• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
FinanceAlibaba Group

Why Alibaba’s Logistics Business Is ‘Being Picky with Investors’

By
Fortune Editors and Reuters
Fortune Editors and Reuters
and
Michelle Toh
Michelle Toh
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Fortune Editors and Reuters
Fortune Editors and Reuters
and
Michelle Toh
Michelle Toh
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 19, 2016, 4:43 AM ET
Packages are piled up in a small shop's Cainiao service
BEIJING, CHINA - 2015/11/08: Packages are piled up in a small shop's Cainiao service station - the logistics affiliate of Alibaba, which offers a special arrangements of delivering goods in less than two hours for this year's Double 11 holiday. November 11 (also referred to as Double 11) is popularly described as 'China's anti-Valentine's Day' and the world's biggest 24-hour online shopping event, first launched by Alibaba and followed by other e-commerce players like JD.com. According to a new survey, 56 percent of more than 1,000 internet users in China said they would increase spending compared with 2014. (Photo by Zhang Peng/LightRocket via Getty Images)Zhang Peng/LightRocket via Getty Images

Cainiao Network, the logistics arm of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group (BABA), will hold another round of fundraising but it is hoping that money raised in March will be sufficient for a year to 18 months.

In its first round of funding this year, Cainiao attracted investors such as Singapore’s Temasek Holdings and GIC, Malaysia’s Khazanah Nasional Bhd, and China’s Primavera Capital.

Business news magazine Caixin reported that the value of the round was close to 50 billion yuan ($7.5 billion).

“In the future we will definitely raise money again,” Chief Executive Judy Tong told a news conference but added there was no timetable for the fundraising. “Cainiao is a very young company. It requires a lot of investment.”

See also: The 2017 Fortune Global Forum Will Be Held in Guangzhou, China

But Tong added that the company is only looking for investors who are on board with its projected growth model, according to Bloomberg. That plan reportedly includes incurring some losses.

“We’re being picky with investors. We don’t want those who tell us every day ‘you must make money tomorrow,’” said Tong.

Alibaba, which owns about 47% of Cainiao, wants to take a leading role in developing China’s fragmented package delivery industry, as e-commerce spreads beyond urban hubs and requires a more robust logistics network. Cainiao manages a network of warehouses and crunches data to coordinate courier deliveries around China.

Tong also said the company had not come under further pressure from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which is probing Alibaba‘s accounting, part of which is focused on its accounting for Cainiao.

For more on Alibaba, watch Fortune’s video:

Alibaba has said it is cooperating with the investigation and has handed information to the SEC.

“Since we handed over materials the SEC has not come to find us,” Tong said. “We are not very nervous.”

About the Authors
By Fortune Editors and Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Michelle Toh
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Liquid CEO Franklyn Wang speaks at a crypto conference
CryptoCryptocurrency
Exchange startup Liquid raises $18 million Series A for leveraged trading on stocks, crypto, commodities, prediction markets, and private secondaries
By Jack KubinecApril 28, 2026
15 minutes ago
Dan Schulman, CEO of Verizon Communications.
NewslettersCFO Daily
The metrics driving Verizon’s turnaround
By Sheryl EstradaApril 28, 2026
31 minutes ago
US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
Economynational debt
Trump’s ‘gold card’ visas were supposed to solve the $39 trillion national debt. They’ve only sold one
By Eleanor PringleApril 28, 2026
1 hour ago
bob
CommentaryMarkets
Bob Diamond: The settlement window is closing as 24/7 trading opens up
By Bob DiamondApril 28, 2026
1 hour ago
keith
CommentaryLabor
Trump’s Labor Secretary: We’re rewriting the rules on joint employment. Here’s what businesses need to know
By Keith SonderlingApril 28, 2026
1 hour ago
OpenAI CFO reportedly at odds with Sam Altman over missed revenue target—even as AI capex is set to hit $660 billion
AIMarkets
OpenAI CFO reportedly at odds with Sam Altman over missed revenue target—even as AI capex is set to hit $660 billion
By Jim EdwardsApril 28, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
By Preston ForeApril 27, 2026
21 hours ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, April 27, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, April 27, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerApril 27, 2026
23 hours ago
Elon Musk says saving for retirement is irrelevant because AI is going to create a world of abundance: 'It won't matter'
Future of Work
Elon Musk says saving for retirement is irrelevant because AI is going to create a world of abundance: 'It won't matter'
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 26, 2026
2 days ago
The U.S. military may have already used up half of its most expensive missiles, and it could take up to 4 years to rebuild its stockpiles
Politics
The U.S. military may have already used up half of its most expensive missiles, and it could take up to 4 years to rebuild its stockpiles
By Sasha RogelbergApril 24, 2026
4 days ago
Current price of oil as of April 27, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of April 27, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerApril 27, 2026
23 hours ago
Current price of gold as of April 27, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of April 27, 2026
By Danny BakstApril 27, 2026
23 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.