The incubators behind two of China’s most popular influencers are making preparations for initial public offerings as competition in the live-streaming e-commerce market intensifies.

Meione, the Shanghai-based agency behind China’s “lipstick king” Austin Li Jiaqi, is looking to hire a chief financial officer ahead of a possible U.S. share sale, according to people familiar with the matter. The firm, backed by Whales Capital and DT Capital Partners, is considering raising as much as $300 million, one of the people said.

Meanwhile, Hangzhou-based Qianxun, which houses China’s No. 1 influencer Viya, is also planning an IPO, according to another person with knowledge of the matter. Qianxun, which is backed by billionaire Jack Ma’s Yunfeng Capital, will likely list overseas, the person said. The people declined to be identified as the discussions are private.

The pair of IPOs promise to peel the lid off one of China’s largest and most dynamic internet arenas. Pioneered by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. as a marketing tool in 2016, livestreaming e-commerce has evolved from an online version of the Home Shopping Network into a singular Chinese mashup of 24-hour high-quality entertainment, hard-sell antics and promotional gimmicks that generates $149 billion of sales annually. Top pitchpeople like Viya and Li have become celebrities in their own right, commanding followings of hundreds of millions, but the finances and business structures of the industry remain in their infancy.

Deliberations are at an early stage for both companies and there is no guarantee that Qianxun and Meione will proceed with their listing plans.

Meione responded that the news was untrue, and Qianxun said, "The news is false, and the company has no IPO plan in the near future."

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-22/agencies-behind-china-s-top-livestreaming-stars-plan-ipos