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CNBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
Under-the-radar delivery apps are gaining ground in the U.S. by courting Asian restaurants
NEW YORK – When Kelly Wu feels sick and wants a delivery of congee, the Chinese porridge she grew up eating, she opts for a platform many may not have heard of. The New York City resident doesn't open apps from multi-billion dollar companies like Uber Eats or DoorDash. Instead, the 22-year-old pulls up Fantuan, a growing Vancouver-based startup that focuses specifically on the ecosystem surrounding Asian cuisines. "I feel like it's just the equivalent of 'Asian' DoorDash or Uber Eats," Wu said in an interview with CNBC. Digital food ordering and delivery platforms have become ingrained in everyday American life over the past decade, with companies like Uber Eats, DoorDash and GrubHub becoming household names. But when it comes to Asian food, connoisseurs like Wu and restaurant owners are opting for smaller platforms like Fantuan or competitor HungryPanda. Fantuan's strategy looks different than that of bigger food platforms given its focus on Asian businesses, according to co-founder Yaofei Feng. The 11-year-old company sends representatives to talk to store owners in person about getting on the platform rather than trying to reach them online, Feng said. These conversations will often take place in Chinese, given that he said many of these entrepreneurs speak English as a second language. "The way we gain their trust is very unique," Feng said. Having options besides English for the app is appealing for business owners who find it easier to communicate in their first language. The app design is also more reminiscent of Chinese platforms like Alibaba than American alternatives, Feng said, which can provide a sense of familiarity. Since Fantuan first entered the U.S. in 2019, Feng said it has expanded to more than 50 cities ranging from large metropolises such as Los Angeles to college towns like Davis, Calif. The company's U.S. footprint was boosted by its acquisition of Chowbus' delivery business last year. Rather than run large advertising campaigns, Fantuan mainly spreads the word through providing sign holders at storefronts and stickers for delivery drivers. The startup has also worked with influencers on platforms like TikTok and RedNote, a popular short-form video app in China. Feng said Fantuan's main customer bases are first-generation immigrants and international students craving authentic cuisines tied to their home countries. He said the company meets with college student associations to find potential customers coming to the U.S. from Asia. But Feng said there's potential for the app to reach a wider audience as foods including bubble tea become mainstream in the U.S. The company said it saw a growth rate for gross merchandise value of more than 20% in the U.S. last year, before shooting up to 31% in the first quarter of 2025. "With the immigration and the social media, everybody loves Asian food," Feng said. "If they want authentic options, they will also use the app." Following the Chowbus acquisition, many business owners and users consider HungryPanda as the main competitor to Fantuan. Wu said she also has HungryPanda's app, but hasn't ordered on it since she first began using Fantuan, and has been pleased with the service. HungryPanda did not respond to CNBC's interview inquiry for this story. HungryPanda announced last year that it raised $55 million, which will be used in part to fuel expansion efforts in North America. When it comes to the broader food delivery app landscape, Feng said he sees the company "co-existing" alongside bigger-name companies rather than "competing." That's because the draw of Fantuan is connecting authentic – and often smaller – businesses to customers instead of trying to win over large chains that already use other platforms. "It's very hard ... long-term, to compete with the monopolies," he said. "But we want to keep our unique way." In Flushing, a neighborhood of New York City's Queens borough known for its large population of Chinese-Americans, Andrew Chau sees first-hand how the customer base has taken to Fantuan. Chau said his outpost of Yomie's Rice x Yogurt sees around 50 orders each day on the platform. By comparison, Chau said he's lucky to get one order every few days on apps like Uber Eats or DoorDash. Chau likes that the app offers users promotions and that he can communicate with customer service through WeChat, a popular messaging platform in China. He also said many restaurants nearby use the platform, as evidenced by companies having Fantuan logos around their businesses. In Flushing, "I can see lots of Fantuan logo[s]," said Chau, who owns five stores in the New York City area. "I cannot see lots of Uber Eats or DoorDash." Wu also said she sees the logo regularly around areas with high rates of Asian businesses like Flushing or Manhattan's well-known Chinatown neighborhood. She's also seen the delivery drivers out wearing merchandise for both Fantuan and HungryPanda. For Wu, the authenticity of restaurants on Fantuan is better than other more prominent food delivery platforms. She also believes that reviews on Fantuan to be more trustworthy. "I can find dishes that I can't find on American food ordering apps," Wu said. "I feel like it's definitely the way to go if I'm looking for a traditional Chinese meal, rather than using Uber Eats or DoorDash to get something like orange chicken."
