Maimai

Maimai is a professional social networking platform in China, often referred to as the country's alternative to LinkedIn. It was founded in Beijing in October 2013 by Lin Fan, who serves as the CEO, and Huang Wei. Lin Fan holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Tsinghua University and a Master's in the same field from the University of Maryland. Prior to Maimai, he held technical and leadership roles at other companies.

The platform was created to provide a localized professional networking tool tailored to the needs of the Chinese market. Maimai offers real-name verified profiles for professional engagement and unique anonymous forums for candid workplace discussions. Its core features include industry-focused communities for connecting with peers, a discreet job search function, AI-driven job recommendations, and tools for content sharing and direct headhunting. The business operates on both B2C and B2B models, catering to individual professionals seeking career advancement and corporate clients for recruitment and marketing. Its services are particularly popular among middle and high-end talent in technology and other sectors in first-tier cities.

Since its launch, Maimai has seen significant growth, surpassing LinkedIn in user numbers in China before the latter ceased its local operations in 2023. The company has secured substantial funding over several rounds, including a $200 million Series D round in 2018 led by DST Global Partners, which valued the company at over $1 billion. As of early 2024, the platform reported having over 110 million registered users.

Keywords: professional networking, social network, career development, China, recruitment, job search, headhunting, B2B marketing, corporate branding, professional community, talent acquisition, human resources, workplace insights, Lin Fan