17 Education & Technology (YQ) 20-F2020 FY Annual report (foreign)

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 20-F

(Mark One)

OR

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

OR

For the transition period fromto

OR

Date of event requiring this shell company report

Commission file number: 001-39742

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

(Title of Class)

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:

None

(Title of Class)

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report.

As of December 31, 2020, there were 480,183,070 ordinary shares outstanding, being the sum of 421,729,902 Class A ordinary shares and 58,453,168 Class B ordinary shares.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. ☐ Yes ☒ No

If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. ☐ Yes ☒ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. ☒ Yes ☐ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). ☒ Yes ☐ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or an emerging growth company. See definition of “accelerated filer and large accelerated filer” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐ Yes ☒ No

Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has been to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:

If “other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow. ☐ Item 17 ☐ Item 18

If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). ☐ Yes ☒ No

(APPLICABLE ONLY TO ISSUERS INVOLVED IN BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Sections 12, 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court. ☐ Yes ☐ No

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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INTRODUCTION

Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, references in this annual report on Form 20-F to:

Any discrepancies in any table between the amounts identified as total amounts and the sum of the amounts listed therein are due to rounding.

Our reporting currency is Renminbi, or RMB. This annual report on Form 20-F contains translations from RMB to U.S. dollars solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars and from U.S. dollars to Renminbi in this annual report are made at a rate of RMB6.5250 to US$1.00, the exchange rate in effect as of December 31, 2020 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. We make no representation that any Renminbi or U.S. dollar amounts could have been, or could be, converted into U.S. dollars or Renminbi, as the case may be, at any particular rate, or at all.

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FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This annual report on Form 20-F contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current expectations and views of future events. The forward looking statements are contained principally in the sections entitled “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors,” “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview,” and “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects.” Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including those listed under “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors,” may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

You can identify some of these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These forward-looking statements include statements relating to:

These forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. Although we believe that our expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, our expectations may later be found to be incorrect. Our actual results could be materially different from our expectations. Important risks and factors that could cause our actual results to be materially different from our expectations are generally set forth in “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors,” “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview,” “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects,” and other sections in this annual report. You should read thoroughly this annual report and the documents that we refer to with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from and worse than what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.

The forward-looking statements made in this annual report relate only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this annual report. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should read this annual report and the documents that we refer to in this annual report and have filed as exhibits to this annual report completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect.

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PART I.

ITEM 1.IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS

Not applicable.

ITEM 2.OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE

Not applicable.

ITEM 3.KEY INFORMATION

The following selected consolidated statements of operations and selected consolidated cash flow data for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 and selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2019 and 2020 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, which are included in this annual report beginning on page F-1. The selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2018 is derived from our audited consolidated financial statements not included herein. Our consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP. Our historical results do not necessarily indicate results expected for any future periods. You should read this Selected Consolidated Financial Data section together with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes in conjunction with “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” included elsewhere in this annual report.

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The following table presents our selected consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020:

Note:

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The following table presents our selected consolidated balance sheets data as of December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020:

The following table presents our selected consolidated cash flow data for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020:

Not Applicable.

Not Applicable.

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

We have a limited operating history with our online after-school tutoring business, which makes it difficult to predict our prospects and our business and financial performance.

We have a short operating history with our online after-school tutoring business. While we introduced our smart in-school classroom solution in 2012 for in-school learning, we only started to offer online K-12 after-school tutoring courses in a large-class dual-teacher format in 2017. Our limited history of operating under the current business model of after-school tutoring business with a primary focus on online K-12 large-class dual-teacher tutoring courses may not serve as an adequate basis for evaluating our prospects and operating results, including net

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revenues, gross billings, cash flows and operating margins, and our past revenues and historical growth rate may not be indicative of our future performance. Our net revenues from online K-12 tutoring services grew by 283.0% from RMB93.9 million in 2018 to RMB359.6 million in 2019 and increased by 238.9% to RMB1,218.6 million (US$186.8 million) in 2020. We cannot assure you that we will be able to achieve similar results or grow at the same rate as we had in the past or at all. We have encountered, and may continue to encounter in the future, risks, challenges and uncertainties associated with operating an education technology business, such as building and managing reliable and secure IT systems and infrastructure, expanding the adoption by schools and teachers of our smart in-school classroom solution, addressing regulatory compliance and uncertainty, engaging, training and retaining high-quality employees such as our instructors, offline teacher service representatives and IT support staff, cooperating with third-party service providers to ensure the availability of sufficient qualified tutors, and improving and expanding our online after-school tutoring business and exploring additional education products. If we do not manage these risks and challenges successfully, our operating and financial results may differ materially from our expectations and our business and financial performance may suffer.

