Type Private Founder Zhifei Li | Area served Worldwide | |
Industry Artificial Intelligence
Computer software
Consumer electronics
Digital distribution Founded October 1, 2012; 4 years ago (2012-10-01), in Beijing, China. Founders Zhifei Li
Yuanyuan Li (Co-Founder) Key people Zhifei Li (Founder & CEO)
Yuanyuan Li (Co-Founder)
Mike Lei (CTO)
Mei-Yuh Hwang (VP. of Engineering) | ||
Mobvoi s new ticwatch
Chinese smartwatch maker mobvoi launches ticwatch 2 at 100 only
Introduction
Mobvoi is the AI company that developed Chinese voice recognition, natural language processing, and vertical search technology in-house. The mission of Mobvoi is to define the next generation of human-machine interaction via consumer products by leveraging our artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
Contents
- Mobvoi s new ticwatch
- Chinese smartwatch maker mobvoi launches ticwatch 2 at 100 only
- Introduction
- 2012 Founding
- 2013 14 Success with Chumenwenwen
- 2014 October Ticwear 10 Launch
- 2015 June Ticwear 30 and Ticwatch Launch
- 2015 September Partnership with Android Wear
- 2016 January Mobvoi Store Launch
- 2016 Ticauto and Ticmirror Launch
- 2016 Present Ticwatch 2 and Ticwatch 2 Global Edition launch
- Chumenwenwen Mobile Voice Search
- Ticauto
- Ticmirror and Ticeye
- Ticwatch and Ticwatch 2 Global Edition
- Company Leaders
- Logo
- Company Design Philosophy
- References
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.
2012: Founding
Mobvoi was founded in October 2012, by Zhifei Li 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. In 2014, Mobvoi launched their independent voice search app called, Chumenwenwen, which covers over 60 vertical domains, providing various types of everyday information.
2014 October: Ticwear 1.0 Launch
In 2014, Mobvoi released their own Android-based smartwatch operating system, Ticwear OS 1.0.
2015 June: Ticwear 3.0 and Ticwatch Launch
Mobvoi partnered with Frog Design 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, Tmall, Suning and Amazon. Ticwatch has 100K+ users and 100M+ sales.
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 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.
2016: Ticauto and Ticmirror Launch
In 2016, Mobvoi launched Ticauto, an AI enabled mirror for automobiles. CES 2016 showcased Ticauto and Ticmirror in the automotive field innovations section.
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.”
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. 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 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, 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. Ticwatch 2 are slated for delivery from September to October 2016.
Company Leaders
The company is led by its leader Zhifei Li, Founder & CEO; Yuanyuan Li, Co-Founder; and Mike Lei, 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.