Three other former Google staffers will also join the Didatuan team: senior channel manager Li Jinlong; business developmenent general manager Zhu Min; and south China regional senior sales manager Li Yuejun.
Didatuan was started with personal funding from Song, but he said he has been speaking with several undiscloded investors.
The site targets the white collar market in China. The difference between Didatuan and other group buying portals is its use of prominent users as ‘deal searchers'. General users contribute their findings on the best promotions in town, which are placed online after approval. Song said this would give the service offer more credibility than other players in the industry.
The group purchasing site is launched in five major cities — Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Qingdao and Xi'an. Didatuan has plans to localise each market with local partners later in the process.