But in the human world, AI is unprecedentedly reshaping our world. On the technological front, in 2024, both the Nobel Prize in Physics and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry were awarded to AI-related research, highlighting AI's immense potential in advancing scientific research. On the application side, generative AI is becoming increasingly widespread in enterprises, enhancing innovation capabilities and operational efficiency. It has become standard for employees to use AI-powered chat models in their work.
The image of the Sophon in The Three-Body Problem
Image source: The same prompt generated on both Doubao and ChatGPT.
The AI industry's explosive growth at the end of 2024 has stirred great anticipation. What expectations can we have for an AI-driven business world in 2025?
EqualOcean analysts conducted in-depth interviews with six investors from Nut Capital, Jiacheng Capital, Weizhi Capital, Xingnahe Capital, Huoshui Capital, and Haoshu Capital, specializing in outbound investment and technology sectors. In Witnessing History: The New Globalization Pattern of 2025 (Part 1), they reviewed the opportunities in the 2024 market. Continuing from this, this article will provide further business insights and perspectives for the globalization of Chinese enterprises in 2025.
Industry Outlook for 2025: Beyond Emerging Technologies, Don’t Overlook Growth Opportunities in the Consumer Sector
Huoshui Capital’s Xu Lejia: From the B2B Market Perspective in Southeast Asia, there is still significant growth potential in the chain operations of various industries. Whether it’s retail, dining, nail care, hair care, or pharmacies, there are considerable opportunities for integration and standardized operations. Chinese enterprises can participate as investors, suppliers, or consultants, entering the market and exporting standardized operational experience. From the C2C market perspective, the middle class in Southeast Asia is rapidly increasing, and AI-powered C-end applications will usher in broad development opportunities.
In the context of an increasingly complex global business environment and intensified competition, 2025 will be a year full of both opportunities and challenges. In particular, the continued advancement of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), smart hardware, and supply chain digitalization is profoundly impacting the landscape of various industries. At the same time, as global market uncertainties rise, how Chinese enterprises precisely grasp development trends and optimize their globalization strategies will determine their future competitiveness.
The AI Action Summit, jointly hosted by France and India, opened in Paris on Monday (February 10).
Image source: AFP
Calvin from Nut Capital: With the intensification of the high - end product trend, enterprises need to focus on how to enhance the intelligence level of products and promote the diversified development of the market through technological upgrades. In 2025, consumers will show a more obvious consumption trend, that is, gradually transitioning from pragmatism to the level of spiritual satisfaction. In the intelligent hardware industry, the smart home and smart wearable device industries will continue to grow. AI - related products such as AR glasses and AI + robots will receive more market attention in 2025. The huge popularity of Apple's Vision Pro in 2024 has confirmed this trend. Chinese enterprises should increase their R & D investment, especially in the deep integration of AI and hardware, to enhance the core competitiveness of their products. Increase the added value of products through technological innovation, and at the same time seek differential competition in the global market.
Calvin from Nut Capital: Personalized consumption solutions will experience rapid growth, especially in response to the changes in the health and personalized needs of the younger generation. With the advancement of AI technology, health management devices in the consumer technology field will become the mainstream direction in 2025. Chinese enterprises should pay attention to the innovation of health technology and personalized products. Not only should they rely on AI technology to provide accurate health management services, but also strengthen interaction with consumers to enhance brand user stickiness.
Calvin from Nut Capital: Chinese enterprises have accumulated rich experience in the digital transformation of the supply chain and will play an important role in emerging markets in the future, especially in terms of the great potential of local services. The uncertainties accumulated in the global market in 2024 have led to an increasing demand for supply chain efficiency and flexibility among enterprises in 2025. Intelligent inventory management and the construction of local warehouses will become new development directions for Chinese enterprises to improve supply chain efficiency. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the digital transformation of the supply chain, and big data and AI technology should be used to optimize supply chain management. At the same time, strengthen the local layout in overseas markets to improve production flexibility and market response speed.
Jack Wang from Glocal Capital: Chinese enterprises will have advantages in technology, cost, and the supply chain, further consolidating their position in the global market. In 2025, new energy products and consumer goods will become important competitive fields in the international market. Chinese enterprises should continuously strengthen the R & D and application of new energy technologies, and increase their layout in the international market, especially in emerging markets such as Southeast Asia, to provide broader market space for brands and products.
Guo Xin from Weizhi Capital: Fields such as management software, security software, and basic software are undergoing changes through AI technology, promoting the expansion of the global market. Chinese software enterprises should actively promote innovation, use AI - driven SaaS and other products to open up overseas markets, and enhance their international competitiveness. Chinese enterprises have always faced great difficulties in competing with their European and American counterparts in traditional software, especially management - type software. However, the rapid iteration of AI technology and the leading edge of Chinese enterprises in the AI field can help software enterprises, including SaaS - based ones, overtake through differential competition, better adapt to the needs of different regions, and break through the originally solid market barriers. The integration of AI technology and the manufacturing industry will also accelerate further, especially in the field of intelligent manufacturing, which may give birth to new popular products in the future, further enhancing the global competitiveness of the manufacturing industry. Chinese enterprises should increase their investment in the field of intelligent manufacturing, improve the intelligence level of robot technology and automated production lines, and at the same time promote industrial upgrading to meet the competition in the global market with higher efficiency and lower costs.
2025 is destined to be a year when the economy is driven by technology. However, the saturation of most industries is approaching its peak, and not all industries can achieve growth. Besides the consumer sector, for those industries that can find their own growth cycle in 2025, perhaps it is necessary to start from the most painful pain points of consumers. EqualOcean predicts that industries such as new energy, low-altitude economy, and elderly care will achieve more substantial growth.
New Opportunities for Going Global: New Directions for Global-bound Entrepreneurs to Focus on in 2025
Xu Lejia from Livewater Capital: The Southeast Asian market is like a time - folded market. You can see things that China was doing 20 years ago, 10 years ago, and even things that China is doing today all happening simultaneously.
Xu Lejia from Livewater Capital: In 2025, there will still be abundant innovation opportunities in the Southeast Asian market, especially in industries such as consumer goods, chain business forms, and new energy.
Xu Lejia from Livewater Capital: With the increase in demand in the Southeast Asian market, enterprises should make precise arrangements according to the characteristics of different countries. Chinese enterprises should formulate flexible localization strategies based on the differences in the markets of Southeast Asian countries, and quickly seize market share by taking advantage of price competitiveness and market gaps. As a result, the new energy industry and low - altitude economy in Southeast Asia will experience rapid growth.
In terms of new energy development, since the beginning of this century, the GDP of Southeast Asian countries has almost doubled, with energy demand increasing by about 3% annually. Southeast Asian countries are actively promoting the development of renewable energy. Many Southeast Asian countries have committed to the goal of net - zero emissions, accelerating the deployment of renewable energy. According to the Paris Agreement, by 2030, the Southeast Asian region needs to add approximately 21 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy installed capacity each year. Chinese companies such as Huaxi Energy, BYD, and Shantai Technology have successively invested in countries like Thailand and Malaysia to develop new energy businesses.
In terms of low - altitude economy development, the Southeast Asian region has numerous islands. Developing the low - altitude economy can help improve transportation and logistics conditions and promote regional connectivity. With the rapid development of e - commerce and tourism, the low - altitude economy has broad application prospects in logistics distribution and tourism.
Development Goals of Indonesia's New Energy Economy
Source: EqualOcean's Monthly Report on Going - Global to Indonesia (January 2025)
In the field of high - end medical equipment, United Imaging Healthcare takes advantage of the labor cost and geographical location advantages in Southeast Asia to focus on local manufacturing. The abundant manufacturing resources and relatively low labor costs in Southeast Asia provide unique conditions for the efficient production of basic components. At the same time, taking advantage of the geographical location of Southeast Asia to avoid tariff barriers in countries such as Europe and the United States is also a major advantage for many enterprises going global to Southeast Asia.