If we are not able to continue to attract students to purchase our courses and to increase the spending of our students on our online after-school tutoring services, our business and prospects will be materially and adversely affected.

We generate revenues primarily from students paying for our online after-school tutoring courses. Our ability to continue to attract students to purchase our online after-school tutoring courses and to increase their spending are critical to the continued success and growth of our business. This in turn will depend on several factors, including our ability to recruit, train and retain high-quality instructors, cooperate with third-party service providers to ensure the availability of sufficient qualified tutors, continue to develop, adapt or enhance the quality of our course offerings to meet the evolving demands of our existing or prospective students, expand the adoption of schools and teachers of our smart in-school classroom solution, adapt our promotional activities to changes in market demand, legal regime and administrative practice, enhance our brand equity and awareness to a broader base of potential customers, and effectively utilize the data insights from our smart in-school classroom solution to refine our educational content offered and provide a more localized, personalized and effective learning experience for students.

Our ability to retain existing students and their parents by improving students’ academic performance and delivering a satisfactory learning experience is also critical to the success of our business. Our ability to improve the academic performance of our students is largely dependent upon the learning ability, attitude, efforts and time and resource commitments of each student, which are beyond our control. Students may feel dissatisfied with the quality of our educational content offerings and the teachers and tutors they encounter during our courses or fail to perform up to expectation after attending our programs. In addition, our programs may not be able to satisfy all of our students or their parents’ requirements. Satisfaction with our courses may be affected by a number of factors, many of which may not relate to the quality or effectiveness of our course offerings. If students or parents feel that we are not providing them the learning experience they have subscribed for, they may choose to withdraw from or not to renew their existing courses. For our online K-12 large-class dual-teacher tutoring courses, we usually offer refunds for remaining classes to students who decide to withdraw from a course, and if students withdraw from a course 30 minutes before the start of the third class, they are offered a full, unconditional refund. Although we have not experienced any significant refund requests in the past, if an increasing number of students request refunds, our cash flow, revenues and results of operations may be adversely affected. In addition, the students who fail to improve their performance after attending our programs or have unsatisfactory learning experiences with us may also choose not to refer other students to us, which in turn may adversely affect the number of course enrollments.

All of these factors may contribute to reduced student engagement and increased challenges in attracting and enrolling prospective students. We must also manage our growth while maintaining consistent and high teaching quality, and respond effectively to competitive pressures. If we are unable to continue to attract and retain students to purchase our courses and to increase the spending of our students, our net revenues and gross billings may decline, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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If we are unable to develop and refine our smart in-school classroom solution to meet the evolving demands of schools and teachers, or if we are unable to maintain consistent quality and comprehensive grade and subject coverage of products offered to teachers, students and parents as part of our smart in-school classroom solution, our business and reputation may be materially and adversely affected.

Our smart in-school classroom solution development team works closely with our offline teacher service representatives to understand the educational needs of teachers and feedback from teachers and their students that utilize our smart in-school classroom solution and develop, update and improve our smart in-school classroom solution to reflect the feedback received so as to better help improve education efficiency in school. We also work to continually update the educational content offered in our smart in-school classroom solution to reflect the latest updates in education curricula and textbooks and have expanded our use cases to cover all key educational activities including class preparation and delivery, homework-related activities and academic assessment. The adjustments, updates and expansions of our existing smart in-school classroom solution and the development of new product features or content may not be accepted by existing or prospective schools and teachers and their students that utilize our solution. Even if we are able to develop acceptable new product features and content, we may not be able to introduce them as quickly as teachers require or as quickly as our competitors introduce competing offerings. Furthermore, offering new product features and content or upgrading existing ones may require us to commit significant resources and make significant investments in product and content development. If we are unsuccessful in pursuing product and content development and upgrading opportunities due to the financial constraints, unable to attract product and content development personnel, or encounter other related challenges, our ability to maintain existing relationships with schools and teachers or attract new schools or teachers to adopt our smart in-school classroom solution and our business and reputation may be materially and adversely affected.

Our success depends heavily on the continued and growing adoption by schools and teachers of our smart in-school classroom solution, and if we fail to maintain existing relationships with schools and teachers or attract new schools or teachers to adopt our solution, our business and prospects will be materially and adversely affected.

