When was Bilibili founded and who created it?
Xu Yi created a prototype website named Mikufans.cn on the 26th of June 2009. The site grew rapidly and was relaunched as Bilibili on the 14th of January 2010.
Questions about Bilibili
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the origin story behind the name Bilibili?
Xu Yi chose the name from the anime A Certain Scientific Railgun to honor the character Mikoto Misaka. The company celebrated her birthday every year starting May 2.
How does the danmu feature work on Bilibili?
Bilibili introduced a real-time captioning system called danmu in its early years where comments appear as scrolling subtitles overlaid directly onto video screens. Registered members must pass verification checks and link phone numbers to post comments while non-registered users face a limit of twenty characters per comment.
Who became CEO of Bilibili and when did they take over leadership?
Chen Rui became CEO and chairman in November 2014 after joining as the fifth employee. He started watching anime on the platform in 2010 before meeting Xu Yi four years later.
When were the mascots 22 and 33 elected for Bilibili?
Bilibili elected mascots named 22 and 33 through community voting from July 7 to the 16th of August 2010. Seventy-two artworks entered the contest resulting in a tie with 1824 votes each.