Easou: An Able Rival in Mobile Search? 宜搜：移动搜索领域的有力竞争者？

As names like Renren, Kaixin and Netqin fill the radar screen of China Internet investors, another company — mobile search firm Easou — is quietly making smaller headlines as another up-and-comer to watch. Local media report the company, whose founding in 2005 makes it one of China’s first mobile search firms, has recently received $50 million in new venture funding from a group that includes Taiwan chip giant UMC (Taipei: 2303) and France’s Ventech, and is looking to list as soon as 2013 when it expects annual revenue to breach the 1 billiion yuan mark. (English article; Chinese article) While it’s far from certain that Easou will remain the leader in this space two years from now, especially with companies like traditional search leader Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) taking their own initiatives, Easou certainly looks like an interesting proposition. After all, any company that even thinks it could reach the 1 billion yuan revenue mark just seven years after its founding must be doing well, and could easily hold on to its position as China’s mobile search leader if it makes the right moves.

Bottom line: Easou is well positioned to hold its leadership position in the mobile search space, but needs to make the right moves to fend off potential rivals like Baidu and Tencent.

人人网、开心网、网秦公司等正受到中国互联网投资者的密切关注，此时另一家公司–移动搜索企业宜搜–也在悄悄崛起。中国媒体报导称，成立於2005年 的宜搜近日获得5000万美元风投资金，投资方包括台湾芯片企业–台联电(2303.T)、法国风投公司Ventech等，且宜搜计划最早2013年上 市，该公司期待届时年收入突破10亿人民币大关。眼下，传统互联网搜索企业，如百度等正对进军移动互联搜索领域跃跃欲试，两年内宜搜能够保持行业领先地位 还远未可知，不过宜搜看起来处於比较有利位置。毕竟，任何企业敢想象仅成立七年之际营收就突破10亿大关，那他们目前的业务必定异常出色，且如果不出昏 招，必可轻易守住移动搜索领域的领导地位。

一句话：宜搜对於守住移动搜索领域龙头地位形势看好，但它需要决策无误才能抵御百度、腾讯等潜在对手。

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