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Scientists finally solve the 160-year-old problem of Mendel's peas
Feng, C., Chen, B., Hofer, J. et al, 'Genomic and genetic insights into Mendel's pea genes', Nature (2025). In 1856, an Austrian monk named Gregor Johann Mendel began experimenting on pea plants to understand how traits are passed on from parent to offspring. He worked diligently for eight years, experimenting on more than 10,000 plants, before presenting his results in a meeting of the Brunn Natural History Society in 1865. His work was published the following year in a small journal of the society called Proceedings of the Natural History Society of Brno. His findings received very little attention at the time. Mendel died in 1884, unaware that his work would go on to become the foundation of the field of genetics. Crossing plants In 1900, 16 years after Mendel's death, three scientists — Hugo de Vries, Carl Correns, and Erich von Tschermak — independently rediscovered his work. They realised that Mendel had answered the question of whether some traits of the parents are passed on to their offspring more frequently than others. Mendel had studied the inheritance patterns of seven traits in pea plants, each with two clearly distinguishable forms. For example, one of the traits he examined was seed shape, where the seeds were either round or wrinkled. Mendel observed that when he crossed plants with opposing traits, one form would consistently dominate the other. That is, crossing plants with round seeds and those with wrinkled seeds always produced first-generation offspring with round seeds. Interestingly, when two such first-generation plants were crossed, the wrinkled form reappeared, though at a much lower frequency. Mendel found that the ratio of round to wrinkled seeds in this second generation was consistently around 3:1. For reasons unknown at the time, the round form appeared to 'dominate' the wrinkled form, and this same pattern held true for all seven traits he studied, the remaining six being: seed colour (yellow or green), flower colour (purple or white), pod shape (inflated or constricted), pod colour (green or yellow), flower position (along the stem or at the end), and plant height (tall or short). Predictability of inheritance Mendel's observations became the basis for understanding how traits are inherited through discrete units of heredity, which we now call genes. Scientists later realised that for each trait, an organism carries two versions of a gene, one inherited from each parent. These versions, known as alleles, can differ in their effect on the offspring's appearance. In many cases, one allele masks the effect of the other, explaining why only one form of the trait appeared in first-generation plants. This work provided the first clear evidence that inheritance follows predictable patterns — an insight that eventually led to the development of the chromosome theory of inheritance, the identification of genes as specific units on chromosomes, and paved the way for the emergence of modern genetics. However, the original question of what genetic differences gave rise to the two forms of each of the seven traits Mendel studied remained unanswered for a long time. Although efforts to identify the genetic locations involved had begun to make progress by 1917, it took the scientific community another 108 years to fully understand why Mendel observed what he did. Mountain of information A paper published in Nature on April 23, has now identified the genetic factors responsible for the final three traits, that had remained unresolved, while also uncovering additional alleles involved in the four traits that were previously characterised. The team achieved this by selecting more than 697 well-characterised variants of the pea plant and sequencing the total DNA content of all these plants using a technique called next-generation sequencing. This resulted in almost 60 terabases of DNA sequence information. That's the equivalent of nearly 14 billion pages of text, or a stack of A4 sheets stretching 700 km into the sky. The answer to the