IDG Capital participated in a Series B funding round at Fourier Intelligence, a Shanghai provider of low-cost robotic exoskeletons for physical rehabilitation. Fourier currently estimates the global exoskeleton market could reach $500 million by 2023, with roughly two-thirds of sales coming from the U.S. and Europe. The firm currently supplies products to more than 500 hundred hospitals and research institutions in China. Previously, IDG Capital joined Fourier’s $4.8 million Series A funding round in 2018.

In an interview, James Peng, the co-founder of startup Pony.ai, said his autonomous vehicle company, based in China and Silicon Valley, continues to attract more riders. He also said that while he believes the U.S. is the global leader in the AV industry, China will catch up soon due, in part, to increasing government support. IDG Capital was a seed round investor in Pony.ai, founded in 2016, and also joined the firm’s $112 million Series A funding round.

IDG Capital led a $50 million investment round in OPay, a Nigerian mobile payments firm founded by Opera Ltd , a browser company based in Norway. The new funding round will help grow the company’s digital finance profile in Africa, OPay said. Founded in 2018, the firm currently has 40,000 active customers with a daily transaction volume of roughly $5 million. IDG Capital was also an early investor in the parent company Opera, which went public on Nasdaq in 2018 and now has a market cap of $1.19 billion.

Klaytn, the blockchain network associated with Kakao, a South Korean messaging app, said its network now runs up to 150 times faster than Ethereum, a rival platform. Klaytn also estimated its transaction throughput at 3,000 per second, compared to 20 transactions per second at Etherium. In 2018, IDG Capital invested in Klaytn.

Forbes China named seven IDG Capital portfolio companies to its 2019 list of the “50 Most Innovative Companies” in China. The seven companies Forbes chose are Ecovacs Robotics, a global home robot supplier based in Suzhou; iQiyi, China’s leading video streaming platform; Pinduoduo, a popular group-buying site; Pony.ai, an autonomous vehicle startup headquartered in Freemont, Calif., and two Chinese cities; SenseTime, a Hong Kong-based artificial intelligence firm, now valued at roughly $4.5 billion; Xiaomi, the world’s fourth largest smartphone manufacturer; and Yuanfudao, an online e-learning and tutoring platform based in Beijing.

Kakao, South Korea’s largest messaging firm, announced Klaytn, a new public blockchain platform designed to expand the technology domestically and beyond its borders. The company also created a governance alliance council, staffed by 19 companies in a variety of sectors —including tech, finance, telecom, gaming and health industries – to help oversee the new platform. Members of Kakao’s governance platform include LG Electronics, LG International and Union Bank. IDG Capital participated in Klaytn’s earlier fundraising rounds in 2018.

KuCoin, a Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange, is partnering with Block Crafters, a Seoul investment fund and blockchain consulting firm, on several early blockchain projects, including the development of new ecosystems for both companies. IDG Capital co-led KuCoin's $20 million Series A round in November 2018.

카카오의 블록체인 기술 계열사 그라운드X(대표 한재선)가 퍼블릭 블록체인 플랫폼 '클레이튼' 메인넷을 27일 정식 출시했다. 그라운드X는 메인넷 출시와 더불어 클레이튼의 합의 노드 운영을 함께할 거버넌스 카운슬도 공개했다. 거버넌스 카운슬에는 LG전자, 넷마블, 셀트리온 등 20여 개의 글로벌 기업이 대거 참여했다. IDG Capital은 2018년 클레이튼에 투자하였다.

Nasdaq-listed iQiyi, China’s dominant online video platform based in Beijing, has hit 100 million paid subscribers. Last year, iQiyi added 36.6 million new subscribers alone. Roughly 98.5 percent of iQiyi customers are paid, the company said. iQiyi is also planning to expand its North American and Japanese presence, a move designed to help the firm compete with Netflix directly in markets outside of China. Previously, IDG Capital joined iQiyi’s $1.53 billion financing round in 2017.

OL Groupe, owner of the French football club Olympique Lyonnais, is expanding into professional basketball with the acquisition of 25 percent of Asvel, a team based in Villeurbanne, a suburb of Lyon, France. The acquisition includes a 25 percent stake in the men’s team worth €3.4 million, and a 10% stake in the women’s team worth €300,000. OL Groupe said it will guarantee Asvel an overall minimum annual revenue of €2.5 million over a period of several years. In 2016, IDG Capital took a 20 percent stake in Olympique Lyonnais for $110 million.

Xiaomi, the world's fourth-largest smartphone seller, is launching the Mi CC smartphone series, a new product line designed by art majors and aimed at young customers. Xiaomi said its latest version is optimized for photography and selfies with a dual-camera system to leverage the popular selfie app Meitu and its photo-editing algorithm. IDG Capital was an early investor in Xiaomi, which went public in 2018 with a $52.7 billion valuation. Meitu, which is also backed by IDG Capital, went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2016.

Razer, a Singapore-based company best known for gaming laptops and peripherals, is partnering with Visa to offer a prepaid solution aimeed 430 million users in Southeast Asia without bank accounts. With the Razer’s mobile payment app, 60 million registered users are now eligible to purchase products with Visa    at 54 million global merchant locations. Razer processed over $1.4 billion in payments last year, and the company, which is now listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, reported $517.9 million in revenue in 2017. IDG Capital-Accel China invested $50 million in the company in 2011.

IDG Capital led a $100-million Series C round in Weimai, a Beijing-based healthcare solutions provider. Founded in 2013, the online platform offers appointments, medicine distribution, remote diagnosis, medical record management and other healthcare services. The proceeds from Weimai’s latest funding round will be used to expand the company’s network of alliances with hospitals, clinics and service providers, and to invest in Internet technology.

Shanghai-based luxury retailer Secoo jointly established an artificial intelligence laboratory with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The partnership will leverage big data and AI technologies to develop an intelligent authentication system and smart-content tagging system for counterfeiting prevention. IDG Capital previously invested in Secoo's Series A, B and C funding rounds. Secoo first went public on Nasdaq in 2017.

Pony.ai, an autonomous driving startup based in China and Silicon Valley, is one of the first companies to receive a robotaxis permit in California. Founded in 2016, Pony.ai has banked at least $214 million in funding, as of April. IDG Capital was a seed investor in Pony.ai and also joined a $112 million Series A funding round in 2018. In addition to Pony.ai. IDG Capital also invested in Zoox, another company that recently received a California robotaxis permit.

Xpeng Motors, a leading Chinese electric vehicle (EV) and technology company, has rolled out its 10,000th electric vehicle in city of Zhengzhou. Xpeng said that growing customer acceptance for its G3 model is testimony to both the company’s sales strategy and supply chain management. IDG Capital co-led Xpeng's $348 million Series B round in 2018.