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I have a confession to make: I woke up to the influence of the Alibaba Group a little late.
A part of me would like to chalk this up to my location (I’m in India), but I’m thankful that my ex-colleagues turned friends introduced me to AliExpress a few years ago. It uncorked a world full of possibilities, and a cart full of quirky things I hadn’t even imagined before, including a mermaid blanket I thought was a fantastic Christmas buy for my sister. (It wasn’t well received – she isn’t five.)
As Alibaba’s tech empire spreads far and wide, it comes as no surprise that its alumni founder network has grown from strength to strength. For instance, some of China’s leading companies, like New York Stock Exchange-listed ecommerce firm Mogu and and Tesla competitor XPeng Motors, are helmed by Alibaba alumni.
This week’s special story by Tian Wen dives into the who’s who of Alibaba’s great alumni network. Considering this network numbers in the thousands, much of China’s tech ecosystem sways to the tunes picked by this group of people, just like how Alibaba’s Jack Ma once danced to Michael Jackson’s Dangerous.
THE BIG STORY
Demystifying the Alibaba mafia
Image credit: Timmy Loen
The ranks of Alibaba alumni founders have grown, but their influence largely remains in China.
DEEP READS
1️⃣ Soonicorn Social Bella’s glowing revenue
Image credit: Timmy Loen
Indonesia-based beauty startup Social Bella doubled its revenue in 2020. It has been building more and more brick-and-mortar stores in Indonesia, as well as in Vietnam. Is it eyeing India next?
2️⃣ ‘A bigger audience than ever’: Power sellers are making six figures off of resale apps
Discover a new sub-universe of resale power sellers in the US – people who began small by selling individual items from their homes, but have since developed six-figure businesses by selling on online marketplaces.
TRENDING NEWS
STARTUP WATCH
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