problem of Mendel's traits was buried within this colossal mountain of information. Opening new doors The authors of the study analysed this data to create a comprehensive map so that they could begin searching for patterns. This revealed several interesting findings. First, while it is well accepted that the genus Pisum, to which the pea plant belongs, has four species, genetically they appear to form eight groups. The four species are spread across these groups due to multiple crosses and admixtures between them, revealing that the plants have a more complex population structure than previously recognised. Second, while four of Mendel's seven traits — viz. seed shape, seed colour, plant height, and flower colour — were well characterised, the team identified additional allelic variants that contribute to the observed traits. For instance, the team found a new variant that, when present in white-flowered plants, causes them to produce purple flowers again, showing that the genetic picture is more complex than Mendel originally observed. Third, they identified genes that are involved in the remaining three traits — pod colour, pod shape, and flower position — that remained uncharacterised until now. Specifically, they found that a deletion of a segment of DNA present before a gene called ChlG disrupts the synthesis of chlorophyll, the pigment that gives plants their green colour, resulting in the yellow pods. Changes near the MYB gene and changes in the CLE-peptide-encoding genes together resulted in the constricted pod trait. And a small deletion in the DNA containing the CIK-like-coreceptor-kinase gene, along with the presence of another DNA segment called a modifier locus, was associated with the flowers appearing at the end of the stem. Finally, the map that the team generated shows multiple other genome-wide interactions that Mendel did not study, including 72 agriculturally relevant traits such as the architectures of the seed, pod, flower, leaf, root and plant. While closing the doors on this 160-year-old scientific mystery, the scientists involved in the study have paved the way to something greater. The depth of genetic information they had uncovered holds enormous promise for future research, with a lot of implications for increasing crop yield, enhancing disease resistance, and improving environmental adaptations. It is incredible to think that all of this owes its origin to a 19th century monk, who, while tending to his garden, chose to ask why. Arun Panchapakesan is an assistant professor at the Y.R. Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education, Chennai.
South China Morning Post
26-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
China's former state employees warned not to leak classified information
China's top intelligence agency has warned all former state employees with access to sensitive information to be aware of the risks of leaking state secrets In a social media post on Monday, the Ministry of State Security said managing these workers after they retired or left their jobs was 'not a private affair but a vital component of national security'. It called for vigilance against such risks to ensure information security. 'Some individuals, after leaving their positions, disregard national security and interests, misinterpret the declassification period as a restriction of freedom or a career shackle, and even go into hiding or evade supervision,' the ministry said. It cited a case involving a person, identified only by his surname Feng, who was sentenced to six years in prison for leaking state secrets after retiring from his job at a state-owned enterprise. 05:29 China executes scientist for spying in 2016, among 10 'shocking' cases revealed in documentary China executes scientist for spying in 2016, among 10 'shocking' cases revealed in documentary The ministry said Feng had been lured by a foreign espionage agency that offered him a substantial 'consulting fee'. It said Feng had maintained close ties with his former colleagues at the company and was able to gain access to core classified information in a critical industry sector.
