Analysis of the Strategic Significance of Baidu's Strategic Investment in Noumena for Its AI Ecosystem Layout

Based on the collected materials, I now provide you with a systematic and comprehensive strategic analysis.

In January 2026, Noumena (Wuziti Technology), an AI-native growth intelligence enterprise, announced the completion of a tens of millions of RMB Pre-A round of financing, with investors including Lion City Capital, Baidu Strategic Investment Department, and existing shareholder Genesis Capital [1]. This is another important strategic deployment move by Baidu in the AI Agent field.

Noumena was founded in 2024 by Pei Misi, former Global Vice President of SAP and former President of 4Paradigm, focusing on building AI Agent systems for marketing decision-making and execution, and is committed to helping brands achieve sustainable growth on content social platforms [2].

---

Noumena focuses on the field of

, and its core value proposition is to transform marketing from relying on manual experience to a learnable, evolvable intelligent system. The technical architecture built by the company includes three core components:

Technical Component	Function Description
Vertical Marketing Large Model	A professional model specially trained for brand growth scenarios
Decision Context Graph	A structured knowledge representation system for AI decision-making
Multi-Agent Collaboration Architecture	A multi-agent collaboration framework supporting complex marketing tasks

Noumena’s core competitiveness lies in its

[1][2]:

• Scale
  : The core team has approximately 40 members, with over 60% being AI large model, algorithm, and engineering R&D personnel
• Educational Background
  : Core technical members hold doctoral degrees from top universities such as Tsinghua University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
• Work Experience
  : Previously worked at leading AI companies such as Alibaba, ByteDance, and 4Paradigm
• Business Capabilities
  : Gathered practical brand growth experience from platforms such as Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and TikTok

---

Baidu has built the most complete

in China:

Infrastructure Computing Layer: Kunlun Chip + Baige AI Heterogeneous Computing Platform (30,000-card cluster)
    ↓
Model Layer: Wenxin Large Model Series (Wenxin 4.5 Turbo, X1 Turbo, etc.)
    ↓
Platform Layer: Qianfan AppBuilder, Intelligent Cloud
    ↓
Application Layer: Search, Qingge, Merchant Agent, Apollo Go

According to the latest financial report data, Baidu’s AI new business revenue has exceeded RMB 10 billion, with a year-on-year growth of 34%, its intelligent cloud business revenue has increased by 27% year-on-year, and its AI public cloud market share has ranked first for six consecutive years [3][4].

Baidu has formed a relatively complete AI Agent ecosystem in the marketing field:

Product/Platform	Positioning	Core Data
Qingge	AI Native marketing delivery platform	Serves 14,000 customers, with millions of interactions
Merchant Agent	Enterprise-level AI operation assistant	Over 16,000 active merchant agents
Virtual Human Solution	AI interactive marketing tool	Has served brands such as Liby and Sofia

The AI MAX function of the Qingge platform has achieved an average conversion rate increase of 7.2%, with significant effect improvement cases in industries such as automobiles, education, and insurance [5].

---

Baidu’s existing Merchant Agent mainly focuses on

(consultation, reception, conversion), while Noumena focuses on the field, forming a in terms of capability dimensions:

• Noumena’s Advantages
  : Public domain traffic perception, private domain feedback reinforcement learning, growth intelligence decision-making
• Baidu’s Advantages
  : Search entry, traffic distribution, advertising delivery system, enterprise service ecosystem

This combination enables Baidu to provide

, covering the entire lifecycle of brand marketing.

AI Agents are regarded as the

for large model commercialization. According to a report by The Information, OpenAI predicts that by 2029, sales of AI Agents and other new products will surpass ChatGPT, driving total revenue to $125 billion [6].

Baidu’s strategic intent in investing in Noumena is:

1. Positioning
   : Establishing ecological connections in the high-value niche track of marketing AI Agents
2. Validation
   : Validating business models through Noumena’s in-depth practices in industries such as beauty and fashion
3. Replication
   : Replicating successful experiences to the advertiser groups within Baidu’s ecosystem

Noumena’s

requires a large amount of feedback data from real business scenarios to continuously optimize its models, forming a with Baidu:

• For Noumena
  : The massive number of advertisers within Baidu’s ecosystem provides rich practical scenarios and data feedback
• For Baidu
  : Noumena’s technical capabilities can enhance the delivery effect of the Qingge platform, indirectly increasing advertising revenue

A partner of Genesis Capital clearly stated that the core logic of investing in Noumena is

[1], which is highly consistent with Baidu’s strategic judgment.

