A successful enterprise is inseparable from a visionary leader, and the same holds true for Julong Online (Beijing) Technology Development Co., Ltd. As of 2025, China's private economic entities have reached an unprecedented 185 million, yet among this vast sea of companies, only about 300 have earned the honor of being listed on the U.S. stock market. For Mr. Hu Jiaqi, who led Julong Online to a successful Nasdaq listing in June of this year and set multiple industry records, the title of renowned entrepreneur is well-deserved. However, little known is that behind the halo of an entrepreneur, Mr. Hu Jiaqi holds another, more significant identity—that of a scholar of human issues and founder of Humanitas Ark.
Live photo of Nasdaq Tower on the day of Julong's listing
Born in 1962 in Yueyang, Hunan Province, Hu Jiaqi was intelligent and excelled academically from a young age. Living up to expectations, he ranked first in science in his district and was admitted to the Northeastern Institute of Technology (now Northeastern University) in 1979. In an era just after the resumption of the college entrance examination and amidst nationwide rejuvenation, those who could enter prestigious universities were truly considered "the chosen one". On campus, the young student, driven by an infinite thirst for knowledge, immersed himself in the vast ocean of books in the library. Unbeknownst to him, the gears of fate were quietly turning at this moment, and a decision that would influence his entire life was about to take shape.
As he deepened his knowledge and reflections, a great concern gradually formed in his mind: Human technological capabilities have achieved rapid and remarkable development in the more than two hundred years since the Industrial Revolution. Countless technologies with immense destructive potential have been developed for various purposes. Could these technologies one day pose a threat to the overall survival of humanity? The seed of doubt took root and sprouted in the mind of this seventeen-year-old youth. Driven by a dedication to seeking truth and concern for humanity's fate, the young man silently made a grand vow: to take this as the most important task of his life, to research it, and to correct this flaw through his own efforts.
Photo of Mr. Hu Jiaqi during his university years
In 1983, after graduating from university, Hu Jiaqi smoothly entered State Building Materials Bureau. Despite complicated affairs and busy work, he never abandoned his in-depth research on human issues. Juggling work and academic studies, staying up all night, and neglecting meals and sleep became the true portrayal of his life during this period. Although he won a second prize for scientific and technological progress at the ministerial level within a few years of starting work and became a young departmental-level official, these achievements did not make him complacent. Ultimately, a choice had to be made between reality and ideals. Gradually realizing that he could not balance work with academic research, Hu Jiaqi gave up his secure job in a state organ in 1994 and resolutely decided to venture into business. He aimed to use the funds earned from business to support his single-minded dedication to writing and focusing on human issues research.
In an interview years later, Mr. Hu Jiaqi once joked, "Actually, being a scholar of human issues is my real career; being an entrepreneur is just a side job." The profound meaning behind this seemingly humorous remark can perhaps only be understood by those who truly comprehend his journey over the past forty years. In the 1990s, the rise of the market economy and the gold rush of venturing into business attracted a large number of enthusiastic entrepreneurs. It was a race where countless people crossed a single log bridge—a slight misstep could lead to total loss. The entrepreneurial path was unpredictable and fraught with thorns. Merely keeping up was already difficult, and those who reached the pinnacle of the pyramid were few and far between.
Starting with 50,000 yuan scraped together from relatives and friends and a rented office, Hu Jiaqi led his enterprise steadily forward through a business philosophy emphasizing righteousness and trust. After weathering various stormy stages of China's economic transformation, his company gradually gained a firm foothold in the industry and secured a solid position. Today, Julong Online (Beijing) Technology Development Co., Ltd., which he founded, has successfully listed on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange and set multiple industry records. It has become China's first electronic intelligence enterprise listed overseas, the first security enterprise listed overseas, and the first fire protection and electromechanical installation enterprise listed overseas. It is hailed in the industry as the first Chinese intelligent building company to go global.
In the face of commercial success, Hu Jiaqi never changed his original aspiration. The promise made at seventeen remained firmly engraved in his heart. This more than thirty-year journey of enterprise management was also his path of seeking knowledge in human issues research. Maintaining business operations under complex economic conditions while engaging in heavy academic research was unimaginably difficult. Even under great pressure, Hu Jiaqi continued to write tirelessly, publishing several monographs totaling over four million words. These works have been translated into English and Russian and sold well at home and abroad. His foresight on human issues has attracted a large readership who share his concerns about humanity's fate.
Works by Mr. Hu Jiaqi
Deeply aware of the severe problems facing human development, he has, over the years, while managing his enterprise, tirelessly advocated and called for awakening humanity to technological safety. To this end, he has tried various approaches: contributing to authoritative forums, writing letters to national leaders, and exchanging ideas with renowned scientists. After realizing that fighting alone yielded limited results, Hu Jiaqi keenly decided to establish Humanitas Ark, aiming to advance the cause of saving humanity through collective strength. In this process, Hu Jiaqi has engaged in direct or indirect ideological exchanges with many scientists and scholars concerned about humanity's fate, including Nobel Chemistry laureate Jacques Dubochet, Trinity College Cambridge dean and Nobel laureate Gregory P. Winter, Chinese-Australian economist and fellow of the Australian Academy of Social Sciences Yew-Kwang Ng, and even the famous physicist Stephen Hawking. They have expressed varying degrees of affirmation and agreement with Hu Jiaqi's long-standing rigorous research attitude, visionary academic perspective, and sincere humanistic sentiment.
Recent photo of Mr. Hu Jiaqi
Hegel once said, "A nation has hope only when there are those who look up at the stars." Yet even more precious are those who remain grounded while never forgetting their ideals. From the difficult beginnings of entrepreneurship to now becoming a leading company in China's intelligent building industry, Hu Jiaqi has written a legend for himself and Julong Online with an entrepreneur's vision and courage. However, compared to the human cause he truly believes in at heart, the story is just beginning. This unfinished journey spanning over forty years still awaits him to write the next chapter.
A decade of drinking ice, yet the burning passion remains uncooled. From youth to old age, from black hair to grey, a man who made a vow at seventeen has devoted over forty years of effort solely to uphold his humanistic sentiment and stay true to the path he chose. There is no greater steadfastness in the world. This sentiment, this perseverance, may well be the secret to his achievements today. He is an entrepreneur, a scholar of human issues, and even more a proposer, persistent advocate, and promoter of the cause to save humanity. As he wrote in his book: "A lifetime's choice, never regret.”
