Only by grabbing a lot of market share from the iPhone 4s can the xphone 1 continue to advance rapidly next month!
And this is not easy, it has to completely crush the iPhone 4s.
What the iPhone 4s has, the xphone 1 also has, and it’s even better.
What the iPhone 4s doesn’t have, the xphone 1 also has!
This is why we need to use AI voice assistants!
If the xphone 1 also has an AI voice assistant similar to Siri, then there is really hope that it can overtake the iPhone 4s in the domestic market.
But it’s not that easy to develop it yourself.
However, stones from other mountains can attack jade.
Wang Yi remembered that the AI ​​voice chat assistant was not pioneered by Siri, let alone Apple, but by a domestic company - Xiaoi Robot!
In 2001, Yuan Hui, who was working at Microsoft, saw the power of Microsoft and sighed in his heart, "If the empire has such a great company, Xia must also have one!"
Therefore, Yuan Hui resigned from Microsoft and started his entrepreneurial journey, creating Yingsi Software, the predecessor of Xiaoi Robot.
Like most entrepreneurs, Yingsi Software started out in embarrassment, financial constraints, and difficulties.
Yuan Hui and eight employees were squeezed into an office space of just over 20 square meters, and business was not going smoothly.
Until 2003, an ordinary summer night.
Yuan Hui, who had just finished working overtime, was exhausted both physically and mentally. He opened MSN and prepared to find someone to chat with.
But I found that no one could be contacted, and my friends were either offline or busy.
A fearful feeling of loneliness swept through his body, and Yuan Hui couldn't help but think: "It would be great if there was an AI robot to chat with me!"
Thus, Xiaoi Robot was born and developed rapidly, with more than 400,000 users in three months.
By 2004, Xiaoi Robot had already logged into Msn and QQ.
That's right, the robots that originally chatted with users on MSN and QQ were all Xiaoi robots!
It also gained the attention of IDG and directly invested US$500,000.
In 2005, Xiaoi Robot cooperated with Sina and other companies to launch the world's first SMS version and WAP version intelligent chat robot.
In 2006, we cooperated with domestic officials to launch a Chinese intelligent customer service robot in the government field.
And become strategic partners of giants such as Microsoft and Yahoo.
In 2007, IDG invested an additional US$700,000 in Xiaoi Robot and brought in several investment institutions.
The parent company of Siri was only established in 2007.
It was not until 2010 that Siri's parent company was acquired by Apple for US$200 million, and it was launched on iPhone 4s in 2011.
It can be said that Siri is the younger brother of the Xiaoi robot.
When Siri was first established, Xiaoi Robot was already very mature and had a broad business.
In addition, the implementation mechanism and mode of Siri are exactly the same as the Xiaoi robot, which can be said to be completely infringing.
So Xiaoi Robot took Apple to court in 2012!
In a previous life, this lawsuit lasted for more than ten years and went through many reversals.
[In the first round, Xiaoi Robot sued Apple for infringement and infringement of its invention patent rights.]
Apple immediately applied to invalidate the Xiaoi robot patent, and the first round of litigation was suspended.
[Second round, is Xiaoi Robot’s patent valid? 】
Game 1: In September 2013, the Patent Reexamination Board made a decision to maintain the validity of Xiaoi Robot’s patent. Xiaoi Robot won.
In the second round, Apple refused to accept it and filed a lawsuit. The first instance judged that the patent was valid and Xiaoi Robot won.
In the third round, Apple was still dissatisfied and continued to appeal. The second instance ruled that the patent was invalid and Apple won.
In the fourth round, Xiaoi Robot refused to accept the decision and continued to appeal to the High Court for trial.
The High Court revoked the result of the second instance and upheld the original judgment of the first instance. The patent was valid and Xiaoi Robot won the case.
So far, eight years have passed.
The second round of litigation is finally over, and the Xiaoi robot patent is valid!
The third round of litigation: In August 2020, Xiaoi Robot sued Apple, demanding compensation of 10 billion yuan and a ban on the sale of iPhones.
That’s right, it’s back to the first round!
In the fourth round, in 2022, Apple will sue for non-infringement of patent rights...
The third and fourth rounds of litigation, until Wang Yi was reborn, had no final outcome.
Who knows how many more years it will take?
After all, even if you lose the first trial, you can still have the second trial, the third trial...