News18
25-05-2025
- Sport
- News18
'Pretty Happy': Kidambi Srikanth's Run At Malaysia Masters Ends With Finale Loss
Kidambi Srikanth is happy with his performance despite losing to Li Shi Feng in the Malaysia Masters final, marking his first BWF World Tour final in six years. Star India shuttler Kidambi Srikanth has said that having finished runners-up at his third tournament of the year gives him a good feeling, and he is 'pretty happy' with his performance this week, although it ended with a thrashing at the hands of China's Li Shi Feng in the final of the Malaysia Masters. Srikanth, who charted a long road back from injuries and missed chances, made his first BWF World Tour final in six years on Saturday, March 24, beginning from the qualifiers and riding a resurgent wave to the summit clash. Srikanth was erratic and neither could he break through Feng's solid defence, nor was he able to convert openings, losing 11-21, 9-21 in 36 minutes. 'It has been a pretty good week. It's my third tournament, played decently well in the first two as well, but couldn't really win those matches. But pretty happy with the way it went so far," Srikanth said after the match. advetisement 'Not exactly the way I wanted to be today, but still, I think he (Feng) played well. I'm just very happy to be back playing again. I just want to keep myself happy. There was a point in my career where I was pretty used to being standing there, and then it's been a while," Srikanth added. Despite the defeat to Feng, it was an inspirational show from the star Indian shuttler, who, after slipping to world no. 82 in May, showcased grit and class to remind the world of his capability. Srikanth is currently ranked 65th and is expected to climb up the rankings after his show this week. Srikanth was error-prone in the initial exchanges, gifting away points that permitted Feng to pull ahead 6-3. A straight smash to Srikanth's backhand took the Chinese to 8-5, and although the former replied with a 402kph thunderbolt, a netted smash gave Feng a five-point cushion going into the mid-game interval. Srikanth showed glimpses of brilliance with a net kill and a swift forehand cross to trail 10-16, but could not string together momentum. Srikanth's name doesn't feature in next week's Singapore Open draw, although Priyanshu Rajawat, Kiran George, HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen will feature. First Published: May 25, 2025, 14:06 IST
The Advertiser
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
Lotus may return to V8 power for the first time in over two decades
The Lotus Emira could become the first model from the Geely-owned performance car brand to offer V8 power since the Esprit V8 was axed in 2004. Autocar reports Lotus is investigating the installation of a Mercedes-AMG-sourced petrol V8 to replace the V6 in the Emira, the automaker's last internal combustion-engined (ICE) model, because it won't meet upcoming Euro 7 emissions legislation. "We are currently investigating the feasibility of the V8," Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng told investors during the company's recent earnings call. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Introduced in 2022, the Emira was intended to be Lotus' final ICE model, and is currently sold alongside two electric vehicles (EVs): the battery-powered Emeya large sedan and Eletre large SUV. It's available with an AMG-sourced turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 268kW of power and a Toyota-sourced supercharged 3.5-litre petrol V6 producing 298kW. Lotus previously said it was committed to releasing a higher-output version of the Emira, after initially planning to phase out the V6. The V6 has proved popular in the US, the world's biggest sports car market. But Mr Feng's confirmation that Lotus is now considering a V8 for the Emira, which came in response to a question from a dealer about an even lighter and more powerful version of the mid-engined coupe to rival the Porsche 911 GT3, came after he ruled out boosting the power of the V6 because it won't comply with Euro 7 regulations. Speaking with Autocar, Lotus Cars Europe CEO Matt Windle didn't confirm the Emira would receive V8 power, but did say the company was investigating more powerful options from its current engine supplier (Mercedes-AMG). "The US is an incredibly important market for us for the car [Emira). It always has been. So we're looking at the market demand for the product going forward," he said. "It's a very, very competent product that we probably haven't exploited to its full already, so we are looking at all the options. "There are some opportunities with the current supplier of engines, so we're looking at it." It's unclear how extensive – and therefore expensive – the engineering and development programs would be for the Emira to receive AMG's 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, which also powers the Aston Martin Vantage sports car and DBX SUV. Last year the Emira posted a sales record of 5272 units, accounting for 20 per cent of the brand's total volume. But Emira exports to the US ceased after the country's 25 per cent import tariff took effect in April, and