Roposo’s owner Glance announces JV with Collective Artists Network

Glance, the world’s largest lock screen-based content provider and owner of video-platform Roposo, on Tuesday announced that it has entered into a joint venture (JV) with Collective Artists Network, India’s largest talent management agency and pop culture marketplace.

The JV, Glance Collective, will co-create and operate multiple unique brands in partnership with some of India’s biggest digital creators, which include top celebrities and social media influencers. This is a first of its kind strategic alliance in India, where a global content creator and commerce platform has partnered with a leading talent management network.

The JV combines Glance and Roposo’s technology and global reach with Collective Artists Networks’ deep understanding of the celebrity and influencer world. This new entity will generate scope for creators to earn revenue through part ownership of the brands, while also giving them access to global markets, through Glance and Roposo’s combined worldwide user base.

“Glance Collective is a synergy of strengths. It will give creators entrepreneurial opportunities at a large scale in producing successful consumer brands. We are creating a unique ecosystem for creator-led, discovery-based LIVE commerce, and are confident that our partnership with Collective will make us leaders in this rapidly growing market,” said Piyush Shah, co-founder of InMobi, and President and COO of Glance.

Even though it is still at a nascent stage in India, creator-led, interactive and live commerce is expected to become a $40 billion opportunity in the country by 2025. This format has already seen tremendous success in China where it now accounts for around 20% of the country’s total e-commerce market. Glance Collective will leverage this emerging mode of shopping to drive sales of its brands, primarily on the Glance lock screen and the Roposo app.

The products will span segments such as lifestyle, home, fashion, apparel, beauty, and fitness, amongst others. The truly empowering aspect of Glance Collective is that it will enable creators to launch, scale and co-own brands that reflect their unique persona. “Glance Collective is dedicated to influencers at its very core. It will be a legitimate house of influencer brands, with the potential to bolster the monetization strength of the influencer economy and pop culture via commerce,” said Vijay Subramaniam, Group CEO and co-founder at Collective Artists Network. “Our joint value proposition will effectively benefit both the end consumer and an ever-growing community of influencers,” Subramaniam added.

Earlier this month, Glance announced that it was acquiring full-stack e-commerce firm Shop101, as part of its foray into influencer and celebrity driven mobile commerce. The robust end-to-end supply chain and technology platform gained through this acquisition will be leveraged for operational support to Glance Collective.

“There are hundreds of creators who have a large following, but do not have the resources to launch their own brands. Glance Collective will enable such creators to build labels that reflect their identity. There is no platform in the country that is currently doing this at such a scale,” said Mansi Jain, GM, Roposo and Commerce at Glance.

Collective Artists Network has an over 70% share in the talent management market. Its clients are A-list celebrities across pop culture, including Bollywood and South India’s entertainment industry, as well as top social/digital media influencers. Glance has over 125 million daily active users and delivers content in more than 8 languages in India and Southeast Asia. Roposo, which is a leading short-video talent platform, has over 100 million downloads and offers content in 12 languages

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