Flipboard Aims for 5 Million Chinese Downloads This Year

Flipboard pushed out the iPhone version of its localized app for China last week – and now the startup is saying that it aims to have five million Chinese users on iOS very soon.

The iPad version of Flipboard’s Chinese edition launched last December, integrating with local social networks Sina Weibo and Renren. That approach was mirrored in its new release for the iPhone.

With that solid base on iOS and a great-looking, well-localized app, Flipboard’s Alvin Tse (pictured right) has told Chinese media that the company’s plan is “five million downloads in mainland China on iOS this year.” Of course, downloads don’t equate directly to users – or even active users – but it’s still a size-able goal that the startup is working towards.

Working With Sina

Flipboard remains a small company with offices, apart from its Silicon Valley base, in New York and London, employing 55 staffers in total. There’s no plan for a China office, Alvin reveals, but says that the team understand the importance of making a localized version of an app for this “completely different market.” Alvin himself has Hong Kong roots, speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese, and is tasked with crafting business development on Flipboard’s Chinese edition apps – picking out content partners and overseeing the right kind of social media integration, such as the way you can tweet to Sina Weibo from right in the app so as to share an article with friends.

The interview revealed that Flipboard has long been working closely with Sina (NASDAQ:SINA), and that Sina CEO Charles Chao once flew to the startup’s main office to talk turkey, and showed himself to be an avid user of Flipboard’s original version (before that Chinese edition came out last December).

Alvin says that Flipboard is still seeking new Chinese content for its app but will not add a source unless they have full permission to do so.

And so the US company might be on the verge of an all too rare social media success in China. We’ll keep you posted if/when that five million milestone is reached. We get the feeling it will indeed happen this year – despite a wealth of clones from major web companies like Netease (NASDAQ:NTES) as well as newcomers such as Zaker.

[Source: Donews – article in Chinese]