Meitu’s H1 2025 Earnings Soar 71% as AI-Powered Apps Drive Global Growth

Chinese selfie-app maker Meitu Inc. (HKEx: 1357) reported a strong first half of 2025, driven by its AI-powered products and expanding global user base. In its interim results released Aug 18, Meitu said H1 revenue rose to RMB 1.8 billion (up 12.3% YoY) and adjusted net profit jumped to RMB 467 million (up 71.3% YoY) . This marked a new high in profitability for the company, as breakthroughs in its AI-enabled imaging business and a surge in paid subscribers boosted margins.

The core photo/video/design products segment saw especially strong growth: revenue from imaging and design apps hit RMB 1.35 billion (up 45.2% YoY), now accounting for roughly 74% of Meitu’s sales . Meitu attributed this leap to a record 15.4 million paying subscribers (a 42% YoY increase). (About 13.6 million of these subscribers come from lifestyle apps like MeituPic and BeautyCam, with the rest from its productivity tools.) The company continued to invest in innovation, with R&D spending reaching RMB 450 million in H1 (up 6.1% YoY) , fueling new AI features in its app suite.

User engagement also climbed. By June 30, Meitu’s global monthly active users (MAUs) totaled 280 million (up 8.5% YoY) . Notably, 98 million of those MAUs were outside mainland China (about 35% of the total) , reflecting Meitu’s growing international reach. Management highlighted that its overseas “productivity tools” are resonating – non-China MAUs grew over 15% to 98 million. For example, Meitu’s localization efforts paid off in Asia: in February 2025 the BeautyCam app’s new “AI Wardrobe” feature (virtual outfit swapping) helped it claim the #1 ranking in 12 countries’ app stores, and in June Meitu’s Wink app topped the Indonesian and Laotian charts using its “Quality Restoration” engine.

Meitu also launched RoboNeo in July 2025, an AI-driven design assistant. This new AI agent – which helps users create and edit images via natural language – “has quickly become a global phenomenon”. Industry observers note that RoboNeo and similar AI tools are part of Meitu’s strategy to build a full “AI product ecosystem” spanning social and productivity scenarios.

Overall, Meitu’s H1 2025 results underscore the success of its AI-driven upgrade and global push. Healthy profit margins in the imaging segment, a record-paid subscriber base (15.4 M), and double-digit international MAU growth are all evidence of this strategy. Meitu’s strong financial performance, combined with standout features like BeautyCam’s AI Wardrobe and Wink’s Quality Restoration, suggest the company is capitalizing on the wave of AI and overseas demand for creative apps  . The firm said it will continue prioritizing its high-margin imaging and design business and global expansion as it serves a more diverse, worldwide user community.