What JOYY Inc. does

JOYY Inc. is a Singapore-headquartered, NASDAQ-listed global technology company (ticker: JOYY; previously YY Inc.) that operates a portfolio of consumer-facing social media platforms, principally Bigo Live (livestreaming), Likee (short-form video), and Hago (multi-user social networking with casual games and 3D avatars). The platforms support real-time interactive sessions, content creation, talent showcase, and social connection, and are distributed across more than 150 countries with localized presence in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South America, collectively reaching hundreds of millions of users. The company runs a global workforce of over 7,000 employees across 30 cities and holds what it describes as an industry-leading portfolio of patent applications and licenses.

The company monetizes through a freemium model on its social platforms, generating revenue from virtual goods, subscriptions, and engagement-based purchases, with pricing not publicly disclosed. JOYY previously spun off its gaming livestreaming subsidiary Huya (NYSE: HUYA) in 2018 and repositioned itself through a 2019 rebrand from YY Inc. The company is currently expanding into global commerce Software-as-a-Service and solutions, signaling a diversification beyond pure consumer social entertainment. Platform-level milestones include Bigo Live ranking as the World's #2 Social App by consumer spend in 2023 and JOYY's 2022 non-GAAP net profit growing 83% year-over-year.

Name

JOYY Inc.

Legal name

JOYY Inc.

Website

https://joyy.sg

Company type

Public

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Short description

JOYY Inc. is a Singapore-headquartered, NASDAQ-listed global technology company operating consumer social media platforms Bigo Live, Likee, and Hago, which serve hundreds of millions of users across more than 150 countries with livestreaming, short-form video, and social networking experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Media & Livestreaming Platforms

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

IRL & Lifestyle Live Streaming Platforms (MPACACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Social Commerce & Livestream Shopping Platforms (BPAMAGAJ)

Keywords

• Livestreaming platforms
• Social media apps
• Short-form video
• Video creation tools
• Online entertainment

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Livestreaming and Social Media Platforms: JOYY operates innovative social media platforms such as Bigo Live, Likee and Hago that enable users to interact with others in real time. Revenue is generated from virtual goods, subscriptions, and engagement on these platforms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Core offering

JOYY operates a portfolio of innovative social media platforms—Bigo Live (global livestreaming), Likee (short-form video creation and sharing), and Hago (multi-user social networking with casual games and 3D interactive scenes)—that enable users to interact with each other in real time across more than 150 countries. The company is also actively exploring and expanding into a global commerce Software-as-a-Service and solutions business.

Product overview

JOYY Inc. operates a portfolio of innovative social media platforms: Bigo Live (global livestreaming platform), Likee (global short-form video social platform), and Hago (multi-user social networking platform with casual games and streaming). The company connects hundreds of millions of users globally across more than 150 countries and is expanding into global commerce Software-as-a-Service solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bigo Live: Global livestreaming platform serving users in more than 150 countries, with extensive presence in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia
• Likee
• Hago

Products and services

• Bigo Live A global livestreaming platform serving users in more than 150 countries, providing an interactive online stage for global users to host and watch livestreaming sessions, share life moments, showcase talents, and connect with people worldwide. It has extensive presence in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
• Likee A global short-form video social platform offering easy, all-in-one, and powerful video creation tools as well as personalized feeds, empowering users to easily create, share, and discover short videos. It has extensive presence in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
• Hago A multi-user social networking platform combining casual games, audio and video livestreaming, 3D avatars, and 3D interactive scenes, enabling users to establish social connections and enjoy diverse, immersive, and interactive experiences. It has extensive presence in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and South America.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bigo Live ranked as World's #2 Social App by consumer spend in 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Roblox Corporation: Roblox competes with Hago in the immersive social networking and 3D avatar-based experiences category, targeting overlapping user segments in casual gaming and social interaction.
• IMVU: IMVU is a 3D avatar-based social networking platform that overlaps with Hago's positioning around 3D avatars and interactive social scenes, particularly for immersive casual experiences.

Direct peers

• TikTok (ByteDance): TikTok is JOYY's primary direct competitor in short-form video and livestreaming. Both operate global consumer social platforms with freemium monetization, and compete head-to-head for user attention, creator talent, and advertising dollars.
• Snap Inc. Snap operates Snapchat, a social platform with short-form video (Spotlight), Stories, and AR features that competes with Likee and Bigo Live for Gen Z user engagement and ad spend.
• Discord: Discord is a community-led social platform with audio/video streaming, games, and avatar-based interaction that competes directly with Hago for social gaming and multi-user networking audiences.
• Kuaishou Technology: Kuaishou is a Chinese short-form video and livestreaming platform that directly competes with JOYY's Bigo Live and Likee in global markets, particularly Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Latin America.
• Twitch (Amazon): Twitch is a leading livestreaming platform competing directly with Bigo Live, particularly in entertainment, lifestyle, and talent showcase categories. Both operate real-time interactive streaming with virtual goods and subscription monetization.

Broad incumbents

• Meta Platforms (Instagram): Meta's Instagram competes with Likee via Reels and with Bigo Live via Instagram Live. As a broad incumbent with massive scale and ad tech capabilities, Meta pressures JOYY's monetization and creator acquisition.
• YouTube (Alphabet): YouTube competes across all three JOYY platforms—YouTube Shorts vs. Likee, YouTube Live vs. Bigo Live, and YouTube Gaming vs. the divested Huya. Alphabet's resources and creator economy pose a broad competitive threat.
• Tencent (WeChat/QQ): Tencent operates WeChat and QQ with embedded livestreaming, short video, and social gaming features. As a broad incumbent with deep Asia presence, it competes with JOYY's full product portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about JOYY Inc.