The former Facebook employee originally set up Run The World, an online events platform, to reduce the barriers involved in attending big in-person conferences.

Run The World also grabbed the attention of celebrity investors, with the venture funds of American actor Will Smith and comedian Kevin Hart joining as new backers in the firm.

"They are passionate about the mission of using online events to connect people and build communities," she said.

Run The World said it would not be commenting on its valuation at this time, however an industry source familiar with the deal pegged its market value at around $50 million.

It's a sign of how venture capitalists and celebrities alike are betting on physical events shifting online as Covid-19 lockdown restrictions have rendered mass gatherings impossible.

Run The World says this is addressed by features like "Cocktail Party," which matches attendees for several minutes at a time to simulate the experience of a face-to-face networking event.

Run The World says it's seen a hundredfold increase in the number of users on its platform in the last three months, though it didn't disclose its total user count.

Talks between Run The World and its investors began in late March and were done entirely through video conferencing, Qu said.