ByteDance’s Slack-like offering to focus on overseas markets (Updated)

Updated (Jan. 13, 6:30 p.m. SGT): This article was updated to mention that Feishu and Lark are separate entities, as well as to include details from an unnamed source.

Lark, the work messaging platform of TikTok maker ByteDance, may focus on overseas markets after failing to meet expectations in China, local media outlet Jieman reported.

Feishu, the app’s China-based, separate counterpart, reportedly cited profitability concerns as one of its reasons for further pushing Lark into markets such as Southeast Asia, Japan, and Europe. Further supporting this initiative, the company’s president Nan Zhang recently moved to Singapore.

Regardless, a source close to the firm told Tech in Asia that Feishu will continue to focus, invest in, and serve its customers in China.

In 2021, Feishu reportedly set a goal of reaching over 10 million daily active users (DAUs) but only reached around 5 million by the end of that year. In 2022, the firm still didn’t hit the target, despite local competitors DingTalk and WeChat Enterprise exceeding 100 million DAUs.

The source added that Lark’s international efforts are to capture new opportunities and not to move away from local competition.

Lark was released in April 2019 for overseas markets, while Feishu launched five months after. The platform offers tools such as video and audio calls, instant messaging, calendars, and document sharing.

It was reported that over 1,000 employees were sacked from the messaging platform in the fourth quarter of 2022, though the unnamed source claims that this is untrue.

See also: CapCut could be ByteDance’s next cash cow