Xiaohongshu, which translates to “little red book” in Chinese, is a lifestyle e-commerce and social media platform which recently shot to the top of the app download charts in the U.S., fueled by a surge of TikTok users seeking an alternative amid fears of a ban. Founded in 2013, Xiaohongshu is one of China’s biggest social media platforms with 300 million users, according to research firm Qian Gua.
RedNote is often regarded as a localised adaptation of Instagram in China. Its Chinese name Xiaohongshu translates to “Little Red Book” in English. It is widely regarded as the go-to search engine these days in China for recommendations and the most popular topics on the app span beauty, fashion, travel and food. Its users in China are mostly young and female.
The app is mainly used by Chinese people and while users have the option to change the app’s language, most of the content to date has been in Mandarin. Users are able to engage in discussions, share their posts, call each other and purchase products. The platform has recently been making a big push into livestreaming sales.
The app was co-founded by Miranda Qu and Charlwin Maoin 2013 in Shanghai. They initially called the app “Hong Kong Shopping Guide” and targeted Chinese tourists looking for recommendations outside the mainland.
RedNote shareholders include Chinese tech giants Alibaba, Tencent and Singapore state investor Temasek as well as venture capital firms GSR Ventures, DST Global, and GGV Capital.