#global-expansion

#global-expansion

Countries like Indonesia and Vietnam have very low GDP per capita, which means the willingness to buy your product or service is still extremely challenging [and low],

It took the Equinox Group-the parent company of luxury gym chain Equinox, Equinox hotels, and Soulcycle-around five years to recover from COVID. But the company has recovered, claiming that 2025 will be a record year from a profitability perspective. This year, it announced big plans for expansion. Harvey Spevak, executive chairman and managing partner of Equinox Group, tells us about the company's plan to open 40 clubs in new markets, its expansion into the Middle East, and the real reason it ditched Kiehl's for Grown Alchemist.

Israeli AI agent startup Wonderful has raised $100 million in a Series A round led by Index Ventures, with participation from Insight Partners, IVP, Bessemer, and Vine Ventures. The large round, in a market already crowded with AI agent startups, suggests Wonderful has convinced top tier investors it's not just another GPT wrapper, but a company building the infrastructure and orchestration that could scale if multi-agent systems take off.

MoEngage, a customer engagement platform that works with consumer brands across 75 countries, says it has raised new funding led by its existing investor, Goldman Sachs Alternatives, to ramp up global growth and infuse more AI into its platform. All told, $100 million in shares just traded hands, split roughly 60% primary and 40% secondary, as part of MoEngage's Series F round. The round marks the entry of Indian venture firm A91 Partners as a new investor.

OpenAI brings ChatGPT Go plan to 16 more Asian countries OpenAI is expanding its affordable ChatGPT Go plan, priced under $5, to 16 new countries across Asia, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Thailand, Vietnam, and Pakistan. In some of these countries, users can pay in local currencies, while in others, payments are required in USD, with final costs varying due to local taxes.

"I would gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." That was the catchphrase of J. Wellington Wimpy from the old "Popeye" cartoons - a man obsessed with hamburgers but lacking the money to buy them until next Tuesday. Founded as Wimpy Grills in 1934, the Wimpy chain started in Indiana and rose to fame in Chicago, the city it's still associated with today even though no locations remain there.

The Realme P series is a relatively new but increasingly important lineup in Realme's smartphone portfolio, first making its debut in India with the launch of the Realme P1 and P1 Pro in 2024. Designed as a mid-range offering, the P series stands out for its commitment to delivering a compelling blend of power, design innovation, and value. Originally exclusive to the Indian market, the success of the P series has prompted Realme to expand its availability globally.

Along with a global expansion, Google revealed that it's building new agentic capabilities into AI Mode, starting with restaurant bookings. Now, if you're a Google AI Ultra subscriber, you can ask AI Mode about restaurant reservations, while including specifics like the date, time, location, party size, and the type of food you want to eat. AI Mode will then sift through reservation platforms and websites to find availability at a restaurant that suits those needs.

BGF's investment comes at a pivotal time for the fire suppression industry, which is experiencing rapid growth driven by tighter regulations, increased construction activity and rising global urbanisation.

Domenicali prioritizes feedback and values, stating, "I like honest feedback from my colleagues and I rely on my previous leadership experience to maintain calm."

"Establishing a clear vision... serves as a guiding light through the thousands of decisions a company must make. Startups that scale successfully have a clear and ambitious purpose."

DoorDash's acquisition of Deliveroo for $3.9 billion will enhance its global platform presence and tap into new markets across Europe and the Middle East.

In only five years, LIB has conquered multiple continents, spreading to far-flung locales like Brazil, Japan, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates.

Navro has raised $41m in Series-B funding to expand its international payments platform, connecting businesses with local payment services globally.

More people worldwide will be seeing ads on Threads in the future, as Meta expands its ad presence beyond initial test markets in the US and Japan.

eBay has simplified the listing experience, integrating its Magical Listing technology with a guided, mobile-friendly flow to improve the ease, speed, and quality of listing creation.