她做出的129亿独角兽,要IPO了
投中网·2025-12-27 07:02

Core Viewpoint - Soul App has successfully carved a niche in the crowded social media landscape of China by focusing on "soul socializing" that emphasizes emotional connection over physical appearance, leveraging AI technology to create a unique user experience [5][10]. Company Overview - Founded by Zhang Lu in 2015, Soul App addresses the need for genuine emotional expression among young people, particularly the Z generation, who feel constrained by traditional social media platforms [8][10]. - As of August 2025, Soul has approximately 390 million registered users and 11 million daily active users, primarily from the Z generation [10]. Financial Performance - Soul's revenue for the first eight months of 2025 reached 1.683 billion yuan, marking a year-on-year growth of 17.8% [6][12]. - The company achieved adjusted net profit in 2023 and continued to be profitable in 2024 and the first eight months of 2025, with an adjusted net profit of 286 million yuan, a significant increase of 73% year-on-year [12]. Investment and Valuation - Soul has completed seven rounds of financing, with notable investments from Tencent and MiHoYo, leading to a valuation of approximately 2 billion USD (about 12.9 billion yuan) after the last round in 2021 [6][13]. - Tencent's investment in 2020 was a turning point, providing not only capital but also strategic resources and potential traffic [14]. Market Position and Trends - Soul operates in a mature market characterized by a shift towards "emotional economy," where approximately 90% of its revenue comes from AI-driven emotional value services, including virtual goods and memberships [18]. - The rise of AI technology has led to increased interest in AI companionship, with various startups exploring similar paths to Soul's "AI + emotional social" model [19][20].