Tianyancha

About Tianyancha

Tianyancha operates as a comprehensive business data and analytics provider in China, offering a platform for querying enterprise information. Founded in October 2014 by Dr. Chao Liu, the Beijing-headquartered company was established to address information asymmetry in the commercial sector by making public data more accessible.

Dr. Liu's background is deeply rooted in data science and technology. He earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from Peking University in 2003, followed by a Ph.D. in the same field from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he specialized in data mining. Before establishing Tianyancha, Dr. Liu held positions as a researcher at Microsoft Research in Redmond and later served as the Chief Scientist at Sogou, a major Chinese technology company. This experience in data mining and large-scale information systems directly informed the technological foundation of Tianyancha, which centers on aggregating and structuring vast amounts of public data.

The company's core business revolves around its commercial query platform, which aggregates public information on nearly 300 million entities. The platform provides data across more than 300 dimensions, including corporate equity structures, shareholder relationships, operational risks, legal proceedings, and intellectual property. Revenue is primarily generated through a subscription-based model for both individual (C-end) and business (B-end) clients. While basic information is often free, premium features such as detailed risk analysis, historical data, and advanced relationship mapping require a paid VIP membership. The individual user segment constitutes the largest portion of its revenue. The platform also offers API services for enterprises to integrate Tianyancha's data into their own systems for functions like compliance checks, risk monitoring, and customer acquisition.

Tianyancha's service is utilized by a diverse client base, ranging from individual users performing due diligence on potential employers or business partners to institutional clients like financial firms, law practices, and corporations. Financial and legal professionals use the platform for auditing, credit assessment, and verifying corporate structures, while businesses leverage it for supply chain vetting and market analysis. A significant milestone was achieved in 2019 when Tianyancha became one of the first in its industry to receive an enterprise credit reporting license from the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the country's central bank. The company saw its personal-end product become profitable within a month of monetization in 2017 and surpassed 100 million users by March 2018.