Product details

By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies as described in our privacy policy unless you have disabled them.
You can change your cookie settings at any time but parts of our site will not function correctly without them.

Abstract

The case describes the growth of ByteDance Technology Co Ltd (ByteDance), one of China's largest content platforms, which was founded in 2012 and shot up the rankings to become the world's biggest start-up within 6 years of its inception. The case starts out with a background note on how Zhang Yiming, founder of ByteDance, developed the idea of a news aggregation app powered by artificial intelligence. It then talks about the way ByteDance became a giant with a news site named Jinri Toutiao and with a slew of acquisitions and strategic investments. The case then discusses ByteDance's mercurial growth and popularity across the globe. Later, the case talks about several issues and challenges faced by the company such as scrutiny of clips on its apps and a backlash online for inappropriate and potentially dangerous content, adding to the regulatory woes. The case ends with the move by SoftBank Group Corp, KKR & Co., and General Atlantic to make a huge investment in ByteDance, an investment which could value the company as high as USD75 billion, helping it eclipse Uber Technologies Inc. as the world's largest start-up.

Teaching and learning

This item is suitable for postgraduate and executive education courses.

Time period

The events covered by this case took place in 2012 - 2018.

Geographical setting

Region:
Asia
Country:
China
Location:
Beijing

Featured company

ByteDance
Employees:
10000+
Type:
Partnership
Industry:
Technology & communications

Featured protagonist

  • Yiming Zhang (male), CEO of ByteDance

About

Abstract

The case describes the growth of ByteDance Technology Co Ltd (ByteDance), one of China's largest content platforms, which was founded in 2012 and shot up the rankings to become the world's biggest start-up within 6 years of its inception. The case starts out with a background note on how Zhang Yiming, founder of ByteDance, developed the idea of a news aggregation app powered by artificial intelligence. It then talks about the way ByteDance became a giant with a news site named Jinri Toutiao and with a slew of acquisitions and strategic investments. The case then discusses ByteDance's mercurial growth and popularity across the globe. Later, the case talks about several issues and challenges faced by the company such as scrutiny of clips on its apps and a backlash online for inappropriate and potentially dangerous content, adding to the regulatory woes. The case ends with the move by SoftBank Group Corp, KKR & Co., and General Atlantic to make a huge investment in ByteDance, an investment which could value the company as high as USD75 billion, helping it eclipse Uber Technologies Inc. as the world's largest start-up.

Teaching and learning

This item is suitable for postgraduate and executive education courses.

Settings

Time period

The events covered by this case took place in 2012 - 2018.

Geographical setting

Region:
Asia
Country:
China
Location:
Beijing

Featured company

ByteDance
Employees:
10000+
Type:
Partnership
Industry:
Technology & communications

Featured protagonist

  • Yiming Zhang (male), CEO of ByteDance

Related