What a difference a year makes. When I was last in China, everyone was buzzing about VR/AR and Didi vs. Uber.

Now, it’s the bike-rental wars between Ofo and Mobike (they’re a bigger deal than you think, but don’t hold your breath for a merger) and pop-up convenience stores. Yes, Bodega is alive and well in China. Startups like 7Kola and Xingbianli have raised millions in recent months.

Something else has changed. Silicon Valley seems to have stopped paying attention to Asia's tech giants.