Cheetah Mobile to accelerate move into content after News Republic acquisition
World’s leading mobile security and utility app developer bought the media app operator for US$57 million
China’s Cheetah Mobile, considered the world’s leading mobile security and utility app developer, is preparing to accelerate its transition into a viable content-focused business, following a US$57 million purchase of media app operator News Republic in the second quarter.
“This is a huge step for us,” chief technology officer Charles Fan Chenggong told the South China Morning Post.
“We can potentially reshape the news industry by introducing a strong, artificial intelligence-driven, personal news delivery service.”
The acquisition marks the most-ambitious bet to date by the New York-traded Cheetah Mobile, amid its recent struggle to boost advertising income.
Analysts at the Blue Lotus Research Institute in Hong Kong said Cheetah had good “synergy” with News Republic, which works with more than 1,650 media partners. Cheetah Mobile had 623 million monthly active users as of June 30.
News Republic, with dual headquarters in Bordeaux, France and San Francisco in the US, is available in 37 languages and 40 different editions.
The news app can be downloaded from both the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store. It also comes preloaded on certain smartphone models, including those from Samsung Electronics and Huawei Technologies.
Users can gain access to articles, videos and photos from many prominent media organisations, including CNN, Sina Corp, Reuters, Bloomberg and the Financial Times.
