Chinese e-commerce major Alibaba has invested $590m in smartphone maker Meizu Technology, in its latest attempt to expand its presence in the smartphone market.
The latest deal is expected to bolster Meizu against major rivals including Xiaomi and Lenovo.
As part of the deal, Meizu will incorporate its hardware with Alibaba’s struggling Yun OS, which is based on Android and used to power smartphones and smart TV sets.
Alibaba Group chief technology officer Jian WANG said: "The investment in Meizu represents a significant expansion of the Alibaba Group ecosystem and an important step in our overall mobile strategy as we strive to bring users a wider array of mobile offerings and experiences."
With the aim of developing Meizu’s smartphone ecosystem, the e-commerce firm will also offer resources and support in the fields of e-commerce, mobile Internet, mobile OS and data analysis.
Meizu’s smartphones and other devices will be on sale on Alibaba’s online shopping marketplaces.
Meizu chief executive officer Yongxiang BAI said: "This strategic collaboration with Alibaba Group will enable Meizu to further develop our smartphone business and our smart devices ecosystem."
Last month, Chinese e-commerce giant acquired a stake in digital advertising platform AdChina, which makes it the majority shareholder in the company.
