Chinese social network for following celebs – or even becoming one – secures $6.5M funding

Xingyun, a Chinese niche social network for people interested in the arts and entertainment industry, has just raised an RMB 40 million (US$6.5 million) series A round of funding led by Shenzhen Capital Group, according to 36kr.

Xingyun has managed to sign up a wide array of celebrities and, consequently, their followers. Some of the more famous names include actress Angelababy, actor Huang Xiaoming, and magician Lu Chen. From authors to runway models to athletes, these idols and their fans are among the more than 100,000 registered users now on Xingyun.

The social network is based around a Facebook-style news feed and profile pages. Users can check to see when their favorite stars are making public appearances nearest them and other fan meetups. Users who fancy themselves amateur paparazzi are encouraged to add photos to their own profiles.

Registration is free, and Xingyun monetizes through an interesting online education model. Members can pay to take online training courses and use marketing services to boost their fame. Packages cost a hefty RMB 1,980 (US$322) or RMB 3,980 (US$648) depending on what’s included.

While WeChat and Weibo (mostly WeChat) dominate China’s social network scene for the general masses, several niche social networks have sprouted up to attract narrower demographics. Xingyun, which literally translates to “star cloud” or “nebula,” is one of them.

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Compared to Weibo, Xingyun aims to cut out a lot of the noise and create a more intimate relationship between fans and celebrities. On Xingyun, users tend to be more positive toward the celebrities they follow than on the tabloid scandal-ridden Weibo. In contrast to a WeChat official account, users following the same celebrities can more easily engage each other.

In addition to Xingyun, the team has also launched an invite-only paid social network called Pengpeng (not to be confused with the other Pengpeng), but details are sparse at the moment.