The success of our business depends in large part on our ability to continue to attract new schools and teachers to adopt our smart in-school classroom solution in their day-to-day teaching and maintain our existing relationships with schools and teachers to encourage them to continue to utilize our smart in-school classroom solution. In particular, to attract new schools and teachers, we need to convince the school officials and teachers, many of whom are used to educating students using traditional methods and may not be used to such digital teaching methods, to invest significant time and resources to adjust the manner in which they teach students. The use of smart in-school classroom solutions at schools in China has just emerged in recent years, and many administrators and teachers may have concerns regarding the perceived loss of control over the education process that might result from utilizing a smart in-school classroom solution and offering educational content online, as well as skepticism regarding the ability of schools to provide high-quality education utilizing such a smart in-school classroom solution at the same standard they set for their traditional education classrooms. Through the continued improvements of our smart in-school classroom solution and ongoing efforts of our offline teacher service representatives, the acceptance of the integration of technology and education in school and use of our smart in-school classroom solution has increased over the past few years and was further accelerated due to the impacts of COVID-19 in 2020. However, it may still be difficult to overcome this resistance to adopt our smart in-school classroom solution and achieve greater industry acceptance.

In addition, schools that currently adopt our smart in-school classroom solution may experience turnover in their management. There is no assurance that the new management will have an interest in continuing or expanding the adoption of our smart in-school classroom solution in their school, and the new management may attempt to discontinue their relationship with us or ban the use of our smart in-school classroom solution. Furthermore, as the Chinese K-12 education curricula are mandated by municipal-level governments and the majority of the schools where our smart in-school classroom solutions are adopted are public schools, we face risks and challenges in maintaining our relationships with key participants in municipal public school system. If we are not successful in developing and maintaining relationships with key participants in the municipal public school system or we are unable to cooperate with such key participants and the public schools in an effective manner, we may fail in the maintenance and expansion of the network of schools and teachers adopting our smart in-school classroom solutions, and our business and prospects will be materially and adversely affected.

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We primarily rely on our offline teacher service team to provide customer service for our smart in-school classroom solution in schools across China. We must continue to recruit, train and retain qualified offline teacher service representatives at scale to meet the demands from expansion of our school and teacher network. We must also provide ongoing training to our offline teacher service representatives to ensure that they stay abreast of changes in our smart in-school classroom solution and other changes and trends necessary to promote our solution effectively. Although we have not experienced major difficulties in engaging, training or retaining qualified offline teacher service representatives in the past, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to effectively engage and train such offline teacher service representatives quickly enough to keep pace with our growth while maintaining consistent selection and training quality, or at all. Furthermore, over time, some of our offline teacher service representatives may choose to leave us or even join our competitors. These actions may lead to the schools and teachers with which the sales personnel have an existing relationship switching to our competitor’s products and solutions, thereby weakening our competitive position in the industry. In addition, if our offline teacher service representatives are unable to effectively conduct promotional activities and provide customer service for teachers to help them learn to use our products or regularly communicate with teachers and schools to understand their education needs and feedback, we may be unable to effectively promote the adoption of our solution to more schools and teachers or maintain existing school and teacher relationships, which will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business depends on the continued success of our brand, and if we fail to maintain and enhance the recognition of our brand, we may face difficulty expanding the network of schools and teachers adopting our smart in-school classroom solution and attracting students to our online K-12 tutoring services, and our reputation and operating results may be harmed.

We believe that market awareness of our brand has contributed significantly to the success of our business. Maintaining and enhancing our brand is critical to our efforts to increase our network of schools and teachers adopting our smart in-school classroom solution and attract students to our online after-school tutoring services, which are in turn critical to our business. Our ability to maintain and enhance brand recognition and reputation depends primarily on the continued and expanding adoption by schools and teachers of our smart in-school classroom solution and products in their day-to-day teaching, which serves as a cost-effective way to promote our brand to perspective students and their parents, and the perceived effectiveness and quality of both our smart in-school classroom solution as well as our online after-school tutoring services. Failure to maintain and enhance our brand recognition could have a material and adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition. In recent years, we have devoted significant resources to our brand promotion efforts and the hiring and training of our offline teacher service representatives in connection with the continued expansion of the network of schools and teachers adopting our smart in-school classroom solution, but we cannot assure you that these efforts will be successful. If we are unable to further enhance our brand recognition, or if our brand image is negatively impacted by any negative publicity relating to our company, solution, products, courses or teachers, regardless of its veracity, we may not be able to expand the network of schools and teachers adopting our smart in-school classroom solution or attract students to our online K-12 tutoring services successfully or efficiently, and our business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

