(Yicai) May 21 -- Meituan is preparing to launch a coding copilot called NoCode, designed to lower digital barriers for small and medium-sized enterprises as well as the general public, technology and financial media outlet 36Kr reported today.

The on-demand service provider registered the new domain “Nocode.Cn” earlier this month, and the product has already entered the beta testing phase, the report added.

With this upcoming launch, Meituan would join a growing list of companies offering artificial intelligence tools for coding. Since last year, Chinese tech giants including Alibaba Group Holding, ByteDance, and Baidu have unveiled smart coding software, alongside American firms Anysphere with Cursor AI and Cognition Labs with Devin AI.

Developed by Meituan’s research and development team focused on quality and efficiency, NoCode is reportedly designed as part of the Beijing-based company’s foundational R&D platform.

Compared to Meituan’s earlier internal AI copilot CatPaw, NoCode features a dialog-based AI programming interface similar to the Swedish app-builder hit Lovable. NoCode users can interact conversationally with the model to complete coding tasks such as data analysis, prototyping, operational tools, and website generation. 

Notably, the internal version of NoCode has already been integrated with Meituan’s data and technical systems, supporting workflows across the company’s various business lines.

Meituan’s Chief Executive Wang Xing outlined the company’s AI strategy in March during an earnings call, highlighting three key focus areas: AI at work, product AI, and large language models. He emphasized Meituan’s self-developed large language model called LongCat -- designed to support coding, document processing, and customer service functions -- as well as its social companion product Wow, which can engage in creative conversations and provide users with life advice.

Editor: Emmi Laine