Nio Inc. plans to boost its European profile and woo consumers skeptical of a newer Chinese electric-car brand with monthly subscription and leasing options. Following a year of modest sales in Norway, Nio will offer three models in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, showcasing the move with an event in Berlin on Oct 8th. Nio will market vehicles via urban stores with subscriptions offers ranging from one to 60 months. It also signed a strategic agreement with Dutch firm LeasePlan last month to supply its vehicles to corporate fleets. IDG Capital joined Nio’s Series B+ and C funding rounds in 2016 and 2017. Nio is the first automobile company that listed in three stock exchanges, it went public in NYSE, SEHK and SGX-ST.

Farfetch announced on Oct 6th that it now accepts payment in cryptocurrency for customers of its marketplace in 37 countries. It follows news this summer that the company would begin to accept such payments in a limited number of markets by year-end. The launch sees it initially accepting six cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), USD Coin (USDC). Customers with an existing cryptocurrency wallet can scan the QR code displayed on the screen at checkout to make the payment using cryptocurrency. IDG Capital joined Farfetch’s series F funding rounds in 2016.

Pony.ai is teaming up with SAIC, China’s biggest car company, to work on a fully driverless robotaxi. The pair has already revealed a concept based on the SAIC Marvel R model that precedes the development of a fleet of autonomous vehicles equipped with Pony.ai’s Level 4 driverless solutions. Their plan hopes to capitalize on recent proposals from the authorities in SAIC’s home city of Shanghai to turn the area into a world leader in autonomous and intelligent driving. Pony.ai already has a significant presence in the city, having established a research center there in 2020, and launching a robotaxi service in the Jiading District in July 2021. IDG Capital joined Pony.ai’s angel round in 2017 and also injected into its series A funding round in 2018.

China's new energy vehicle startup NIUTRON announced that its first production model, the Ziyoujia NV, will officially hit the market on October 8. Positioned as a luxury full-size urban explorer SUV, The Ziyoujia NV is the startup's first attempt in the four-wheel motor vehicle domain since its owner, Li Yinan, is known for the NIU company, his two-wheel electric scooter business. The vehicle offers two power options built on its GEMINI power module system, namely battery-electric and extended range. The car-building project for NIUTRON was initiated in Nov. 2018. In Dec. 2021, NIUTRON announced it has nabbed $500 million in Series A financing, IDG Capital was one of the leading investors.

Circle International Financial, an international peer-to-peer payments company using the Bitcoin blockchain or network, has partnered with Robinhood to make it easier for customers to learn about and use USDC. With the partnership, customers on Robinhood Crypto and the new Robinhood Wallet can now buy, sell, and receive USDC. In addition, the companies will develop in-app educational modules that cover the fundamentals of USDC and stable coins. Customers who complete the free courses will be eligible to earn rewards paid in USDC, the release stated. IDG Capital joined Circle’s  Series C and D funding rounds in 2015 and 2016.

CDMO firm Ubrigene has snapped several hundreds of millions of yuan in a Series C funding round, which is aiming to ramp up its global expansion plan as well as accelerate the construction of its chemistry, manufacturing and controls R&D centres across the US and Canada. Ubrigene offers a spectrum of CDMO servies tagrteing cell and gene theraopies such as plasmids, cell therapy and gene therapy. IDG Capital re-upped in this deal and joined in Ubrigene’s Series B round in September 2021.

Lihao Semiconductor, a manufacturer of semiconductor materials, has completed its Series B funding round at 2.2 billion yuan to invest in technological R&D and the construction of a new production facility. High-purity polycrystalline silicon, a material for almost all semiconductors, is mostly used in semiconductors across the solar photovoltaic and electronics sectors. AS one of the existing shareholders, IDG Capital re-upped in the deal and had injected an sum into Lihao’s Series A round in December 2021.

