Asian Hedge Fund Manager, Long Short Equity, Macro

David Mudd

Macroeconomics

<ul>
<li>China will roll out its 2026 - 2030 five-year plan this month, which outline the economic and social roadmap until the end of the decade.  </li>
<li>Historically the five-year plans have been a roadmap for investors to look for tailwinds for economic sector performance.  We believe the high-tech industries will remain the main focus for investment.</li>
<li>Exporters of high-end equipment and machinery will continue to benefit with the consumption sector being a focus for international investors.</li>
</ul>


China will roll out its 2026 - 2030 five-year plan this month, which outline the economic and social roadmap until the end of the decade.  
Historically the five-year plans have been a roadmap for investors to look for tailwinds for economic sector performance.  We believe the high-tech industries will remain the main focus for investment.
Exporters of high-end equipment and machinery will continue to benefit with the consumption sector being a focus for international investors.


EMERGING THEMES: China's Next 5 Year Plan

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>The global robotics industry is experiencing rapid growth as the combination of AI and manufacturing efficiency feed demand for robotic products. As a global robotics leader China's companies are benefiting.</li>
<li>Global robotics industry is projected to double over the next few years to over $150 billion by 2030.  China is the world's largest market for industrial robots.</li>
<li>China's leading robotics companies serve industrial industries like auto, equipment, and electronics, as well as service industries like healthcare, biotech, logistics, and hospitality.</li>
</ul>


The global robotics industry is experiencing rapid growth as the combination of AI and manufacturing efficiency feed demand for robotic products. As a global robotics leader China's companies are benefiting.
Global robotics industry is projected to double over the next few years to over $150 billion by 2030.  China is the world's largest market for industrial robots.
China's leading robotics companies serve industrial industries like auto, equipment, and electronics, as well as service industries like healthcare, biotech, logistics, and hospitality.


China Robotics: EVOLUTION OF THE HUMANOID RACE

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/robosense-technology-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:39903:1" rel="noopener">Robosense Technology (2498 HK)</a> has seen its sales of LiDAR solution systems grow substantially as it achieved the ability to mass produce for its customers.
</li>
<li>The company integrates proprietary hardware and software, creating a barrier to entry for most LiDAR competitors, who produce only the hardware system.</li>
<li>Robosense announced a strong set of results for 3Q24 and expects to be profitable at some time in 2025.  The company has been actively buying back shares. </li>
</ul>



Robosense Technology (2498 HK) has seen its sales of LiDAR solution systems grow substantially as it achieved the ability to mass produce for its customers.

The company integrates proprietary hardware and software, creating a barrier to entry for most LiDAR competitors, who produce only the hardware system.
Robosense announced a strong set of results for 3Q24 and expects to be profitable at some time in 2025.  The company has been actively buying back shares. 


Robosense Technology, Driving in the Fast Lane While No One Is Looking

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Sumeet Singh

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements

IPOs and Placements coverage across Asia Pacific

Aequitas Research

We cover all listing across the Asia Pacific along with follow-up placements. As of Dec 2020, our team had covered 539 IPOs with a hit rate of 73.5% and 685 placements with a hit rate of 66.8%.

We combine fundamental bottom-up views with our proprietary quantitative framework to provide a holistic coverage across new listings and placements. Our coverage includes pre-IPO notes before the deal is launched, follow-up analysis once the deal is live and post-listing trading analysis as well.

Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>2025 has seen a sharp turnaround in HK placements, with 36 US$100m+ deals so far. This compares to only 14 in 2022, 13 in 2023, and 15 in 2024.</li>
<li>Most of the 2025 placements have been primary raising and have come from a handful of sectors/backdrops.</li>
<li>In this note, we try to identify the possible primary placements that could take place over the rest of the year.</li>
</ul>


2025 has seen a sharp turnaround in HK placements, with 36 US$100m+ deals so far. This compares to only 14 in 2022, 13 in 2023, and 15 in 2024.
Most of the 2025 placements have been primary raising and have come from a handful of sectors/backdrops.
In this note, we try to identify the possible primary placements that could take place over the rest of the year.


Hong Kong 2025 Placements - Year so Far and Trends for Potential Primary Placements

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pony-ai-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:44035:1" rel="noopener">Pony AI (PONY US)</a> raised around US$260m in its upsized US ADR listing in Nov 2024. The lockup on its pre-IPO investors is set to expire soon.</li>
<li>As per Frost &amp; Sullivan, Pony AI was among the first companies in China to obtain licenses to operate fully driverless robotaxis in all four Tier-1 cities in China.</li>
<li>In this note, we will talk about the lockup dynamics and possible placement.</li>
</ul>



Pony AI (PONY US) raised around US$260m in its upsized US ADR listing in Nov 2024. The lockup on its pre-IPO investors is set to expire soon.
As per Frost &amp; Sullivan, Pony AI was among the first companies in China to obtain licenses to operate fully driverless robotaxis in all four Tier-1 cities in China.
In this note, we will talk about the lockup dynamics and possible placement.


Pony AI IPO Lockup - US$4.3bn Lockup Release with Stock at 69x EV/Sales

China

Horizon Robotics develops artificial intelligence (AI) chips and software platforms for intelligent vehicles, focusing on self-driving cars and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The company offers integrated solutions, including its Journey™ series AI processors and Brain Processing Unit (BPU) architecture. Horizon Robotics is headquartered in Beijing, China, and was founded in 2015.

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Horizon Robotics (9660 HK)

EMERGING THEMES: China's Next 5 Year Plan

China will roll out its 2026 - 2030 five-year plan this month, outlining the economic and social roadmap until the end of the decade.Historically...

David Mudd

China Robotics: EVOLUTION OF THE HUMANOID RACE

Global robotics is experiencing rapid growth as the combination of AI & manufacturing efficiency grow robotic product demand. Rapid industry growth...

David Mudd

Robosense Technology, Driving in the Fast Lane While No One Is Looking

In June Robosense became the first company in the world to achieve the production of its 1,000,000th solid state LiDAR unit. The company announces...

David Mudd

Hong Kong 2025 Placements - Year so Far and Trends for Potential Primary Placements

1H25 saw a sharp turnaround in HK placements, with 36 US$100m+ deals so far. This compares to only 14 in 2022, 13 in 2023, and 15 in 2024. In this...

Sumeet Singh

Pony AI IPO Lockup - US$4.3bn Lockup Release with Stock at 69x EV/Sales

Pony AI (PONY US) raised around US$260m in its upsized US ADR listing in Nov 2024. The lockup on its pre-IPO investors is set to expire soon.

Sumeet Singh

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