Beauty obsession drives Meitu app’s $3 billion valuation

China's love affair with physical beauty is helping to fuel a selfie-editing app's valuation of 3 billion dollars.

中国对形体美的追求助燃了该自拍编辑应用达到30亿美元的估价。

Meitu app helps 270 million monthly active users slim faces, lengthen legs and otherwise spice up their online appearance－essential among image-obsessed social media mavens.

美图帮助2.7亿月活跃用户苗条面孔，拉长双腿，靓丽线上外观，是对自身形象痴迷的社交媒体玩家必不可少的应用软件。

"I never post a photo online without using Meitu first," said 26-year-old accountant Pan Nana from Qingdao, Shandong province, who's used the app for more than six years to streamline body parts and conceal acne. "It's the first app I've ever used to beautify selfies and I haven't come across another that has as many functions."

"我从来没有在网上发布没有美图过的照片，"山东省青岛市一位26岁的会计师潘娜娜说，她有超过六年使用美图应用的经验，经常用到美体和祛痘的功能。"这是我用过的第一个自拍美化应用程序，我还没有碰到过另外一个有如此多功能的软件。"

Meitu, founded in 2008, arrived at an opportune time. Its apps allow people to adjust their photos in almost every conceivable way and with a single touch, from lightening complexion to adjusting height and slapping on virtual makeup. The start-up, backed by IDG and Qiming Venture Partners, is raising about 200 million dollars in its latest round of funding, the people familiar with the matter said, requesting not to be named.

成立于2008年的美图迎来了一个时机。它的应用几乎可以通过各种可能的方式和轻轻一点，就可让人们调整自己的照片，减轻肤色，调整身高和虚拟化妆等。该创业公司受到IDG和启明创投的支持，在最新一轮融资中上升到约2亿美元，一位熟悉情况但不愿意透露姓名的人士说。

It's also planning an overseas initial public offering as soon as this year, with the Hong Kong bourse a possible listing destination, one of the people said.

它同时计划今年尽快在国外作首次公开发行，香港很可能是上市的目的地，其中一个人透露。

Meitu completed its third round of investment in 2014, gaining a cumulative amount of 360million dollars and a valuation of 2 billion dollars from backers such as Innovation Works, founded by Kai-fu Lee, the former China head for Google Inc.

美图在2014年完成了第三轮投资，获得累计3.6亿美元的金额，以及来自前谷歌中国区总裁李开复的创意工厂的20亿美元估价。

Its apps have already been installed on more than 900 million mobile devices. It's consistently topped photo and video app rankings on Apple Inc's App Store in China this year, according to data provided by market researcher App Annie.

该软件在移动设备上被安装了9亿次。据市场研究应用"安妮"提供的数据显示，它今年一直处在中国苹果商的照片和视频应用排名前列。