1 billion deals in the final quarter of the year, deal volume dropped from 1,232 deals in Q3 to 1,021 deals in Q4. On a quarterly basis, VC investment rose slightly to USD 18.7 billion in Q4’19. Year-on-year, the region’s total annual VC investment in 2019 was less than the USD 126 billion seen in 2018.

Egidio Zarrella, Partner and Head of Clients and Innovation, KPMG China, said, “Over the next few months, the word that will characterize the VC market the most will likely be ‘caution’. There’s still a lot of uncertainty in the market. Both companies and VC investors are getting quite fatigued with some of this uncertainty and that could easily impact short-term investment decisions.”

China’s overall VC investment was relatively steady quarter-over-quarter, led by a Q4′19 USD 1 billion funding raised by online housing platform Beike, followed by a USD 400 million funding raised by automotive company Xpeng and a USD 224 million funding raised by fintech WTOIP international.

In Q4’19, B2B companies were of particular interest to VC investors in China, with interest spanning across sectors such as fintech and logistics to companies focused on cloud-based technologies. Alibaba has been particularly active in the B2B cloud space, while Baidu and Tencent have started to make their own inroads, the analysis finds.

B2B services are expected to grow in 2020, particularly in areas such as financial services. VC investors in China are expected to continue to prioritize late-stage deals with a focus on companies with strong business fundamentals.

Philip Ng, Head of Technology, KPMG China, said “Both Chinese companies and VC investors in China are beginning to look globally to achieve growth. Southeast Asia and Europe were two prominent areas where China-based investors set their sights in 2019 — a trend expected to continue heading into Q1’20. Investment appetite has also changed from burning money to acquire market to deep tech innovation in China.”

Hong Kong IPO bourse secured the top position in terms of total funds raised in 2019 driven by Alibaba’s mega secondary listing in Hong Kong raising USD 12.9 billion in Q4.

Irene Chu, Partner, Head of New Economy and Life Sciences, Hong Kong, KPMG China, said, “While IPO sizes in general were down besides the mega transactions, they reflected much of the trends seen elsewhere in the world. While deal sizes may have fallen somewhat over the course of the year, TMT as well as health/life sciences continued to be a strong focus of VC investors in China.”

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SOURCE KPMG China

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CCTV+: From Silk Road Gateway to Global Innovation Hub: Xi’an Advances Industrial Upgrades and International Cooperation

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XI’AN, China, Nov. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Xi’an, an ancient capital and starting point of the Silk Road, is growing rapidly into a cosmopolis of technological innovation, industrial transformation and international cooperation. The city is becoming a global hub for innovation and economic cooperation and a destination that converges historical heritage with modern creativity. By leveraging initiatives in New Quality Productivity, the Internet of Things, high-tech industries, culture, and international business services, Xi’an showcases its dynamic blend of past and future.

Industrial Development: Technology and Innovation Drive Emerging Industry Clusters

Aiming to establish itself as an international hub with rapid scientific and technological innovation, Xi’an is now building a comprehensive national science center and a center for science and technology innovation.

The Silk Road Technology City is now home to more than 4,000 companies and has fostered two major industry clusters, in optoelectronics and automobiles, each worth tens of billions. Leading industry giants like BYD and Samsung have established themselves here, taking advantage of Xi’an’s robust policy support for innovation-led growth. LONGi, a world leader in solar technology, is actively building Shaanxi’s 100-billion-grade silicon-based solar PV industry innovation cluster, driving industry-wide growth through R&D and supply chain expansion; while BYD’s comprehensive new energy vehicle industry chain has also positioned Xi’an as a key base for new energy technology and electric vehicles.

Belt and Road Hub: Connecting Development Across Borders

As a central hub along the Belt and Road, Xi’an recently hosted the Belt and Road Forum for International Think Tank Cooperation, fostering collaboration and advancing connected, networked development through the trans-Eurasian transport corridor. With growing trade opportunities, Xi’an is also expanding its reach into international markets, particularly in Central Asia, exporting specialty agricultural products like kiwi fruit.

Through conventions and conferences, Xi’an has demonstrated its significant potential for international economic cooperation, establishing stronger ties in Central Asia and Belt and Road countries.

New Quality Productivity: Smart Technologies and Advanced Manufacturing Fuel Growth

New Quality Productivity is driving Xi’an’s high-quality development leveraging smart technologies and intelligent manufacturing. Local enterprises like SUNNYIT are promoting innovative applications of IoT technologies to tackle industry bottlenecks, Xi’an Chinastar M&C Limited is supporting real-time urban management with products including smart manhole covers and parking monitoring systems to support urban safety and municipal services.

Industrial robots and intelligent manufacturing are also accelerating Xi’an’s industry transformation. Xi’an Aerospace Automation’s 4,000-kilogram robot, designed for warehouse logistics, highlights the city’s advancements in high-load, high-precision applications.

