JD.com takes the spotlight this week with the launch of a new accelerator dedicated to the development of blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

Dubbed 'AI Catapult', the accelerator would be part of the Chinese retailer's AI programme and work with blockchain startups to develop and test new businesses and applications. These young companies would be invited to work alongside JD's operational teams, the vendor said, adding that it currently ran an AI engineering team in China, as well as a lab in Silicon Valley.

Its AI applications had been implemented in the company's drones, robotics, automation tools, supply chain, as well as marketing and customer service applications.

The accelerator also would aide its research teams in identifying new ways to tap AI to improve blockchain technology, focusing in particular on scalability, security, privacy, efficiency, and energy consumption.

Commenting on its use of blockchain, JD.com said the technology had been adapted in supply chains and to facilitate product safety, enabling the tracking of products back to its origin.

Through the new accelerator, the Chinese vendor said it was aiming to implement blockchain and its associated technologies more widely and with the goal to improve efficiencies and customer experience.

Based in Beijing, AI Catapult was launched alongside its first batch of startups, including local fintech company Bankorous, Singapore's blockchain-based database provider Bluezelle, and Australia's cyrptocurrency platform CanYa.

JD.com added that it was looking to further establish "commercial, strategic, and research partnerships" to help drive the AI and blockchain ecosystems.

Vice president of AI and research Bowen Zhou said: "JD is in a unique position to explore the potential of AI and blockchain in global commerce. We are excited to work with some of the world's most innovative startups to explore ways we can scale these cutting edge technologies for the future of retail and other industries."

JD.com earlier this month partnered Fung Retailing to jointly develop AI-powered retail tools, with the aim to tap the technology to "transform" the retail landscape. The partnership would include an ‘AI Boundaryless Retail Centre’ to lead and manage joint R&D projects as well as facilitate information and expertise-sharing between the two companies.

Tencent & JD.com Buy Stake in Retail Chain

Apart from its new accelerator, JD.com also made news this week with a reported investment in Chinese retail chain, Better Life Commercial Chain Share.

According to a filing to the Shenzehen stock exchange, Better Life said a JD.com subsidiary would fork out ¥739.1m (£83.28m) for a 5% stake in the company.

It added that a Tencent subsidiary also was looking to acquire a 6% stake for ¥886.9m (£99.93m).

The stock acquisitions came amidst Alibaba's increased investment and efforts in expanding its network of Hema supermarkets. The Chinese e-commerce giant – and JD.com's archrival – said it was looking to add another 30 outlets in Beijing, up from the current five, by the end of the year. It currently operated 25 stores in seven cities across China.

Walmart's Reported Flipkart Stake Could Include Retail Chain

Following last week's news that US retail chain Walmart is looking to acquire a significant stake in Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart, further reports have surfaced that point to possible plans that the move may include a physical footprint.

Citing sources with information on the negotiations, Indian newspaper Economic Times reported that Walmart might end up with just a 20% stake, due to objections from Flipkart's recently acquired investor Softbank, which held a 20.8% share.

The report noted that the Indian e-commerce site had been looking to enter the physical retail space with the right partner. The country's regulations on foreign investments prohibited Walmart from directly operating retail stores locally.

The US company, though, runs a wholesale business in India.This content was originally published in RetailTechNews.