We face significant competition, and if we fail to compete efficiently, we may lose our market share or fail to gain additional market share, which would adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The online education industry in China is competitive, and we expect competition in this sector to persist and intensify. We face competition in both China’s K-12 smart in-school classroom solutions market and after-school tutoring market from other online educational service providers. Some of our current or future competitors may have longer operating histories, greater brand recognition, or greater financial, technical or marketing resources than we do. We compete with these online education service providers across a range of factors, including, among others, functions covering diversified educational scenarios and friendly user experience, high-quality content synchronized with local curriculum, textbook versions and academic assessment objectives, insights based on learning data and empowered by data analytics capabilities, application of a wide range of advanced technology in different educational scenarios, effectiveness of customer services and sales and marketing efforts, and track record, trust and brand recognition. Our competitors may adopt similar curricula and marketing approaches, with different pricing and service packages for after-school tutoring services that may have greater appeal than our offerings. In addition, some of our competitors may have more resources than we do and may be able to devote greater resources

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than we can to the development and promotion of their product and services and respond more quickly than we can to the changes in student preferences, testing materials, admission standards, market needs or new technologies. As a result, our course enrollments may decrease due to intense competition. If we reduce course fees or increase spending in response to competition in order to retain or attract students and high-quality instructors and other personnel, or pursue new market opportunities, our net revenues may decrease and our costs and expenses may increase as a result of such actions that may adversely affect our operating margins. If we are unable to successfully compete for students, maintain or increase our level of course fees, attract and retain competent instructors or other key personnel, maintain our competitiveness in terms of the quality of our education services in a cost-effective manner, we may lose our market share and our profitability may be adversely affected.

If we are not able to continue to recruit, train and retain qualified instructors, we may not be able to maintain consistent teaching quality for our online K-12 tutoring services, and our business, financial conditions and operating results may be materially and adversely affected.

We have adopted a dual-teacher model, comprised of high-quality instructors and qualified tutors. Our instructors are critical to maintaining the quality of our course offerings, the learning experience of our students and our brand and reputation. We seek to recruit high-quality instructors with strong education background and teaching skills who have a strong command of the subject areas to be taught and meet our qualifications. The number of instructors in China with the necessary experience and qualifications to teach our courses is limited and we must provide competitive pay and offer attractive career development opportunities to attract and retain them. We also provide ongoing training to our instructors and organize discussion sessions amongst our instructors to ensure that they stay abreast of changes in course materials, student demands and other changes and trends necessary to teach effectively. Furthermore, as we continue to develop new educational content, we may need to engage additional high-quality instructors with appropriate skill sets or backgrounds to deliver instructions effectively. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to effectively engage and train such instructors quickly, or at all. Furthermore, given other potentially more attractive opportunities for our high-quality instructors, over time some of them may choose to leave us. Departure of quality instructors may reduce the attractiveness of our course offerings and negatively impact our paid course enrollments. Furthermore, in the event such instructors join our competitors, students may decide to follow such quality instructors and enroll in their courses offered through other online education companies, which may further weaken our competitive position in the industry. Although we have not experienced major difficulties in engaging, training or retaining high-quality instructors in the past, we may not always be able to engage, train and retain enough high-quality instructors to keep pace with our growth and our expansion into more comprehensive grade, subject matter and course material coverage, while maintaining consistent education quality. We may also face significant competition in engaging high-quality instructors from our competitors or from other opportunities that are perceived as more desirable. A shortage of high-quality instructors, a decrease in the quality of our instructors’ performance, whether actual or perceived, or a significant increase in the cost to engage or retain high-quality instructors would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Uncertainties exist in relation to new legislation or proposed changes in the PRC regulatory requirements regarding online private education and smart in-school classroom solutions, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The private education industry and smart in-school classroom solution industry in the PRC are subject to regulations in various aspects. Relevant rules and regulations are relatively new and evolving and could be changed to accommodate the development of the education, in particular, the online private education, markets and the further adoption of smart in-school classroom solutions from time to time.

Pursuant to the amended Law for Promoting Private Education, or the amended Private Education Law, a private school must obtain a private school operating permit. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulation Relating to Private Education.” However, we are an online tutoring service provider, which is different from traditional offline education service providers, and it remains unclear in practice as to whether and how an online tutoring service provider like us needs to comply with the operating permit requirement under the amended Private Education Law. In August 2018, the Ministry of Justice, or MOJ, published the draft amendment to the Regulations on the Implementation of the Law for Promoting Private Education of the PRC, or MOJ Draft, for public comment. According to the MOJ Draft, we must file with the department of education at the provincial level, as we provide online non-diploma-awarding education services. The MOJ Draft

