Mobvoi

Mobvoi
Private
Industry
Founded October 1, 2012 (2012-10-01), in Beijing, China.
Founders
  • Zhifei Li
  • Yuanyuan Li (Co-Founder)
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
  • Zhifei Li (Founder & CEO)
  • Yuanyuan Li (Co-Founder)
  • Mike Lei (CTO)
  • Mei-Yuh Hwang (VP. of Engineering)


Products
  • Chumenwenwen Mobile Voice Search
  • Ticauto
  • Ticmirror and Ticeye
  • Ticwatch
Website en.ticwear.com

Introduction

Mobvoi is the AI company that developed Chinese voice recognition, natural language processing, and vertical search technology in-house.[1] The mission of Mobvoi is to define the next generation of human-machine interaction via consumer products by leveraging our artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

The core team members include ex-Googlers, AI experts, former Nokia employees, engineers and researchers from top universities such as Johns Hopkins, Harvard, MIT, Cambridge and Tsinghua or top-tier Internet companies such as Yahoo Beijing, Baidu, Tencent, etc. Over 60% of the team at Mobvoi are engineers. Since inception, Mobvoi has raised 5 rounds of funding led by Sequoia Capital, Zhenfund, SIG, Perfect Optronics Ltd (HK listed), GoerTek (A- Share listed) and Google with total fundraising amount of USD 75 million.[2]

History

Main article: History of Apple Inc.

2012: Founding

Mobvoi was founded in October 2012, by Zhifei Li[3] with aspirations to define the next generation of human-machine interaction through AI technologies.

2013 -14: Success with Chumenwenwen

In May, 2013, Mobvoi made their mark on the market with the release of their Voice Search Service featured in the popular messaging app, WeChat.[4] In 2014, Mobvoi launched their independent voice search app called, Chumenwenwen,[5] which covers over 60 vertical domains, providing various types of everyday information.[6]

2014 October: Ticwear 1.0 Launch

In 2014, Mobvoi released their own Android-based smartwatch operating system, Ticwear OS 1.0.[7]

2015 June: Ticwear 3.0 and Ticwatch Launch

Mobvoi partnered with Frog Design[8] to bring to life one of their latest goal, Ticwatch. In June 2015, Mobvoi launched Ticwatch in China featuring Ticwear 3.0. The Ticwatch has been ranking 1st in sales for Android smartwatches in China, only second to Apple Watch on platforms such as JD.com,[9] Tmall, Suning and Amazon. Ticwatch has 100K+ users and 100M+ sales.[10]

2015 September: Partnership with Android Wear

Android Wear formed a strategic partnership with Mobvoi to work together on the efforts to bring Android Wear to China. Moto 360[11] is the first Android Wear device in China to carry Chinese voice search and voice controls powered by Mobvoi. For Android Wear users in China, they will have the privilege to experience a fully supported smart watch enabled by Mobvoi's services.

2016 January: Mobvoi Store Launch

Mobvoi launched Mobvoi Store, which is official Android WearTM Partner in China.[12]

2016: Ticauto and Ticmirror[13] Launch

In 2016, Mobvoi launched Ticauto,[14][15] an AI enabled mirror for automobiles. CES 2016 showcased Ticauto and Ticmirror in the automotive field innovations section.[16]

2016 - Present: Ticwatch 2 and Ticwatch 2 Global Edition launch

In June 2016, Ticwatch 2 was launched on JD crowdfunding platform and sold over RMB 12 million within 11 days. On July 25, 2016, Mobvoi launched Ticwatch 2 Global Edition on Kickstarter. The Kickstarter is a massive success, they achieved their goal of 50 thousand USD in less than ten minutes of the launch. Their campaign generated over 2 million in support, in less than 29 days. This accomplishment grants them the title, “The Most Successful Chinese Kickstarter.”

Products

Chumenwenwen Mobile Voice Search

Chumenwenwen is a voice activated AI assistance app available on both Android and iOS devices. It enables searches in over 60 vertical fields of interests.[17] It provides users ability to ask it for directions, restaurant suggestions, news, weather information, among many other options. In 2014, Chumenwenwen caught Google’s attention and soon became the official voice service provider for Android Wear users in China.

Ticauto

Ticauto is an in-vehicle voice App, integrating speech recognition, semantic analysis, vertical search, TTS and other advanced technology to provide voice navigation, POI search, instant messaging, and on-board entertainment to create a convenient and secure smart travel experience.

