As the global capital markets shift focus from basic user growth to the integration of Artificial Intelligence, Soulgate—the entity behind the Chinese AI social platform Soul App—has positioned itself as a pioneer in the “Model-Application Integration” strategy. In its 2025 filing for a Main Board listing in Hong Kong, Soul App showcases how AI serves not merely as a tool, but as the foundational infrastructure of the next generation of social networks.
The Power of Soul X: A Native Emotional Intelligence Large Model
Unlike traditional social platforms that rely on manual discovery, Soul App launched its self-developed large language model, Soul X, in December 2023. Trained on massive, compliant user interaction data from public squares and community silos, Soul X possesses multimodal perception and real-time interaction capabilities. It is designed to understand and dynamically respond to user emotions, moving the platform beyond peer-to-peer matching into a realm of intelligent, AI-assisted socialization.
Soul X drives several key features:
- Intelligent Recommendations: Optimizing connections based on interest graphs rather than visual “lookism.”
- AI Inspiration Tools: Assisting users in content creation, from text refinement to layout optimization, effectively fueling a high-quality UGC ecosystem.
- Interaction Optimization: Features like “Inspiration Reply” lower the threshold for social interaction, particularly for Gen-Z users who may face social friction in standard environments.
Financial Efficiency Driven by AI
The financial data underscores the efficiency of this AI-driven approach. According to its IPO prospectus, Soul App achieved an average of approximately 11 million Daily Active Users (DAU) in the first eight months of 2025. Crucially, the platform has achieved consistent profitability—a rarity among high-growth AI firms. In 2024, the company recorded an adjusted net profit of RMB 337 million, followed by RMB 286 million in the first eight months of 2025. With gross margins maintaining a robust level of over 81%, the data suggests that AI-driven matching significantly lowers the cost of user engagement and retention compared to traditional social media.
The Monetization of “Emotional Satisfaction”
Soul App’s revenue structure proves that Gen-Z is willing to pay for emotional satisfaction. Over 90% of the platform’s revenue—totaling RMB 1.528 billion in the first eight months of 2025—comes from “Emotional Value Services.” This includes virtual items, digital collection, and membership subscriptions. This unique revenue mix demonstrates a high degree of user stickiness.
Tencent and Strategic Backing
The IPO reveals a powerhouse roster of shareholders, most notably Tencent, which holds a 49.9% economic stake. Tencent’s role as a strategic investor provides Soul App with vital infrastructure support, ranging from cloud services and payment rails to ad-resource synergies.
Soul’s coming IPO stands as a pivotal test case, proving that generative AI as social infrastructure can forge sustainable business models rooted in emotional connection. It moves the industry beyond mere optimization, offering a blueprint where technology actively enriches human interaction.
