Raven Tech

The company's core mission was to develop a next-generation operating system built on AI principles, aiming to redefine how users interact with devices. Its target market was the burgeoning smart home and consumer electronics sector. Raven Tech operated on a direct-to-consumer model, generating revenue through the sale of its hardware and software products. The firm attracted significant venture capital, securing a $3 million angel round in May 2014, followed by a multi-million dollar Series A in May 2015 from investors including ZhenFund, Matrix Partners, Y Combinator, and DCM.

Raven Tech's product portfolio included several key offerings. Project Flow served as the foundational AI-powered interactive system. This technology was embodied in products like Music Flow, a minimalist music player, and Flow, an "IM+AI Chatbot" application. The company's primary hardware initiative was the Raven H-1, a modular smart home control hub designed to unify the fragmented smart device landscape. The system, comprised of components like the H-Base and H-Port, utilized voice commands to control various home electronics, from televisions to sound systems. Following its acquisition, the company, in collaboration with Baidu, released the Raven H smart speaker, powered by Baidu's DuerOS. This was later followed by the conceptual announcements of Raven R, a six-axis robotic arm, and Raven Q, a more advanced home robot concept.

A significant milestone in the company's history was its full acquisition by Baidu in February 2017. This event integrated the Raven Tech team into Baidu's operations, with Lü Cheng appointed as the general manager of Baidu's smart home hardware division, reporting directly to the COO. The acquisition was a strategic move by Baidu to bolster its AI ecosystem and accelerate the productization of its DuerOS platform. Lü Cheng eventually departed from Baidu in June 2018.