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Aug 6
Unitree's impending IPO draws Meituan and Tencent as investors

Chinese robotics company Unitree is entering a critical stage in its initial public offering. The IPO is expected to raise about CNY4.2 billion (approximately US$622 million), while the company's post-listing valuation could range from CNY40 billion to CNY50 billion. It would become the first company on China's A-share market whose primary investment theme is humanoid robotics.

From smartphones and smartwatches to emerging AI glasses, electric vehicles, autonomous driving systems, and the rapidly expanding drone industry, batteries have become the indispensable power source behind virtually every next-generation technology. More than just the "heart" of these products, batteries have also become one of the world's largest strategic growth markets.

Inventec said notebook shipments will soften in the third quarter after customers pulled in orders during the first half, lifting volumes above expectations, while server shipments are set to keep rising. The Taiwanese electronics maker reported that it shipped 1.6 million notebook units in July, down from 2.4 million in June, and expects third-quarter notebook shipments to fall by a single-digit percentage from the second quarter.

South Korean internet giant Naver is accelerating its move into defense AI after falling short in the country's independent AI foundation model race, seeing the sector as its next growth engine. Through Naver Cloud, the company has set up a dedicated defense AI team and dispatched field engineers into military systems for customized deployments.

Chicony Electronics reported stronger second-quarter earnings on August 5 as demand from the commercial market outpaced consumer spending. The Taiwanese electronics maker said higher-end products such as smart video conferencing systems and gaming keyboards helped improve its profit mix even as DRAM-related cost pressure remained a drag on end-market demand.

Chinese optical transceiver suppliers are trying to calm investors after reports that the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) may restrict new China-made data-center components, threatening a supply chain central to global AI infrastructure.

Drones, robots and self-driving vehicles are becoming the new proving ground for artificial intelligence. Machines are taking on more decision-making themselves, rather than relying on the cloud. The reason is speed. When a system has to react in milliseconds, waiting on a round trip to external servers is not an option, whether it's avoiding a collision or detecting an unauthorized drone. Elan Microelectronics chairman I-hau Yeh says this shift, moving AI processing from edge computing directly onto the device itself, is becoming essential for unmanned systems. Few applications demand more speed and accuracy than counter-unmanned aircraft systems, or C-UAS: technology built to detect and respond to unauthorized drones.

Former White House National Security Council chief of staff Alexander Gray has called on South Korea to deepen supply chain cooperation with the US and avoid following the European Union's digital regulation path.
Metaage, a Qisda group company, reported sharply higher results for the first half of 2026 as demand tied to artificial intelligence accelerated across enterprise customers. The board approved the consolidated financial report for the second quarter of 2026, showing 1H26 revenue of about NT$12.6 billion, up 19% from NT$10.6 billion a year earlier, while net profit attributable to the parent company rose to about NT$349 million.

CHT Security posted strong results for the first half of 2026, with consolidated revenue rising 21% year-on-year to NT$1.182 billion (US$36.6 million), net profit after tax growing 13% year-on-year to NT$251 million, and earnings per share of NT$6.16. Both revenue and profit set new highs for the period, driven by surging corporate cybersecurity demand amid growing AI adoption. Additionally, July revenue rose 9% year-on-year to NT$210 million, bringing cumulative revenue for the first seven months of the year to NT$1.392 billion, up 19% year-on-year and also marking a new high.

On August 5, Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council said it had completed the central government's 2027 budget plan, with NT$182.3 billion (US$5.7 billion) earmarked for technology spending, up about 9.5% from 2026. The biggest increase goes to sovereign AI computing power and infrastructure as Taipei pushes ahead with its Smart Nation 2.0 initiative.

Primax Electronics reported stronger second-quarter 2026 consolidated revenue on the back of robust shipments from new consumer audio programs and contributions from professional audio projects, while profit metrics weakened under pressure from a stronger yuan, rising component costs and product-mix changes. The Taiwan-based electronics maker said it was adopting a more cautious view of the third quarter as it expanded into AIoT, smart surveillance and robotics.