Xiben Information Consulting

What Xiben Information Consulting does

Xiben Information Consulting (西本资讯), legally operated as Shanghai Yilian Xiaoer Information Consulting Co., Ltd. (上海易连小二信息咨询有限公司), is a privately held, Shanghai-based research and information services firm specializing exclusively in the Chinese steel industry. The company runs the steelx2.com data platform under licensing from Xiben New Line (西本新干线) and aggregates daily price quotes across 40+ Chinese cities for rebar, section steel, plate, iron ore, coke, steel billet, and scrap steel. Its core technology is a web-based data platform that publishes proprietary price indices (钢材指数, 矿石指数, 焦炭指数, 钢坯指数, 废钢指数, 成本指数, 水泥指数), monthly Steel PMI surveys produced in collaboration with the CFLP Steel Logistics Committee, weekly/monthly/annual price early-warning reports, engineering demand analysis with supply mapping, historical price queries, and paid quality certification for HPB300, HRB400E, and HRB500E rebar grades. A WeChat channel extends distribution to mobile users, and friendly-link partnerships with Yilian Technology, Zhuogang Steel Chain, Yanhai Xiben, Daniu Information, Shuangping Fund, and New Sky Aviation situate the platform within a broader steel supply chain ecosystem.

The platform serves enterprise customers along the steel value chain — primarily steel mills and steel trading companies/distributors, and secondarily construction and infrastructure firms — who require transparent pricing benchmarks, demand signals, and procurement reference data. Revenue is generated through three streams: subscription-based premium data and index access, advertising and sponsored content placements on the platform, and paid product certification for steel rebar. Go-to-market is sales-led and content-driven: the platform publishes continuous market commentary and early-warning reports that are picked up by major Chinese financial outlets including Sina Finance, Oriental Fortune, Sohu, and Tonghuashun, generating top-of-funnel awareness, while industry conference participation (for example, the 12th Steel Logistics Summit Forum in April 2023) supports mid-funnel engagement. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and no API, SDK, or programmatic data delivery is offered.

Operationally the company is lean — headcount is listed at 1–10 employees and no venture funding, institutional investors, or acquisitions are disclosed — but it remains an active publisher, with website content updated through July 2026, including a June 2026 Steel PMI print of 47.8% (down 0.1 percentage point month-on-month) and a 2026 annual index forecast range of 3,350–3,850 yuan/ton. The combination of an official PMI franchise, multi-city pricing breadth, and media citation footprint positions Xiben as a niche authoritative reference rather than a scale-driven enterprise data vendor.

Name

Xiben Information Consulting

Legal name

Shanghai Yilian Xiaoer Information Consulting Co., Ltd. (上海易连小二信息咨询有限公司)

Website

https://96369.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Xiben Information Consulting (西本资讯) operates steelx2.com, a Chinese steel-industry data platform publishing real-time price indices, monthly Steel PMI surveys, early-warning reports, and rebar product certification for mills, traders, and construction buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Steel Industry Market Data and Information Services

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Analytics, Risk Models & Factor/Style Indices (FSAFAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Steel Products Trading & Service Centers (Flat, Long, Pipe & Tube, Rebar) (IMAKAJAB), Testing, Inspection, Certification & Commissioning (TICx) Technical Services (BPAHAIAL)

Keywords

• Steel price indices
• Steel industry data
• Commodity market research
• Construction steel analytics
• PMI survey services

Headquarters

HQ city

Shanghai

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscription / Premium Data Services: The platform provides pricing data, index subscriptions, and market reports to steel industry participants. Revenue is derived from premium data access subscriptions, including real-time quotes, historical price databases, and specialized index services.
2. Advertising & Media Exposure: The platform monetizes traffic through display advertising and sponsored content placements. Industry news and market commentary generate advertising revenue.
3. Product Certification Services (优品认证): Paid quality certification services for steel products (HPB300, HRB400E, HRB500E rebar), providing quality validation badges and listings on the platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Xiben Information Consulting operates the steel industry information portal steelx2.com, delivering real-time multi-city steel and raw material pricing (rebar, section steel, plate, iron ore, coke, scrap, billet), commodity price indices, monthly Steel PMI surveys, and weekly/monthly/annual early-warning market reports. It also offers certified product listings for HPB300, HRB400E, and HRB500E rebar, historical price query tools, and engineering demand analytics with supplier matching, serving steel mills, traders, and construction firms across China.

