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Taipei AI Companies Head to NextRise 2026, Strengthening Asia’s Hub for Enterprise AI Collaboration

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TAIPEI, June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Led by the Department of Economic Development, Taipei City Government, the StartUP@Taipei program brought 10 Taipei-based AI companies to South Korea this month to participate in NextRise 2026, one of Asia’s largest innovation and startup events.

In addition to exhibiting at NextRise, the delegation met with key players in Korea’s innovation ecosystem, including startup hub MARU 360, the Goyang City Government in Gyeonggi Province, and Z Venture Capital Corporation (ZVC), the investment arm of Naver. The participating companies showcased AI applications across retail, financial services, enterprise operations, data platforms, and brand growth.

According to Jin Sang-hoon, Director of Korean accelerator and investment firm Tap Angel Partners:

“Taipei companies have developed mature technologies that are highly complementary to the Korean market. We welcome more Taiwanese companies to enter Korea and provide their services here.”

The participating companies demonstrated how Taipei’s AI sector is evolving beyond software tools to become critical infrastructure for global business operations.

In the retail and consumer sector, KABOB CLOUD has deployed its smart retail solutions through local partners to major Korean retailers including emart, Lotte Mart, Homeplus, GS25, and Daiso, covering more than 1,000 stores. As Korean retailers continue expanding internationally, replicating operational efficiency and customer experience across markets has become a growing challenge.

Global brand expansion is another priority for Korean enterprises. Awesomeart Digital Marketing has helped international brands achieve over 70% market share of voice within six months and has served more than 500 brands. VGV Media Asia, meanwhile, has worked with more than 700 clients across nine markets, including global brands such as Samsung, UNIQLO, and iHerb.

Giftpack, another company focused on global brand operations, has built a network spanning 42 countries, serving more than 1,400 enterprise clients while connecting over 8,000 factories worldwide. The company’s AI Agent is designed not as a chatbot, but as a business infrastructure layer that helps enterprises manage customer relationships, corporate gifting programs, and cross-border supply chains at scale.

Together, these companies highlight the strong alignment between Taipei’s AI capabilities and the international growth strategies of Korean brands and enterprises.

In enterprise operations, PlusBlocks Technology has deployed its AI Digital Employee platform across more than 800 locations, reducing decision-making time from days to seconds. Enterprise data has also emerged as a critical battleground. Metabiz’s AI Enterprise Data Platform currently serves over 200 corporate clients across Asia while maintaining customer retention rates above 80%.

Another participating company, IHH, focuses on enterprise communications infrastructure, providing video collaboration solutions to organizations in finance, insurance, healthcare, and government sectors. As AI agents and robotics become increasingly integrated into business environments, real-time collaboration between humans, AI systems, and autonomous agents is rapidly emerging as a new growth opportunity.

In the financial sector, NOX AI, which has raised US$3.6 million in funding, has expanded its services across Taiwan and Southeast Asia. The company believes the next stage of fintech competition will be defined not by transaction speed, but by democratizing investment intelligence through AI, enabling institutions and individuals alike to access sophisticated analytical capabilities.

Matthew Cho, Co-CEO of Korean venture capital firm Pacemakers, commented:

“Taipei companies have demonstrated remarkable internationalization capabilities. Some have already established business operations in Korea, while others have successfully expanded into Japan and Southeast Asia. We see strong potential for Taipei and Korean companies to jointly pursue larger opportunities across Asia and global markets.”

The Department of Economic Development, Taipei City Government, noted that Taipei’s innovation ecosystem is increasingly moving beyond technology development toward cross-border business services and enterprise solutions. Through continued partnerships with Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, and other strategic markets, Taipei aims to help local companies work more closely with international corporations, investors, and local governments, contributing to the next stage of AI-driven growth across Asia.

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SOURCE Startup@Taipei

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China Xplained | The China Squeeze, or the China Opportunity?

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GUANGZHOU, China, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — This is a news report from South: 

Is China’s manufacturing rise squeezing out or creating opportunities for other economies?

Ahead of the 2026 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in China this November, journalists and experts from around the world gathered in Guangdong for the Asia-Pacific Media Forum (APMF) 2026.

The forum opened in Shenzhen on September 5, bringing together more than 400 representatives from across the Asia-Pacific region, as well as from international organizations.

Before the opening of the forum, participants travelled across Guangdong to see China’s industries and development first-hand.

In this episode of China Xplained, we look at the numbers, supply chains, investment and voices from across the developing world—to ask a bigger question: Is China squeezing out room for other economies?

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/china-xplained–the-china-squeeze-or-the-china-opportunity-302870814.html

SOURCE South

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PUDU D7 Named Honoree in IFA Innovation Awards for Best in IFA Next & Emerging Technologies

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BERLIN, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pudu Robotics, a global leader in commercial service robotics, today announced that its PUDU D7 Semi-humanoid Intelligent Robot has been named an Honoree in the Best in IFA Next & Emerging Technologies category of the IFA Innovation Awards. The recognition highlights PUDU D7’s ability to combine mobile navigation, dexterous manipulation and intelligent sensing to perform a range of tasks in real-world industrial and commercial environments.

