36Kr Daily Hot List - 2026-03-07

36Kr Daily Hot List for 2026-03-07. Tech and business news explained simply.

Three business updates: Restaurant chain founder steps down, TikTok's parent company hires thousands of interns, and a new AI tool gets so popular that techies charge $500 to install it for people.

A restaurant chain's founder stepped down as the company cuts jobs, TikTok's parent company is hiring over 7,000 interns with a good chance they'll get full-time jobs, and a new, free AI tool called OpenClaw is so tricky to set up that computer experts are making money by charging people to install it for them.

Looking to buy shares in BrainCo and Qingwei AI funds

People are trying to buy pieces of private tech companies like BrainCo and Qingwei AI, which shows there's a lot of interest in investing in these kinds of businesses even though they're not on the stock market yet.

Daily Tech News Roundup

A bunch of companies are doing new things: a bubble tea chain is getting into coffee, a Chinese company got approval to go public, and an AI app is helping people order services more easily.

Xi Bei in Danger: Founder Steps Down as CEO, Closes Many Stores and Cuts Jobs

A popular Chinese restaurant chain called Xi Bei is struggling badly—its founder just stepped down as CEO, they're closing lots of stores and laying off workers because business has dropped sharply, and if they don't turn things around soon, the whole company could be in real trouble.

10 Days Left: Looking for the Best Real-World AI Uses

A tech news site is running a contest to find the most useful, everyday examples of AI actually helping businesses and people, because right now there's a lot of talk about AI but seeing it work in real life is what really counts.

Sushi restaurant found with parasite eggs, official suggests less holiday swapping, Google tries to hire AI team

A sushi chain got in trouble because a customer found parasite eggs in their fish, showing why food safety checks are important; a government official says swapping workdays for holidays is confusing and we should just have more days off; and Google's AI team is publicly asking a rival's workers to join them, which is like a big tech company trying to steal talent from another.

Hisense launches World Cup-themed AI appliances

Hisense just rolled out a bunch of new smart appliances like TVs, fridges, and washing machines that use AI to make watching soccer easier and household chores smarter, so you can enjoy the game more and worry less about daily tasks.

The Hidden Dangers of Rushed Cars

Car companies are cutting corners on safety testing to make new models faster, which means some cars are hitting the road with problems that could put drivers at risk.

Mercedes' New Car Platform Lands in China First, Using Geely's Tech

Mercedes is teaming up with Chinese carmaker Geely to build cheaper electric cars faster, because China has the tech they need to catch up in the electric race.

Google's AI team wants to hire some smart folks from Alibaba, South Korea's president is putting a huge pile of money into the stock market to calm things down, and a big drug company is cutting jobs at a vaccine factory in the U.S.

Google's AI team is trying to poach talent from an Alibaba AI group, South Korea's leader is spending about $683 billion to stop the stock market from panicking during Middle East conflicts, and Merck is laying off about 150 workers at a U.S. vaccine plant because fewer people worldwide want HPV shots now.

China's foreign exchange reserves rose slightly in February 2026

China's savings of foreign money grew a little bit last month because the value of other countries' money and investments changed, which is good because it shows China's economy is still doing okay and can handle ups and downs.

Record-breaking travel and spending in China during 2025 and 2026 Spring Festival holiday

More people than ever before traveled and spent money on trips within China last year and during this year's Spring Festival holiday, showing that folks are feeling good about getting out and enjoying themselves again after tough times.

Labor Minister: We're looking at how AI can create new jobs and help existing ones

The government is figuring out how to use artificial intelligence to make new types of jobs and make current jobs easier, so technology helps people instead of hurting their work.

China's college enrollment rate passes 60%, top universities expand by 38,000 students

More Chinese kids are going to college than ever before - over 60% of young people now get in - and the best universities are adding thousands more spots, which means more opportunities for regular families to get a good education.

Qingdao releases first list of AI toolkits for solo entrepreneurs

Qingdao just announced a list of 13 ready-to-use AI tools that help people start businesses on their own, making it easier to turn ideas into reality without needing a team.