Media Tycoon since 1999

Chapter 292 Investment is risky, should you gamble? (ask for tickets)
On the afternoon of November 11th, when Lu Tao returned to the capital, Gao Yang drove to meet him in person.

In the evening, Gao Yang and Gu Yawen accompanied Lu Tao and Gu Xia to Haidilao to eat hot pot.

While drinking, Gao Yang asked Luxshare Seiko about its business this year, and Lu Tao laughed and said:

"Very good. The factory orders are very saturated. In half a year this year, there should be about 3000 million in revenue. It will be no problem to reach 7000-[-] million next year.

The three of our shareholders discussed that if the business is good next year, we plan to increase capital and share capital and open new factories at the end of next year or early 2006. If you are interested, you can come and invest. "

Gao Yang said: "Okay, it will be no problem to vote 2000 million at that time."

Gu Xia said: "Gao Yang, thanks to your suggestion at the beginning, Lao Lu transformed into an OEM. This is the right path."

Gao Yang said: "Sister Xia, Brother Tao is a person who does practical things in the industry. He has an entrepreneurial spirit, capital and experience in the industry. It is a logical thing to transform into an OEM."

Lu Tao said with a smile: "I'm taking care of both [-] million and Luxshare now. [-] million can still maintain cash flow. This year's shipments have declined slightly, and profits have fallen a little bit more. Maybe in two or three years, PC Business is really impossible.”

Gao Yang said: "Brother Tao can consider changing hands as soon as possible, and go all out to become Luxshare Seiko."

Lu Tao nodded and said: "Yes, I have this idea, let's wait until next year. In 2006, if you can transfer out, you can transfer it. By the way, you are in a hurry to find me back. What is the matter?"

Gao Yang said with a smile: "Let's eat and drink first, and talk about the details when we drink tea."

After eating hot pot, the four of them found a nearby hotel, opened a private room, and sat down to drink tea.

Gao Yang told Lu Tao about the basic situation of the Silicon Valley software company android, as well as the planned investment.

"Invest in a startup in Silicon Valley, or build an open-source mobile operating system?"

Lu Tao was very surprised. Although he was born in the field of PC, he has a professional background in computer science and knows a lot about software.

Gao Yang said: "Yes, I'm interested in investing because Andy Rubin is an open source system and a start-up software company.

At present, the era of smart phones has initially begun.

I have checked the relevant data. In 2003, the global mobile phone shipments were 5.2 million units, of which nearly 1130 million were smart phones.

This year, professional research institutions predict that global mobile phone shipments will be around 5.7 million units, which is an increase of 10%. However, smartphone shipments are expected to grow by about 30%, which is three times the growth of overall shipments.

As far as the operating system is concerned, because of the support of Nokia and other giants, Symbian is the absolute mainstream, followed by windows, and other operating systems are very small and can be ignored.

In addition, some mobile phone brands are trying open source systems. For example, NEC has cooperated with telecom operators to order several smartphones with Linux system.

Brother Tao, mobile phones have begun to be intelligent. The future operating system is very important. In a few years, if the 3G era ushers in, the speed of intelligent replacement will definitely increase. The global shipment of 10 billion units a year There may be [-] to [-] million mobile phones with intelligent systems.

In addition, open source systems will definitely have room for survival. Its biggest advantage is that it can form a global developer ecosystem.

From the perspective of China's domestic mobile phone brands, if we can take the lead in making an open source system that is popular in the market, we won't have to be controlled by others in the future.

If Luxshare Seiko has the conditions to make its own brand mobile phones in the future, or Brother Tao can do it himself, I will invest some funds. As long as we master the operating system and build a developer ecosystem, the production cost of mobile phones will be much lower. The competitiveness is naturally much stronger. "

Lu Tao asked: "Gao Yang, have you ever contacted this small company in Silicon Valley?"

Gao Yang said: "My uncle is in the United States, and he will accompany Andy Rubin to talk tomorrow. I checked, and Andy Rubin should be very short of funds now, and he is openly seeking VC investment."

Lu Tao asked with a smile: "The VC capital in the United States is so developed, why did he fail to raise funds?"

Gao Yang said with a smile: "It is because he failed to raise funds in the United States that we have the opportunity."

Lu Tao looked at Gao Yang: "I didn't expect that you would be interested in mobile phone operating systems. Such a small company with an uncertain future, investing rashly in such a small company, and it is an open source system, the risk is too high. It's similar to gambling. "

Gao Yang said: "Brother Tao, investing in the way of VC is inherently risky, but if it succeeds, the benefits will be enormous.

