Xiaomi - whose company? Who's behind the brand and how it affects products

When you buy a Xiaomi smartphone or a Mi Home smart bulb, you trust not only the technology, but the company that makes it. However, many users still wonder: who really owns Xiaomi? Is it a Chinese government project, a private business or an international conglomerate? In this article, we will examine how Xiaomi's ownership structure affects its products, pricing and development strategy - from smartphones to smart devices for the home.

The origins of the brand can be debated endlessly, with some calling it “Apple of China,” others an independent innovation company, and still others a tool of the Chinese government. We analyzed official documents, investor reports, and historical data to give a clear answer: Who founded the company, how shares are distributed among key players, and why this is important for ordinary users, and how political and economic factors shape Xiaomi’s range in the Russian and global markets.

Who founded Xiaomi: the history of the company

Xiaomi’s roots go back to 2010, when a group of Chinese entrepreneurs and engineers decided to challenge giants like Samsung and Apple, the main ideologist of the project was Lei Jun, a former top manager of Kingsoft (China’s equivalent of Microsoft Office) and one of the most successful. IT-The goal was simple: to create smartphones with flagship characteristics at the price of budget models.

Interesting fact: Xiaomi's name translates as "smelt" -- symbolizing modesty and accessibility -- but behind this "modesty" there were ambitious plans: 3 After the year of its inception, the company released the Mi 2, which was the brand's first hit. 2014 Xiaomi has entered the top-3 Smartphone manufacturers in the world, overtaking LG And getting closer to Apple.

• 📅 2010 - Founding of the company in Beijing — $$10 million from investors.
• 📱 2011 – release of the first smartphone Mi 1 based on Android with a proprietary shell MIUI.
• 🌍 2014 – Entering global markets (India, Indonesia, Brazil).
• 💰 2018 — IPO Hong Kong Stock Exchange (biggest offering since 2014).

Lei Jun is still the public face of the company, although his role is gradually shifting from operational management to strategic development.-100 The richest people in China according to Forbes, and his fortune is estimated in the $12+ But who else is influencing Xiaomi’s decisions?

Ownership structure: who owns Xiaomi in 2026

Xiaomi went public in 2018, but the majority of the shares remained with the founders and key investors, according to a recent report (2023), the ownership structure looks like this:

Crucially, the Chinese government is not a direct owner of Xiaomi, but has indirect influence through state-owned investment funds (such as China Mobile or China Investment Corporation), a point of contention that has often been argued by some analysts that the company is forced to follow Beijing’s policies on data security and technology exports.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi was blacklisted by the U.S. Department of Defense in 2020 for alleged ties to the Chinese military, and the company protested the decision and was removed from the list in 2021, but the risks remain: if the geopolitical situation worsens, restrictions may return.

For ordinary users, this means that:

• 🔒 Data security: Xiaomi collects telemetry (like other brands), but in China, this data can be accessed by authorities on request.
• 🌐 Global strategy: The company is actively developing markets in India, Europe and Latin America to reduce its dependence on China.
• 💱 Pricing: RMB and trade wars affect prices, for example, in the 2022 Xiaomi smartphones in Russia have risen in price 20-30% due to logistical problems.

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Xiaomi is a privately held company with public shares, but its strategy depends on the political situation in China and its relations with the West.

How the ownership structure affects the products

Just because Xiaomi is not a state-owned company doesn’t mean it’s completely independent. Let’s look at how share distributions and ties to China affect the devices you buy.

1.Price policy: The main shareholder, Lei Jun, follows a strategy of “minimum margins” that allows Xiaomi to sell smartphones cheaper than competitors, but with two nuances:

- The company earns on the ecosystem (applications, services, advertising in the Internet). MIUI).

Cheap models often have a simplified assembly (for example, a plastic case instead of metal).

Technology partnerships:

Qualcomm (3.1%) supplies chipsets for flagships (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in Xiaomi 13 Ultra).

Sony and Samsung are suppliers of sensors for cameras and screens.

Google is an Android partner, but with reservations: in China, Xiaomi uses its own firmware without Google services.

Geopolitical risks:

In 2022, Xiaomi suspended shipments to Russia due to sanctions, but later resumed through parallel imports.

