(Yicai Global) Feb. 26 -- Alibaba Group Holding has begun closed beta testing at more than 100 Chinese colleges of its new social networking app Real after working on the program for over two years.

The app, part of Alibaba's DingTalk communication platform for business, targets young people and is focused on location-based social networking, Beijing News reported after attending a launch conference yesterday. Users need an invite code to register for the app.

Real encourages people to share genuine information and discover the world around them, the report added, saying it uses location-based technology that enables nearby strangers to meet each other, read local news and make like-minded friends.

Its creators also worked on Alibaba's former messaging service Laiwang, one of the firm's early entries into social networking, according to information revealed at the conference.

Editor: James Boynton