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High-Quality Development: Digital Technology Empowers Xi’an’s Smart City Ambitions

Xi’an is progressing in smart city development, enabling companies to utilize big data and AI for comprehensive traffic analysis, enhancing traffic management efficiency, and establishing a “transportation+” multi-scenario service system to improve travel experiences.

Xi’an looks to cooperate with more companies and research institutions in fields of environmental protection, water-related affairs, education, and urban management with the goal of promoting technological breakthroughs in areas such as intelligent video analysis and large-scale AI models, empowering city management and services through digital technologies and support the development and innovation of companies in the city.

Opening Up to the World: Xi’an Shares Its Story and Strengthens Business Environment

The newly established Xi’an International Communication Center shares Xi’an’s story in multiple languages, promoting Chinese culture and positioning Xi’an as a major platform for cultural exchange. Additionally, a legal service center in Xi’an Chanba International Port now offers comprehensive legal support, fostering a fair and just international business environment.

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KuCoin Shines at The Gateway Event, Advocating for Blockchain Innovation Through TON

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DUBAI, UAE, Nov. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — KuCoin, a global leader in the cryptocurrency exchange arena, is thrilled to announce its active participation at this year’s premier TON community event, The Gateway. The annual conference, renowned for uniting key players in the TON ecosystem, aligns perfectly with KuCoin’s mission to democratize cryptocurrency and expand its reach across the globe.

Representing KuCoin at the event was Alicia, who took part in the insightful panel discussion on “Perspective Sectors on TON for VCs and Exchanges.” Her presence underscored the vibrant potential of the venture capital market within emerging blockchain technologies, particularly the TON ecosystem. Alicia’s discussion highlighted how TON’s seamless integration with Telegram presents unique opportunities for innovation and user engagement, resonating with KuCoin’s strategic initiatives to bridge social connectivity with financial transactions.

“TON’s integration with Telegram not only simplifies the user experience but also amplifies it, making it a gateway for millions to engage with Web3 technologies,” Alicia stated. She emphasized KuCoin’s commitment to leveraging this synergy to enhance secure, user-friendly trading experiences, thus furthering its mission of putting crypto in every pocket.

KuCoin’s participation in The Gateway event reinforces its dedication to fostering a secure, robust, and accessible trading environment, paving the way for a new era of crypto and blockchain integration.

About KuCoin

Launched in September 2017, KuCoin is a leading cryptocurrency exchange with its operational headquarters in Seychelles. As a user-oriented platform with a focus on inclusiveness and community engagement. It offers over 800 digital assets across Spot trading, Margin trading, P2P Fiat trading, Futures trading, and Staking to its 36 million users in more than 200 countries and regions. KuCoin ranks as one of the top 6 crypto exchanges. KuCoin was acclaimed as “One of the Best Crypto Apps & Exchanges of June 2024” by Forbes Advisor and has been included as one of the top 50 companies in the “2024 Hurun Global Unicorn List”. Learn more at https://www.kucoin.com/

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UBS Asset Management launches its first tokenised Money Market Fund, available through DigiFT

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SINGAPORE, Nov. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — UBS Asset Management, launches its first tokenized investment fund “uMINT”, made available through authorized distribution partner, DigiFT.

With DigiFT, investors can subscribe to uMINT using their preferred custody wallet solution, gaining access to real-time redemption capabilities via DigiFT’s platform. uMINT, a Money Market investment underpinned by high quality money market instruments based on a conservative, risk-managed framework, is built on Ethereum distributed ledger technology and issued under UBS Tokenize, UBS’s in-house tokenization service, a full service offering for digital asset services, that seeks to open the door to the world of decentralized finance to a broader range of market participants.

“We’re honoured to be an authorized distribution partner for UBS Asset Management in launching their first tokenized money market fund. This is a significant milestone in the world of Web3, and a testament of our ability to transform capital markets. Not only does this partnership bridge traditional finance with digital and decentralized technologies, it also demonstrates our ability to deliver next-generation investment solutions on an open network – for a new generation of global investors,” said Henry Zhang, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of DigiFT.

As part of the partnership, DigiFT will provide infrastructure for managing and monitoring on-chain distribution activities and transactions for the new tokenized money market fund. Enabled by blockchain technology, DigiFT’s best-in-class, open infrastructure ensures all transactions are stored and recorded on an immutable ledger, providing real-time operational and audit visibility. Beyond streamlining administrative processes, DigiFT is able to leverage smart contracts and facilitate automated compliance and operational efficiencies, further allowing investors to invest and explore new financial Web3 use cases.

DigiFT is the first exchange deploying smart contract methods and processes, with an automatic market-making mechanism, to be recognized as a Recognised Market Operator (RMO) and awarded the Capital Markets Services (CMS) license by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Disclaimer: This article is not an advertisement making an offer or calling attention to an offer or intended offer

About DigiFT

DigiFT is the first exchange for on-chain real-world assets to be licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Find out more www.digift.sg

For media enquiries, please contact [email protected]

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