Although the Xiaoi robot patent is valid, it is still difficult for Apple to completely lose the lawsuit and make compensation.
After Apple loses the case, it can sue again, conduct a review, and keep delaying the case.
The patent protection period of Xiaoi Robot is also coming soon.
As long as the Xiaoi robot patent expires, it won't matter.
Until Wang Yi was reborn, there was no result in this case.
Due to various factors, the subsequent development of the Xiaoi robot in its previous life was not satisfactory.
In 2011, the Xiaoi robot encountered a fatal crisis!
Xiaoi Robot focuses on the C-side and requires a large amount of capital investment every year, but it is difficult to find a monetization model.
Apple has a big business and can invest hundreds of millions or even billions of RMB every year in research and development to improve Siri.
Even if you don't make money, you will lose money every year.
After all, with Siri around, the iPhone becomes unique and can sell a lot more.
If Siri loses money, the iPhone will still make money, but it will still make money without losing money.
But Xiaoi robot does not have this ability!
Continuing to spend money to develop the C-end will only burn money without any return.
If this continues, Xiaoi Robot will only go bankrupt and cannot survive at all.
Coupled with the economic crisis in 2008, the Internet industry suffered a critical blow, and Xiaoi Robot has become even more difficult in recent years.
By 2011, Xiaoi Robot was in an even more embarrassing situation. With over 100 million users, it still couldn’t find a monetization model!
All you can do is waste money!
Because there is no profit point in sight, capital institutions such as IDG are not only unwilling to continue investing, but also withdraw their capital one after another.
This directly dealt a fatal blow to Xiaoi Robot, which could not even pay wages.
In order to survive, the two founders had to borrow money from everywhere to maintain the company's operations.
But all the borrowed money has been spent, what should I do?
In desperation, I borrowed a loan shark with an interest rate of 24%!
Abandoned by capital, with no way to realize cash, and heavily in debt, we can only rely on loans to survive, maintain operations, and pay employees.
It can be said that the current stage is the most difficult stage for Xiaoi Robot, and it is also the stage with the lowest valuation!
Wang Yi checked the information.
Sure enough, in July 2011, Zhu Jiani spent 3.5 million to purchase a total of 35% of the shares from the two founders.
The valuation is only 10 million yuan!
The equity structure becomes: Yuan Hui holds 5% of the shares, Zhu Jiani holds 35% of the shares, and Li Wei holds 5% of the shares!
That's right, Xiaoi Robot, which was shorted by capital, is on the verge of bankruptcy again, with a valuation of only 10 million yuan.
Wang Yi remembered that at the end of December in his previous life, a company also bought 20% of the shares of Xiaoi Robot for 8 million, with a valuation of 40 million!
It can be said that the current valuation of Xiaoi Robot is up to 40 million!
It is precisely with the borrowed money and these two funds that Xiaoi Robot maintains operations, and in 2012, it gave up the C-side and turned to the B-side!
By providing intelligent customer service services to large customers such as China Unicom, China Mobile, Telecom, and banks, Xiaoi Robot has a way to monetize and barely survives.
In 2013, Xiaoi Robot was once again favored by capital and received an investment of 20 million from Alibaba, with a valuation of 200 million!
With Alibaba's endorsement, other investment institutions have also given certain support, giving Xiaoi Robot a chance to breathe.
But this amount of money is just a drop in the bucket and far from covering R&D investment.
After all, for this kind of AI chat software, speech recognition is only the foundation, and the algorithm is the foundation!
And algorithms mean burning money, burning money endlessly.
An AI chat software with a R&D investment of 50 million a year and an AI chat software with an R&D investment of 500 million a year are by no means on the same level.
Therefore, the subsequent development of Xiaoi Robot was not good and it suffered losses every year.
In 2016, the Metaverse became popular, and Xiaoi Robot launched AI+Metaverse again. As a result, the Metaverse was another failed market...
Coupled with the subsequent separation of core founders, shareholder disputes, and a series of other problems, the future of small AI is not too bright.
From the C side to the B side, to the AI ​​metaverse...
It can only be said that the ideal is very full and the reality is very skinny.
But this time, Wang Yi will take the opportunity to buy the bottom!
