Xpeng-Backed Flying Car Startup Aridge Raises $200 Million
Aridge, the flying car developer affiliated with Chinese EV maker Xpeng, has raised nearly $200 million in a new funding round, bringing its total equity financing to around $1 billion — the largest funding pool for a flying car company in Asia. Existing investors including GL Ventures and HongShan participated in the round. The capital comes as Aridge accelerates production of its Land Aircraft Carrier vehicle and moves toward commercial deliveries. The company has also confidentially filed for an IPO on the Hong Kong stock exchange, with JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley appointed as underwriters.
Apple Cuts App Store Fees in China Ahead of Consumer Rights Day
Apple has announced a reduction in App Store commissions for developers in China, lowering the standard rate on in-app purchases and paid apps from 30% to 25%, and cutting subscription renewal fees from 15% to 12%. The changes take effect on World Consumer Rights Day, which coincides with a broadcast by state-run CCTV known for publicly calling out companies over unfair practices. Tencent and NetEase, China’s largest gaming companies, welcomed the move. The timing suggests Apple is seeking to avoid negative exposure on a day that has historically triggered regulatory scrutiny and penalties for companies operating in the Chinese market.
Moonshot AI Seeks Funds at $18 Billion Valuation After Rapid Growth
Chinese AI startup Moonshot, maker of the Kimi chatbot, is seeking to raise up to $1 billion at an $18 billion valuation — more than quadrupling its $4.3 billion valuation from late last year. Backers including Alibaba, Tencent, and 5Y Capital have already increased their stakes at a $10 billion valuation earlier this year. The fundraising pace reflects strong investor appetite for Chinese AI developers competing with OpenAI and Anthropic. Growth accelerated after Moonshot launched Kimi Claw, with monthly sales reportedly exceeding its total revenue for all of last year.s to train their own systems.
Uber Expands Women-Only Driver and Rider Preference to the US
Uber has rolled out its “Women Preferences” feature across the United States and several other countries, allowing women riders to request female drivers and women drivers to opt for female riders. The feature, first announced in 2025 and piloted in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit, is now available for drivers in over 40 countries and for riders in 7 countries including the US, Germany, France, and Brazil. Women will see a “Women Drivers” option when booking, with the choice to accept faster pickups from other drivers if wait times are too long.
Poll Finds AI Is One of the Most Disliked Concepts in the US
A recent NBC poll of registered voters found that 46% hold negative views of artificial intelligence, with only 26% reporting positive feelings. AI ranked below ICE and President Trump in favorability, with only Iran and the Democratic Party viewed more negatively. Concerns driving the sentiment include job displacement, AI addiction, links to self-harm, energy consumption, and the technology’s role in surveillance and military applications. Despite this, the share of respondents who admit to using AI tools rose from 48% in December 2025 to 56% in March.
Identity Verification Firm Exposed One Billion Records in Unsecured Database
Researchers at Cybernews discovered an unprotected database linked to IDMerit, a global identity verification provider, containing roughly one billion sensitive records across 26 countries. The exposed data included full names, home addresses, dates of birth, national ID numbers, and phone numbers. Over 203 million records belonged to US residents. The database required no password to access and was secured the day after researchers notified the company. IDMerit denied any breach of its own systems, stating it does not store customer data directly.
Yu-Gi-Oh and Other IP Holders Distance Themselves from White House Video
Yu-Gi-Oh’s official account has stated that the White House used footage from its anime series without authorization in a video posted on X. The video, captioned “Justice the American Way,” featured clips from multiple franchises including Breaking Bad, Star Wars, Dragon Ball Super, and Halo, set to the Mortal Kombat theme. Steve Downes, the voice actor behind Halo’s Master Chief, also said his voice was used without his knowledge or endorsement. The Pokémon Company issued a similar statement after the White House used its branding alongside a political slogan. It remains unclear whether any of the rights holders will pursue legal action.
