Dianping and Tencent invest in Wiwide

Tencent Inc and Dianping.com have invested 300 million yuan (US$49.2 million) in public Wi-Fi service provider Wiwide.com to expand into the booming O2O (online-to-offline) market, the companies said yesterday.

Wiwide, which Xiaomi has also invested in, offers Wi-Fi network services in 30,000 public areas in China, including 20 airports and 500 outlets like Starbucks and Burger King.

The wireless router is a hot sector in China's Internet market because it's a gateway to millions of Chinese netizens. The sector has also lured other investors such as Baidu and Lenovo.

"The investment will help Dianping to connect offline shops and online consumers and expand O2O strategy," Dianping said in an e-mail statement, without elaborating on how the deal helps consumers.

The investment may allow users to access the Internet with their Tencent and Dianping's accounts to receive promotions and coupons offered by the two firms, industry insiders said.

In February, Tencent bought 20 percent in Shanghai-based Dianping, which offers services like restaurant reviews and online coupons.