He Xiaopeng, the founder and CEO of Chinese smart electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng Motors, bought 2.2 million of the firm’s American depositary shares from the market, as its new SUV launch boosts confidence for future profitability. Xpeng is pinning hopes on its new G9 SUV, due for customer delivery in October, to bolster sales and enhance overall competitiveness in the fast-growing mainland EV market. Xpeng launched the G9 in China on Tuesday, calling it “the world’s fastest-charging mass-production SUV, the industry’s first full-scenario Advanced Driver Assistance System”. IDG Capital joined Xpeng’s Series A+/ C funding rounds in 2017 and 2019 and is also one of the leading investors in Xpeng’s Series B funding round in 2018. Xpeng went public in New York in August 2020 and Hong Kong in July 2021.

Dreame Technology ("Dreametech"), a fast-growing company in smart home cleaning appliances, has officially released the new DreameBot L10s Ultra robot vacuum and mop. With dual rotating mop heads, industry-leading suction, innovative 3D mapping, and a self-emptying dock that washes and dries the mop heads, L10s Ultra is the most hands- and hassle-free floor cleaning robot Dreametech has ever released. IDG Capital is the leading investor in Dreametech’s Series B+ funding round in 2020 and also injected into its’ Series C funding round in 2021.

WeRide, an autonomous driving technology company backed by IDG Capital, will cooperate with local government agencies in Guangzhou to launch green, safe, efficient and intelligent sanitation trucks. These autonomous sanitation trucks can drive safely without any driver, fully carrying out sanitation operations, including washing, dry sweeping, spraying and other functions. From September 1, WeRide’s sanitation truck team will be officially put into operation. IDG Capital joined WeRide’s Series C funding round this May.

IICombined, the owner of South Korean eyewear Gentle Monster, has injected US$15 million into Chinese AR technology startup Nreal. Founded in 2017, Nreal is the producer of AR tech glasses – Nreal Light and Nreal Air. Its glass products are sold in six markets, including the US, Japan, South Korea, Spain and China. Backed by IDG Capital since its early stage, Gentle Monster currently operates 62 stores around the world. “This investment is an exciting attempt to explore the fusion and possibilities of fashion and tech,” said Hankook Lim, co-founder of Gentle Monster.

Electric vehicle (EV) startup Xpeng plans to launch two new vehicles next year, with one positioned to be a competitor to Tesla’s Model Y. Xpeng has been aggressive in launching vehicles as it looks to gain share in China’s fast-growing electric vehicle market. Xpeng President Brian Gu said one vehicle, called B-Class, will launch in the first half of 2023 and is “actually going to target [an] even larger market segment” than the P7 sedan. He said the car can be considered a “strong competitor” to Tesla’s Model Y mid-sized SUV. Previously, IDG Capital co-led Xpeng's Series B round.

Farfetch, a London-based online luxury fashion platform, took a step toward long-awaited consolidation in the luxury e-commerce world, agreeing to buy a big stake in its rival Yoox Net-a-Porter. The deal furthers the rise of Farfetch, which was founded in 2007 and operates both as a retailer and a provider of e-commerce technology. In 2016, IDG Capital led Farfetch's Series F funding round. Farfetch went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2018 with a valuation of $5.8 billion.

Pinduoduo, a Chinese bulk-buying e-commerce platform, is planning to launch a cross-border platform designed to connect Chinese and overseas suppliers with global customers. Pinduoduo’s new platform will be more of a general marketplace for low-priced household products and other daily necessities, where the company has experience and a competitive advantage. IDG Capital joined Pinduoduo's Series B funding round in 2016. Pinduoduo went public on Nasdaq in 2018.

Zoox, a California-based autonomous vehicle startup backed by IDG Capital and later acquired by Amazon, demonstrated how the Zoox vehicle can predict its surroundings up to eight seconds in the future. These seconds allow the vehicle to react and make prudent and safe driving decisions. Equipped with a variety of sensors, Zoox collects millions of miles of sensor data to train its AI stack. IDG Capital invested in Zoox in 2016.

Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio plans to enter the U.S. market in 2025 and deploy the first Battery Swap Station in the country as soon as this November. During the last NIO Day, held in December 2021, the company said it plans to be in over 25 countries and regions by 2025. The map displayed during the presentation includes countries such as the United States, Australia, France, and Japan. Previously, IDG Capital joined NIO's Series B+ funding round. NIO went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2018.