- Business
- Baidu, Inc. (HKEX: 9888) operates as a leading Chinese multinational technology company specializing in Internet services and artificial intelligence, headquartered in Beijing's Haidian District since its founding in January 2000 by Robin Li and Eric Xu. The company provides a comprehensive suite of core products and services, including its dominant Baidu Search engine for text, voice, and algorithmic queries; feed-based platforms such as Baidu Feed, Haokan, Quanmin short-video service, Baidu Post Bar, Baidu Knows, and Baidu Encyclopedia; AI Cloud offerings encompassing full-stack infrastructure, PaaS, SaaS, generative AI platforms like ERNIE Bot (Wenxin Yiyan), and industrial applications; autonomous driving solutions via the Baidu Apollo platform and Apollo Go robotaxi service; mapping and navigation through Baidu Maps; smart devices including Xiaodu consumer electronics and DuerOS voice assistant; as well as health services via Baidu Health and online video through its significant stake in iQIYI. Baidu primarily serves Chinese Internet users, advertisers, enterprises, developers, and government agencies, with expanding global operations in autonomous driving and AI through partnerships and deployments in Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. Recent developments include the unveiling of the natively omni-modal ERNIE 5.0 foundation model and AI applications such as Famou self-evolving agent, MeDo no-code builder, and Oreate AI workspace at Baidu World 2025, alongside new Kunlun AI chips and plans for global product rollouts; strategic partnerships like those with Lyft for Apollo Go robotaxi launches in Europe starting 2026, Apple for ERNIE integration in China devices in 2025, China Merchants Group for AI cloud expansion, and K2's AutoGo for Abu Dhabi fleet growth to hundreds of vehicles by 2026; Apollo Go achievements with over 2.2 million fully driverless rides in Q2 2025, 1,000+ vehicles deployed worldwide by mid-2025, and projected profitability in 2025; plus Q3 2025 financial results announcement and ongoing AI-driven revenue growth in Baidu Core.