Tuya Smart, which has also been deeply engaged in overseas markets, attaches great importance to the localization strategy. It launches cloud services and Internet of Things (IoT) services by catering to local government policies and cooperating with local brands. For the Singaporean market, Tuya Smart targets Singapore's Smart Nation initiative, focusing on building an open and neutral smart ecosystem to ensure seamless connection of devices of different categories and brands, and to efficiently and cost - effectively build its own IoT platform. In addition, by integrating technologies such as AI, it ensures the implementation of more intelligent applications and provides full - process IoT empowerment for customers.
Xu Lejia from Livewater Capital: There is still significant room for development in the chain operation of various industries in Southeast Asia. The price - to - earnings ratio of a Malaysian supermarket chain can even reach 40 - 50 times. In Southeast Asia, there are great opportunities for integration and standardized operation in industries such as retail, catering, nail salons, hair care, and pharmacies. Chinese enterprises can get involved, entering the market as investors, suppliers, or consultants and exporting standardized operation experience. The digital economy in Southeast Asia is growing rapidly. It is expected that by 2025, the total gross merchandise volume (GMV) of e - commerce will increase from $131 billion in 2022 to $211 billion. This provides broad opportunities for Chinese enterprises to export standardized operation experience in the Southeast Asian market and participate in the integration and standardized operation of various industries.
Focus on the Implementation of Emerging Technologies such as AI: The Key Financing Strategies that Entrepreneurs Going Global in 2025 Must Grasp.
Rong Yun from HS Capital: Investors will continue to pay attention to the application of AI technology in the manufacturing industry, especially in the fields of robotics and intelligent manufacturing. As traditional manufacturing industries transform towards AI, Chinese enterprises will achieve more long - term development in the fields of robots and intelligent consumer products.
In 2024, all industries underwent profound changes driven by AI technology, especially the transformation trends in the consumer goods, intelligent hardware, health management, and software industries. These changes not only promoted industrial upgrading but also created huge market opportunities. In such an era full of competition and opportunities, how entrepreneurs can stand out in the fierce market environment, win the favor of capital and the trust of investors has become an important topic for successful entrepreneurship. Therefore, it is particularly important for entrepreneurs to do a good job in financing and building a high - quality team in 2025.
Rong Yun from HS Capital pointed out that HS Capital put forward a view in 2024 - investment may no longer be an advanced productive force. This view was put forward based on the observation and analysis of the investment situation in the primary market in 2024. Since the second half of 2023, this trend has gradually been verified. The role and influence of investment have changed compared with the past. It no longer simply promotes the development of advanced productive forces, but more shows the characteristics of market adjustment and strategic transformation. In 2024, the IPO market significantly narrowed, and the opportunities for achieving asset returns through the secondary market became more limited. At the same time, the latest "Nine National Policies" issued by the State Council also had an impact on the market, resulting in a decline in the overall activity of market - oriented funds. This change reflects the adjustment of the market structure and the tightening of the investment environment, affecting capital flows and the formulation of investment strategies.
With the intensification of market competition and the continuous change of the investment environment, entrepreneurs must pay attention to some crucial factors when financing. In terms of the use of funds, profitability and cash - flow management are undoubtedly the focus of the capital market. Kevin from Nut Capital believes that entrepreneurs should allocate resources rationally, optimize the cost structure, and ensure the efficient use of funds. Especially in the start - up stage, fund management is of particular importance as it directly determines whether the enterprise can smoothly tide over the early - stage funding difficulties. In addition, demonstrating market potential is also a core element in attracting investment. Kevin pointed out that entrepreneurs need to have clear market insight and be able to showcase the market potential of their products through data and cases, thus winning the trust of investors.
