Sign up to receive our
daily summary of tech news for free.

Couriers of Baidu Waimai on the road in Taicang city. Photo by AP.
2017 Predictions
Asia

Settling China’s Food Fight

Photo: Couriers of Baidu Waimai on the road in Taicang city. Photo by AP.

Prepare for a wave of mega-mergers in China’s food delivery apps, the last major holdout in that country’s subsidy-fueled on-demand services.

The market is dominated by just three players: Ele.me, Meituan Waimai, and Baidu Waimai. Like Cold War proxy states, each one is backed by one of China’s Big Three technology titans: Tencent, Alibaba and Baidu. Only one will remain by the end of 2017. Our bet is that Tencent and Alibaba will engineer a partnership to drive out Baidu. These frenemies already coexist as investors in Didi Chuxing.  

Get access to exclusive coverage
Read deeply reported stories from the largest newsroom in tech.
Latest Articles
 
Exclusive Media/Telecom Entertainment
Amazon Alum’s Exit From TV Firm Shows Pitfalls for Tech Execs in Media
By Jessica Toonkel · July 13, 2020 10:01 AM PDT

Amazon alumni have turned up at a wide range of digital and traditional media firms, such as Snap and Disney. But one of the biggest contingents—around 100—has defected to TV firm Discovery, owner of the Discovery Channel, HGTV and Animal Planet, following a former Amazon Marketplace executive, Peter Faricy. He was hired in 2018 to build a big streaming video group and help ...

Latest Briefs
 
Robinhood Valued at $8.6 Billion With More New Funds
By Kate Clark · July 13, 2020
SiriusXM Buys Stitcher for $265 Million in Cash
By Martin Peers · July 13, 2020
Google to Invest $10 Billion in India
By Shai Oster · July 13, 2020
Stay in the know
Receive a summary of the day's top tech news—distilled into one email.
Access on the go
View stories on our mobile app and tune into our weekly podcast.
Join live video Q&A’s
Deep-dive into topics like startups and autonomous vehicles with our top reporters and other executives.
Enjoy a clutter-free experience
Read without any banner ads.
Exclusive Economy COVID-19
Under Armour Seeks Buyer for MyFitnessPal App
By Jessica Toonkel and Nick Wingfield
A few years ago, Under Armour made a splashy entrance into the burgeoning market for digital fitness apps with a series of acquisitions.
Org Charts Facebook
The People With the Power at Facebook After Chris Cox’s Return
By Alex Heath
In Facebook’s upper ranks, what’s old is new again. That’s because Chris Cox, one of Facebook’s most senior executives, recently returned as chief product officer, reporting to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, after a yearlong hiatus.
Google Facebook
Facebook, Google Ad Market Rebounds From April Bottom
By Nick Bastone
Digital advertising, the main source of revenue for Facebook and Google, just finished one of its most difficult three-month stretches ever.
Out of Office Economy COVID-19
How to Start a New Job During a Pandemic
By Laura Mandaro
As Twilio’s new head of human resources, Christy Lake normally would have spent her first few weeks on the job talking, lunching and generally hanging out with many of the San Francisco tech company’s 3,000 employees.
Exclusive Media/Telecom Entertainment
Microsoft Expresses Interest in Acquiring Warner Game Unit
By Jessica Toonkel
Microsoft has expressed interest in acquiring the games division of Warner Bros., the publisher behind popular game franchises based on Batman, Harry Potter and other characters, according to two people familiar with the situation.
The Briefing Uber/Lyft
Why Uber’s Postmates Deal Doesn’t Deserve Celebration: The Information’s Tech Briefing
By The Information Staff
Uber's 6% stock price rise on Monday suggests investors like the company's $2.65 billion acquisition of Postmates.