Interest in Chinese Internet companies has reached a fever pitch. Fueled by the fact that roughly fifty percent of the companies that went public on NASDAQ last year were Chinese in origin, at least seventeen more high-profile companies are planning foreign IPOs this year. Yet given the fact these businesses still face massive market and political risk, their planned valuations are unsettling many investors and rekindling memories of the late 1990s boom.
This week, Kaiser Kuo hosts some of China’s leading Internet experts for a podcast that asks tough questions about Chinese Internet fever. In addition to Sinica regulars Gady Epstein of Forbes, Jeremy Goldkorn of Danwei, and Bill Bishop of Digicha, we are privileged to host two new guests on the show: David Wolf, President of Wolf Group Asia and author of the outstanding blog Silicon Hutong; and Kai Lukoff, Editor of the excellent up-and-coming China tech site Techrice. So join us as we share our candid impressions and word-on-the-street knowledge about what is pushing and in some cases delaying these prospective IPOs.