Since entering the U.S. and Canada markets in May 2020, the short-video sharing platform Zynn has swiftly become the fan favorite social media app. Quickly rising to the number one spot on Google’s Play Store, Zynn became recognized as an excellent source of entertainment, community, and innovation in the social media sphere. Zynn allows users to expertly create professional quality videos, add countless sounds effects and audio clips, and dress up videos with stickers and text effects, bestowing creators with the ability to truly express themselves. Through an intuitive video recommendation algorithm, Zynn showcases a wide diversity of videos, promoting individuality, expression, and value of all creators. With Zynn’s star continuously on the rise, we explore the innovative app’s parent company, Kuaishou Technology.
Meet Kuaishou Technology
Originally founded as a tool for allowing users to create animated GIFs, the inaugural GIF Kuaishou was launched in March 2011. The company was created by Co-Founder and CEO Su Ha, who previously worked as a core algorithm engineer, and researched AI technology for tech powerhouses Google and Baidu. GIF Kuaishou’s other Co-Founder, Cheng Yixiao, was an experienced product developer and researcher for Hewlett-Packard and Renren.com. After two years, the fledgling company’s initial platform pivoted into the realm of short-form video sharing, and was launched as Kuaishou. Since then, the flagship platform has enjoyed tremendous growth, propelling Kuaishou Technology as a leader in the digital content sharing platform development sector.
By January 2015, Kuaishou’s daily active users exceeded 10 million, and exceeded to 100 million by the end of 2017. By May of 2020, Kuaishou’s statistics solidified the company’s flagship product as a juggernaut. Boasting over 300 million daily active users, and over 250 million content creators, Kuaishou’s content count surpassed 20 billion uploaded videos. With over 400 million “likes” being shared per day, and 47% of users uploading an average of 4 videos per month, these statistics showcased the desire for users to consume content, create content, and actively engage within the communities created by the intuitive app.
Through Kuaishou’s focus on community, user experience, technology, and self-expression, the platform became China’s leading social media platform. Recognizing the power of the app’s bespoke mission statement of providing an outlet for all users to feel seen and heard, Kuaishou Technology released an international version of the app, called Kwai. Offering a similar highly personalized experience for international creators and users, Kwai was swiftly well-received across new markets, growing Kuaishou Technology’s global presence.
Currently, the Beijing-headquartered company employs over 10,000 talented individuals across the globe, servicing growing international needs via offices in China, the U.S., India, and Brazil. Gaining the attention of global financial institutions keen on investing in Kuaishou Technology’s unique mission to provide a diverse and inclusive social media based community, the company partnered with notable global investors. These investors include DCM Ventures,
Morningside Venture Capital, Tencent, Sequoia Capital, Baidu, and Temasek Holdings.
Kuaishou’s Design and Usability
Similar to the interface of Zynn, flagship app Kuaishou’s user-facing interface is sleek, modern, and simple to use. Not only does this intentional design allow focus to remain on the user and content instead of the app itself, it renders the app vastly easy to navigate, even for novice users. With multiple tech interventions made to enhance creator outcomes, including image arithmetic that automatically enhances aesthetic quality after upload, Kuaishou’s intuitive build makes the app easy to use, and provides beautiful and effective results.
The content available on Kuaishou meets the interests of all users, with popular content in the categories of romantic stories, performances, tutorials, gaming, skills, family life, and everything in between. Similar to Zynn’s diverse content, Kuaishou has content for every niche interest, and champions connections built around similar interests. From traditional farmers, to fashion insiders, craftsmen, and educators, Kuaishou welcomes all individuals to share their talents, experiences, and lessons with eager audiences.
As is the case with Zynn, Kuaishou’s continuously perfected algorithm provides users with diverse content recommendations, eliminating stale and repetitive content categories. For creators, the fair algorithm also eliminates preferential treatment of videos based on creators’ statistics, profile, or following count. Though the app boasts various celebrity, brand, and influencer users, these videos are treated with the same standards as content created by all creators, providing the same opportunity for each user to share their unique experiences with the world. Driven by free ai content detector tools, machine learning, and technological innovation, Kuaishou leverages understanding of users to deepen the connections between users, creators, and subsequently formed communities.
Mission Statements and Focus on Inclusivity
While many tech-based companies seek to merely gain, maintain, and grow user interest, Kuaishou Technology maintains a mission statement focused on creating a diverse, inclusive, fair, and positive digital community. By creating a hospitable space and forum for all creators, Kuaishou Technology aims to spark creativity, self-expression, and communication. Not only does the company value entertainment, fun, and lighthearted social interaction, Kuaishou Technology understands the meaningful human connections that are formed through sharing essential life moments, and widely relatable situations.
Unlike the case for many competing companies, Kuaishou utilizes an intuitive algorithm that aggregates content recommendations in a diverse manner, providing a wider array of video content for viewers. For fledgling and niche creators without a massive following already present, this algorithm ensures that their videos will still be seen by a certain number of users. Not only does this lead to enrichment of content, it propels creators of all skill sets and levels to generate content. With inclusion and empowerment a big part of Kuaishou Technology’s DNA, the company works diligently to ensure that each user feels equally seen, heard, and valued, regardless of race, financial background, educational status, or any other consideration.
Kuaishou Technology’s Future
With the recent launch of short-video platform Zynn, Kuaishou Technology has entered the U.S. and Canada market, providing the same inclusivity driven social engagement opportunities to this vast market. With initial download numbers soaring, the inaugural success of Zynn will undoubtedly create continued growth for Kuaishou Technology, now a global tech powerhouse built on technological advancement, inclusivity and community, and an unprecedented user experience.
Invested in continued machine learning, artificial intelligence, and the perfection of bespoke algorithms, roughly 40% of the company’s staff is involved in the research and development sector. This will certainly continue to propel the company to successfully implement cutting-edge technology, machine learning, and AI to seamlessly improve user experience. Through continued advances, Kuaishou Technology will remain at the forefront of the marriage between technology, community, and the innate human desire to connect.
As Kuaishou Technology continues to grow, the company’s commitment to users remains at the forefront of all considerations. Since inception, Kuaishou Technology has enjoyed continued expansion, and with the launch of Zynn, this pattern of growth is sure to follow.