I checked the information on the Internet. Andy Rubin is still very powerful. He is a robotics engineer with a background in computer science. He is 41 years old this year.

He has two big resumes, nearly a decade at Apple and Microsoft.

In addition, he should still be an open source enthusiast and staunch supporter, and he has strong technical strength, so he founded a company like Android..."

Lu Tao listened quietly: "You are just investing as a VC, how much are you going to invest, how do you manage such a company?"

Gao Yang said: "If Brother Tao is interested, then we can cooperate and hold 60% or at least 51% of the shares. As for such a company, it is really difficult to value it. We will only know the value after we talk about it.

I plan to prepare 2000 million US dollars here. If Brother Tao is interested, I suggest you invest 1000 million US dollars. We will use 3000 million US dollars to negotiate a 60% stake.

If Brother Tao is not interested, then I still consider investing $2000 million for a 50% or 40% stake.

Of course, it can only be confirmed after meeting and listening to the project development plan of the other party. Now it is just a hypothesis.

Regardless of holding or not, my idea is not to get involved in the specific operations of this company and let the team develop according to its own plan.

There are relevant laws, and we can also ask a third-party agency to supervise. In short, I am not worried.

If Andy Rubin has ambitions, he knows what's in his best interest.

For me, it doesn't matter if the $2000 million investment failed, as long as I earn it back later.

The biggest advantage of Silicon Valley is that it gathers scientific and technological talents from all over the world, has funds, has good projects, and may have good prospects. It is also very easy to go public for financing and develop and grow.

I just introduced such a project to Brother Tao today. Brother Tao might as well wait to meet Andy Rubin and listen to him before deciding whether to invest. "

Lu Tao nodded and smiled: "Okay, let's listen first and then talk."

Gao Yang also talked about this, no more persuasion, if there is an opportunity to invest in android, Gao Yang will definitely not give up.

Gao Yang also understands that in Lu Tao's eyes, his proposal may be a bit unimaginable, it may be a big gamble.

Gao Yang doesn't care whether Lu Tao wants to follow him or not.

It is naturally a good thing to be willing to follow the investment.

If you don't want to, that can only be said to be a pity.

Just as Gao Yang guessed, on the way home, as soon as Lu Tao got into the car, he shook his head and smiled: "Gao Yang is so courageous, he even dared to invest in a company in Silicon Valley."

Gu Xia, who was driving, asked curiously, "Lao Lu, is it easy to be deceived when investing abroad?"

Lu Tao said: "That's not true. If you invest in a country like the United States and sign the relevant legal documents, there is nothing wrong with it.

Gao Yang is going to invest in venture capital. Silicon Valley is known as the start-up capital of the global computer and Internet industry, such as HP, DELL, Microsoft, and Apple. Many large companies start their businesses in garages, also known as garage companies.

These are the most well-known entrepreneurial success stories, but behind these success stories, there are many failed entrepreneurs.

Gao Yang is going to invest in such a garage company. "

Gu Xia said: "I think Gao Yang has always been very smart, his solar magazines, and his website are all quite successful.

Like the current 51 Renren.com, it became popular very quickly. I heard from Yawen that there are big companies wanting to buy it, but Gao Yang doesn't plan to sell it at all, nor is it willing to accept new investment.

He now wants to invest in companies in Silicon Valley. If he develops into a big company like HP and Microsoft in the future, wouldn't he make a lot of money? "

Lu Tao said: "You don't understand, Gao Yang wants to invest in a company that makes operating systems for smartphones. The most popular operating system of this kind is called Symbian. It is backed by major mobile phone manufacturers like Nokia and Sony Ericsson. Small companies The probability of success is too small, otherwise, this Silicon Valley company called Android would not have come to China to find investors."

Gu Xia curled her lips: "Lao Lu, I think you are too timid, you are too old, and you are too cautious. Isn't it just 1000 million US dollars, Gao Yang dares to invest 2000 million US dollars, what are you afraid of.

You were okay when you were young, but now your hard work is much worse than Gao Yang.

In 2001, Gao Yang dared to invest 1000 million in Haidilao. I heard from Yawen that it was almost all of his money at that time. Look how good Haidilao’s business is now..."

Lu Tao was taken aback when he heard the words, and said with a smile, "We'll wait until we meet that Andy Rubin. It's nothing to invest in $1000 million."

1000 million US dollars, equivalent to nearly 8300 million soft sister coins, equivalent to about 6% of the assets of Lu Tao's family, is really nothing.

(End of this chapter)