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L’Oréal intensifies startup focus and investment in beauty innovation across SAPMENA region

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2025 Big Bang competition for Beauty Tech innovation adds new “Science for Beauty” theme, expands to Australia and New Zealand

SINGAPORE, Feb. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — L’Oréal has launched the 2025 Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program across the South Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa (SAPMENA) region, including Singapore. Startups will compete for the opportunity to work with L’Oréal in a commercial pilot with one of the Group’s 37 international brands, tap into potential exposure in 35 markets across the SAPMENA region, and embark on a year-long mentorship program with senior executives from L’Oréal and the program partners.

The biggest Beauty Tech open innovation competition of this geographical scale, the competition expands this year to include Australia and New Zealand. Startups will address one of five challenge themes, including a new “Science for Beauty” theme introduced in 2025, alongside Consumer Experience, Content & Media, New Commerce and Tech for Good.

Vismay Sharma, President of L’Oréal SAPMENA Zone, said, “With its dynamic startup ecosystem and tech-savvy consumers, we’re confident that the SAPMENA region has immense potential to be a driving force in beauty innovation. The Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program opens opportunities for us to discover, support and nurture the next generation of innovators in the beauty industry. By working with promising startups to co-create and co-develop beauty tech and science solutions, we can accelerate the pace of innovation and elevate the beauty experience for consumers in the SAPMENA region.”

With its vibrant and fast-growing consumer base, SAPMENA – home to 40% of the world’s population – presents massive opportunities for startups. Over 60% of the region’s young, digitally native consumers shop online weekly and are driving the growth of the beauty sector. SAPMENA’s startup ecosystem is also booming, with over 625,200 startups and more than 245 unicorns, making it one of the most dynamic markets for beauty innovation.

L’Oréal is dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation. Fast Company named L’Oréal in its Top 50 2024 Best Workplaces for Innovators list and winner of the Beauty and Fashion category, in recognition of its commitment to encourage and develop innovation at all levels.

About the Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program in SAPMENA

The biggest Beauty Tech open innovation competition of this geographical scale, the Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program seeks to discover, support and nurture promising startups from the South Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa region. The competition is open to startups from countries including United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, and now Australia and New Zealand.

Startups will be given the opportunity to develop their pilots in Beauty Tech innovation in one of five challenge themes: Consumer Experience, Content & Media, New Commerce, Tech for Good and Science for Beauty. The regional semi-finals will culminate in a SAPMENA Grand Finale on 5 November 2025 where up to ten finalists will vie for the top spots. Judges will comprise senior executives from L’Oréal and the program partners.

The top three SAPMENA Grand Finale winners will win a L’Oréal-funded commercial pilot opportunity and a year-long mentorship program with senior executives from L’Oréal and the program partners. In 2024, program partners had included Accenture, Google and Meta.

Startups who prove successful pilots in SAPMENA could have the opportunity to work with L’Oréal globally. With L’Oréal SAPMENA as a launchpad, startups could tap into an extensive network of partners and market insights.

Key dates:

Submission deadline: 30 May 2025Regional semi-finals (online): August/ September 2025Middle EastIndiaSoutheast AsiaAustralia and New ZealandSAPMENA Grand Finale in Singapore (in-person): 5 November 2025

Startups passionate about creating the future of beauty with L’Oréal are encouraged to apply now on the competition website by the submission deadline of 30 May 2025.

 

About L’Oréal South Asia Pacific, Middle East, and North Africa (SAPMENA) Zone

Home to 3 billion people and 40% of the world’s population, the South Asia Pacific, Middle East & North Africa (SAPMENA) Zone is a major growth engine for L’Oréal and a global talent hub. The SAPMENA Zone was formed in 2021 to drive focus on consumer needs and growth in many of the world’s most populous, young and fast-growing economies. Across 13 entities and 35 markets spanning New Zealand to Morocco, the L’Oréal SAPMENA Zone is reinventing beauty experiences for our consumers through a portfolio of over 30 international brands and game-changing Beauty Tech innovations. Our business model is built on responsible and sustainable growth, with commitments which focus on three key areas – the planet, the people and our products.

