Alibaba Group Holding Limited

Alibaba Group Holding Limited is a Chinese technology and commerce group founded in 1999 in Hangzhou by Jack Ma and a group of co-founders. It began as Alibaba.com, a business-to-business online marketplace connecting Chinese exporters with overseas buyers, and grew into one of the world's largest internet companies by building consumer marketplaces, digital payments, cloud computing and logistics capabilities around its core commerce business. On the consumer side, Alibaba operates Taobao, a large marketplace for individual sellers and small merchants, and Tmall, a platform for brands and retailers. Its cross-border properties include AliExpress for overseas consumers and Alibaba.com for international B2B trade, while its Chinese wholesale and sourcing operations serve merchants and manufacturers. The group also runs the Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun) computing business, which provides cloud infrastructure, data and AI services to enterprises, and holds a controlling interest in the Cainiao logistics network, which supports its marketplaces and third-party merchants. Alibaba's ecosystem extends into digital media and entertainment, local consumer services, and a range of technology initiatives. Its consumer-facing apps are among the most used in China, and its annual 11.11 (Singles' Day) shopping festival has become a global benchmark for online retail scale. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker BABA and on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under 9988, and it is headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. Alibaba positions itself as a platform company enabling merchants, brands and businesses to reach consumers and to digitize their operations. Its strategy has emphasized commerce, cloud computing and logistics as core engines, with investments across retail, delivery, media and enterprise software. Over time the group has faced regulatory scrutiny in China, changes in leadership, and a competitive landscape that includes other large Chinese internet platforms and newer e-commerce entrants, and it has responded with organizational restructuring and a renewed focus on its main businesses.

Alibaba Group was founded in 1999 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, by Jack Ma and a group of co-founders. Its first business, Alibaba.com, was a business-to-business online directory and marketplace designed to help Chinese small and medium-sized exporters find international buyers. The venture grew during the early 2000s as internet adoption expanded in China and as overseas buyers sought direct access to Chinese suppliers. In 2003 the company launched Taobao, a consumer-to-consumer and small-merchant marketplace, which became a leading online shopping destination in China. Taobao's growth was supported by Alipay, a digital payments service introduced to solve trust and payment problems in online transactions; Alipay was later separated into an affiliated financial technology company. In 2008 Alibaba launched Tmall, a platform aimed at brands and larger retailers, complementing Taobao's marketplace model. Alibaba expanded into cloud computing with the launch of Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun), which grew into a major provider of cloud infrastructure and data services in China and internationally. The group also built out logistics through Cainiao, a network company coordinating warehousing and delivery partners to serve its marketplaces. Cross-border commerce became another pillar, with AliExpress serving overseas consumers and Alibaba.com continuing to serve international B2B trade. Alibaba completed a landmark initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014, one of the largest technology listings at the time, and later pursued a secondary listing in Hong Kong. The company's annual 11.11 shopping festival grew into a global retail event. In 2019 Daniel Zhang succeeded Jack Ma as chairman, and the group continued to expand into local services, digital media and enterprise technology. In the 2020s Alibaba faced regulatory scrutiny in China, including an antitrust investigation into its e-commerce practices, and underwent leadership changes and organizational restructuring intended to make its business units more agile. The group refocused on its core commerce and cloud businesses and adjusted its investment portfolio. It remains headquartered in Hangzhou and is listed in New York and Hong Kong.

• 2019

  Daniel Zhang succeeds Jack Ma as chairman; secondary listing in Hong Kong.

• 2014

  Initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange.

• 2013

  Cainiao logistics network established.

• 2009

  Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun) established.

• 2008

  Tmall launched for brands and retailers.

• 2004

  Alipay digital payments service introduced.

• 2003

  Taobao consumer marketplace launched.

• 1999

  Alibaba Group founded in Hangzhou by Jack Ma and co-founders; Alibaba.com launched as a B2B marketplace.

Platform ecosystem for commerce, cloud computing and logistics, connecting merchants, brands and consumers in China and internationally.

• Taobao

  Consumer marketplace for individual sellers and small merchants.

• Tmall

  Platform for brands and retailers.

• Alibaba.com

  Business-to-business international trade marketplace.

• AliExpress

  Cross-border marketplace for overseas consumers.

• Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun)

  Cloud computing and data services business.

• Cainiao

  Logistics network supporting marketplaces and merchants.

• 11.11 Global Shopping Festival

• Unconfirmed

  Alibaba unveils Hanguang 800 AI chip[2]阿里巴巴发布含光800人工智能芯片cdrinfo.com

  Reported: 2018-03-08

  Alibaba unveiled the Hanguang 800, a self-developed AI chip that was already being used internally for product search, automatic translation and personalized recommendations. Alibaba said it had no immediate plans to sell the chip as a standalone commercial product.

1. 1Alibaba Group official websitealibabagroup.com
2. 2阿里巴巴发布含光800人工智能芯片cdrinfo.com