NetDragon (stock code: 777) has recently completed its US$130 million acquisition of 100 percent of Prometheus. Liang Nianjian, vice chairman of NetDragon and CEO of its Huayu Education Company, told Tencent Technology today that the acquisition of Prometheus will not be the last investment.
Liang Nianjian said that after NetDragon's acquisition of Prometheus, Huafu Education will be able to enter the market of more than 100 countries at once, and also expand the synergies of Huafu's products to realize product upgrading and content expansion, streamline the supply chain and realize cost synergies.
Data shows that Prometheus is a company that provides interactive teaching solutions combining hardware and software, and its solutions include its flagship product, the interactive whiteboard ActivBoards, and the software ClassFlow.
Prometheus's business territory covers 1.3 million classrooms in more than 100 countries around the world. Through its 2 million teachers and 30 million student platform users worldwide, Prometheus will bring branding, global sales and marketing channels and business opportunities to NetDragon.
Liang Nianjian said Huafu Education's current business focuses on three directions: 1) developing its own market and technology to lay out the lifelong education market, especially the K12 market; 2) looking for partners in the education field; and 3) launching mergers and acquisitions globally.
Huayu Education's investment and M&A in the education field is characterized by 3 main features:
1, investing in the core technology. Huafu education has its own very good technology, technology is not a problem, but the biggest problem is that research and development needs time, because of this, Huafu education this year 6 with the announcement of the acquisition of intelligent voice technology provider Suzhou Chisheng information 100% equity.
Through this acquisition of Suzhou Chisheng, NetDragon can integrate Chisheng's voice technology, enrich its educational products, provide value in the field of voice evaluation, voice recognition and language teaching, and create its integrated educational ecosystem.
Liang Nianjian said, around VR, video technology, big data, etc., Huafu education may not necessarily invest, but will certainly look at.
2, globalization layout. Netdragon in the game field has long been in the world field layout, in the field of education Netdragon also in Southeast Asia, India and other markets have tried, Prometheus business Huafu education can also do, but Huafu education do it yourself need time.
Prometheus in the field of education has been laid out for more than 10 years time, Huafu education is difficult to develop at once, the acquisition is the best choice.
3, investment around talent and IP.
Liang Nianjian said, the Internet industry can not be done slowly, Huafu education must be globalized, Chinese companies do not globalize, will limit the Chinese companies a lot of space for development. "If Huayu Education specialized in the mainland market, I would not have come in to help as much."
It is reported that Liang Nianjian was formerly Microsoft's global vice president, chairman and CEO of Greater China.
In the second half of 2014, Liang Nianjian joined NetDragon as Dragon's vice chairman and CEO of its Huafu Education Company, responsible for Huafu Education's overall strategy development and daily operations.