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further stipulates that an internet technology service platform that provides training and educational activities must review and register the identity information of the entities or individuals applying for access to the platform. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulation Relating to Private Education”. As of the date of this annual report, the MOJ Draft is still pending for final approval and has not come into effect. It remains uncertain when and how the MOJ Draft would come into effect, and whether and how local governments would promulgate rules related to the filing or licensing requirement applicable to online education service providers like us. If we are not able to comply with the filing or licensing requirement in a timely manner or at all, we may be subject to fines, confiscation of the gains derived from our non-compliant operations, suspension of our non-compliant operations or claims for compensation of any economic loss suffered by our students or other relevant parties.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Education, or the MOE, jointly with certain other PRC government authorities, promulgated the Implementation Opinions on Regulating Online After-School Training, or the Online After-School Training Opinions, effective on July 12, 2019. The Online After-School Training Opinions are intended to regulate academic after-school training involving internet technology provided to students in primary and secondary schools. Among other things, the Online After-School Training Opinions require that online after-school training institutions shall file with the competent provincial education regulatory authorities and that such education regulatory authorities and other provincial government authorities shall jointly review these filings and the qualifications of the institutions making these filings. The Online After-School Training Opinions also impose a number of new regulations requiring, among other things, that (i) each class shall not last longer than 40 minutes and shall be taken at intervals of not less than 10 minutes; (ii) live streaming courses provided to students receiving compulsory education shall not end later than 9:00 p.m.; (iii) fees shall not be collected in a lump sum for more than 60 classes when charged based on the number of classes, or for a course length of more than three months when charged based on the length of the course; and (iv) instructors providing after-school tutoring services related to academic curriculum are required to obtain the necessary teaching qualification licenses. According to the Online After-School Training Opinions, provincial education regulatory authorities shall promulgate local implementing rules regarding these filing requirements. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulation Relating to After-school Tutoring and Educational Apps.” Accordingly, on March 23, 2021, the State Council’s Office of Education Steering Committee released an article warning parents of K-12 students about after-school tutoring service providers’ collection of tuition fees in ways that are in violation of the Online After-School Training Opinions.

We have completed the filings in accordance with the Online After-School Training Opinions with respect to our major online after-school tutoring platform, training contents and instructors, and we are in the process of completing filings or updating the filing information for the rest of them. As the Online After-School Training Opinions are relatively new and evolving, we cannot assure you that we are in full compliance with all relevant rules or we will be able to timely obtain or maintain all the necessary filings. For example, as of December 31, 2020, 61.1% of our K-12 instructors who are required by law to obtain teaching qualification licenses have done so, and another 10.8% have passed the teaching qualification exam, which is the prerequisite for obtaining a teaching qualification license. The relevant governmental authorities may, from time to time, conduct inspections on compliance with the Online After-School Training Opinions and the relevant local rules. Failure to comply with these applicable regulatory requirements or promptly complete filings may subject us to fines, regulatory orders to suspend our operations or other regulatory and disciplinary sanctions. We are making efforts to comply with relevant rules and regulations by, for example, notifying our K-12 instructors to obtain the necessary teacher qualification licenses. As of the date of this annual report, we have not been subject to any penalties from the relevant government authorities regarding our possible failure to comply with the relevant circulars, opinions or implementation rules.

Moreover, the MOE, jointly with certain other PRC government authorities, issued the Opinions on Guiding and Regulating the Orderly and Healthy Development of Educational Mobile Apps on August 10, 2019, or the Opinions on Educational Apps, which requires, among others, mobile apps that offer services for school teaching and management, student learning and student life, or home-school interactions, with school faculty, students or parents as the main users, and with education or learning as the main application scenarios, be filed with the competent provincial regulatory authorities for education. As of the date of this annual report, we have completed the filing requirements for all of our in-school apps that form part of our smart in-school classroom solution as well as our after-school online tutoring apps that are in formal operations as required under the Opinions on Educational

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Apps. As the Opinions on Educational Apps are relatively new and evolving, we cannot assure you that we are in full compliance with all relevant rules and will be able to complete or maintain all necessary filing requirements and comply with other regulatory requirements under the Opinions on Educational Apps and their related rules and regulations in a timely manner, or at all. The relevant governmental authorities may, from time to time, conduct inspections or impose more stringent regulatory approach on compliance with the Opinions on Educational Apps and the relevant local rules. If we fail to promptly complete or maintain any such filing and comply with other applicable regulatory requirements, we may be subject to fines, regulatory orders to suspend our apps or other regulatory and disciplinary sanctions. Furthermore, if any school that is deemed as users of our smart in-school classroom solution applications fails to file with the competent governmental authorities as required, such schools may be inquired by relevant governmental authorities, which creates uncertainties as to whether such school would continue to use our smart in-school classroom solution applications, and our business may be materially and adversely affected. We also cannot preclude the possibility that other misconduct by schools or teachers may subject us to more stringent regulatory requirements, or limits on our operation or promotional activities. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulation Relating to Private Education” and “—Regulation Relating to After-school Tutoring and Educational Apps.”

