Tidy up 丨 Zhao Xiaoxiao
Editor 丨 and Yi Rong
This week's (2022.04.25-05.01) big events include: China Post launched a cross-border "medium speed express" service; Amazon released the trend of chinese sellers exporting cross-border intellectual property protection; Chinese cross-border e-commerce logistics company Sifang to enter the African market; Tsomsoftbank and Arm will regain control of the Chinese joint venture company and remove the CEO; the US digital freight company Convoy completed a $260 million financing, Bill Gates investment, etc.
Big event at sea
China Post launched a cross-border "medium speed express" service
China Post recently launched the "Medium Speed Express" service, which mainly provides high-volume, multi-batch cargo door-to-door, door-to-port and port-to-port transportation services for manufacturing, foreign trade and cross-border e-commerce enterprise customers through air, sea, rail and land transportation.
It is understood that the service has been opened in Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Henan, Hubei and Chongqing. For example, Liaoning Post has launched the "Medium Speed Express" export Japan and South Korea heavy goods line door-to-port transportation service, providing international transportation solutions for more than 20 customers in development zones, bonded zones, cross-border parks, commercial buildings, cluster markets and so on.
Previously, in order to cope with the rising cross-border logistics costs of Chinese sellers, China Post also launched "12 advantageous special lines", mainly for South Korea, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Russia and other cross-border e-commerce markets, and mainly developed special freight and operation plans for Chinese sellers in these overseas markets.
Amazon publishes trends in cross-border INTELLECTUAL property protection for Chinese sellers
On April 26, Amazon released the latest trends in branding and cross-border intellectual property protection for Sellers in China.
Amazon said that through strong brand protection tools, continuous seller education and training, and joint crackdown on counterfeiting and infringement with relevant law enforcement agencies, it is committed to improving sellers' awareness and ability to comply with the operation and promote the development of intellectual property protection in the export cross-border e-commerce industry.
According to a 2021 Amazon Global Selling China seller survey, 93% of Chinese sellers said it is important to build a brand on Amazon's global sites, and 75% of Chinese sellers are confident in creating and promoting a brand on Amazon. Over the past four years, the number of Chinese sellers who have completed brand registrations on Amazon has increased 40-fold.
Chinese cross-border e-commerce logistics companies are entering the African market
Recently, cross-border e-commerce logistics provider 4PX EXPRESS and African e-commerce Jumia reached a cooperation to officially enter the African market, strengthen Jumia's "last mile" distribution capabilities, and further improve its logistics network.
According to reports, through this cooperation, The Quad Express will first provide services in jumia Nigeria and will gradually expand to Kenya, Egypt and Morocco in the coming months. Founded in 2004, Sifang currently has nearly 40 overseas warehouses in 16 countries around the world, with a total area of nearly 1 million square meters and an average daily processing volume of 500,000 orders.
According to research and data firm Statista, African e-commerce market penetration increased to 27.9% in 2021, up 3.9% since 2019, and is expected to reach around 40% by 2025. As of April, in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, Chinese sellers accounted for more than 40% of sales on the platform.
Overseas large companies
SoftBank and Arm will regain control of the Chinese joint venture and remove the CEO
Japan's SoftBank Group and its British chip design subsidiary Arm are about to strike a deal to regain control of the chipmaker's Chinese business, Anmou Technology, and remove its chief executive, Wu Xiongang.
Anmou Technology is a joint venture company established by Arm in China in 2018, and currently has more than 800 employees in Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu and other places, of which the number of high-end R & D personnel accounts for more than 80%. At present, there are more than 300 authorized partners in China, and the cumulative shipment volume of partner chips has exceeded 25 billion pieces.
In June 2020, Arm joined forces with SoftBank and other shareholders to try to oust Wu Xiongang, chairman and CEO of Anmou China. It is reported that since the collapse of the huge $66 billion acquisition, SoftBank has reopened Arm's IPO plan. Arm China is currently a major obstacle in the eyes of SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son, and addressing control of its business in China will help remove a key uncertainty.
According to reports, Wu Xiongang joined Arm in 2004, became vice president of sales in China in 2007, was promoted to general manager and vice president of sales in China in 2009, and joined arm global executive committee in 2014. On April 29, nearly 430 employees of Anmou Technology, represented by Wu Xiongang, signed a joint statement, saying that they "refuse to be controlled by SoftBank and adhere to independent development."
