YI Technology was established in Shanghai, China, in February 2014 by Sean (Shengwei) Da. During its early years, the company gained international recognition through its collaboration with Xiaomi, releasing products under the “Xiaomi YI” branding.

One of its first major successes was the YI Action Camera, which offered GoPro-like features at a significantly lower price. The product quickly became popular worldwide, helping establish YI as an affordable yet capable imaging brand.

In October 2016, YI officially separated its branding from Xiaomi and began operating as an independent global company under the YI Technology name. [2]

YI’s mission is to make advanced computer vision and artificial intelligence accessible through affordable, practical products for homes, businesses, and transportation.

According to the company, its focus includes:

• AI-powered imaging

• Edge computing

• Deep learning

• Smart security

• Computer vision

• Affordable technology for consumers and enterprises [3]

YI develops technologies in several fields:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• Computer Vision

• Edge Computing

• Deep Learning

• Image Processing

• Cloud Video Services

• Motion Detection Algorithms

• Facial Detection

• Human Detection

• Vehicle Detection

• Intelligent Video Analytics

The company reports owning more than 150 patented technologies related to AI and imaging. [4]

Home Security Cameras

One of YI’s largest product lines includes indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi security cameras featuring:

• 1080p and 2K resolution

• Night vision

• Motion detection

• AI human detection

• Two-way audio

• Pan-and-tilt functionality

• Cloud and local storage

• Mobile app integration

Popular models include:

• YI Home Camera

• YI Dome Camera

• YI Outdoor Camera

• YI Home Camera 3

• YI Pro 2K

Dash Cameras

YI manufactures dashboard cameras for vehicles with features such as:

• Full HD recording

• Wide-angle lenses

• Night recording

• Emergency collision recording

• Parking monitoring

• Loop recording

Action Cameras

The company became well known for its affordable action cameras, including:

• YI Action Camera

• YI 4K Action Camera

• YI Lite Action Camera

These cameras competed directly with premium action camera brands while offering lower prices.

360° and VR Cameras

YI also entered professional imaging through products such as:

• YI 360 VR Camera

• YI HALO VR Camera

The YI HALO was developed in collaboration with Google for professional virtual reality content creation and received recognition within the VR industry. [5]

YI provides companion software including:

• YI Home App

• Cloud Storage

• AI Event Detection

• Smart Notifications

• Remote Live Viewing

• Playback Services

These applications enable users to monitor devices remotely and receive AI-generated alerts. [6]

Beyond consumer products, YI offers AI solutions for businesses in areas such as:

• Smart retail analytics

• Intelligent surveillance

• Warehouse monitoring

• Office security

• Traffic monitoring

• Industrial computer vision

Its enterprise offerings use AI to analyze video for operational insights and safety. [4]

According to YI, its technology is used in:

• Over 168 countries

• More than 17,000 cities

• More than 20 million users globally

The company serves both consumer and commercial customers. [13]

YI has received recognition for its products and technologies, including:

• CES Innovation recognition

• NAB product awards for VR technology

• Recognition for its collaboration with Google on VR imaging

• Industry awards in AI, retail technology, and smart imaging [5]

Many consumers still associate YI with Xiaomi because:

• Early YI products were marketed as Xiaomi YI.

• Xiaomi invested in or supported YI during its early growth.

• The brands later separated, and since 2016 YI has operated independently under its own identity. [10]

YI emphasizes three main principles:

• Affordable innovation – bringing advanced imaging technology to a wider audience.

• Artificial intelligence – using AI to improve security, automation, and image analysis.

• Practical design – creating products intended to be easy to install and use for everyday consumers and businesses. [11]

Today, YI is primarily known for:

• AI security cameras

• Smart home surveillance

• Edge AI computing

• Cloud video platforms

• Computer vision technologies

• Retail AI solutions

• Intelligent imaging products [12]

1. YI Technology

2. YI Technology

3. YI Technology

4. Yi Technology

5. 小蚁科技-专注于计算机视觉、边缘智能、边缘计算的创新企业，上海云蚁智联公司

6. YI Technology

7. YI Technology

8. brand story

9. Into Yili – Yili

10. YI Technology | LinkedIn