On May 20, 2025, Meitu Inc. announced a strategic partnership with Alibaba Group and received a $250 million investment. This collaboration marks the beginning of in-depth cooperation between the two parties across multiple fields such as e-commerce platforms, AI technology, cloud computing, and more, jointly promoting technological innovation and business development.
According to the announcement, Alibaba invested $250 million in Meitu Inc. through a convertible bond, with net proceeds of approximately $249.6 million. The term of this investment is three years with an annual interest rate of 1%. Alibaba can exercise its conversion rights from the issuance date until five working days before maturity, converting the convertible bond into shares of Meitu Inc. at a price of HKD 6.00 per share.
In terms of the cooperation content, Meitu Inc. and Alibaba will carry out in-depth cooperation in e-commerce and model development. Alibaba will prioritize the promotion of Meitu's AI e-commerce tools on its e-commerce platforms and assist Meitu in developing new tools and functions for generating images and videos driven by data to improve marketing and operational efficiency for merchants on Alibaba's e-commerce platforms.
Moreover, Alibaba will provide technical support to meet the computational requirements for inference and training of Meitu’s AI products. Meitu Inc. has committed to purchasing no less than RMB 560 million worth of cloud services from Alibaba over the next three years. Both parties will also explore more differentiated innovative projects to create unique experiences for users on their respective platforms.
Currently, the investment agreement has been signed, but final delivery is subject to relevant government approvals and other conditions precedent, including but not limited to the approval of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for the listing of converted shares and the approval of the National Development and Reform Commission for bond issuance.
This cooperation not only brings financial support to Meitu Inc., but also provides strong technical backing for its further development in AI technology and the e-commerce sector. At the same time, for Alibaba, this cooperation will also enrich the functions and services of its e-commerce platforms, enhancing the operational efficiency of merchants and the user experience.