36Kr Daily Hot List - 2026-07-17

36Kr Daily Hot List for 2026-07-17. Tech and business news explained simply.

Hong Kong PhD Founders Build Robot Full-Body Touch Skin, Big Investors Join

A startup makes a special skin that lets robots feel touch all over their body, so they can do tricky jobs like carrying boxes or helping people without dropping them.

Ex-Nio and Huawei smart driving experts start a robot world model company, raise hundreds of millions in 3 months

Some smart car experts started a company to build a brain for robots that helps them understand and adapt to the real world, and big investors gave them lots of money because this could make robots way smarter and more useful in factories.

A Company That Makes Humanoid Robots Gets Millions in Funding

This company builds humanoid robots for other brands, and the new money will help them make better robots and sell them overseas.

Chinese Startup Develops Key Material for Hydrogen Fuel, Makes It 50% More Stable, Raises Millions

A company called Platinum Hydrogen Technology made a material that helps hydrogen fuel work better and last longer, and they got a bunch of money to build factories and hire more people.

Chinese AI company Zhipu hits $1 billion in yearly sales, growing 15 times in half a year

Zhipu, a Chinese AI company, now makes $1 billion a year from selling its AI technology to businesses, which matters because it shows Chinese AI firms can compete with US giants like Anthropic and OpenAI.

Changxin Memory's online IPO lottery rate is 0.40995452%; Trump's head will be printed on $1 coins; multiple NFC juice factories exposed for having no fruit

Changxin Memory stock is hard to get because too many people applied, Trump's face on a coin is a big deal but some say it's against the law, and cheap "fresh juice" is actually fake made from water and concentrate.

Company started by SenseTime's first employee makes AI companion toys

A new company created a smart toy that remembers you and grows with you, making it feel like a real friend, and it just got millions to start selling.

IDC: Baidu Smart Cloud tops China financial AI market; Tencent Cloud partners with RoboScience; Ministry of Commerce updates on Nexperia issue

Baidu is still number one in selling AI tools to banks and insurance companies, and Tencent is teaming up with a robot company to make smarter machines; this matters because AI is becoming a big deal in finance and robots.

A High School Grad Made a Viral Hit with AI, Changing His Life

A guy without a fancy degree used free AI tools to make a hit movie, just like how a regular person can suddenly strike gold.

Big tech firms race to use AI for weight loss

Big internet companies like Ant Group and JD Health are investing in weight loss AI because it's a common, everyday need that keeps users coming back, unlike other health issues that people don't deal with as often.

Big money buying public utilities and basic chemicals today

Rich investors put their cash into stable businesses like water and electricity companies and chemical factories, and sold off tech stocks, meaning they think the economy is slowing down.

China's main stock indexes all fell at noon break, nearly 4,400 stocks in the red

The stock market had a bad morning, with almost all stocks losing money, so if you own stocks, you likely lost some money today.

SK Group Chairman Cui Taewon Responds to Recent Stock Drop: Memory Chip Demand Will Drive Long-Term Growth

He says that while stock prices go up and down in the short term, the growing demand for memory chips means the company's stock will rise over time.

China's Forex Regulator Cracks Down on Illegal Forex Activities, Fines Over 400 Million Yuan in First Half of Year

The government is punishing people who exchange money illegally, to keep the system fair and safe for everyone.

Train Tickets Can Be Booked Up to 60 Days in Advance

You can now reserve train tickets up to 60 days early, so you don't have to worry about last-minute tickets during holidays.