In the current most difficult period for Xiaoi Robot, the period with the lowest valuation, before turning to the B-side to achieve profitability, and before Alibaba takes a stake, it is aggressively buying at the bottom and acquiring it directly!
In this way, the AI ​​intelligent voice assistant of xphone 1 is now available.
The hardware, configuration, appearance, selfie, audio-visual experience, etc. of the iPhone 4s are not as good as the xphone 1.
Even in terms of system ecology, there is no absolute advantage.
Although the IOS system is good, Android 0 is not much worse.
In addition, xphone 1 integrates Xingyi Video and Xingyi Music, and with its high-scoring large screen and HIFI sound quality, it is slightly better in terms of ecological experience.
The only advantage of iPhone 4s at the moment is Siri!
If Wang Yi acquires Xiaoi Robot, it can be integrated into xphone 1 in a short time and launched quickly.
By then, the advantages of iPhone 4s will be gone!
The xphone 1 and the following xphone 1pro were completely sold out, so there were no problems.
Xiaoi Robot must be acquired!
After all, the current Xiaoi Robot has been abandoned by capital, is heavily in debt, and is on the verge of bankruptcy. It is the best time for acquisition.
What's more, the current valuation of Xiaoi Robot is around 40 million at most.
If Wang Yi could buy the entire company, it would be a waste of hundreds of millions!
But I’m afraid that Yuan Hui has a dream and doesn’t want to sell it!
But no matter what, you have to give it a try.
Xiaoi Robot must never give up.
And this needs to be done quickly.
If Xiaoi Robot borrows money, finds a profit direction, turns to the B-side, and realizes monetization, it will even less accept Wang Yi's acquisition!
Timing is important, and victory or defeat all depends on the moment.
Wang Yi decisively asked Jian Ziyan to contact a major shareholder and arrange a time to meet.
Without any hesitation, Wang Yi led his people and went straight to the Magic City!
Although Xiaoi Robot is a small company, the matter of AI voice assistant is a strategic layout. It is related to whether it can defeat iPhone 4s, so he has to discuss it in person!
Wang Yi wouldn't worry if he left it to others.
Later in the afternoon, Wang Yi met the major shareholder of Xiaoi Robot.
But it’s not Mr. Yuan, nor the other founder Li Wei, but the second largest shareholder Zhu Jiani!
Five months ago, she took advantage of the situation. When Xiaoi Robot was at its worst, she took 35% of the shares for 3.5 million, with a valuation of only 10 million!
Wang Yi’s goal is to first win 35% of Zhu Jiani’s shares!
"Director Wang, it's an honor to meet you. I'm a fan of Xingyi Technology!"
Zhu Jiani shook the xphone 1 in her hand, her beautiful eyes moving:
"Xphone 1 is too hard to grab. Fortunately, I am a long-time Meiyou fan. I was prepared as soon as it was released and placed an order for Xphone 1 as soon as possible. Otherwise, I would not be able to buy it. My second Xphone 1 will not be shipped until the end of the month.
Woolen cloth!"
Wang Yixiao said: "Don't worry, BYD's OEM factory has already started production before the end of the month. It is estimated that the goods will be shipped around the 20th."
"Really? That's great! Xphone 1 is so perfect, even a Apple fan like me has become a traitor."
Zhu Jiani's eyebrows were beaming and she was very excited. She spoke for a long time before coming back to her senses: "By the way, Director Wang, what do you want to see me for?"
"That's right, I heard that you purchased 35% of the shares of Xiaoi Robot in July."
Zhu Jiani nodded, with a complicated look on her face: "They were in such a miserable state at that time. All investment institutions withdrew their capital and were on the verge of bankruptcy. I spent 3.5 million to buy 35% of the shares from the two founders. I don't know if I can.
Get your money back.”
Even the capital was not optimistic about it, and Zhu Jiani felt that she was in trouble.
‘What good luck!’ Wang Yi sighed: “I wonder if Miss Zhu is willing to transfer the shares to me? I’ll buy it for three times the price!”
Zhu Jiani was shocked: "Buy three times! I made 7 million in five months? Director Wang, are you serious?"
"Yes, seriously."
"35% of the shares, 10.5 million, then the valuation of Xiaoi Robot is 30 million!" Zhu Jiani was overjoyed: "Director Wang, I am willing!"
Five months and three times the premium, she naturally wouldn't hesitate.