About L’Oréal

For 115 years, L’Oréal, the world’s leading beauty player, has devoted itself to one thing only: fulfilling the beauty aspirations of consumers around the world. Our purpose, to create the beauty that moves the world, defines our approach to beauty as essential, inclusive, ethical, generous and committed to social and environmental sustainability. With our broad portfolio of 37 international brands and ambitious sustainability commitments in our L’Oréal for the Future program, we offer each and every person around the world the best in terms of quality, efficacy, safety, sincerity and responsibility, while celebrating beauty in its infinite plurality.

With more than 90,000 committed employees, a balanced geographical footprint and sales across all distribution networks (ecommerce, mass market, department stores, pharmacies, perfumeries, hair salons, branded and travel retail), in 2024 the Group generated sales amounting to 43.48 billion euros. With 21 research centers across 13 countries around the world and a dedicated Research and Innovation team of over 4,000 scientists and 8,000 Digital talents, L’Oréal is focused on inventing the future of beauty and becoming a Beauty Tech powerhouse.

More information on https://www.loreal.com/en/mediaroom

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SOURCE L’Oréal

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LianLian Global and PayPal Power Cross-Border Payouts for Social Commerce, Marketplace, and eCommerce Customers

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Social commerce, marketplaces and eCommerce players served by LianLian Global can now pay creators, influencers, developers, and independent contractors directly to their PayPal and Venmo wallets.

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LianLian Global  today announced it has partnered with PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) to enable its social commerce, marketplace and e-commerce clients to send payouts directly to PayPal accounts globally and to Venmo accounts in the U.S.

The creator and gig economy runs on fast, low-friction payouts. Brands are expected to spend $32.6 billion on creators in 2026 and roughly 50 million people worldwide create content professionally or semi-professionally (Gigapay Global Creator Economy Report 2026). Many of these recipients already hold a PayPal or Venmo account: PayPal had over 400 million active accounts across approximately 200 markets at the end of Q2 2026, and Venmo reached 67 million monthly active accounts in Q4 2025.

Paypal Payouts is live in 96 global markets and 24 currencies. It allows merchants to send to any email address, mobile number, or Venmo user handle, with or without an existing PayPal or Venmo account.

To support enterprises expanding globally, LianLian Global provides digital payment services including pay-in, pay-out, acquiring, foreign exchange, virtual cards and payment aggregation. To date, its parent company Lianlian DigiTech has served more than 13.3 million clients. Its services reach more than 200 countries and regions, support transactions and settlement in more than 140 currencies, and connect with more than 180 global e-commerce platforms.

The partnership combines LianLian Global’s cross-border collection, FX and compliance infrastructure with PayPal’s global wallet network. Key offerings include:

Pay to PayPal: Payouts from LianLian Global clients to PayPal account holders in 96 markets, using only the recipient’s email or phone numberPay to Venmo: Domestic U.S. payouts to Venmo users, including creators, influencers and independent contractorsPayPal Payouts for Platforms: Mass disbursements for social commerce, marketplaces and affiliate platforms paying large numbers of sellers, creators and contractorsSpeed to settle: Save time and money by eliminating check runs and postage; no need for routing numbers and bank accounts.

Sandra Lam, Deputy CEO of US at LianLian Global: “Social commerce is creating a new economy, where creators, influencers and independent sellers drive discovery and sales alongside the platforms they sell on. Paying these participants fast, across borders and in small amount is what powers the network effect of social commerce. We see our work with Paypal as a key step in building the payout rails for the global gig economy.”

The collaboration expands LianLian Global’s payout coverage and supports its growth in the U.S. and global markets as cross-border platforms scale their creator and contractor programs.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lianlian-global-and-paypal-power-cross-border-payouts-for-social-commerce-marketplace-and-ecommerce-customers-302917635.html

SOURCE LianLian Global

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Crab2B Debuts as Hong Kong’s First Dedicated B2B Platform for Mobile Electronics

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HONG KONG, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — With the global population surpassing 8 billion, mobile electronics have become essential to modern life, with smartphones now used by billions of people. Across approximately 13,861 cities worldwide, electronics wholesalers play a vital role in the supply chain. Among the world’s three major wholesale hubs for digital electronics, Dubai serves the Middle East and Africa, Miami connects markets across Latin America, and Hong Kong draws strength from its unique position linking mainland China with global markets. According to Hong Kong Customs data, re-exports of used mobile phones from Hong Kong reached 51.5 million units in 2025, while the total value of electronics exports hit HK$3.9216 trillion. Yet despite its value running into the trillions of Hong Kong dollars, it has long lacked a dedicated online platform.

