- Business
- Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU; HKEX: 9888) operates as a leading Chinese multinational technology company focused on internet services and artificial intelligence, holding a dominant position in China's search engine market through Baidu Search; the company provides a comprehensive suite of products and services including Baidu App for search and newsfeed, Baidu Baike online encyclopedia, iQIYI video streaming platform, Baidu Tieba keyword-based discussion forums, Haokan short video platform, Baidu Feed, Baidu Knows question-and-answer service, Baidu Encyclopedia, Baidu Input Method Editor, Baidu Maps for navigation and location services, ERNIE large language models such as ERNIE 5.0 and ERNIE X1 for conversational AI and reasoning, Baidu AI Cloud offering full-stack AI infrastructure including PaaS and SaaS solutions, Apollo Go autonomous ride-hailing robotaxi service, Apollo autonomous driving platform, Xiaodu smart consumer electronics and devices, and online marketing solutions encompassing keyword-based, feed-based, display, and performance-based advertising via Baidu Tuiguang. Founded in 2000 by Robin Li and Eric Xu and headquartered in Beijing's Haidian District at No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Baidu primarily serves consumers, advertisers, enterprises, developers, and government agencies in China with expanding operations in the United States, Asia, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia through key segments Baidu Core for search, AI, cloud, and intelligent driving initiatives and iQIYI for online entertainment including video, games, literature, and animations. Recent developments include a multi-year strategic partnership with Uber announced in July 2025 to deploy thousands of Apollo Go autonomous vehicles globally starting in Asia and the Middle East under an asset-light model, fleet expansion with K2's AutoGo in Abu Dhabi securing one of the emirate's inaugural fully driverless commercial permits, partnerships with Lyft for international robotaxi growth, launch of next-generation omni-modal AI foundation model ERNIE 5.0 at Baidu World 2025 alongside product upgrades and global rollout plans, release of ERNIE 4.5 and ERNIE X1 AI models in March 2025, acquisition of Kunlunxin subsidiary for AI chip design with a five-year roadmap featuring M100 in 2026 and M300 in 2027, issuance of over $2 billion in offshore bonds and 4.4 billion yuan in debt to fund AI infrastructure and proprietary chips, and sustained high growth in AI businesses exceeding 50% annually now comprising 40% of revenue amid cloud revenue expansion.