Tencent Holdings Ltd. is fighting to restore its reputation as a tech innovator after falling behind in the race to develop groundbreaking frontier AI models. It’s taking an important step in that direction with Xiaowei: a prototype AI agent that it envisions eventually running errands for a billion-plus users across a WeChat ecosystem spanning millions of apps. While still ubiquitous across video...
Tencent Holdings Ltd. is fighting to restore its reputation as a tech innovator after falling behind in the race to develop groundbreaking frontier AI models. It’s taking an important step in that direction with Xiaowei: a prototype AI agent that it envisions eventually running errands for a billion-plus users across a WeChat ecosystem spanning millions of apps. While still ubiquitous across video games, social networking and digital payments, Tencent’s task now is to shake off the perception of being an artificial intelligence laggard. China’s largest company in June began letting select users test-run a native AI agent inside WeChat – the all-in-one platform that intertwines the lives of 1.4 billion people – in a move it hopes will grant a decisive advantage against the likes of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and ByteDance Ltd. The early response is positive. As envisioned, a fully realized AI agent inside WeChat would be able to tap Tencent’s countless touchpoints across China’s online commerce and services arena and stimulate greater engagement. Agents promise to take the hassle out of basic tasks, and Chinese internet users have shown curiosity with their embrace of the OpenClaw framework . The country’s big commercial players are still at the early stages of developing their own offerings, so the window of opportunity is wide open. WeChat’s Xiaowei agent began testing in late June. Bloomberg News gained access through a personal account registered with a mainland Chinese mobile number. As with most conversational AI systems, users speak or type prompts to interact with Xiaowei, whose functionality is constrained at this early stage. Tencent developed a unique large language model called WeLM for the service, without disclosing the technical specifications, and also uses DeepSeek ’s latest model for some of the functionality. The Shenzhen company has shown itself adept at playing the long game, leveraging its massive user base to monetize new media and content grad...
Indonesian authorities are widening their investigation into a case of suspected identity and research fraud at an overseas medical conference, which has exposed gaps in academic oversight and revived concerns about abuses in the nation’s system of publication-driven promotion for academia. The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology has set up a team to examine papers previously publ...
Indonesian authorities are widening their investigation into a case of suspected identity and research fraud at an overseas medical conference, which has exposed gaps in academic oversight and revived concerns about abuses in the nation’s system of publication-driven promotion for academia. The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology has set up a team to examine papers previously published by the alleged perpetrators, saying action would be taken if they were found to have used...
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) is making its biggest bet in years. On Monday, the company agreed to acquire Crinetics Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: CRNX) for $85 per share in cash. That works out to a total equity value of about $10 billion, or roughly $8.8 billion net of the cash Crinetics holds. Both companies' boards approved the deal unanimously, and Vertex expects it to close in the third q...
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) is making its biggest bet in years. On Monday, the company agreed to acquire Crinetics Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: CRNX) for $85 per share in cash. That works out to a total equity value of about $10 billion, or roughly $8.8 billion net of the cash Crinetics holds. Both companies' boards approved the deal unanimously, and Vertex expects it to close in the third quarter of 2026. For a company that has spent decades built almost entirely around cystic fibrosis, this is a meaningful step into a new disease area. Here's what the deal buys, how Vertex is paying for it, and whether the price looks reasonable. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Japanese human resources platform operator SmartHR Inc. has delayed its plans for an initial public offering to next year at the earliest as investors viewed the company’s targeted valuation as too high, according to people familiar with the matter. The software-as-a-service provider had aimed for a valuation of about $1 billion and is working with banks including Daiwa Securities Group Inc. , Gol...
Japanese human resources platform operator SmartHR Inc. has delayed its plans for an initial public offering to next year at the earliest as investors viewed the company’s targeted valuation as too high, according to people familiar with the matter. The software-as-a-service provider had aimed for a valuation of about $1 billion and is working with banks including Daiwa Securities Group Inc. , Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley , people have said. They said the details such as timing and valuation could change due to investors’ concerns over the disruptive impacts of the AI boom on the SaaS sector. SmartHR did not immediately respond to a Bloomberg request for comment. KKR-Backed SmartHR Is Said to Mull Tokyo IPO Later This Year General Atlantic Enters Japan With Investment in Unicorn SmartHR KKR, TVG to Jointly Lead $140m Series E Round of Japan’s SmartHR 500 Startups’ Japan Team Starts New Fund Called Coral Capital The human resources service provider is among the few current Japanese unicorns, defined as unlisted startups valued at over $1 billion, and had earlier mulled a share listing later this year. It had achieved a valuation of ¥170 billion ($1 billion) in a financing round in 2021, before KKR & Co. and Teachers’ Venture Growth led a $140 million fundraising round in 2024. New York-based private equity firm General Atlantic acquired shares in SmartHR from early-stage investor Coral Capital last year. Japan’s IPO market is slowing down as companies and shareholders raised ¥146 billion from first-time offerings in the first half this year, the lowest since 2022, Bloomberg-compiled data shows. The number of small-sized IPOs in Japan last year fell to the lowest in more than a decade, as the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s reform push prompted private companies to reconsider quick listings. For the latest news on equity capital markets activity in the Asia-Pacific region, follow the channel or visit NI BFWECMAS . To subscribe to ECM Watch , Bloomberg’s daily ro...