The messaging service is raising $500m, though reports differ as to whether Alibaba's $200m investment would be made as part of that funding or in addition to it.

E-commerce company Alibaba is set to invest $200m in US-based personal messaging service Snapchat at a $15bn valuation, Bloomberg reported yesterday citing two people familiar with the situation.

The two companies have entered talks over the investment, which Bloomberg stated would be made separately to a $500m round Snapchat is looking to raise at a $16bn to $19bn valuation.

However, a source has told TechCrunch that Alibaba’s involvement is part of a $500m round that would also include Saudi Arabian…