After all, AI voice chat software is very expensive, and the future of Xiaoi robot is uncertain.
Nowadays, there are more and more similar software, all of which are more expensive than Xiaoi Robot. She doesn’t think Xiaoi Robot has a future.
It is better to cash out in time and be safe.
As for asking for a higher price? It’s unrealistic. If Wang Yi invests in other similar software, won’t the Xiaoi Robot be doomed?
And for five months, the premium is tripled, which is pretty good.
The two parties quickly signed a contract and transferred funds.
Wang Yi successfully acquired 35% of the shares of Xiaoi Robot and became the second largest shareholder.
"Thank you." Wang Yi smiled and stretched out his hand, preparing to leave.
Zhu Jiani held Wang Yi's hand and smiled sweetly: "It is an honor for me to support the career of the male idol. But can I have a merciless request?"
"What?"
"Add your contact information, don't worry, I will just leave it in the address book and will never disturb your work."
Zhu Jiani said with a smile, but secretly said in her heart:
'Hmph, as long as you add your contact information, there will always be opportunities in the future. I won't let go of such a handsome man!'
Wang Yi also understood what the other party was thinking, but still took out WeChat.
Anyway, after X chat is launched next month, WeChat will no longer be needed, so it doesn’t hurt...
"Thank you!" Zhu Jiani was very excited: "Dr. Wang, are you free tonight? Let's have a meal together and let me fulfill my friendship as a landlord!"
"Sorry, I have something to do tonight, let's make an appointment another day."
"Okay, let's get in touch later." Zhu Jiani was a little disappointed, but helpless.
"Goodbye." Wang Yi waved and turned to leave.
There will be a second show tonight!
Wang Yi breathed a sigh of relief after receiving 35% of the shares.
Sure enough, Zhu Jiani, the speculator, is the easiest to win.
But this is not enough. The remaining two shareholders are both founders, which makes it difficult to handle.
Yuan Hui, in particular, is probably a tough nut to crack and is most likely unwilling to be fully acquired by Wang Yi.
If Yuan Hui is willing to transfer his shares, it would be best, even if the price is higher.
Wang Yi will also let Yuan Hui continue to be a senior executive and receive an annual salary of one million, or even receive shares or dividends!
If Yuan Hui is unwilling, then Wang Yi can only use some means.
For example, if you take over Li Wei's shares, as long as you hold more than 50% of the shares, you can control it!
After holding the Xiaoi robot, it is easy to operate.
Increase investment and gradually dilute Yuan Hui's shares...
In this regard, Wang Yi decided to meet Li Wei first!
And do it quickly.
Once Li Wei and Yuan Hui become one and resist Wang Yi Holdings, it will be difficult to handle.
The two of them hold 65% of the shares, and Wang Yi holds 35%, but they can't do it.
After finding Li Wei's contact information, Wang Yi immediately dialed:
"Mr. Li, I am Wang Yi of Xingyi Technology. I have something to talk to you about. I wonder if you are free tonight?"
"Xingyi Technology...Director Wang!" Li Wei was startled for a moment, then responded: "I'm available, I'm absolutely available."
"Okay, we'll see you later."
"Okay, see you later."
After receiving Wang Yifa's location, Li Wei glanced at Yuan Hui in the office next door, but he was thinking rapidly:
"Director Wang of Xingyi Technology came to me, and only to me, not to Director Yuan. Why?"
"If there is business cooperation, it would undoubtedly be better to approach Mr. Yuan directly."
"But no, then it's not just a business cooperation, but... an acquisition!"
"Yes, iPhone 4s has Siri, and Xphone 1, as its biggest competitor, has to get a similar AI voice assistant. Our Xiaoi robot is the best choice for Mr. Wang!"
"In addition, there is too much investment in the AI ​​field. Director Wang has to invest hundreds of millions of dollars every year. He definitely wants to control Xiaoi Robot!"
"So he came to me to buy the shares in my hand... Even 35% of Zhu Jiani's shares have been bought by him! If he takes mine, he will control it!"
Li Wei is a good person and figured out the key to it all at once.
"Director Wang came to me because he wanted to buy the stocks in my hands. Should I sell them?"
Li Wei walked out of the office while thinking.
I happened to bump into Yuan Hui: "Are you going out?"