Ticmirror and Ticeye

Ticmirror [18] is a in-car robot integrating Mobvoi’s voice engine.Ticmirror allows users to perform everything they could with Ticauto and more with the addition of 7.84 inch touch screen that doubles as a rear view mirror. It has a 160 degrees wide angle lens allowing it to be used as a 1080p dashcam. Ticmirror is compatible with Ticeye,[18] which is an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) enable front collision warning and lane departure warnings.

Ticwatch and Ticwatch 2 Global Edition

Ticwatch is Mobvoi’s first attempt at creating a smartwatch powered by their Ticwear OS operating system. Ticwatch is compatible with both Android and iOS devices, a feature available in few smartwatches. It can be used as a standalone fitness tracker thanks to its built in GPS and heart rate sensor chipsets. Ticwatch was initially introduced for the market in China. However, the tremendous success of Ticwatch in China pushed Mobvoi to localize and introduce Ticwatch 2 Global Edition for the global users on Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mobvoi/ticwatch-2-the-most-interactive-smartwatch/description). The version released in China features a eSim data connection. This feature is removed from the Global Edition due to complications with cellular partners. Their Kickstarter raised over 2 million dollars in funding.[19] Ticwatch 2 are slated for delivery from September to October 2016.[20]

Corporate identity

Company Leaders

The company is led by its leader Zhifei Li, Founder & CEO;[3] Yuanyuan Li, Co-Founder;[21] and Mike Lei,[22] CTO. They are scholars hailing from prestigious universities across the US. Zhifei and Mike are ex-Googlers formerly in charge of the Google Translate and Google Voice Search teams. Yuanyuan is formerly part of the management team at MicroStrategy Inc. for four years.

Logo

Mobvoi adopted their current logo when the company was founded in 2012. The logo with an “M” with a speech bubble in the middle stands for Mobvoi and the first product released by Mobvoi.

Company Design Philosophy

The company approaches product design with three objectives: simplicity, craftsmanship, and quality. Simplicity is expressed with the implementation of simple, round displays for their smartwatches. Craftsmanship is expressed with the careful design and optical accuracies of their displays. Quality is expressed with the sapphire glass, luxurious Italian leather straps, and silky smooth liquid silicon straps paired with their smartwatches.

References

  1. ↑ "Google Invests in Chinese Search-and-Smartwatch Startup". Wall Street Journal. 2015-10-20. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  2. ↑ Kharpal, Arjun (2015-10-20). "Google dipping toe in China with this investment". CNBC. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  3. 1 2 "Zhifei Li Linkedin". Linkedin.
  4. ↑ "Tech in Asia - Connecting Asia's startup ecosystem". www.techinasia.com. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  5. ↑ "'Watch Bro' - JHU Engineering Magazine". JHU Engineering Magazine. 2016-01-12. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  6. ↑ Warc. "AI and WeChat | warc.com". www.warc.com. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
  7. ↑ "The inside story of designing the all-Chinese smartwatch". Wareable. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  8. ↑ "Ticwatch | frog". frog. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  9. ↑ "The inside story of designing the all-Chinese smartwatch". Wareable. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
  10. ↑ "Mobvoi's Ticwatch is getting an international edition this summer". Wareable. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  11. ↑ "Mobvoi Launches Smartwatch Powered By Homegrown Android ROM 'Ticwear'". TechNode. 2015-06-05. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
  12. ↑ "Google-Backed Mobvoi Launches Chinese Android Wear App Store". TechNode. 2016-01-27. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
  13. ↑ M, Jason (2016-06-08). "Ticmirror Takes On Android Auto/CarPlay". Tech My Money. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  14. ↑ ichenxi (2016-05-12), ticauto, retrieved 2016-11-30
  15. ↑ "TICAUTO Trademark Application of Shanghai Mobvoi Information Technology Company Limited - Serial Number 87125155 :: Justia Trademarks". trademarks.justia.com. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
  16. ↑ "【优雅智造千人发布会全程回顾，TIC四大智能新品重磅发布！】_出门问问 - 微讯啦". www.weixinla.com. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
  17. ↑ Mobvoi. "Mobvoi Releases New in-car Infortainment App". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  18. 1 2 1.1, Power by:JerryYan QQ:855222 JerrySoft Framework. "Mobvoi-2016上海国际车联网与智慧交通展览会". www.mmcshanghai.org. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  19. ↑ "Ticwatch 2: The Most Interactive Smartwatch". Kickstarter. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  20. ↑ "Update 21: Shipping Status, Connect with the Team, Share your Ticwatch with Other Fans! · Ticwatch 2: The Most Interactive Smartwatch". Kickstarter. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  21. ↑ "Yuanyuan Li Linkedin".
  22. ↑ "Mike (Xin) Lei Linkedin".
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.