Sunday, December 21, 2014

Why China's Xiaomi Is Not A Copy Of iPhone

If Chinese smart phone maker Xiaomi succeeds in its mission, it may become known as the company that dispelled notions that China technology is a copy of western knowhow.
But there is still a hurdle to jump. Say Xiaomi, and most people think copy, not original. But as Xiaomi becomes better known in the West, that impression could change.
Or at least that’s according to early Xiaomi investor Hans Tung of GGV Capital. He sat down with me recently for an interview on Silicon Dragon Talk and shared his perspective on what makes Xiaomi an original.
He pointed to three key differentiators for Xiaomi:
Keep reading post at Forbes: onforb.es/1uhwcdY

 

Thursday, December 4, 2014

One More US Startup Takes In Capital From China - This Time Xiaomi!

Wearable device maker Misfit may be gaining a significant competitive edge with its latest $40 million capital intake that includes Chinese smart phone leader Xiaomi making its first investment foray in the U.S.
Having a strategic China investor in its camp should help the San Francisco-based startup gain traction and scale up more quickly in the large Middle Kingdom market as expansion in Asia is prioritized.  With speed to market and China as increasingly important dynamics, this trend-setting investment could prove a big boost for Misfit, which already sells its waterproof activity tracker Shine in more than 35 countries.
It also can’t hurt to have one of the more innovative Chinese companies around on its side to build out its talent pool from China, where Misfit has a small software team to round out its team of nearly 100 people, most of them in R&D.
With this first investment in the U.S., Xiaomi is following an increasingly traveled path by the Chinese tech titans Baidu Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent and others of investing in U.S. tech businesses. View Silicon Dragon Talk on this trend and see prior Forbes post: Why U.S. startups are taking investment from China’s tech titans.
For the Chinese investor standpoint, this strategy helps them gain technology, talent and U.S. market experience in their long-term quest to expand outside their home market and build their base globally.  Their strategies bear little resemblance to the Japanese trophy seekers who bought American landmark  properties Pebble Beach and Rockefeller Center some two decades ago. Keep reading Forbes post:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccafannin/2014/12/04/1-more-us-startup-takes-in-capital-from-china-xiaomi/