HONG Tao (洪涛)
(former) Co-founder, Baichuan — departed July 2024
HONG Tao (洪涛) is a former co-founder of Baichuan Intelligence who departed in July 2024. He was previously the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Sogou, where he led Sogou to become the 6th largest internet advertising revenue company in China.
He joined Sogou in 2005 and built the promotion systems for Sogou Input Method, Browser, and Search. He was one of the 'Four Heavenly Kings' of Sogou alongside CEO Wang Xiaochuan, COO Ru Liyun, and CTO Yang Hongtao.
He joined Baichuan in July 2023 as co-founder and head of commercialization, quickly building the commercial team. His departure was officially announced in December 2024 as being due to 'personal reasons.' He also previously worked at Konka and Yahoo.