Core Viewpoint - The company Lakala, once a leader in the digital payment sector, is facing significant challenges as it prepares for its IPO in Hong Kong, with declining revenues, increasing complaints, and compliance issues overshadowing its market position [1][3][25]. Group 1: Company Performance - Lakala claims to be a leading digital payment and business solutions provider in Asia, with a market share of 9.4% in the independent digital payment service sector, amounting to over 4 trillion yuan in total payment volume for 2024 [5][4]. - The company's revenue from 2022 to 2024 shows a decline, with figures of 5.361 billion yuan in 2022, 5.928 billion yuan in 2023, and 5.754 billion yuan in 2024, while profits fluctuated from a loss of 1.438 billion yuan in 2022 to a profit of 457 million yuan in 2023, and a profit of 351 million yuan in 2024 [7][10]. - In the first three quarters of 2025, Lakala reported a revenue of 4.068 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 7.32%, and a net profit of 339 million yuan, down 33.9% year-on-year, attributed to pressures in the bank card payment business [8][11]. Group 2: Business Structure and Challenges - The company’s core digital payment services account for 89% of its revenue, indicating a heavy reliance on a single business line that is facing industry growth bottlenecks [11]. - Lakala's cross-border payment business saw a significant increase of 77.56% year-on-year in the first three quarters of 2025, reaching 60.2 billion yuan, but this still represents less than 2% of the company's total payment volume [11]. - The company has acknowledged potential liquidity risks due to net current liabilities recorded as of December 31, 2022, and June 30, 2025, which may limit operational flexibility [11]. Group 3: Compliance Issues - Lakala is currently facing a compliance crisis, with over 100,000 complaints filed on the Black Cat Complaint platform, highlighting issues such as unauthorized fees and poor service [26][30]. - The company has been penalized multiple times for regulatory violations, including a fine of 2.5 million yuan for various infractions related to transaction management and customer due diligence from 2022 to June 2025 [33][34]. - Recent fines include 250,000 yuan for violations of acquiring business management regulations and 4.06 million yuan for failing to meet customer identification requirements [33][34]. Group 4: Shareholder Actions - The founder's family and early investors are reducing their stakes in Lakala, with significant sell-offs by major shareholders, including a total cash-out of 493 million yuan by the founder's brother [16][19]. - Lenovo Holdings, the largest shareholder, has also been gradually reducing its stake, from 26.54% to 23.54%, raising concerns about the company's attractiveness to investors [19][22].

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the challenges faced by Lakala, a prominent player in the digital payment industry, as it prepares for its IPO in Hong Kong amidst declining performance, compliance issues, and significant shareholder exits [1][2][3]. Group 1: Performance Decline - Lakala's revenue and net profit have shown a downward trend, with revenues of 5.361 billion RMB in 2022, 5.928 billion RMB in 2023, and a projected 5.754 billion RMB in 2024, while net profits were -1.438 billion RMB, 0.457 billion RMB, and 0.351 billion RMB respectively [4][6]. - In the first three quarters of 2025, Lakala reported a revenue of 4.068 billion RMB, a year-on-year decrease of 7.32%, and a net profit of 0.339 billion RMB, down 33.9% year-on-year [6][11]. - The company attributes its revenue decline to pressure on its card payment business, with digital payment revenue decreasing by 7.63% [6][11]. Group 2: Shareholder Exits - The article highlights significant shareholder exits, including the complete divestment of the founder's brother, Sun Haoran, who has sold shares worth 493 million RMB [16][20]. - Lenovo Holdings, the largest shareholder, has also reduced its stake from 26.54% to 23.54%, cashing out approximately 580 million RMB [20][23]. Group 3: Compliance Issues - Lakala faces a severe compliance crisis, with over 100,000 complaints on the Black Cat Complaint platform regarding service issues and unauthorized charges [26][27]. - The company has been fined multiple times for regulatory violations, including a fine of 2.5 million RMB for various infractions related to payment processing and customer due diligence [36][38]. - The cumulative fines from 2022 to mid-2025 amount to 16.76 million RMB, indicating significant operational challenges [38]. Group 4: Future Outlook - Lakala is attempting to pivot towards cross-border payments, which saw a 77.56% increase to 60.2 billion RMB in the first three quarters of 2025, but this still represents less than 2% of its total payment volume [11][12]. - The company acknowledges potential liquidity risks and challenges in maintaining profitability, raising concerns about its financial health as it seeks to expand through its IPO [11][12].

Core Viewpoint - The IPO journey of Shenzhen Tian Su Measurement and Testing Co., Ltd. is filled with uncertainties, marked by high dividends to controlling shareholders while simultaneously seeking to raise funds for liquidity [1][2]. Group 1: IPO Process and Challenges - Shenzhen Tian Su Measurement and Testing has faced a lengthy IPO process of over two years, with multiple interruptions before its application is set to be reviewed on October 16 [1]. - The company is transitioning from the New Third Board to the ChiNext board, indicating a strategic shift in its market approach [1]. Group 2: Financial and Operational Concerns - The controlling shareholder, Gong Tianbao, and his family hold 85.86% of the voting rights, raising concerns about governance and potential conflicts of interest [2]. - In June 2023, the company distributed cash dividends totaling 24.45 million yuan, with Gong Tianbao receiving approximately 15 million yuan, despite the company having negative net cash flow at the same time [2]. - The IPO plans include raising 423 million yuan, of which 90 million yuan is intended for supplementing working capital, leading to skepticism about the authenticity of the company's funding needs [2]. Group 3: Business Model and Market Position - The company heavily relies on its measurement calibration services, which account for about 85% of its revenue, while testing services contribute only around 15%, exposing it to risks during industry downturns [2]. - From 2022 to 2024, the price of calibration service certificates decreased from 142.01 yuan to 119.43 yuan, indicating a downward trend in pricing due to competition from smaller testing institutions [2]. Group 4: Research and Development Deficiencies - The company's R&D expense ratio has declined from 4.43% to 4.13% from 2022 to 2024, which is less than half of the industry average [3]. - In 2024, the R&D investment is projected to be 33.08 million yuan, significantly lower than the sales expenses exceeding 200 million yuan [3]. - The workforce composition shows a heavy emphasis on sales, with sales personnel making up 37.8% of the total, compared to only 4.03% for R&D staff, highlighting a potential weakness in a technology-driven industry [3]. Group 5: Reputational Risks - In January 2025, China Huadian Group listed Tian Su Measurement as a supplier with poor conduct, revoking its trading qualifications for a year, which could adversely affect its business in the energy sector [3]. - The lack of disclosure regarding this significant negative event in the prospectus raises concerns about the company's information transparency and credibility [4].