In India, the company faced accusations of “unfair competition” and was forced to invest in local production.

Xiaomi and China: myths vs reality

There are a lot of rumors around Xiaomi, from “the company is spying on users” to “it’s a front company of the Chinese army,” and let’s see what’s true and what’s myth.

Myth 1: Xiaomi is a state-owned company

Reality: No, it's private business. But like any major Chinese corporation, Xiaomi is forced to cooperate with the authorities (e.g., to provide data at the request of law enforcement agencies (GDPR).

Myth 2: Xiaomi is spying on users

Reality: The company does collect telemetry (like Google or Apple), but:

- In the global versions MIUI You can turn off data collection in settings (Settings) → Confidentiality → Diagnostics).

In 2020, Xiaomi came under fire for sending user browser data to servers in China, but after the scandal, this practice was suspended.

Myth 3: Xiaomi is copying Apple

The design of the first Mi smartphones really resembled the iPhone, but today the brand is developing its own technology:

- HyperOS (new firmware that replaced the new one) MIUI).

Surge – own processors (used in budget models).

Patents for folding screens and wireless charging.

⚠️ Note: If you use a Xiaomi smartphone in Russia, please note that Google services may disappear after updating the firmware (due to sanctions, 4PDA or Mi Community).

Xiaomi in Russia: who supplies the equipment and how it works

Since the departure of the official representative office in 2022, Xiaomi continues to be supplied to Russia through parallel imports.

• 📦 Logistics: Devices are transported from China, Hong Kong or Kazakhstan through intermediaries.
• 💸 Prices: Due to the exchange rate of the yuan and customs duties, smartphones have risen in price 15-30% compared 2021 year-round.
• 🔧 Warranty: There is no official warranty, but some stores (such as Svyaznoy or M.Video) offer their own service programs.

Key players in the Russian market:

Merlion is the largest distributor (has been working with Xiaomi since 2016).

RD Techno is a supplier for Eldorado and Technosil networks.

Private importers sell through Ozon, Wildberries and AliExpress.

How to check if the smartphone is original:

- Check it out. IMEI at imei.info.

- There must be a sticker with a hologram in the box and QR-Scanned by Mi Authenticity Check).

- In settings (Settings) → About the phone) is a model with the letter Global (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro).+ 5G Global).

Xiaomi’s Alternative Brands: Who else is in the Ecosystem

What many people don't know is that Xiaomi is not just smartphones, but also an ecosystem of brands, some of which operate independently but are based on the technology of the parent company.

Interesting fact: POCO It was originally designed as a pilot project for the Indian market, and today it's one of the most successful sub-brands in the world, POCO F5 In 2023, it became a bestseller on AliExpress in the category of smartphones up to 30,000. ₽».

If you choose between Xiaomi and POCO, remember:

Xiaomi is focusing on cameras and design.

- POCO Offers the best hardware for the same money (like the Snapdragon 7)+ Gen 2 instead of Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 in similarly priced Redmi models).

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Before buying a Xiaomi smart device (such as a robot vacuum cleaner), check if it supports Russian-language firmware. Some models for China only work with Chinese Mi Home and are not compatible with European servers.

The future of Xiaomi: where the company is headed

In 2026, Xiaomi announced three key areas of growth:

1. Cars: The release of electric car Xiaomi SU7 (Tesla Model 3 competitor scheduled to launch in 2026.
2. AI and Big Data: Investing in the development of your own AI assistant (similar to Siri or Google Assistant).
3. Smart Home: Integration of all Mi Home devices into a single voice-controlled ecosystem.

However, there are risks:

In China, Xiaomi is losing market share due to the rise of Huawei and Honor.

Sanctions: Restrictions on the export of American chips (for example, from Qualcomm) can slow down the release of flagships.

- Reputation: Scandals with build quality (for example, peeling coating from Xiaomi) 12T) undermine trust.

For Russian users, this means:

Xiaomi smartphone prices will rise due to logistical difficulties.

New models (such as Xiaomi 14) may be arriving with or without Google Play support.

The alternative will be brands like Realme or Infinix, which are actively developing the Russian market.

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Xiaomi is aiming to become the “Chinese Apple,” but to do so, it needs to address quality issues and its reliance on Western technology.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi