ByteDance joins the annual Spring Festival marketing blowout. Alipay prepares for the 2021 red envelope war. Edtech attracts more investment.
Author: Emma Lee
Edtech firm Huohua Siwei valued at $1.5 billion
K-12 online math and science education platform Huohua Siwei received $150 million in a third batch of its Series E, which totals $400 million.
Pinduoduo blasted for user privacy breach, Luckin franchises: Retailheads
Pinduoduo is under fire again for deleting pictures from a user’s photo album without consent. Luckin opens up to franchises in lower-tier cities.
WeChat doubled mini program GMV in 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated consumer adoption of e-commerce on WeChat and powered growth, as confined shoppers spent more time browsing on the app.
Home rental giant Ziroom is jilting landlords
Landlords told TechNode that house rental platform Ziroom has been demanding cuts in its rent, and walking away from leases if they refuse.
Ele.me faces backlash, Luckin coup: Retailheads
Ele.me is criticized for its treatment of the family of a deliveryman who died on the job. The US may ban American investors from Alibaba and Tencent.
Ele.me driver self-immolates to protest wage dispute
A short video showing individuals putting out the flames engulfing a deliveryman working for Ele.me in Jiangsu province went viral on Chinese social media.
Fired Pinduoduo employee says company exploits workers
Pinduoduo is the target of a fresh wave of online criticism for its alleged coverup through its punishment of the whistleblower.
Pinduoduo faces probe after worker death, e-commerce giants fined: Retailheads
The death of a Pinduoduo employee reignited discussions about overtime work at Chinese tech giants. A Chinese regulator slapped fines on e-commerce firms.
Alibaba empire under pressure, VCs flood edtech: Retailheads
China launches an anti-trust probe into Alibaba and summon executives from Ant Group, Luckin continued to grow in 2020, investment into edtech surged.