Given the foregoing, the interpretation and application of the existing laws and regulations and the newly promulgated implementation rules and interpretations, if any, that govern the online private education industry and the smart in-school classroom solution industry would create substantial uncertainties regarding the legality of our business operation, which create risks that we may be found to violate the existing laws and regulations and any newly promulgated implementation rules and interpretations, including those laws and regulations under “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation Relating to After-School Tutoring and Educational Apps.” It is also uncertain whether and how PRC government authorities would further promulgate new laws and regulations applicable to online training institutions and the smart in-school classroom solution industry, including those promulgated to apply more stringent social and ethical standards in the education sector in general. There is no assurance that we can comply with any newly promulgated laws and regulations in a timely manner or at all, and any failure to comply may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we are not able to continue to cooperate with third-party service providers that help us recruit and train qualified tutors, we may not be able to meet the demands of and maintain consistent teaching quality for our rapidly growing online after-school tutoring business, and our business, financial conditions and operating results may be materially and adversely affected.

We engage third-party service providers to recruit, train and manage the tutors for our online after-school tutoring courses at our request and settle payment of service fees to such third-party service providers. In order for us to successfully meet the demands of and maintain consistent teaching quality for our rapidly growing online after-school tutoring business, we must cooperate with third-party service providers that can supply us with qualified tutors at scale who can provide the necessary assistance for our instructors and work closely with our students and parents during their entire course experience. As the tutors for our online after-school tutoring courses work closely with the students and their parents, they are critical to maintaining the quality of our courses, ensuring our students and parents are satisfied with the students’ learning experience and maintaining our brand and reputation. It is critical for us to continue to work with third-party service providers that can continue to recruit, train and manage qualified tutors who have a strong command of the subject areas to be taught and meet our standards and qualifications.

The tutors enter into employment or service contracts with third-party service companies and are not our employees. The third-party service companies select tutors based on the standards we provide in our agreements. While we request that the third-party service providers provide continued training to these tutors and we oversee the performance of these tutors and may request the third-party service companies to replace tutors that do not meet our standards, management of tutors through third parties may not be as timely and effective as were they our employees. We are confident of the overall service quality and dedication of our tutors, each of whom works full-time for our students. However, these tutors may not have the same level of commitment to our students or be as well-trained if they were our own employees, and we have less control over the services provided by them than our own employees. If these tutors fail to perform in accordance with the terms of our agreements with the third-party service providers or fail to provide satisfactory teaching experience to students, we may fail to meet student expectations and our brand and student loyalty may be adversely affected. Any negative publicity or poor feedback regarding teaching services offered by these tutors may harm our brand and reputation and in turn cause us to lose students and market share.

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We currently rely on certain third-party service providers to recruit, train and manage our tutors. We typically enter into service agreements with such third-party service providers on an annual basis. If we are unable to enter into new agreements or extend existing agreements with these third-party service companies on terms and conditions acceptable to us, we may lose tutors. We may not be able to find alternative third-party service companies to provide similar tutor recruitment, training and management services in a timely and reliable manner, or at all. Although we have not experienced major difficulties in recruiting, training and managing qualified tutors through such third-party service providers to meet our course demands in the past, our current third-party service providers may not be able to hire, train and retain enough qualified tutors to keep pace with our anticipated growth while maintaining consistent teaching quality required across our expanding course offerings and rising course enrollments. Any termination of our arrangement with our current third-party service companies, or their refusal or inability to continue to recruit, train and manage qualified tutors for us to our specificity, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We face uncertainties with respect to the development of regulatory requirements on operating licenses and permits for our online education services in China. Failure to renew and maintain requested licenses or permits in a timely manner or obtain newly required ones due to adverse changes in regulations or policies could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The internet industry and education industry in China are highly regulated by the PRC government. As an internet-based education service provider, we are required to obtain and maintain all necessary approvals, licenses or permits and make all necessary registration and filings applicable to our business operations in China, and we may be required to apply for and obtain additional licenses or permits for our operations as the interpretation and implementation of current PRC laws and regulations are still evolving, and new laws and regulations may also be promulgated.

