Data Sheet—Thursday, September 17, 2015

The list of tech execs who will have a private audience next week with China’s president Xi Jinping and Internet czar Lu Wei in Seattle now includes Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Apple’s Tim Cook, and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella.

The meeting comes amid new reports that the government is asking these companies—and others selling into the domestic market—to pledge their willingness to share data and intellectual property. Reports The New York Times: “Signing the new pledge could set a precedent of American tech firms openly cooperating with Beijing and enabling snooping on users. Conversely, a refusal could bring fresh restrictions or penalties for companies in China’s enormous market.”

It’s not clear if any company has complied, but the request will sure make for lively debate on Sept. 23.

Also stealing headlines this Thursday morning: Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina trumped Trump during last night’s Republican debate. Silicon Valley and the White House took to social media to support 14-year-old tinkerer Ahmed Mohamed, who was arrested after hacking together a homemade clock. “Don’t let this stop your creativity,” urged Autodesk CEO Carl Bass. Plus, we’re happy to report that SAP CEO Bill McDermott is back on the job after an unfortunate accident in July led to the loss of his eye. We wish him a speedy recovery.

TOP OF MIND

Intuit plans foray into lending. The tax software company is creating a $100 million fund for financing small businesses. PayPal and Square already do something similar. All of them use data gathered from their software to assess and approve loans. (Wall Street Journal)

Why Uber has mixed feelings about carpools. Sure it's great for relieving traffic congestion, but the ride-sharing company is realizing lower profits. Plus, China's Didi Kuaidi finally acknowledged its investment in Uber rival Lyft. They're part of a global alliance taking on the defacto leader. (Journal, Fortune, Re/code)

Fitbit pushes corporate wellness. Target is its biggest account, but Bank of America and BP are also weighing in. Right now, business initiatives account for about 10% of overall revenue. (Fortune)

THE DOWNLOAD

Oracle sees light at the end of the cloud tunnel

Oracle’s executive dream team predicted a big groundswell in the company’s cloud computing business. That’s the good news. But it will happen late this fiscal year. That’s the bad news for a company coming from behind in the fast-growing cloud computing market.