Seven consumer companies have received new funding; Ningji has signed contracts for 15 stores overseas; Xiaohongshu has reached a cooperation on the "Red JD Plan" with JD.com | Insights into Venture Capital

Compiled by | Lan Jie

Busy Money

ListenHub Secures Millions of US Dollars in Angel Investment from Sequoia China

The AI podcast generation platform ListenHub recently announced the completion of a multi - million - dollar angel round of financing, exclusively invested by Sequoia China. Relying on cutting - edge artificial intelligence technology, the platform supports the generation of bilingual podcasts in Chinese and English, providing users with a personalized audio content experience. Its core algorithm can quickly analyze user interests and generate customized podcasts, effectively solving the problem of low efficiency in traditional podcast content screening. The funds raised by ListenHub in this round will be used for technological iteration and market expansion.

Deng's Grandma's Handmade Milk Tea Completes Tens of Millions of Yuan in Series B Financing

Deng's Grandma's Handmade Milk Tea is a handmade milk tea brand originating from Taiwan, China, founded in 2022. Its products combine the characteristics of Taiwan and Guangxi to create a series of handmade milk teas. Recently, Deng's Grandma's Handmade Milk Tea completed a tens - of - millions - yuan Series B financing, exclusively invested by Zhongjing Investment Holding (Hainan) Co., Ltd. The financing will be used to deepen the supply chain construction, accelerate regional market expansion, and promote product R & D and innovation.

Liyuan Sanbao, a Tea Production Supplier, Obtains Series A Financing

Recently, Liyuan Sanbao obtained Series A financing, invested by Lushan Science and Technology Investment. The specific amount was not disclosed. Liyuan Sanbao is committed to the production of tea products, and its core products are Sangzhi white tea and Chinese ardisia tea. With this financing, Liyuan Sanbao will optimize its production process, improve product quality, and further expand its market.

Zhuchangxiu, a 24 - Hour Self - Service KTV Chain Brand, Completes 20 Million Yuan in Series A Financing

Recently, Zhuchangxiu completed 20 million yuan in Series A financing, with the investor being Shenzhen Guozhiqiang Investment Group Co., Ltd. This financing will help Zhuchangxiu further expand its market and deepen its layout in the smart entertainment field. Zhuchangxiu is a 24 - hour self - service KTV chain brand, committed to creating a one - stop cultural and entertainment complex integrating bars, KTV rooms, private cinemas, and live - streaming rooms.

Dishang Technology, a Home Cleaning and Care Brand, Completes a Multi - Million - Yuan Angel Round of Financing Recently

The investor in Dishang Technology this time is Guoxin Zhongshu Tongling Science and Technology Innovation Fund. The financing will be mainly used to further optimize the product line, enhance the technology R & D ability, and promote the brand's layout and development in the cleaning and care market. As a home cleaning and care brand, it has two service series: clothing cleaning and care and home environment cleaning and care.

Yushi Space, a Rocket R & D and Manufacturer, Recently Announced the Completion of Nearly 100 Million Yuan in Angel + Round of Financing

36Kr learned that Yushi Space, a rocket R & D and manufacturer, recently announced the completion of nearly 100 million yuan in Angel + round of financing. This round of financing was led by Qiancheng Capital, followed by institutions such as Huacang Capital. The old shareholder, Lingge Venture Capital, continued to increase its investment. The funds raised will be used for the company's rocket product R & D, the continuous construction of the production and test base, and the expansion of the team.

Digua Robot under Horizon Robotics Announces the Completion of 100 Million US Dollars in Series A Financing

36Kr learned that this round of financing was jointly participated in by investment institutions such as Hillhouse Capital, Wuyuan Capital, Linear Capital, Hexuan Capital, Jiuhua Ventures, Vertex Growth, Lisi Capital, Dunhong Assets, Boiling Point Capital, Plum Ventures, and Huangpu River Capital, injecting strong impetus into Digua Robot to accelerate the construction of its embodied intelligence ecological map.

Company Intelligence

Ningji Announces Its Internationalization Strategy and Has Signed Contracts for 15 Overseas Stores

Ningji, which pursues extreme speed in the domestic market, has embarked on the path of going global.