Li Wei looked a little unnatural, then smiled and said: "Yes, I have a client to talk to."
"Thanks for your hard work."
"Hey, it's all as it should be."
Li Wei laughed and said, leaving the company.
On the way, I was still analyzing carefully and weighing the pros and cons:
"If I refuse to sell my shares to Director Wang, I will only be the third minority shareholder and will offend Director Wang."
"Once that guy Yuan Hui sells some stocks to Director Wang, Director Wang can still control the company. Yuan Hui will become Director Wang's right-hand man, hugging Dong Wang's lap, and his future will be bright."
"After Mr. Wang takes control, I will definitely be the first to be kicked out when he settles the score! This is not okay!"
"If I sell all my shares to Director Wang, I can get a higher price and make a lot of money. I also gave Director Wang a certificate of investment! I will help Director Wang win the Xiao-I robot, stabilize the morale of the army, and make more contributions to the dragon!"
"
“From now on, I, Li Wei, will be Wang Dong’s right-hand man!”
"As for Yuan Hui, he might be kicked out!"
"With Director Wang's funds, Xiaoi Robot doesn't have to worry about bankruptcy and can develop better. Even if I lose my shares, I might still get dividends and a high salary!"
"After all, Director Wang has always been generous to his own people."
"Well, I have to sell it!"
In an instant, Li Wei thought everything clearly.
If you sell, your future will be bright. If you don’t sell, your future will be bleak!
Half an hour later, Li Wei came to the private room and Wang Yi was already sitting inside.
"Hello, Director Wang, I'm late." Li Wei said with a smile.
Wang Yi waved his hand: "It's not too late, hurry up, sit down! You're hungry, let's eat something first."
"Thanks."
The two of them were eating and chatting.
Then Wang Yicai said: "Mr. Li, the current situation of Xiaoi Robot is not very good. Do you have any plans to sell the shares in your hand?"
Li Wei's eyes lit up and he got to the point: "Yes, Mr. Wang! If it were anyone else, I definitely wouldn't sell it. But if you want it, I'll give it to you!"
"So refreshing?" Wang Yi laughed dumbly and raised his glass: "President Li, you have a brighter future!"
"Thank you, Mr. Wang!" Li Wei raised his eyebrows with joy and quickly raised his glass and drank it down in one gulp.
The power of Conglong is stable!
"As for the price, I won't treat you badly. I know that five months ago, you sold 35% of Zhu Jiani's shares based on a valuation of 10 million. Now I will take all the shares in your hands based on a valuation of 30 million at a premium!
"
Wang Yixiao said: "And if you continue to stay at Xiaoi Robot as the technical director and president, your annual salary + performance will start from one million! I will give you enough financial support for research and development."
"If the research and development results are significant, Xiaoi Robot will not be able to make profits in the short term and will not be able to pay dividends, but I will give you millions, or even tens of millions, of technological breakthrough awards!"
"In Xingyi Technology, there is no upper limit on bonuses. How much you can get depends on your ability and performance!"
Li Wei was completely excited!
The valuation of 30 million does not seem low, but it will definitely be higher in the future.
Li Wei was not moved.
But the conditions Wang Yi later offered were to continue to be the technical director + president, with an annual salary of one million and a bonus of tens of millions...
These are so tempting!
"Director Wang, I can sign the contract now!" Li Wei said decisively.
The road is really widened.
Li Wei holds 5% of the shares, and the valuation of 30 million is 6.15 million!
Wang Yi won it easily.
After the two parties signed the contract, Wang Yi took control of 5% of the shares of Xiaoi Robot, completely controlling it!
No need to worry about Yuan Hui's attitude tomorrow.
It would be best if he knows the general situation, knows how to advance and retreat, and sells his shares for a sum of money. Wang Yi will give him a high salary and continue to reuse him.
If not, Wang Yi can only deal with it in a dishonorable way.
As a technical director, Li Wei is still very skilled.
It was Li Wei who sued Apple for infringement of the invention patent.
"President Li, drink!"
"Dr. Wang, cheers!"
The two of them exchanged glasses and enjoyed themselves.
After a meal, Wang Yi learned about the current situation of the Xiaoi robot and Yuan Hui through Li Wei.
Although Li Wei and Yuan Hui are both founders, they are not monolithic.