Product overview

Xiben Information Consulting (西本资讯), operated by Shanghai Yilian Xiaoer Information Consulting Co., Ltd., provides a comprehensive steel industry information platform through the Xiben Xinganxian (西本新干线) brand. The portfolio centers on price indices including steel (钢材指数), iron ore (矿石指数), coke (焦炭指数), steel billet (钢坯指数), waste steel (废钢指数), cost, and cement indices. Certified product offerings include HPB300 wire rod, HRB400(E) and HRB500(E) hot-rolled ribbed steel bars. The platform delivers analytical services such as weekly/monthly/annual warning reports, steel PMI data, project demand analysis, and historical price queries. The Steel Xiaoe (钢小二) data platform serves as the underlying data engine powering engineering procurement and supply chain information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Steel Price Index (西本钢材指数) Benchmark price index for steel products serving as a market pricing reference, tracking representative specifications across cities including Shanghai high-quality rebar in the 3400-3500 yuan/ton range. Designed for steel mills, traders, and construction procurement teams.
• Iron Ore Index (西本矿石指数) Price index tracking imported and domestic iron ore market prices, used as a benchmark for steel raw material cost analysis, typically tracking prices in the 85-110 USD/ton range. Targeted at steel mills and procurement teams.
• Coke Index (西本焦炭指数) Price index for metallurgical coke used in steel production, tracking price movements against production costs. Used by steel mills and traders for raw material cost management.
• Steel Billet Index (西本钢坯指数) Price index tracking steel billet spot market prices, providing downstream steel product pricing reference for steel mills and traders.
• Waste Steel Index (西本废钢指数) Price index for scrap steel used as raw material in steelmaking, reflecting supply conditions in the scrap market for steel mills and traders.
• Cost Index (成本指数) Composite cost index tracking overall steel production costs including raw materials and manufacturing expenses, used for steel mill profit analysis.
• Cement Index (水泥指数) Price index for cement products used in construction, correlating with construction activity and steel demand, for construction firms and infrastructure procurement teams.
• Steel PMI (钢铁PMI) Monthly Purchasing Managers' Index for the steel industry measuring sector expansion and contraction based on survey data from the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing Steel Logistics Professional Committee. Used by steel mills, traders, and financial analysts as an industry benchmark.
• Price Warning Reports (预警报告) Weekly, monthly, and annual market warning reports providing price trend forecasts and risk alerts for steel market participants. Targeted at steel mills, trading firms, and construction procurement teams.
• Project Demand Analysis (工程需求) Engineering procurement demand analysis service showing nationwide production location inventory distribution for construction steel sourcing, with supplier matching capabilities. Designed for construction and infrastructure companies.
• Historical Price Query (历史报价) Historical price trend data service allowing users to query historical average prices across different cities and regions. Targeted at steel market analysts and procurement teams requiring long-term trend visibility.
• HPB300 Wire Rod Certification (HPB300线材优品认证) Quality certification service for hot-rolled plain round bar products meeting HPB300 standards for construction applications, providing verified supplier listings on the platform for construction and procurement teams.
• HRB400(E) Hot-rolled Ribbed Steel Bar Certification (HRB400(E)热轧钢筋优品认证) Quality certification service for hot-rolled ribbed steel bar with earthquake resistance certification meeting HRB400(E) standards for reinforced concrete structures, providing verified supplier listings.
• HRB500(E) Hot-rolled Ribbed Steel Bar Certification (HRB500(E)热轧钢筋优品认证) Quality certification service for hot-rolled ribbed steel bar with earthquake resistance certification meeting HRB500(E) high-strength standards, providing verified supplier listings.
• Steel Xiaoer Data Platform (钢小二) Integrated data platform providing engineering demand analysis, supply maps, inventory distribution, and PMI data powered by the Steel Xiaoer system, supporting procurement and supply chain information access for steel industry participants.