At the same time, a long - term mindset has also become the key to successful financing. Calvin from Nut Capital believes that entrepreneurs should not only focus on short - term explosive growth but should pay attention to long - term accumulation in product research and development, brand building, and user - relationship management, so as to form a sustainable competitive advantage. Finally, the importance of resource - integration capabilities in financing has become increasingly prominent. Kevin said that entrepreneurs should be good at integrating industry resources, partners, and market channels, and use these resources to enhance the enterprise's market influence and create more room for the enterprise's growth.
Building a High-Quality Team: The Core Qualities and Abilities Essential for Entrepreneurs Going Global in 2025
Yuan Linjie from Sinach Capital: Leading enterprises are constantly expanding their presence in the Southeast Asian market. Small and medium - sized enterprises can also carve out a share of the pie in this market. Although entrepreneurs of small and medium - sized enterprises face significant challenges in the Chinese market, by changing their direction, they may find their own battlefield in Indonesia and the broader Southeast Asian market.
A successful entrepreneurial team not only needs strong leadership but also team members with high overall quality and a unified goal. Kevin mentioned that the capabilities of the core leader are of vital importance. A leader should have strategic vision, excellent execution ability, rapid learning ability, and decisive decision - making ability, enabling them to lead the team to find the right development direction in a complex market environment. In addition, the overall quality of team members is the foundation of entrepreneurial success. Kevin believes that the team should have strong risk - resistance capabilities, in - depth understanding of industry trends, keen insight into user needs, and be able to maintain competitiveness in the face of market fluctuations.
For start - ups, the focus of the team is particularly crucial. Calvin from Nut Capital suggests that with limited resources, the team should concentrate on achieving core goals and avoid over - spreading efforts to stand out in the fierce market competition. Finally, an international perspective is also an important feature of a high - quality team. According to Jack Wang from Glocal Capital, the team must possess cross - cultural communication and cooperation capabilities, adapt to the needs of different markets, and help the enterprise smoothly expand into international markets, thus enhancing its global competitiveness.
Furthermore, Chinese entrepreneurs should be more confident when facing emerging markets such as Southeast Asia. Although an entrepreneurial team with a score of 70 may find it difficult to stand out in the highly competitive Chinese market and may even face the risk of being eliminated, in emerging markets like Indonesia and Southeast Asia, they may find their own opportunities. This is because the demands in these markets are still developing rapidly, the market environment is relatively lenient, and consumer demands are diverse and changing rapidly. Chinese entrepreneurial teams can still find breakthroughs in these markets and open up new ground with their flexible adaptability and responsiveness. Especially the local demand for innovation and cost - effectiveness provides these entrepreneurs with more room to leverage their advantages.
Conclusion
In 2024, the rapid progress of AI technology and its application in the hardware field demonstrated potential far exceeding market expectations, becoming a major surprise in the global technology market. With the continuous breakthroughs of AI technology, more and more hardware products, especially in the fields of consumer electronics, smart home, and health management, began to integrate more advanced intelligent functions. This not only improved product performance and user experience but also gave rise to new market demands and business models. The deep integration of AI has enabled hardware products to evolve beyond traditional functionality, moving towards intelligence and personalization, bringing consumers an unprecedented user experience. Chinese enterprises, with their strong technological accumulation and keen market insights, quickly seized this trend, promoted the rapid development of the intelligent hardware industry, and occupied an important position in global emerging markets.
The market trends in 2024 and the in - depth application of AI technology mark a new stage in the global technology and business landscape. 2025 will be a year full of opportunities and challenges. Chinese enterprises need to comprehensively respond to the rapidly changing market environment, keep up with industry development trends, strengthen technological innovation and global layout, flexibly adapt to market changes, and seize strategic high - ground. In this process, enterprises not only need to keenly capture innovation opportunities in areas such as digital transformation, intelligent hardware, and AI applications but also continuously increase investment in technology research and development, market expansion, and international cooperation. By actively promoting technological innovation and accelerating global layout, Chinese enterprises will continuously strengthen their competitiveness in the global market, ultimately embark on the path of global development, and become important leaders in the international market.