Introduction
Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Beijing, Baidu is China’s leading AI-driven internet powerhouse. Under CEO Robin Li’s leadership, the company employs around 36,000 people and generates over USD 18 billion in annual revenue. Baidu is renowned for its search engine dominance and continues to grow through AI cloud services, its Apollo autonomous driving platform, and global expansion into smart mobility.
History & Milestone
Listed on NASDAQ in 2005; secondary listing in Hong Kong in 2021.
Launched Ernie Bot (LLM chatbot) and Ernie 4.0 in 2023.
Apollo Go (robotaxi) surpassed 6 million rides by April 2024.
Product & Services
Internet Services: Baidu Search, Baidu App, Baidu Baike, Tieba, Wangpan, etc.
AI & Cloud: Ernie Bot lineup, AI Cloud, full-stack AI platforms.
Autonomous Mobility: Apollo Go robotaxis, with international expansion (Europe).
Business Model & Strategy
Core revenue stems from internet marketing (search and feed), AI cloud services, autonomous tech, and platform-based monetization. CEO Li forecasts “exponential” AI application growth in 2025.
Market Presence & Financials
Baidu is a dominant player in China and increasingly global via autonomous driving and AI services. Its robust asset base, strong Q1 performance, and AI momentum strengthen its financial resilience.
Leadership & Culture
Under Robin Li, Baidu emphasizes innovation, research excellence, and a pioneering AI-first culture. The promotion of Haijian He to CFO reflects strategic strengthening.
Controversies & Challenges
From the 2016 Wei Zexi case to 2024 PR mishaps, Baidu has weathered reputation challenges and regulatory scrutiny
Future Outlook
Baidu is aggressively expanding its Apollo self-driving service into Europe (e.g., Switzerland, Turkey). It’s focusing on AI innovation and cloud leadership, aiming for global scale in autonomous mobility.