Software platform Coding raises $16m from Tencent for cloud workstation

Shenzhen Coding Network Tech Co, a software development and management platform, raised 100 million yuan ($15.7 million) in new financing round from its strategic partner Tencent Cloud on Thursday, partly in bid to further develop the cloud workstation which aims to make software designing more accessible.

The four-year-old company, also known as Coding, said its Cloud Studio, launched this April, was the country's first cloud workstation.

The tool offers an improved integrated development environment, which enables developers to work collaboratively online, manage their own code repository, edit and debug code, said Wang Huixing, vice-president of Tencent Cloud.

The partnership is part of Tencent Cloud's broader push to make software engineering more convenient and efficient for developers, Wang said at a news conference.

The investment will also be used for enhanced cooperation between Coding and Tencent Cloud in other products and computing resources, according to the statement.

"The era of (development) reliant on pure marketing and channels has passed. High-quality products and services are the key factors for future development," said Zhang Hailong, CEO of Coding.

The new round of financing will help integrate the two parties' superior resources and create more values for users, Zhang said.

Established in 2014, Coding now runs offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Seattle. Prior to this investment, it received two rounds of financing from venture capital firm IDG Capital and Lightspeed Capital.