Foodtech startup Vital Hint has launched a localized Chinese version of its ‘Foodiest‘ service on Wechat’s Xiaochengxu platform.
Foodiest – known as ‘Haemukja’ in Korea and ‘Gourmet Men and Women’ in China – is a cooking app which provides personalized recommendations for meals using users’ favorite and most searched recipes. You can also search by the time of the meal, or based on a situation e.g, Christmas. Recipes are grouped into various categories such as ingredients, cuisine and region – making it easier to find what you’re looking for.
The app has a strong emphasis on easy directions, and uses simple GIFs and videos so that anyone can follow along. Recipes also come with a breakdown of nutritional information, including calories and the amount of minerals, fat, protein, carbohydrates and vitamins.
The Chinese version of the app was launched on Wechat – China’s most popular mobile messenger – through its new mini-app platform which was launched in early January. Named Xiechengxu, meaning small program, it allows Wechat users to use apps without having to download them seperately from the App Store or Google Play. Xiechengxu already has around 800 apps available already, and Vitalhint was one of the first foreign companies to release an app on the platform.
“We believe Xiechengju will prove to be a powerful tool for connecting with Wechat’s 800 million users in China,” said Paul Chung, CEO and founder of Vital Hint. “By accelerating our efforts, and creating various features which fit well with Wechat’s platform, we plan to penetrate the Chinese market with stronger, original content and technology.”
The company expects further growth with the upcoming opening of Wechat’s commerce platform later this month. Vital Hint was founded in 2014 and has received investment from 500 Startups and Strong Ventures.