Quantifiable outcome

• Steel PMI data published monthly in collaboration with CFLP Steel Logistics Committee, used as a national industry indicator
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 中物联钢铁物流专委会 (CFLP Steel Logistics Committee)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerXiben collaborates with the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing's Steel Logistics Professional Committee to conduct and publish monthly steel industry PMI surveys. This is a formal research partnership producing an official industry indicator.
• 卓钢链 (Zhuogang Steel Chain)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a friendly link partner on the Xiben platform. 卓钢链 is a steel supply chain platform that may distribute or integrate Xiben's pricing data and indices.
• 沿海西本 (Yanhai Xiben)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a friendly link partner, representing a coastal steel operations entity within the Xiben brand ecosystem.
• 双平基金 (Shuangping Fund)minorOthersListed as a friendly link partner. The nature of the relationship is not explicitly defined but appears to be a related financial entity.
• 新空通航 (New Sky Aviation)minorOthersListed as a friendly link partner. The nature of the relationship is not explicitly defined.
• 西本新干线 (Xiben New Line)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerXiben New Line (西本新干线) is the parent/licensor brand that authorizes Shanghai Yilian Xiaoer Information Consulting to operate the Xiben Steel Information platform (西本钢铁资讯, www.steelx2.com). This is a licensing and brand授权 relationship.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SteelOrbis: SteelOrbis is a steel industry information platform offering prices, news, and conference services across global markets. It is comparable to Xiben in serving mills, traders, and end-buyers with steel price intelligence and supplier data, though at international rather than purely domestic scale.
• Fastmarkets: Fastmarkets provides metals and steel price benchmarks, indices, and analytics globally with a subscription business model analogous to Xiben's. Both monetize independently audited or curated price assessments, making Fastmarkets a strong international analogue.
• Mysteel (我的钢铁网): Mysteel is China's largest steel and metals information portal, offering daily prices, indices, research, and conferences across the same Chinese steel value chain that Xiben serves. Both compete on price benchmarks, raw-material indices, and enterprise research subscriptions, making Mysteel the most directly comparable peer.
• Custeel (中联钢, China United Steel): Custeel operates a Chinese steel information platform offering price data, market analysis, and enterprise subscriptions. It competes directly with Xiben for steel mill and trader subscriptions and is one of the long-standing incumbents in domestic steel market data.
• Shanghai Metals Market (SMM, 上海有色网): SMM provides daily spot prices, indices, and analytics for non-ferrous metals and steel-related raw materials in China. It is highly comparable to Xiben in operating a subscription-driven price/intelligence platform that serves mills, traders, and end-buyers with similar multi-city coverage and conference presence.

Broad incumbents

• Wind Information (万得资讯): Wind is China's dominant financial data terminal covering equities, commodities, and macro data, including steel-related futures and spot prices. It is a broader incumbent whose commodity and steel data modules compete for the same enterprise research budgets that Xiben targets.
• iFinD (同花顺iFinD): iFinD is a Chinese financial data terminal from Tonghuashun that aggregates steel and commodity prices alongside broader market data. It overlaps with Xiben on price and index delivery but serves a wider financial-services customer base.
• Argus Media: Argus publishes commodity price benchmarks and market intelligence globally, including steel and ferrous raw materials. It is comparable to Xiben in operating a price-index-led B2B model serving metals producers and consumers, but at much larger global scale.
• Bloomberg Commodities: Bloomberg provides steel and ferrous commodity pricing, news, and analytics within its global terminal ecosystem. While much broader, it competes for the same enterprise analytical budget for steel and raw-material pricing that Xiben addresses.

Others

• Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE, 上期所): SHFE publishes official steel-related futures settlement data and is an upstream reference source for spot and forward steel pricing. It is an adjacent infrastructure provider whose free data partially substitutes for paid steel index subscriptions like Xiben's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Xiben Information Consulting