Buffett bought stocks for 270 billion yuan in 3 weeks and continued to invest in the Chinese market
At Buffett's shareholder meeting on April 30, Buffett revealed the investment operation in the first quarter of this year, and in the three weeks from February 21, Berkshire bought $41 billion (about 270 billion yuan) of stock in one go.
Buffett revealed that Berkshire has held a 9.5% stake in Activision Blizzard, not excluding that it will hold more than 10% of the position, Microsoft decided to increase its holdings after the acquisition, and saw arbitrage opportunities.
For the Chinese market, Munger admits that it is indeed more difficult to invest in China than in the United States. But the reason he continues to invest in China is that "he can buy better companies in China at lower prices." ”
Amazon's stock plunged 14 percent, and Bezos Wealth shrank $20 billion a day
On April 29, local time in the United States, the stock price of e-commerce giant Amazon plummeted by 14% as of the close, which was the worst day of Amazon's stock price since July 2006, and the wealth of its founder Jeff Bezos shrank by $20 billion a day.
The stock price plunge stemmed from the gradual recovery of the epidemic, the gradual reduction of consumers' online shopping, and the stagnation of growth in Amazon's core retail business. Amazon is also facing rising inflation, transportation and labor costs.
According to Forbes data, as of Friday local time, Bezos's net worth was $150 billion, ranking third among the world's richest people. Last year, Bezos' net worth peaked at $210 billion, making him the richest man in the world at the time.
Google will build its largest office campus outside of its U.S. headquarters in Hyderabad, India
According to indian news agency IANS, Google is preparing to build a large-scale park in Hyderabad, and construction began on April 28. Since Google started its business in India, Hyderabad has been one of Google's largest employee bases.
According to reports, Google's new India campus covers an area of 3 million square feet, located in Hyderabad's information technology cluster Gachibowli. The park was initially planned to be a 2 million square meter facility with an investment of INR 10 billion.
Google currently operates in a rental facility in Kondapur, Hyderabad, with about 7,000 employees. The number of employees is likely to nearly double when the new campus is completed.
Overseas investment and financing
Singapore's DTC brand acquirer Believe completed a $55 million Series C financing round
Singapore's DTC brand acquirer Believe recently announced that the company has completed a $55 million Series C round of financing led by venture capital firm Venturi Partners. After the completion of this round of financing, Believe's total financing has exceeded $80 million.
Believe is a Singapore-based global FMCG group that currently owns high-end beauty brand Lafz, clothing brand ZM and professional wash and care brand Dr. Rhazes etc. Believe currently sells its products in at least 8 countries, with Bangladesh and India having the largest market share, while the Market Share in the Middle East is also expanding.
U.S. digital freight company Convoy completed a $260 million financing round, invested by Bill Gates
Convoy, a digital freight company known as the U.S. "Lalala," recently announced the completion of a $260 million financing round. The financing consists of two parts, one for Baillie Gifford and T. Rowe Price Associates led a $160 million Series E preferred equity round, with another part coming from Hercules Capital's $100 million venture debt investment.
In addition, the company's individual investors include Bill Gates, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, former Starbucks president Howard Behar, Y Combinator, and others. Founded in 2015, Convoy is a short-haul truck ride-hailing service provider. After this financing, Convoy is valued at a whopping $3.8 billion.
Indian B2B cross-border e-commerce startup Geniemode completed a $28 million Series B round of financing, led by Tiger Fund
Indian B2B cross-border e-commerce startup Geniemode recently announced that it has secured a $28 million Series B round of funding, which is jointly led by Tiger Fund and Info Edge Ventures. After the completion of this round of financing, Geniemode's valuation will rise to $162 million.
Founded by Amit Sharma and Tanuj Gangwani and headquartered in Gurugram, India, Geniemode is a B2B cross-border procurement and supply chain service platform. The company now has partnerships with more than 100 suppliers from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In the future, Geniemode will also enter the US and UK markets.
Familymart strategically invested in Luup, a Japanese shared scooter startup
Japanese convenience store chains recently announced a strategic investment in shared electric scooter start-up Luup. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Japan, Luup is a provider of home appliance scooters and e-bike sharing services. In Japan's domestic shared electric vehicle market, Luup occupies more than 90% of the share.
Founded in Japan in 1972, FamilyMart is a chain convenience store brand. The family and Luup cooperation began in October 2020, and the two sides will start a comprehensive cooperation based on this strategic partnership. In addition to the Luup site in the FamilyMart store, the two sides will also explore more in brand promotion and joint marketing.
About Going Global
This is the overseas column launched by Chuangyebang, which talks with the first-line people who go to sea and tells the story of the first-line going to the sea.