Likee

OwnrCheck Label

Chinese-owned

Industry

Entertainment & Media

Parent Entity

BIGO Technology (Singapore) — 100% owned by JOYY Inc. (Nasdaq: JOYY), controlled by founder David Xueling Li

Founded

2017

Headquarters

Singapore

Listed

Parent JOYY Inc.: Nasdaq: JOYY

Last Updated

September 2026

Confidence

● Medium· Voting data from 2021; founder's current nationality not confirmed in filings

Background

Likee is a short-video app launched in 2017 by BIGO Technology, which also runs the live-streaming app BIGO LIVE. BIGO became a wholly owned subsidiary of YY Inc., now JOYY Inc., in March 2019. JOYY was founded in Guangzhou and now has its headquarters in Singapore.

Parent Entity & Ownership

Likee is owned by BIGO Technology, which JOYY Inc. has owned outright since March 2019. JOYY is listed on Nasdaq and is controlled by its founder and chairman, David Xueling Li, who held about 76% of the voting power as of 2021; Xiaomi founder Lei Jun also held a stake of about 7.8%. JOYY moved its headquarters to Singapore.

Verdict: Chinese-owned

Likee is owned by JOYY, a Nasdaq-listed group founded in Guangzhou and controlled by its founder, David Xueling Li. JOYY is now headquartered in Singapore, but control remains with its founder.

Sources

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