Baidu Takes 29% Stake in Online Ratings Firm Leftbrain

Chinese search engine Baidu has reportedly acquired a 29% stake in online ratings specialist Leftbrain Technologies for 3.1 million Yuan ($464k).

Beijing-based Leftbrain, which was founded in 2007, provides news, advertising and market research services across two online ratings/reputation web sites.

The first, cnmo.com, offers mobile phone product information and evaluation, to help users understand the current market. It also provides comment on future mobile phone trends.

Leftbrain's second site, xgo.com.cn, publishes car user reviews, which the firm claims affects more than one million car purchases daily.

For 2010, Leftbrain reported profits of 5.69 million Yuan.

Web sites: www.baidu.com and www.leftbrain.com.cn .