The current AI Agent track is highly competitive:

Competitor	Layout Actions
ByteDance	Launched “Kouzi Space”, integrated with Doubao Large Model
Alibaba Cloud	Tongyi Lingma + Marketing Agent Solution
Tencent Cloud	Hunyuan Large Model + Enterprise Application Ecosystem
International Vendors	OpenAI, Anthropic, etc. continue to increase investment in Agents

Through its strategic investment in Noumena, Baidu can

and avoid falling behind competitors in the key track of marketing AI Agents.

Baidu has cumulatively invested over RMB 100 billion in the AI field, and the Wenxin Large Model requires

to achieve a value closed-loop [3]. Noumena’s vertical marketing large model training and multi-agent architecture provide the Wenxin Large Model with:

• Application verification in vertical fields
• Data flywheel for marketing scenarios
• Path demonstration for commercialization

---

It is expected that Baidu and Noumena will form collaboration in the following directions:

1. Technical Layer
   : Wenxin Large Model capability output + Noumena marketing scenario optimization
2. Product Layer
   : Integration of Noumena’s growth intelligence module into the Qingge platform
3. Ecosystem Layer
   : Introduction of Noumena’s key clients (such as L’Oréal) into Baidu’s Intelligent Cloud ecosystem

Challenge Dimension	Analysis
Integration Difficulty	The deep integration of the invested enterprise’s technical architecture with Baidu’s platform takes time
Intensified Competition	The increasing number of players in the marketing AI Agent track may compress market space
Profit Cycle	The AI Agent business model is still being explored, and large-scale profitability will take time
Data Compliance	Marketing scenarios involve user data, which must meet increasingly strict compliance requirements

---

Baidu’s strategic investment in Noumena is an

, with core values including:

1. Capability Completion
   : Acquisition of specialized technical capabilities in vertical marketing AI Agents
2. Scenario Expansion
   : Finding high-value commercialization scenarios for the Wenxin Large Model
3. Ecosystem Enhancement
   : Establishing connection links with innovative enterprises through investment
4. Competitive Positioning
   : Seizing the first-mover advantage in the AI Agent track to fend off competitors’ offensives

This investment reflects Baidu’s AI deployment strategy of

, which is to accelerate ecosystem expansion by investing in outstanding startups rather than relying entirely on in-house research and development. As the commercialization of AI Agents accelerates, the strategic value of this investment is expected to gradually emerge in the next 2-3 years.

---

[1] Sina Finance - Noumena Completes Tens of Millions of RMB Pre-A Round of Financing (http://finance.sina.com.cn/stock/t/2026-01-15/doc-inhhiyxz3443447.shtml)

[2] Sohu Technology - Noumena Completes Tens of Millions of RMB Pre-A Round of Financing (https://m.sohu.com/a/976239953_439726)

[3] Economic Observer Network - Baidu’s Breakthrough, Full-Stack AI Strategy Enters the Delivery Period (https://finance.sina.com.cn/roll/2025-08-20/doc-infmrtfx1607855.shtml)

[4] Guancha.cn - AI New Business Revenue Exceeds RMB 10 Billion, The “Gold Content” of Baidu’s Full-Stack Layout Continues to Rise (https://finance.sina.com.cn/wm/2025-08-20/doc-infmscvz8542641.shtml)

[5] Sina Finance - Upgrade of Baidu’s Marketing Platform Qingge: Minute-Level Operations, AI MAX Improves Conversion Rate by 7.2% (https://finance.sina.com.cn/jjxw/2024-09-09/doc-incnpyip3111322.shtml)

[6] 36Kr - Feeling Out Manus, ByteDance and Baidu Begin to Cross the AI Agent River (https://m.36kr.com/p/3268174583129345)