Chinese EV startup Xpend raises $400 million in latest funding round

On Wednesday, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd backed Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Xpeng stated it has raised $400 million from investors including Xiaomi Corp, to fund its growth. The fundraising comes at a time when industry watchers as well as bankers describe as an increasingly tough financing environment for Chinese EV startups who are jostling…

JPMorgan Chase & Co leaves blockchain consortium R3 CEV

Although JPMorgan has left the consortium, it has cleverly distributed its bet in the blockchain technology. It has joined the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance and is an investor in blockchain startups Digital Asset Holdings and Axoni. It is also a participant in the Hyperledger Project, a cross-industry group led by the Linux Foundation. JPMorgan Chase &…