中國風險投資的喧鬧可能要安靜下來了。
This year, for the first time, Chinese start-ups raised more cash than their Silicon Valley counterparts, notching up $56 billion in six months. But the excitement may be cooling as the year ends, thanks to tougher regulation and a slowing economy. A shakeout could easily follow.
今年,中國初創(chuàng)企業(yè)籌集的資金首次超過了硅谷同行,在6個月內(nèi)籌集了560億美元。但隨著這一年的結束,由于監(jiān)管收緊和經(jīng)濟放緩,興奮程度可能正在降溫。接下來很可能是大震蕩。
It has been a blowout 2018. For the first half of the year, a study released this week by the data provider Preqin and Insead business school suggests that China beat the $42 billion raised in the United States by some way. That’s largely thanks to a huge funding round for Alibaba’s financial affiliate, Ant Financial, as well as some other chunky efforts. But it’s a high-water mark regardless. As is, perhaps, SoftBank’s mooted move to place a team in China to help spend its giant Vision Fund, after years of investing remotely.
2018年已看到了井噴。就今年上半年而言,數(shù)據(jù)提供商普雷欽研究公司(Preqin)和歐洲工商管理學院(Insead)本周發(fā)布的一項研究顯示,中國籌集到的資金比美國籌集的420億美元高出不少。這在很大程度上要歸功于阿里巴巴的金融子公司螞蟻金服的一輪巨額融資,以及其他的大手筆努力。但無論如何,這都是一個新高。同樣新的也許是軟銀(SoftBank)的討論,在遠程投資多年后,軟銀打算安排一個團隊在中國幫助投放其龐大的愿景基金(Vision Fund)。
The coming months look less exuberant. The likes of SoftBank and Singapore’s Temasek still have plenty of money to plow into splashy names like the news and video-sharing app ByteDance. Others are less enthusiastic, if figures for China-focused venture funds are anything to go by. In the 11 months to mid-November, around 70 such funds raised just over $15 billion, Preqin estimates; that compares to $40 billion or so raised by 330 funds in all of 2016.
接下來的幾個月看起來不那么樂觀。軟銀和新加坡淡馬錫(Temasek)等公司仍有大量資金,可投給比如新聞和視頻分享應用“字節(jié)跳動”等引人注目的品牌。要是單憑以中國為重點的風險基金的數(shù)據(jù)來看,其他投資者已不那么熱情了。普雷欽研究公司估計,在截至11月中旬的11個月里,約有70家這種基金籌集到了略高于150億美元的資金;相比之下,有330家基金在2016年全年籌集了400億美元左右。
All of this suggests increased nerves. The vast majority of Chinese unicorns that listed this year, including the takeaways-to-taxis app Meituan Dianping and the smartphone-maker Xiaomi, are now underwater. Just a small fraction of those $1 billion-plus companies, including video-streaming companies Huya, Bilibili and iQiyi, have risen above their initial public offering prices. Rocky starts like that of the Alibaba-backed parenting site Babytree, which debuted last month at a valuation below its last funding round, won’t help.
所有這些都表明不安情緒在增長。今年上市的中國獨角獸企業(yè),包括經(jīng)營從外賣到網(wǎng)約車應用的美團點評,以及智能手機制造商小米在內(nèi),絕大多數(shù)的股票都已低于發(fā)行價。在這些市值10多億美元的企業(yè)中,只有包括視頻流媒體公司虎牙直播、嗶哩嗶哩和愛奇藝在內(nèi)的一小部分的股價高于發(fā)行價。阿里巴巴支持的育兒網(wǎng)站寶寶樹上個月上市籌集到的資金低于其上市前的最后一輪融資,這對情況沒有幫助。
What most of this year’s debutantes have in common is that they bet on local consumers, one way or another. But those shoppers look more fretful. Changes to rules on education, fintech and gaming have only added to the strain. Weaker companies may fall by the wayside.
今年的大多數(shù)新秀都有一個共同點,那就是它們都以這樣或那樣的方式押注本土消費者。但這些消費者看起來更加焦躁不安。教育、金融科技和游戲軟件監(jiān)管規(guī)則的改變只會加劇這種壓力。實力較弱的公司可能會中途退出。