Dive Brief:

• Alibaba Group Jack Ma Wednesday reiterated that the company will continue to invest in tech startups in the U.S. in an effort to expand here.

• In addition to monetary investment, the company will ease such companies’ entry into China, Ma told Bloomberg TV.

• Ma’s remarks came as Alibaba put the finishing touches on its record-smashing Singles Day sales event. The company said Thursday the event brought in more than $14 billion in sales, easily toppling last year’s record of $9.3 billion. 

Dive Insight:

Ma’s remarks came days after reports that Alibaba Group is looking to invest as much as $80 million in the app-based grocery general-goods e-retailer Boxed Wholesale. 

This summer the Chinese conglomerate also invested $140 million investment this summer in e-commerce retailer Jet. 

And the company has already invested in U.S. startups like riding-hailing company Lyft, social media site Snapchat, and New York-based online furniture retailer FirstDibs, among many others. 

China’s economy is cranking down, but most economies would love to have the growth of just under 7% that signifies a slowdown there. That continues to make Chinese consumers attractive to U.S. retailers, and Alibaba’s Ma says the company would like to be a conduit to bring those two together.

“I want our team to invest in high-technology startups in the states and help them to grow,” he told Bloomberg TV Wednesday in Beijing. “Not only with the money but by helping them to come to China one day. This is a huge market.”