Hong Kong-based social shopping service Goxip has raised $5 million to expand in to the influencer marketing industry.

$6 billion Hong Kong based company Meitu led the investment. Meitu develops selfie optimised apps and mobile devices; you may remember spotting them in the news last year for their intrusive photo editing app. 

Goxip’s main app is essentially a ‘shoppable Instagram. Influencers can post photos of their outfit, wish list or other items and then make money when someone follows the link and purchases said outfit. 

The company's move in to influencer marketing is via its upcoming RewardSnap service. 

Shopping around

The idea behind RewardSnap is similar to US and UK based  RewardStyle, an app that works to connect influencers with brands, allowing them to generate income by endorsing and selling a product. 

“RewardStyle has been monopolizing the U.S. and UK, but there’s nothing like this in Asia,” Goxip CEO Juliette Giminez told TechCrunch.

“This is a black hole nobody is diving into. Brands don’t know how to start the conversation, while influencers in Asia don’t trust existing platforms used like Google Analytics. Then a lot of the hardcore brands aren’t even online in Southeast Asia.”

RewardSnap will supposedly launch in the coming months. The service will be first be focused on influencers with a large social following - 500,000 followers was a potential minimum suggested by Giminez.

The app will allow influencers to post content anywhere on the internet, enabling direct sharing to an influencers Instagram and Facebook page to maximise reach.

The company is looking to collaborate with influencer management agencies; influencers will be added to RewardSnap on an invite-only basis.

The deal is also reportedly the first major investment from Meitu in a startup focused on Southeast Asia. The company is focused on the region; it currently accounts for one-quarter of its claimed 400 million users.