At the end of May, Ningji announced its internationalization strategy. Relying on Hong Kong as its internationalization anchor point, Ningji has signed contracts for 15 overseas stores, covering countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and Cambodia. Currently, one store has opened in Malaysia and Cambodia respectively. Three stores in Pavilion, a top - tier mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Kuala Lumpur International Airport are also under construction and are expected to open officially in July.

Ningji is a lemon tea brand that pursues speed and scale, and it once set a record of signing contracts for 3,000 stores in three years. After choosing to go global in 2024, the brand's methodology for domestic expansion no longer works.

Not wanting to engage in low - price competition, Ningji initially chose the United States, which has a high customer unit price and a mature market, as its first overseas destination. However, due to differences in tea - drinking habits, the slow local work rhythm, and an immature industrial chain, Ningji also encountered the "acclimatization" problems that almost all overseas - going enterprises face, and it was difficult to achieve scale.

After setbacks, Ningji re - planned its overseas expansion path. Finally, after opening its first store in the United States in May this year, it also focused more on Southeast Asia, where the consumer and dietary cultures are more similar and the supply chain is closer. At the same time, it carried out a more localized overseas expansion. Whether Ningji can repeat its domestic expansion story this time remains to be seen.

As JD.com Kicks off Its 618 Promotion, Xiaohongshu Reaches a "Red - JD Plan" Cooperation with JD.com

After Alibaba, it's JD.com's turn.

Recently, 36Kr learned that as JD.com's 618 promotion is about to officially start, JD.com and Xiaohongshu have upgraded their strategic cooperation and launched the "Red - JD Plan". Specifically, starting from June 5 this year, except for some special categories, all brand merchants settled on JD.com can use the "Grass - planting Direct Access" function on Xiaohongshu. When placing advertisements on Xiaohongshu, they can add JD.com shopping links. Users can directly jump to the JD.com App by clicking on the advertisements, realizing a direct connection from content grass - planting to transaction conversion, thus achieving a closed - loop of brand promotion, advertising, and instant conversion.

Earlier, on May 7, Xiaohongshu also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Taobao and Tmall to create the "Red - Tmall Plan", announcing further opening - up and integration between the two sides, opening up the entire link from grass - planting to purchase, and jointly promoting the business growth of merchants.

The logic of the two cooperation agreements is similar. Xiaohongshu gives full play to its advantage in grass - planting at the upstream of consumer decision - making, and the e - commerce platforms with perfect infrastructure and a rich SKU portfolio undertake the conversion.

The cooperation with JD.com also shows that Xiaohongshu's cooperation with Tmall is not an isolated case. Making better use of its traffic and content ecological advantages has become a more important task for Xiaohongshu at present.

Future Idea

Tianlala Launches a New Product, "Peach Refreshing Bucket"

36Kr learned that in the face of fierce competition in the ready - to - drink tea market, Tianlala launched a new product, "Peach Refreshing Bucket". According to the "2024 Tea - drinking Consumption White Paper", bucket - packed tea is becoming a new favorite among Generation Z. According to official information, since Tianlala pioneered the bucket - packed tea category in 2021, it has sold more than 120 million buckets in total.

In the past two years, bucket - packed tea has indeed become popular among office workers. However, products in this category have also become standard offerings for major tea brands. Currently, according to incomplete statistics by 36Kr, tea brands including Nayuki, Cha Baidao, Guming, Shanghai Ayi, and Shuyi Fresh Grass Jelly have all launched or are launching bucket - packed tea.

As summer approaches, competition is bound to intensify along with the sales of bucket - packed tea.

Data - Driven Consumption

The Total Box Office of New Movies in the Dragon Boat Festival Season Exceeds 100 Million Yuan

According to data from Maoyan Professional Edition, as of 10:24 on May 31, the total box office (including pre - screenings) of new movies in the 2025 Dragon Boat Festival season exceeded 100 million yuan. "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One", "The Son of Time", and "Doraemon: Nobita's Painting Adventure" ranked among the top three on the box - office list of new movies in the Dragon Boat Festival season.