Qudian


Qudian is a Chinese technology platform for the enhancement of online consumer finance experience in China. The company was founded in 2014 in Beijing as an online small consumer credit provider and is headquartered in Xiamen. In 2017, Qudian raised US$900 million in its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange.

History

Founded by entrepreneur Luo Min in 2014 in Beijing, Qudian got its start as a consumer credit firm, raising $900 million on the New York Stock Exchange in 2017. However, its shares tumbled from an IPO price of $24.9 to just about $1.50 in May 2020 as the Chinese government cracked down on micro-lending. It also dabbled in car-purchase financing and e-learning but neither of those ventures were successful. In May 2019, Alibaba’s Ant Financial, one of its earliest backers, dumped its entire stake in the Xiamen-based company. In March 2020, Qudian launched Wanlimu, a new luxury e-tailer.