A team of investors led by Goldman Sachs will provide Alibaba.com with US$5 million in financing, according to the on-line business-to-business company.
Goldman Sachs would contribute more than half the amount, the company said.
Transpac Capital, Technology Development Fund of Singapore, Investor AB of Sweden and others are to provide the remainder.
Alibaba.com executives declined to disclose how much equity the investor group would have after the financing was completed. But they said the company's founders would retain majority control, as well as responsibility for day-to-day operations.
Alibaba.com claims a combined pool of more than 40,000 members for its four sites, which allow companies to list goods they have for sale and which facilitates contact between buyers and sellers of all types of materials, from chemicals to textiles and industrial supplies.
The financing announcement comes a day after Goldman Sachs said it had led another group of investors in a $20 million investment in Asia Manufacturing Online, another firm focused on helping firms cut costs and reach more customers by using electronic networks.