Crab2B was created to fill this gap as Hong Kong’s first B2B platform dedicated to mobile electronics. Inspired by Alibaba’s online B2B marketplace model, the platform focuses on consumer electronics, bringing together hundreds of thousands of buyers and sellers worldwide and enabling them to connect directly.

Crab2B covers a broad range of products, including smartphones, tablets, laptops and other smart devices. Listings span brand-new and used devices, as well as certified pre-owned (CPO) and as-is products. The platform also connects buyers and suppliers with service providers offering product inspection, international logistics and repair services. Users can search for products by brand and model, while all merchants undergo rigorous verification before joining the platform. With these safeguards in place, Crab2B is designed to meet the needs of businesses across the value chain, protect the interests of both buyers and sellers, and facilitate mutually beneficial transactions.

Building on Hong Kong’s established trading network, Crab2B made its debut at the HKICEC Global Mobile Exchange Pavilion during the Global Sources Hong Kong Shows, held at AsiaWorld-Expo from October 18 to 21, 2026, where it also launched the Crab2B app. Looking ahead, Crab2B will remain firmly rooted in Hong Kong while expanding its global reach, continuing to refine the platform to deliver a smarter, more comprehensive digital marketplace for mobile electronics. By helping international buyers identify suitable suppliers, simplifying cross-border sourcing and reducing transaction costs, Crab2B aims to support the continued growth of Hong Kong’s digital trade sector and contribute to the city’s long-term prosperity and stability.

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SOURCE CRAB 2B TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT CO., LIMITED

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AiMOGA Launches Global Robot Innovation: Mobo Debuts from Wuhu, Empowering Homes and Businesses

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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AiMOGA Robotics has officially launched Mobo, its first consumer-grade humanoid family companion robot, marking a new chapter in intelligent living for Malaysian households and enterprises. Unveiled globally from AiMOGA’s headquarters in Wuhu, China, during a joint international users summit with its sister brands, this groundbreaking product reflects the company’s commitment to worldwide innovation and technological excellence.

Standing 0.9 meters tall with 22 degrees of freedom, Mobo supports over 20 languages—including Bahasa Malaysia—and delivers rich, personalized interactions. Designed for family life, it offers children interactive learning, storytelling, and object recognition, while providing elders with conversational companionship and customizable reminders. Powered by MoAgent, AiMOGA’s embodied intelligence system, Mobo features a dual-brain architecture enabling real-time responses, multi-tasking capabilities, and adaptive learning through facial recognition and secure MogaCloud integration.

Peng Xia, AiMOGA Robotics Executive Vice President, said Mobo’s spatial perception, interaction, execution, decision-making, and cognition layers form a perception-decision-execution-feedback loop. Spatial memory enables object retrieval, while social navigation recognizes pedestrian paths and interaction zones. Multimodal technologies coordinate language, facial expressions, and movement for natural interaction.

Beyond home use, Mobo shows strong potential in professional settings—from customer service to logistics—supporting AiMOGA’s vision of integrating robotics into everyday workflows.

Since its debut in August 2026, Mobo has attracted over 10,000 prospective users. Thirty-five were selected as Global User Experience Officers, receiving one year of complimentary use to help shape future improvements.

At the event, Guibin Zhang, AiMOGA Robotics General Manager, outlined strategies in R&D, cost optimization, sales and leasing. The “Platform Institute + Scenario Institute” model drives validation for bipedal, quadruped, and wheeled robots. Plans include 300 global experience centers and “Jia Tian Xia”, a robot leasing brand launching in Wuhu. Leveraging Chery’s manufacturing and platform resources enhances cost efficiency and scalability.

Notably, AiMOGA’s impact in Malaysia is amplified through strategic collaboration with sister brands Chery, OMODA & JAECOO, iCAUR, and LEPAS. Their partnership extends far beyond vehicle showrooms and daily operations—jointly developing integrated smart ecosystems that span mobility, retail, smart offices, and connected living.

As part of a global rollout with over 3,000 units deployed across 60+ markets, this initiative aims to bring intelligent, accessible robotics to more Malaysian families and businesses—enhancing productivity, convenience, and quality of life.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/aimoga-launches-global-robot-innovation-mobo-debuts-from-wuhu-empowering-homes-and-businesses-302917658.html

SOURCE AiMOGA Robotics

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