We print and provide physical education materials to our students. If the government authorities deem our printing and provision of physical education materials to students as “publication of books” under Administrative Regulations on Publishing, we may be required to entrust qualified publishers to publish such physical education materials, failure of which may subject us to penalties, including orders to cease illegal activities, discontinuation of operations, correction order, condemnation, fines, civil and criminal liability. As of the date of this annual report, each of Shanghai VIE and Beijing Yiqi Science Technology Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Shanghai VIE, holds a Publication Operation License. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulation Relating to Publishing.” We may be required to apply for and obtain additional licenses, permits or recordation or expand the scope of the licenses so obtained by us, given the significant uncertainties of the interpretation and implementation of certain regulatory requirements applicable to online education business. As of the date of this annual report, online education institutions are not explicitly required to obtain the License for Online Transmission of Audio-Visual Programs, the Permit for Production and Operation of Radio and TV Programs or to complete filings as an internet live-streaming platform primarily because there are no implementation rules, explicit interpretation from government authorities or prevailing enforcement practice deeming internet education services as “internet audio-visual program”, “radio and television program” and “internet live-streaming services” as defined in relevant rules and regulations promulgated by relevant government authorities. In addition, as of the date of this annual report, there are no implementation rules, explicit interpretation from government authorities or prevailing enforcement practice deeming the provision of our educational content to students and teachers through our applications and online platforms as “online publishing” which requires an Online Publishing Service Permit. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulation Relating to Online Publishing.” However, there is no assurance that local PRC authorities will not adopt different enforcement practice, or any PRC government will not issue more explicit interpretation and rules or promulgate new laws and regulations from time to time to further regulate the online education industry, which may subject us to additional licensing requirements to continue to operate our business. As of the date of this annual report, each of Shanghai VIE and Beijing Yiqi Education Information Consultation Co., Ltd., or Beijing VIE, has obtained a Permit for Production and Operation of Radio and TV Programs. Furthermore, Shanghai VIE and Beijing VIE each currently holds a Value-added Telecommunications Business Operating License for certain internet information service, or ICP License. But we cannot assure you that our ICP Licenses can be updated in a timely manner or at all with respect to business activities, websites and applications associated with our business operations because relevant laws and regulations are constantly evolving and can be subject to differing interpretations by PRC government authorities. Failures to obtain or update such licenses may subject us to fines, confiscation of relevant gains, suspend the operations of our online platforms and other liabilities. As of the date of this annual report, no material fines or other penalties have been imposed on us for failure to obtain such additional licenses, permits or filings, or to expand the scope of the licenses obtained by us.

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There can be no assurance that once required, we will be able to obtain or maintain all the required approvals, licenses, permits and complete or maintain all necessary filings, recordations, renewals, expansion of scope, and registrations on a timely basis for our online education services, given the significant amount of discretion the PRC authorities may have in interpreting, implementing and enforcing relevant rules and regulations, as well as other factors beyond our control and anticipation. In addition, there can also be no assurance that we will be able to maintain our existing licenses, approvals, registrations or permits. If we fail to obtain and maintain required permits, to expand scope of such permits obtained by us in a timely manner or obtain or renew any permits and certificates, or fail to complete the necessary filings, recordations, renewals or registrations on a timely basis, we may be subject to fines, confiscation of the gains derived from our non-compliant operations, suspension of our non-compliant operations or claims for compensation of any economic loss suffered by our students or other relevant parties, and our business, financial conditions and operational results may be materially and adversely affected.

We have grown rapidly and expect to continue to invest in our growth for the foreseeable future. If we fail to manage this growth effectively, the success of our business model will be compromised.

We have experienced rapid growth in recent years, primarily driven by fast-growing paid course enrollments of our online K-12 large-class dual-teacher tutoring courses. Our net revenues grew by 30.7% from RMB310.7 million in 2018 to RMB406.2 million in 2019 and increased by 218.6% to RMB1,294.4 million (US$198.4 million) in 2020. Our rapid growth has placed, and will continue to place, a significant strain on our demand for more instructors, tutors, offline teacher service representatives and IT support staff, administrative and operating infrastructure, product development, educational content development, sales and marketing capacities, facilities and other resources. To further expand our business operations, we need to attract more students, scale up our educational content offerings, increase our educational content development professionals and employees of other functions, as well as strengthen our technology and infrastructure. We will also be required to refine our operational, financial and management controls and reporting systems and procedures. If we fail to efficiently manage this expansion of our business, our costs and expenses may increase more than we plan and we may not successfully attract a sufficient number of students, instructors and other personnel and expand our network of schools and teachers adopting our smart in-school classroom solution in a cost-effective manner, respond to competitive challenges, or otherwise execute our business strategies. In addition, we may, as part of carrying out our growth strategies, adopt new initiatives to offer additional courses and educational content and to implement new pricing models and strategies. We cannot assure you that these initiatives may achieve the anticipated results. These proposed changes may not be well received by our existing and prospective students, in which case their experience with our online after-school tutoring services may suffer, which could damage our reputation and business prospects.

