SG-based TikTok rival Lomotif launches in India

Singapore-based TikTok rival Lomotif has launched its operations in India, along with a new country-focused channel that keeps users informed about trends and collaborations.

Ted Farnsworth, co-founder of Zash / Photo credit: Zash

Lomotif, which did not disclose the financial details of its expansion into India, will go up against several local short-video apps such as MX Taka Tak, Josh, Moj, and Chingari.

Launched in 2014, Lomotif provides users with social media content in the form of reels. It has recorded over 225 million app installations across more than 200 countries, and is available in over 300 languages.

Earlier this year, a group of investors that included former MoviePass head Ted Farnsworth reportedly bought an 80% stake in Lomotif for US$125 million. It was said to be one of the biggest exits by a tech startup in Singapore in recent years.

See also: Lomotif, the $125m exit that Singapore’s VCs missed?

“There are several plans, more features that we will be launching in the country in the coming times,” said Farnsworth, co-founder of Zash Global Media and Entertainment Corporation.

Lomotif, which recently signed a music deal with Universal Music Group, is in talks with top music labels in India to take their music on the platform.

At present, most of Lomotif’s users hail from Brazil and the US, where many of the app’s early adopters are. These users – largely North American, Black, and female – were crucial in spreading the word about Lomotif, especially since it has spent close to nothing on marketing.