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AI Creates Smarter Living: Takeaways from the TechLIFEStyle Conference in Hong Kong

The Coresight Research team attended TechLIFEStyle conference, part of StartmeupHK, held in Hong Kong January 22, 2019. StartmeupHK is an initiative launched by InvestHK to promote Hong Kong as a startup destination, connecting entrepreneurs and investors. The theme of the event was “living smarter, living better,” looking at how lifestyle technology can be woven into everyday life. These are some highlights of the event.

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US Digital Payments Take Off, with Unexpected Winners and Losers

The digital payments landscape is evolving rapidly as consumers and merchants adopt more innovative modes of payments. Cash is declining worldwide, while credit and debit cards have gained popularity. Mobile payment and wallet services are also gaining traction, supported by growing smartphone use, faster data rates and greater Internet penetration.

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Understanding WeChat, China’s Super App: Part 2 — How WeChat Mini Programs Spell Opportunity for Brands and Retailers

WeChat dominates the social media scene in China — so much so that even large companies are leveraging its reach over using their own apps, and even buying add space in WeChat games. To tap into this opportunity, WeChat has been developing “mini programs” that operate within WeChat but function as a separate company app would, allowing users to order, pay for, pick up or have goods delivered. What’s the opportunity?

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Payment App Becomes Korea’s First Fintech Unicorn

On December 10, Toss became the fifth Korean unicorn startup, after its parent company, Viva Republica, announced that it raised an additional $80 million in funding, bringing total funding to $200 million and valuing the company at $1.2 billion. The new funding round was led by Silicon Valley-based venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins and Ribbit Capital. Previous funding came from PayPal, Sequoia and the Singapore Sovereign Wealth Fund Government Investment Corporation.

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