91 Boyuan Wireles

About 91 Boyuan Wireles

91 Boyuan Wireless, operating as 91 Wireless, was established in September 2010 as a subsidiary of the Chinese gaming company NetDragon Websoft. The company was founded by Liu Dejian. From its inception, 91 Wireless focused on the burgeoning mobile internet market in China, a strategic direction spearheaded by Joe Wu, who served as the CEO and Executive Director starting in 2010. Wu, who had previously been the CFO at parent company NetDragon and held an MBA from Duke University, was instrumental in shaping the company's trajectory.

The core business of 91 Wireless revolved around its role as a major third-party Android application marketplace in China. It operated two primary app distribution platforms, 91 Assistant and HiMarket, which collectively became one of the country's largest channels for app downloads. Beyond simply being an app store, the company cultivated a comprehensive mobile ecosystem. This included a suite of integrated products such as 91 Panda Reader, 91 Panda Desktop, and the 91 Launcher, which provided users with a more holistic mobile experience. The business model also heavily emphasized mobile gaming, with the platform serving as a prominent operator and publisher for mobile games, a rapidly growing segment in China. Revenue was generated through this ecosystem, which connected a large developer base with a vast audience of smartphone users.

A pivotal moment in the company's history occurred in August 2013, when the Chinese search engine giant Baidu signed a definitive agreement to acquire 91 Wireless for approximately $1.85 billion, marking it as one of the largest acquisitions in China's internet industry at the time. The deal was motivated by Baidu's strategy to significantly bolster its capabilities in mobile app distribution and gain a strong foothold in the mobile gaming market to compete in China's evolving mobile landscape. Following the acquisition, 91 Wireless was set to operate as a wholly-owned, independent subsidiary of Baidu. Joe Wu facilitated the merger and subsequently left the new entity, Baidu 91 Wireless, in 2014.