US sales of the Eletre and Emeya were halted after North America imposed a 125 per cent tariff on Chinese-made products. US exports of the British-built Emira are yet to recommence following the recently agreed deal between the UK and US to lower tariffs on UK-built goods to 10 per cent. Mr Windle told Autocar that Lotus' original plan to eventually replace the Emira with an electric sports car has yet to be signed off as the company continues to assess the EV market. "Is the market ready for an electric sports car? I don't really know the answer to that yet," he said. MORE: Everything Lotus Emira Content originally sourced from: The Lotus Emira could become the first model from the Geely-owned performance car brand to offer V8 power since the Esprit V8 was axed in 2004. Autocar reports Lotus is investigating the installation of a Mercedes-AMG-sourced petrol V8 to replace the V6 in the Emira, the automaker's last internal combustion-engined (ICE) model, because it won't meet upcoming Euro 7 emissions legislation. "We are currently investigating the feasibility of the V8," Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng told investors during the company's recent earnings call. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Introduced in 2022, the Emira was intended to be Lotus' final ICE model, and is currently sold alongside two electric vehicles (EVs): the battery-powered Emeya large sedan and Eletre large SUV. It's available with an AMG-sourced turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 268kW of power and a Toyota-sourced supercharged 3.5-litre petrol V6 producing 298kW. Lotus previously said it was committed to releasing a higher-output version of the Emira, after initially planning to phase out the V6. The V6 has proved popular in the US, the world's biggest sports car market. But Mr Feng's confirmation that Lotus is now considering a V8 for the Emira, which came in response to a question from a dealer about an even lighter and more powerful version of the mid-engined coupe to rival the Porsche 911 GT3, came after he ruled out boosting the power of the V6 because it won't comply with Euro 7 regulations. Speaking with Autocar, Lotus Cars Europe CEO Matt Windle didn't confirm the Emira would receive V8 power, but did say the company was investigating more powerful options from its current engine supplier (Mercedes-AMG). "The US is an incredibly important market for us for the car [Emira). It always has been. So we're looking at the market demand for the product going forward," he said. "It's a very, very competent product that we probably haven't exploited to its full already, so we are looking at all the options. "There are some opportunities with the current supplier of engines, so we're looking at it." It's unclear how extensive – and therefore expensive – the engineering and development programs would be for the Emira to receive AMG's 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, which also powers the Aston Martin Vantage sports car and DBX SUV. Last year the Emira posted a sales record of 5272 units, accounting for 20 per cent of the brand's total volume. But Emira exports to the US ceased after the country's 25 per cent import tariff took effect in April, and US sales of the Eletre and Emeya were halted after North America imposed a 125 per cent tariff on Chinese-made products. US exports of the British-built Emira are yet to recommence following the recently agreed deal between the UK and US to lower tariffs on UK-built goods to 10 per cent. Mr Windle told Autocar that Lotus' original plan to eventually replace the Emira with an electric sports car has yet to be signed off as the company continues to assess the EV market. "Is the market ready for an electric sports car? I don't really know the answer to that yet," he said. MORE: Everything Lotus Emira Content originally sourced from: The Lotus Emira could become the first model from the Geely-owned performance car brand to offer V8 power since the Esprit V8 was axed in 2004. Autocar reports Lotus is investigating the installation of a Mercedes-AMG-sourced petrol V8 to replace the V6 in the Emira, the automaker's last internal combustion-engined (ICE) model, because it won't meet upcoming Euro 7 emissions legislation. "We are currently investigating the feasibility of the V8," Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng told investors during the company's recent earnings call. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Introduced in 2022, the Emira was intended to be Lotus' final ICE model, and is currently sold alongside two electric vehicles (EVs): the battery-powered Emeya large sedan and Eletre large SUV. It's available with an AMG-sourced turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 268kW of power and a Toyota-sourced supercharged 3.5-litre petrol V6 producing 298kW. Lotus previously said it was committed to releasing a higher-output version of the Emira, after initially planning to phase out the V6. The V6 has proved popular in the US, the world's biggest sports car market. But Mr Feng's confirmation that Lotus is now considering a V8 for the Emira, which came in response to a question from a dealer about an even lighter and more powerful version of the mid-engined coupe to rival the Porsche 911 GT3, came after he ruled out boosting the power of the V6 because it won't comply with Euro 7 regulations. Speaking with Autocar, Lotus Cars Europe CEO Matt Windle didn't confirm the Emira would receive V8 power, but did say the company was investigating more powerful options from its current engine supplier (Mercedes-AMG). "The US is an incredibly important market for us for the car [Emira). It always has been. So we're looking at the market demand for the product going forward," he said. "It's a very, very competent product that we probably haven't exploited to its full already, so we are looking at all the options. "There are some opportunities with the current supplier of engines, so we're looking at it." It's unclear how extensive – and therefore expensive – the engineering and development programs would be for the Emira to receive AMG's 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, which also powers the Aston Martin Vantage sports car and DBX SUV. Last year the Emira posted a sales record of 5272 units, accounting for 20 per cent of the brand's total volume. But Emira exports to the US ceased after the country's 25 per cent import tariff took effect in April, and US sales of the Eletre and Emeya were halted after North America imposed a 125 per cent tariff on Chinese-made products. US exports of the British-built Emira are yet to recommence following the recently agreed deal between the UK and US to lower tariffs on UK-built goods to 10 per cent. Mr Windle told Autocar that Lotus' original plan to eventually replace the Emira with an electric sports car has yet to be signed off as the company continues to assess the EV market. "Is the market ready for an electric sports car? I don't really know the answer to that yet," he said. MORE: Everything Lotus Emira Content originally sourced from: The Lotus Emira could become the first model from the Geely-owned performance car brand to offer V8 power since the Esprit V8 was axed in 2004. Autocar reports Lotus is investigating the installation of a Mercedes-AMG-sourced petrol V8 to replace the V6 in the Emira, the automaker's last internal combustion-engined (ICE) model, because it won't meet upcoming Euro 7 emissions legislation. "We are currently investigating the feasibility of the V8," Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng told investors during the company's recent earnings call. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Introduced in 2022, the Emira was intended to be Lotus' final ICE model, and is currently sold alongside two electric vehicles (EVs): the battery-powered Emeya large sedan and Eletre large SUV. It's available with an AMG-sourced turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 268kW of power and a Toyota-sourced supercharged 3.5-litre petrol V6 producing 298kW. Lotus previously said it was committed to releasing a higher-output version of the Emira, after initially planning to phase out the V6. The V6 has proved popular in the US, the world's biggest sports car market. But Mr Feng's confirmation that Lotus is now considering a V8 for the Emira, which came in response to a question from a dealer about an even lighter and more powerful version of the mid-engined coupe to rival the Porsche 911 GT3, came after he ruled out boosting the power of the V6 because it won't comply with Euro 7 regulations. Speaking with Autocar, Lotus Cars Europe CEO Matt Windle didn't confirm the Emira would receive V8 power, but did say the company was investigating more powerful options from its current engine supplier (Mercedes-AMG). "The US is an incredibly important market for us for the car [Emira). It always has been. So we're looking at the market demand for the product going forward," he said. "It's a very, very competent product that we probably haven't exploited to its full already, so we are looking at all the options. "There are some opportunities with the current supplier of engines, so we're looking at it." It's unclear how extensive – and therefore expensive – the engineering and development programs would be for the Emira to receive AMG's 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, which also powers the Aston Martin Vantage sports car and DBX SUV. Last year the Emira posted a sales record of 5272 units, accounting for 20 per cent of the brand's total volume. But Emira exports to the US ceased after the country's 25 per cent import tariff took effect in April, and US sales of the Eletre and Emeya were halted after North America imposed a 125 per cent tariff on Chinese-made products. US exports of the British-built Emira are yet to recommence following the recently agreed deal between the UK and US to lower tariffs on UK-built goods to 10 per cent. Mr Windle told Autocar that Lotus' original plan to eventually replace the Emira with an electric sports car has yet to be signed off as the company continues to assess the EV market. "Is the market ready for an electric sports car? I don't really know the answer to that yet," he said. MORE: Everything Lotus Emira Content originally sourced from:
