Zhang Yiming

Zhang Yiming is the founder of ByteDance, one of the largest global technology companies. The apps in ByteDance's portfolio include Toutiao, the largest general news platform in China, and TikTok, the video-based social media app that quickly became popular globally. As of June 2021, across all its platforms, ByteDance records 1.9 billion monthly active users.

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In 2012, Yiming founded ByteDance with the mission to "Inspire Creativity, Enrich Life". He led the team in developing the startup's first flagship product, Jinri Toutiao (literally "Today's Headlines"). He and his team applied machine learning in mobile Internet products in a groundbreaking manner. Toutiao is now the largest general news platform in China. Zhang was also keen enough to spot opportunities in the video business. Starting in 2014, he directed his company into the field by developing multiple video products much loved by users, such as Douyin and Xigua Video. More than 600 million users create and consume content on Douyin daily, and Xigua Video is currently one of the biggest platforms for mid-to-long videos.

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As a young tech entrepreneur, Yiming established a vision early into his odyssey — to build a global company that provides services for users around the world. In 2015, ByteDance launched its first non-China product, marking the first step of the company's global development. After some primary success in China, ByteDance ramped up its commitment in the global short video business. TikTok was launched in 2016 around the globe and gained widespread reputation immediately. While developing the pillar businesses at hand, Yiming also takes a long-term view. He is always on the lookout for new growth engines for the company in multiple areas and steered ByteDance into emerging sectors like education.