A Chinese woman known for her peculiar voice and satirical viral videos on social media has become the first online celebrity to receive VC funding in China, according to
Papi Jiang, a 29-year-old from Shanghai, recently turned to comedy and became a viral hit online after posting short videos of herself mocking daily life, social issues and relationships, amassing millions of fans within a matter of months.
In one video, Jiang discusses the humiliating questions that elderly family members ask the younger generations when they pay visits to their hometowns during Chinese New Year.
Chinese investors, including Zhen Fund, Lighthouse Capital and Xingtu Capital, invested $1.85 million in the drama student in a move that shows the emerging value of original content in China. Zhen Fund, one of the biggest names in the Chinese investing world, manages a portfolio and of
Jiang’s videos can be found on Youku, China’s top video site that resembles YouTube. The 39 videos she has uploaded so far has been viewed 64 million times in total and attracted 700,000 subscribers to her channel.
Jiang’s comedy is also popular on other streaming video sites as well as China’s popular messaging app, Weibo, where she has 8.1 million fans.