The IFA Innovation Awards recognize outstanding innovations across the global technology landscape. Entries are evaluated by an independent international jury based on criteria including technology and functionality, innovation and originality, and the potential to create tangible value for users and the market. The recognition places PUDU D7 among emerging technologies demonstrating new possibilities for the future of robotics.

From Industrial Operations to Guest Interaction

PUDU D7 is designed for industrial, warehouse, retail and hospitality environments, where it can move through human-oriented spaces and perform tasks that require both mobility and dexterous manipulation.

In industrial and warehouse settings, D7 can handle materials, pick items from shelves, replenish inventory, transport goods between work areas and push carts. With a payload capacity of up to 20 kg (44.1 pounds) and an operating height of up to 2 meters (6.6 feet), it can work with a range of storage systems and materials.

In retail, D7 can support shelf replenishment, item handling and store organization, moving products between storage areas and shelves and helping maintain product displays.

In hotels and hospitality, PUDU D7 can take on the role of an intelligent front-desk host, welcoming guests, preparing and serving coffee, interacting with visitors and providing engaging experiences. Its semi-humanoid form and dual-arm capabilities allow it to combine practical service tasks with natural human-robot interaction, bringing a more personable and engaging presence to the guest experience.

Designed for Adaptable Performance

PUDU D7 combines a dual-arm manipulation system, tactile sensing and a 360-degree perception system to support these applications. Front- and rear-facing LiDAR and other sensors enable navigation around people and obstacles, while tactile sensing provides precise control when handling objects.

The robot also features autonomous battery swapping, allowing it to independently replace its battery and reduce downtime during extended operation.

Together, these capabilities enable D7 to support different tasks across a range of environments without being limited to a single application.

PUDU D7 Makes Its European Debut at IFA

IFA 2026 marks the first time PUDU D7 is being showcased in Europe. At the Pudu Robotics booth, visitors can experience live demonstrations highlighting the robot’s capabilities and its potential for human-robot interaction.

D7 interacts directly with visitors through demonstrations including waving, making heart gestures and picking up objects. These demonstrations showcase the robot’s ability to combine movement, manipulation and interaction in a human-oriented environment.

Advancing the Next Generation of Intelligent Robotics

The IFA Innovation Awards recognition marks another step in Pudu Robotics’ expansion from service delivery, commercial cleaning and industrial delivery into embodied intelligent robotics.

PUDU D7 is part of Pudu Robotics’ broader strategy to develop a portfolio of specialized, semi-humanoid and humanoid robots, building on its capabilities in embodied navigation, manipulation and interaction. This approach enables the company to address a broader range of applications across commercial and industrial environments.

Pudu Robotics will continue working with customers and partners worldwide to explore new applications for embodied intelligence and bring increasingly capable robots into real-world environments.

About Pudu Robotics

Pudu Robotics is a global leader in commercial service robotics and the industry’s first company to offer a full portfolio spanning specialized, semi-humanoid, and humanoid robots. According to Frost & Sullivan’s latest market report, Pudu Robotics ranks No. 1 globally in commercial service robotics by both revenue and shipment volume. Built on its One Brain, Multiple Embodiments architecture, Pudu offers robots for service delivery, commercial cleaning, industrial delivery, and general embodied AI applications across hospitality, retail, healthcare, manufacturing, education, public services, and more. To date, Pudu Robotics has shipped over 130,000 robots to customers across 85+ countries and regions.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pudu-d7-named-honoree-in-ifa-innovation-awards-for-best-in-ifa-next–emerging-technologies-302870806.html

SOURCE Pudu Robotics

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Asia-Pacific Media Forum held in China’s Guangdong

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SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from Xinhuanet: 

The Asia-Pacific Media Forum opened on Saturday in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, with the theme of “Building a Path to Shared Prosperity for the Asia-Pacific Community: Media Consensus and Action.”

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the forum and delivered a keynote speech. Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, attended the forum and delivered a speech.

Participating guests noted that this year marks 2026 APEC “China Year,” during which China will host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. They expressed their belief that with support from all sides, the summit will yield fruitful outcomes and elevate Asia-Pacific cooperation to new heights.

Participating guests emphasized that development and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region depend on the active participation of media. The media are expected to share stories of openness and integration, provide comprehensive coverage of the region’s progress and achievements across various fields, and help foster a favorable public opinion environment for the region’s open development.

Participating guests noted that the media should actively promote outcomes of the series of APEC activities, interpret policies and measures of various economies to support scientific and technological innovation, and build regional consensus for innovative development.

They also called for deepening results-oriented cooperation in joint reporting, technological innovation and personnel training, and leveraging media exchanges to carry forward civilizations, spread culture and convey goodwill, so as to enhance mutual understanding and closer bonds among the peoples of the Asia-Pacific.

The forum was co-hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, Xinhua News Agency and the Guangdong provincial government, and organized by the Shenzhen municipal government.

More than 400 representatives from over 40 countries and regions, as well as UN agencies and international organizations, attended the event. At the opening ceremony, 16 founding organizations from China and abroad jointly formed the Organizing Committee of the Asia-Pacific Media Partnership Program.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/asia-pacific-media-forum-held-in-chinas-guangdong-302870809.html

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