In the previous life, the two parties broke up in 2017, Li Wei was kicked out, and Yuan Hui took full power.
The two parties also engaged in multiple lawsuits, which was very embarrassing.
It was precisely because of their quarrels that Wang Yi was able to defeat them one by one and capture them one by one.
The next day, Wang Yi met Mr. Yuan.
At this time, Mr. Yuan was neatly dressed and his hair looked freshly arranged, but he still could not hide his depressed mental state.
Think about it, abandoned by capital, heavily in debt, on the verge of bankruptcy...
In this situation, everyone will be depressed and stressed.
"Director Wang, I..." Yuan Hui opened his mouth, but didn't know how to speak.
The number of rejections is too many!
During this time, he traveled around and visited all major investment institutions.
Not only former investors such as IDG, but also giants such as BAT.
But without exception, no one was interested.
From the perspective of capital, companies without liquidity have absolutely no investment value.
This is the case with the current Xiaoi robot.
If you have over 100 million users and can’t monetize them, what’s the use of you?
Wang Yi smiled slightly: "We all know the current situation of the Xiaoi robot, so I won't say more."
"Thank you." Yuan Hui felt grateful, fearing that Wang Yi would describe it again and add salt to his wounds.
He was under too much pressure at the moment, had insomnia every night, and was about to collapse.
If this continues, depression will only be a matter of time.
"But your mental state is not very good. Go back and have a good rest, and it will pass."
"Thank you." Yuan Hui expressed his gratitude:
"Director Wang, other investors say that Xiaoi Robot is a failed project that burns money and cannot be realized, and no one is willing to continue investing. You are the only investor who cares about my status."
Wang Yi smiled slightly: "The Xiaoi robot does have no realizable value at the moment, and it is very expensive, but it is not a failed project. It all depends on who hands it."
"How do you say this?" Yuan Hui became interested. Could it be that the little i robot can still be saved?
Wang Yi explained: "In your hands, the Xiaoi robot cannot be monetized and keeps burning money. You don't have enough money to burn it. There are more and more similar competing products. The Xiaoi robot is indeed a failed project."
Yuan Hui was silent: "..."
This is really heartbreaking to say, but it is true and cannot be refuted.
Wang Yi changed the subject: "But in my hands, that may not be the case. I have enough funds to burn for him. I can spend five years and burn five billion to see if the Xiaoi robot has a future. Can it?"
Can’t be cashed out!”
Yuan Hui was shocked: "!!!"
But I also understand that Wang Yi has the capital, just like Apple.
Siri doesn’t make any money either, but Apple does!
"So, Mr. Yuan, are you willing to sell the shares of Xiaoi Robot to me?" Wang Yitu asked.
Yuan Hui was startled: "Director Wang, you're not here to invest, but you want to acquire it entirely?"
"Yes, for the full acquisition, I will give you a satisfactory price." Wang Yi expressed his thoughts.
"This..." Yuan Hui frowned slightly, unwilling to give up the Xiaoi robot:
"Director Wang, I'm sorry, I can accept your shareholding, but I can't accept your full acquisition. The Xiaoi robot is my hard work. Regardless of success or failure, I am willing to witness its future!"
Wang Yi didn't say anything, just picked up the tea cup.
Sure enough, entrepreneurs are all crazy and unwilling to sell!
This is disgraceful.
Seeing Wang Yi's silence, Yuan Hui changed the subject: "Director Wang, let's do this. I'll contact the other two shareholders and we can share some of the shares with you."
According to Yuan Hui's idea, each person will share 5% of Wang Yi, totaling 15%. They can get Wang Yi's investment and resources, but Wang Yi cannot control Xiaoi Robot.
When Xiaoi Robot relies on Wang Yi's funds and resources to survive the current crisis and grow stronger, other capital will be introduced later to check and balance Wang Yi!
In this way, he, Yuan Hui, can still sit firmly on the Diaoyutai, and can still completely control the Xiaoi robot!
Typical of those who want benefits but don’t want to sell themselves out!
Wang Yi smiled: "Sorry, I forgot to tell you that 35% of Zhu Jiani's shares are in my hands."
The smile on Yuan Hui's face stiffened: "..."
"Then Li Wei's shares..."
Wang Yi drank tea calmly: "Li Wei's 5% shares were also sold to me."
()
Chapter completed!