Who Owns Xiaomi?

Lei Jun and seven co-founders founded Xiaomi on April 6, 2010, in Beijing, first releasing the MIUI Android interface before launching hardware. The Mi 1 phone arrived in August 2011 at RMB 1,999, half the price of comparable flagships, sold through online flash sales that made Xiaomi China's fastest-growing phone brand.

By 2014 Xiaomi was China's top smartphone vendor, and it expanded into India and emerging markets where the value formula repeated its success. The brand's model of hardware priced near cost funded by internet services produced rapid growth but thin margins.

The Redmi brand spun off in 2019 to carry the value line, letting the Xiaomi flagship brand move upmarket into premium pricing with phones such as the Mi and later Xiaomi numbered series. Premium flagships with Leica co-engineered cameras established Xiaomi's high-tier credentials.

The company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2018, diversified into a vast AIoT ecosystem of connected devices, and expanded globally to sell in more than 100 countries. Through 2024 to 2026 the Xiaomi 14, 15, and 17 series flagships competed at the premium end against Apple and Samsung.

Xiaomi's defining recent move was electric vehicles, launching the SU7 sedan in March 2024 and the YU7 SUV in 2025 under the Xiaomi EV name. The brand now spans phones, home devices, and cars under the "Human x Car x Home" strategy, with the flagship Xiaomi brand carrying its premium identity across categories.