Cai Jingxian, known as Taobao’s first programmer, has joined Hangzhou-based startup LCComputing as a technical partner, Chinese outlet TMTPost reported Monday. Cai left Alibaba earlier this year after a 25-year tenure, with company records showing his status as “retired from the arena.” A member of Taobao’s founding engineering team, Cai helped build the e-commerce site in 2003, developing its trading and forum systems within a month. He became an Alibaba partner in 2014 for his contributions and once appeared on the Hurun China Rich List with a fortune of RMB 2.6 billion ($360 million). LCComputing, founded in 2021 by former Alibaba researcher Lin Hao, focuses on big data, AI infrastructure and cost management tools. Lin previously led middleware development, including the HSF high-performance framework that supported major e-commerce events. The startup raised tens of millions of yuan in a pre-A funding round in October 2024, backed by venture firms including Yuanjing Capital and Westlake VC. [Jiemian, in Chinese]
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