Tag: alibaba

New mobile commerce firm wins investment support from Alibab and Ant Financial

| June 26, 2015

Koubei has won the interest of two of China’s largest companies

Chinese e-commerce mammoth Alibaba and Ant Financial, another prominent company in China, have each invested $483 million into Koubei, a joint venture in the mobile commerce space. Koubei is designed to provide consumers with the ability to order and pay for products from local services operating in China. Doing so can be accomplished over a smartphone, and the initial launch of this service will focus on food and beverage delivery.

Koubei aims to give consumers and merchants a new way to interact with one another

Those using Koubei will be able to use the Alipay Wallet to make mobile purchases. They may also be able to use the Taobao mobile application, which is controlled by Alibaba. Though the initial launch of the service will focus on the food and beverage segment, Koubei will expand to include local merchants, providing consumers with a way to purchase products from stores in their area. Koubkei may also provide merchants with promising marketing opportunities, giving them a platform from which to launch promotion campaigns and reach new mobile consumers.

Mobile commerce platform will serve as a boost for Alibaba and Ant Financial

Mobile Commerce - Company InvestmentKoubei intends to build a local services ecosystem that will be a benefit to merchants and consumers alike. This is something that Alibaba has shown significant interest in, as the company has its own food ordering and delivery business in the Tao Diandian brand. Ant Financial also has an interest in the mobile commerce ventures of Koubei, as the company has been involved in the mobile space for some time, managing Alibaba’s Alipay platform and making it possible for a wide range of consumers to purchase products from their mobile devices.

Mobile commerce continues to thrives in China

China has become one of the most robust mobile markets in the world. Smartphone penetration is high, and consumers have shown a great deal of interest in being able to shop for and purchase products with their mobile devices through a variety of platforms. Koubei will be one of the latest mobile commerce platforms to launch in China, and the support it has received from Alibaba and Ant Financial will give it a competitive edge.

Alibaba and Foxconn show interest in Indian mobile commerce giant

| June 19, 2015

Snapdeal is in advanced investment discussions with Alibaba and Foxconn

India’s Snapdeal continues to attract strong interest from other companies involved in the mobile commerce space. This week, Snapdeal announced the acquisition of a mobile app developer, which is expected to further solidify the company’s mobile commerce dominance. Now, China’s Alibaba and Taiwanese handset manufacturer Foxconn have entered into advanced discussions regarding purchasing a 10% stake in Snapdeal. This is not the first time that Alibaba has shown investment interest in Snapdeal.

Alibaba has shown an intense interest in India’s mobile commerce space

As one of China’s largest e-commerce entities, Alibaba has been very aware of the growing prevalence of mobile commerce. In China, smartphone penetration has been growing quickly, and many people are becoming more interested in the concepts surrounding mobile shopping. Snapdeal has become the largest player in India’s mobile commerce market, which has made the company a very attractive topic for Alibaba and others. Alibaba has already invested in India’s mobile commerce space, purchasing a 25% stake in Paytm earlier this year.

India has become one of the most attractive and fastest growing mobile markets in the world

Mobile Commerce Interest in IndiaMobile commerce is growing very quickly in India, making the country one of the most attractive mobile markets in the world. Investments from foreign companies are adding fuel to the growth in this sector and companies like Snapdeal could have a lot to gain from such investment interest. Investment discussions do not always work out, however, and initial negotiations between Snapdeal and Alibaba failed due to differences in valuation of Snapdeal’s stock. Alibaba has, however, returned to discussions with some enthusiasm.

Investments will help Snapdeal thrive and provide better services in the mobile commerce space

Snapdeal has raised approximately $1 billion in funding through investments, with Japan’s Softbank being a primary investor in the company. This funding has been instrumental in Snapdeal’s plans to become a mobile commerce powerhouse. The more funding that the company can raise, the better services it will be able to provide to consumers and businesses alike.