Top 5

Mastering the art of data: the skills that will get you noticed

It’s almost a decade since a much-shared Harvard Business Review article declared data scientist the sexiest job of the 21st century. But is working with data still as novel or as exciting as it was then?

The rise of digital currencies in the emerging world

As of September 7, 2021, El Salvador will officially recognise Bitcoin as legal currency. This is a remarkable move, and one that will likely stimulate a huge amount of economic growth as Salvadoreans leapfrog from a largely cash-based society straight to a system characterised by the frictionless, finger-snap efficiency of digital currency.

Trump’s plans to ban Chinese app WeChat blocked

A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order to ban WeChat over concerns the ban would threaten users’ first amendment rights

Oracle returns to growth

The software maker’s quarterly revenue exceeded analysts’ expectations, as remote working drove greater demand for its cloud-computing services

Top 5 AI start-ups in Asia

Although China is currently dominating AI technology in Asia, other countries in the region are making significant progress, too. The New Economy looks at the biggest players attracting substantial investment at home and abroad

UBTECH Robotics is the first Chinese company to commercialise a humanoid robot, with its Alexa-enabled smart-home robot, Lynx, just one in a broad range of products

Through the Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Plan, China hopes to become the world leader in AI by 2030. And with SenseTime Group recently becoming the world’s most valuable AI start-up, it’s hard to argue that Beijing isn’t on course to achieve such a feat.

But despite all the noise, China isn’t the only country in Asia making strides in the development of AI. Here, we look at some of Asia’s most influential AI start-ups:

SenseTime Group, China
Thanks to its facial recognition technology – and a $600m investment from e-commerce conglomerate Alibaba Group – SenseTime is now valued at over $3bn, making it the world’s richest private AI start-up.

Its deep learning software provides services such as bank card verification and surveillance to more than 400 Chinese companies.

Appier, Taiwan
A Taipei-based company that aims to provide AI solutions to businesses, Appier has secured over $81m in funding since it was established in 2012.

Appier currently operates 14 offices across Asia, using its AI expertise to serve around 1,000 brands globally.

Thanks to its facial recognition technology, SenseTime is now valued at over $3bn, making it the world’s richest private AI start-up

UBTECH Robotics, China
Based in China’s Silicon Valley, Shenzhen, UBTECH Robotics is the world’s leading AI and humanoid robotics company. It is the first Chinese company to commercialise a humanoid robot and offers a range of products, including the STEM learning Jimu robot for children and Lynx, the Alexa-enabled smart-home robot.

ViSenze, Singapore
Aimed at improving customers’ e-commerce journey, ViSenze’s AI recommends visually similar products to shoppers who upload or search for an image or video online. As a result, retailers such as ASOS and Uniqlo can generate revenue from engaging more with consumers’ shopping habits.

ViSenze’s pioneering image recognition tool has attracted $14m in investment to date.

Mobvoi, China
Beijing-based Mobvoi, also known as Chumenwenwen, is the only Chinese company to develop its own Chinese speech recognition and voice search software.

The technology can be found on WeChat, iOS, Android and Google Glass. Additionally, the company has partnered with Google and Volkswagen to apply its AI technology to the wearable tech and automobile market.