Google is planning to purchase the US-based social video app- Firework which is the same as TikTok. It allows users to share short videos. According to the reports, the Chinese micro-blogging platform Weibo had also shown interest in acquiring the TikTok like video app but "talks with Google are ahead". “Firework” is based in Redwood City, California and entered India in September. It is valued at over $100 million in a fundraising round in early 2019. While on the other hand, TikTok is Beijing-based ByteDance which is valued over $75 billion. Firework is part of an app created by Loop Now Technologies, a startup focused on next-generation consumer mobile applications. Also Read:How Much Will It Cost To Create An App Like TikTok? The app is similar to TikTok which allows users to create 15-second short videos but the Firework allows users to post 30-second videos. The app also has a patent-pending technology- “Reveal” which allows the users to create both vertical and horizontal video in one shot from their smartphones. The app is available on both iOS and Android smartphones having more than a million registered users. For India operation Firework has chosen Sunil Nair as CEO and MD. Nair said in a statement "My vision for Firework in India is to become more relevant and give our users every opportunity to stay meaningful and seamlessly experience a new view from their lens". In November 2018, Facebook quietly released a standalone app called “Lasso” to give a competition to TikTok. Also Read:Facebook CEO Unveiled His Plans To Counter Tiktok In Leaked Comments This app allows the users to record dance and lip-sync to music and is at present available in the US. Also, Facebook recently roped in former Google employee Jason Toff for a key portfolio and speculation is rife about the social networking giant preparing the global launch of its short video-sharing app.
