Senior Manager

Fireworks AI, a startup focused on providing developers with access to advanced AI chips and models, announced it has raised $254 million in a recent funding round. This investment values the company at $4 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal.

👩‍🍳 How we use AI at Tech in Asia, thoughtfully and responsibly.🧔‍♂️ A friendly human may check it before it goes live. More news hereChinese ecommerce platform AliExpress has introduced a new initiative called Celeb Shop, aimed at Korean fashion enthusiasts.The company announced on June 16, 2025 that it will recruit social media influencers to curate and promote fashion items available on its platform.Celeb Shop will showcase products sourced from vendors in Seoul’s Dongdaemun area, known for its clothing trade.Influencers will select, style, and model their chosen pieces, which will be sold on the platform.Fulfillment and delivery will be managed by AliExpress and its Korean vendor partners.A beta version of Celeb Shop is scheduled to launch next month.🔗 Source: The Korea Times🧠 Food for thought1️⃣ AliExpress times its influencer strategy amid massive industry growthAliExpress’s new Celeb Shop initiative enters the market during a pivotal period in influencer commerce evolution.The global influencer marketing industry is projected to more than triple from $21.1 billion today to $69.44 billion by 2028, reflecting brands’ growing reliance on creator-led sales strategies1.This shift is further evidenced by research showing 69% of marketers plan to increase their influencer marketing budgets by 2024, demonstrating broad industry confidence in this approach2.By specifically recruiting Korean influencers to model and promote items from Dongdaemun vendors, AliExpress is embracing the micro-influencer trend that has seen brands increasingly favor authentic, relatable voices over traditional celebrities.The company’s emphasis on influencers curating and modeling their selected pieces directly addresses the 61.9% of marketers who now utilize influencers primarily for content generation rather than simple product promotion2.2️⃣ Gen Z shopping behaviors drive AliExpress’s strategic pivotAliExpress’s targeting of teenagers to thirty-somethings with its Celeb Shop reflects deep understanding of evolving consumer behaviors in fashion retail.Research shows 97% of Gen Z shoppers cite social media as their primary inspiration for purchases, with this demographic controlling approximately $150 billion in spending power3.The platform’s “celeb pick shopping” approach directly addresses the 43% of young consumers who specifically turn to social media for fashion inspiration, offering them a streamlined path from discovery to purchase4.By focusing on Korean fashion items, AliExpress is tapping into both K-fashion’s global appeal and the demonstrated preference of younger consumers for cross-border shopping experiences that offer unique styles.The simultaneous launch across multiple markets including the US, Japan, France, and Spain leverages the 83% of young adults (15-27) who already make their apparel purchases online, positioning AliExpress to capture share in the rapidly expanding social commerce market projected to exceed $1 trillion by 202845.Recent AliExpress developments