Latest news with #consumerTech
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Haier's Sporty TV Push Highlights Lofty Ambitions
Haier Europe CEO Neil Tunstall speaking recently at Roland Garos. Chinese brand Haier, which started life back in the 1980s as a provincial refrigerator manufacturer, has established itself - in terms of market share at least - as one of the biggest brands in consumer tech. In fact, Haier Europe - which is part of the recently re-branded Haier Smart Home - is the No. 1 company globally in major appliances, and has been for more than 15 years now. But the brand still suffers somewhat from an identity problem. And that problem is that a lot of people can't identify it at all. While other brands in the overall Haier Group - think Hoover in the UK and GE Appliances in the US - are well-known entities, the Haier name itself is one that (outside of China, at least) has nowhere near the recognition of more mainstream established appliance brands it outsells, such as LG and Samsung, as well as fast-emerging neighbors like Hisense and TCL. But that's a situation that is likely to change, given the brand's recent push into major sporting sponsorship (the likes of the Australian Open and French Open tennis majors) as well as its expansion into markets outside of appliances. I recently covered Haier's global partnership with KEF. The deal will see KEF co-engineer the sound systems for Haier's upcoming Mini LED and QLED TV lines - including the likes of the M96, M92, M80, and S90 series - which are all set to roll out across 2025. KEF, if you're unaware, make seriously high-end speakers. We're talking five or even six figure price-tags on some of the range, so it's safe to assume that Haier is going after the top-end of the TV market. That was very much the message that Haier Europe CEO Neil Tunstall gave to me, at the launch of the brand's new tennis-based web-series Road to Number One. 'We're not interesting in selling cheap, LCD, HD TVs,' he told me. "That's useless for us and there's no point in going there. 'We're doing it for two reasons. Firstly we should, of course, make money in the TV market. I think also, when you talk about the smart home then it's probably the most visible thing. 'It sits in your lounge, so let's get in there. Let's make sure it has all the apps and everything's working and complete the circle of all the products.' The high-end approach mirrors what Haier has done with its moniker on the likes of washing machines, refrigerators and cooking appliances. But the brand is well aware it needs to make much more of a dent into consumer consciousness before it's widely considered a premium brand; hence the high-profile sports partnerships. 'In the premium market, it's rare that someone will buy something that they haven't heard of,' Tunstall explained to me. 'You have to have the brand awareness and the desirability or you're not going to succeed.' Haier's clearly in this for the long game. It may already be number one in appliance sales, but in a market where perception is everything, the real match is just getting started.
Entrepreneur
08-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
India Becomes APAC's #2 In Investment Destinations, PE-VC Market Rebounds
PE investments remained steady at USD 29 billion, as funds contended with higher valuations driven by buoyant public markets. Furthermore, India became the Asia-Pacific region's second-largest PE-VC destination with a 20 per cent share of total investment, displaying growing investor confidence in the country's macroeconomic stability. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. After two years of contraction, private equity and venture capital (PE-VC) investments in India recovered in 2024, rebounding close to 9% y-o-y to record USD 43 billion, according to a joint report by Bain & Company and Indian Venture Capital Association (IVCA). The report said that the resurgence was driven primarily by VC and growth investments, while PE dealmaking held steady. VC and growth investments surged by approximately 40 per cent, clocking 14 billion, driven by a sharp increase in deal volumes. The number of VC deals rose from 880 in 2023 to 1,270 in 2024, with a 2x jump in consumer tech funding to approximately USD 6 billion. In contrast, however, PE investments remained steady at USD 29 billion, as funds contended with higher valuations driven by buoyant public markets. Furthermore, India became the Asia-Pacific region's second-largest PE-VC destination with a 20 per cent share of total investment, displaying growing investor confidence in the country's macroeconomic stability. Karan Agarwal, Director, Wilson & Hughes, said that India's IPO landscape in 2025 reflects a more measured and mature ecosystem. "We're seeing founders treat the public markets as a long-term partnership, not just an exit. There's a clear shift from chasing sky-high valuations to prioritising governance, profitability, and market fit. For investors, this signals a healthier pipeline of companies that are built to last, not just list. It's a positive sign for India's capital markets and the broader entrepreneurial economy," said Agarwal. Buyouts also gained significance, accounting for 51 per cent of total PE deal value, up from 37 per cent in 2022. According to the report, funds are increasingly focused on acquiring high-quality assets across sectors to spur broader value creation and deploy capital at scale. The report also said that the country experienced a record year in domestic fundraising. Kedaara closed its largest-ever fund at USD 1.7 billion in 2024, while ChrysCapital secured USD 2.1 billion this year for the country's largest-ever domestic fund. Likewise, a growing number of funds with global presence and government-linked investors are upping the ante and their capital commitments to India, reinforcing its position as a premier investment destination in the Asia-Pacific region. Exit activity in India also surged in 2024, clocking USD 33 billion and growing at 16 per cent year over year as investors capitalized on richly valued public markets to monetize assets, said the report. Exits through public markets became a favourite among investors, increasing from 51 per cent of total exit value in 2023 to approximately 59 per cent in 2024, driven by a rise in IPO activity and block trades.
