How It Works | Digital in Asia

Chinese and Open Source AI Models: A Guide for Builders

November 6, 2026September 3, 2026 by Tom Simpson

Rows of server racks with red and blue network cables in a data centre

Is it possible to build entirely on Chinese AI models? The honest answer depends entirely on how you use them — and most of the debate collapses once you separate … Read more

Agritech in Asia 2026: Digitising the Hard Yards

November 6, 2026June 24, 2026 by Tom Simpson

Indoor vertical hydroponic farm with rows of leafy seedlings

Asian agritech promised to digitise the region’s hardest industry. India’s DeHaat scales as funding craters 76%. The hard economics of 2026.

How It Works

Proptech in Asia 2026: A Market Overview

June 24, 2026 by Tom Simpson

Orange model house among rows of dark grey miniature houses

PropertyGuru went private at $1.1B; China’s Beike is a $20B+ giant. How property tech is digitising Asia’s largest asset class in 2026.

How It Works

Food Tech in Asia 2026: Meituan, Grab & Lab Meat

November 5, 2026June 23, 2026 by Tom Simpson

Laptop beside bowls of salad and takeaway food containers seen from above

China’s $14B delivery price war, Grab’s first full-year profit, and Singapore’s world-first lab-grown meat. The state of Asian food tech in 2026.

How It Works

Asia’s Travel Technology Market: Trip.com, Traveloka and the Next Generation of Platforms

November 6, 2026June 23, 2026 by Tom Simpson

Person carrying a backpack and a tablet computer outdoors

Asia is the world’s fastest-growing travel market, led by Trip.com’s $8.9B and a wave of IPOs from Klook to OYO. The state of Asian travel tech in 2026.

How It Works

Healthtech in Asia 2026: The Digital Health Leap

June 23, 2026 by Tom Simpson

Smartphone showing a health app menu next to the word Health

JD Health’s $8B, Ping An’s profit turn, and India’s billion-record public health stack. How Asia leapfrogged to digital-first healthcare in 2026.

How It Works

Edtech in Asia 2026: After the Crackdown and Crash

November 6, 2026June 23, 2026 by Tom Simpson

Indonesian schoolchildren in uniform in a classroom decorated with drawings

China banned a $100B tutoring sector overnight; India’s BYJU’S fell from $22B to zero. The state of Asian edtech in 2026 — and the AI threat reshaping it.

How It Works

Asia’s Creator Economy: How TikTok, Douyin and YouTube Creators Make Money

November 6, 2026April 20, 2026 by Tom Simpson

The creator economy in Asia isn’t a smaller version of the Western one. It’s a structurally different business, built on monetization models that most English-language coverage still underestimates. The Asia-Pacific … Read more

How It Works

Digital Wallets in Asia: How They Compete

November 6, 2026April 20, 2026 by Tom Simpson

Customer paying a delivery courier by card and smartphone

Asia-Pacific’s digital wallets processed $36.8 trillion in spending in 2024 (Juniper Research), and the fight for dominance is getting nastier. GCash commands 89% of the Philippines’ mobile wallet market with … Read more

How It Works

Cross-Border Ecommerce in Asia: How the Region’s Trade System Works

November 5, 2026April 20, 2026 by Tom Simpson

Flat illustration of a container port with cranes, stacked containers, a parcel warehouse and delivery van, a cargo ship at sea and a plane overhead

Southeast Asia’s cross-border ecommerce market hit $45.39 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach $84.74 billion by 2031, growing at a 10.97% CAGR (Mordor Intelligence). That growth is remarkable … Read more