It has been a turbulent year in the world of investment, but thankfully a trend of big tech companies acquiring quality startups has brought us a ray of hope. Instead of simply copying popular ideas from smaller firms, traditional tech companies are more willing to invest or acquire startups .
Here’s a short investment report for five market movers in 2012:
1. Tencent
Since 2011, the penguin kingdom has focused on the foreign market and has made joint investment with DST and YC in Silicon Valley and Southeast Asia startups from mobile Internet, games, e-commerce, and tourism. For the domestic market, Tencent is more interested in growing start-ups and companies already gone public. As an LP, Tencent had also invested in InnovationWorks, DST, and co-founded the A-fund with Gree, DCM and KDDI.
Investments List (Local)
E-commerce: Meilishuo, maimaibao, kaixin001, okbuy, mamacn, kela, lvren, 500ccc, 17u, elong
Games: rekoo, xingcloud, elex-tech, yile, shunwang
Mobile: lewaos, mgyun
Others: InnovationsWorks, Kingsoft, Huayi Bros. Media, aibang, ecqun
(Overseas)
Games: Riot Game, Epic Games, ZAM, Raptr, Kamcord, Level Up, Studio Hon, Reloaded Studios, Toppig, Nextplay, Redduck, Eyedentity Games, GH Hope Island
Mobile: Pair, Everyme, Kakao, Sonalight, RunWilder, Waddle
Others: DST, Ark
Acquisition/Equity(Local)
E-commerce: 51buy, gaopeng-Ftuan
Games: youxigu
Mobile: shuame, tongcard, molo
Others: DNSPod, Comsenz Inc.
2. Alibaba Group
The tech giant is dedicated to building a better and bigger ecommerce ecosystem by investing in trading, outsourcing, logistics, data services, and webmasters services.
Investments(Local)
E-commerce: xingchenExpress, 800best, skynj, s.cn, meituan, Chinabaozun, taotaosou, ShopEx, aigou
Mobile: UCWEB, Momo, ddmap
(Overseas)
E-commerce: Vendio, Auctiva
Acquisition/Equity(Local)
E-commerce: Onetouch, Koubei, ShoppingAssistant, Phpwind
Others: net.cn, emapgo, CNZZ, xiaobai
3. Baidu
The search giant has always been thought of as being conservative, but as company, awashed in cash, has been very interested in making equity investments and acquisitions as of late. Also, this is regarded as a way of exploring new services and absorbing talents for Baidu.
Invesments(Local)
E-commerce: anjuke, jia, zhiwo
Mobile: dashi
Acquisition/Equity(Local)
E-commerce: Qunar
Mobile: leho, motujingling
Others: aiqiyi, jinwankansha, Qianqian Player, skycn, hao123
4.Shanda
Shanda has entered the investment game early, and it has the biggest and widest portfolio covering interactive entertainment in areas such games, literature, lifestyle services, mobile and media. What’s more, the company itself is equipped with many investment arms such as Shanda Capital, 18Captical, and ShandaLiterature .
Investments(Local)
E-commerce: meishij, wangpiao, gewara
Games: Ggg.cn
Mobile: easou, weiphone, anzhi, OmeSoft, Moji Weather, Talkbox, byread, wap-z input, hydroid, RockPlayer, Zhui app platform, MoliTown, Xianguo Reading, Nduo, Codoon
Others: Douguo, Chuangyejia, TechWeb, WeiboYi, u17Comics, DiaochaPai, Doit.im, Jifenzhong, Xiami
(Overseas)
MochiMedia, Eyedentity, Actoz
Acquisition/Equity(Local)
Games: pcgames, 7xingman, 12ha, sicent, gameabc, cga, Digital-Red, gameTea
Mobile: hurray.com
Others: Ku6, docin, qidian, xxsy, zzbwbook, chinese, readnovel
5. Qihoo360
The company’s CEO Zhou Hongyi has been known as an active angel investor. After IPO, Qihoo360 has been marching rapidly and steadily by expanding its businesses through investment. Among all the investing moves it made, those on mobile internet are most notable.
Investments(Local)
Mobile: Shuame, ifangge, VIVA, xindianTech
Others: Kuaibo, yunyun
Acquisition/Equity(Local)
Games: game9z, 2366
Others: msafe TheWorld Browser, ludashi