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Beijing-based gay dating app, , raised $100 million in a funding round led by Hong-Kong based . , it is the largest gay social network in the world. The company will reportedly direct the funds toward product optimization and platform diversification.

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Launched in 2012, Blued started off as the Grindr copycat of China. The app allows its users to connect, chat, send voice messages, and share live streams. It boasts on its website. According to , the platform had already supported 13 languages and set up offices around Southeast Asia and in the U.K.

In February 2014, the startup raised $1.6 million in a by and . That round was followed by a $31 million in November 2014 by California-based and Beijing-based , reportedly to $300 million. In 2016 it raised an unknown amount in a by China-based firms and , which also San Francisco-based gay social networking app .

Though support for the LGBTQ community has grown in many places around the world, including Taiwan, which , the company鈥檚 expansion has not been without challenges. According to , Blued and other LGBTQ dating apps have faced significant in Indonesia, where the police have increasingly targeted the community.

Blued was founded by Ma Baoli (Geng Le), a gay man from Hebei province. According to , Ma was forced to quit his job as a police officer in 2012. It was revealed that he was moderating Danlan.com, the most popular online gay discussion forum in China. Ma then went on to co-found聽, Blued鈥檚 parent association, which aims to provide online and offline services to the LGBTQ community.