Our ability to effectively implement our strategies and manage any significant growth of our business will depend on a number of factors, including our ability to: (i) continually develop and improve our smart in-school classroom solution to make it more appealing to existing and prospective students, teachers and parents; (ii) maintain and increase our paid course enrollments in online after-school tutoring courses; (iii) maintain and expand the number of schools and teachers that adopt our smart in-school classroom solution; (iv) effectively recruit, train, retain and motivate a large number of new employees, particularly our instructors, IT support staff, offline teacher service representatives and educational product and content development professionals, and cooperate with third-party service providers to maintain sufficient number of qualified tutors to meet our growing business demands; (v) continue to improve our operational, financial and management controls and efficiencies; (vi) successfully implement enhancements and improvements to our systems and infrastructure; (vii) protect and further develop our intellectual property rights; and (viii) make sound business decisions in light of the scrutiny associated with operating as a public company. These activities require significant capital expenditures and investment of valuable management and financial resources, and our growth will continue to place significant demands on our management. There are no guarantees that we will be able to effectively manage any future growth in an efficient, cost-effective and timely manner, or at all. Our growth in a relatively short period of time is not necessarily indicative of results that we may achieve in the future. If we do not effectively manage the growth of our business and operations, our reputation, results of operations and overall business and prospects could be negatively impacted.

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We have a history of net losses and we may not achieve profitability in the future.

We had net losses of RMB656.1 million, RMB963.8 million and RMB1,339.9 million (US$205.3 million), respectively, in 2018, 2019 and 2020. We also had negative cash flows from operating activities of RMB418.9 million, RMB631.3 million and RMB523.0 million (US$80.2 million), respectively, in 2018, 2019 and 2020. We cannot assure you that we will be able to generate net profits or positive cash flow from operating activities in the future. Our ability to achieve profitability will depend in large part on our ability to increase our operating margin, either by growing our revenues at a rate faster than our costs and operating expenses increase, or by reducing our costs and operating expenses as a percentage of our net revenues. Accordingly, we intend to continue to invest to attract new students, hire high-quality instructors and other personnel, cooperate with third-party service providers to maintain sufficient number of qualified tutors, expand our network of schools and teachers adopting our smart in-school classroom solution, and strengthen our educational content development and technologies and data analytics capabilities to enhance student experience. These efforts may be more costly than we expect, and our net revenues may not increase sufficiently to offset the expenses. We may continue to take actions and make investments that do not generate optimal financial results and may even result in significantly increased operating and net losses in the short term with no assurance that we will eventually achieve our intended long-term benefits or profitability. These factors, among others set out under “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors,” may negatively affect our ability to achieve profitability in the near term, if at all.

We may not be successful in our expansion of online after-school tutoring services or in our exploration of additional educational services.

We started to offer online K-12 after-school tutoring courses in a large-class dual-teacher format in 2017. We aim to continue to expand the coverage of such tutoring courses to cover additional subjects and more versions of different education curricula and textbooks within each subject matter and each grade. Expansions and upgrades to our existing products and courses may not be well received by our students, teachers and parents, and newly introduced course offerings and educational content may not achieve success as expected. We are also starting to explore additional education services beyond large-class dual-teacher online after-school tutoring courses, such as AI-enabled courses and education informatization services for education-related government entities, schools and service providers, with which we have limited experience. Our lack of experience with these new products and services may adversely affect our prospects and our ability to compete with the existing market players in any of these product and service categories. The development of new products, services and content could disrupt our ongoing business, disrupt our management’s attention, be costly and time-consuming and require us to make significant investments in research and product development, develop new technologies, and increase sales and marketing efforts, all of which may not be successful. We cannot assure you that any of such new products or services will achieve market acceptance or generate sufficient revenues to offset the costs and expenses incurred in relation to our development and promotion efforts. If we are unsuccessful in our expansion of after-school tutoring products or in our exploration of additional educational services due to financial constraints, failure to attract qualified personnel or other reasons, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

We may not be able to maintain or increase our course fee level.

Our results of operations are affected by the pricing of our online K-12 after-school course offerings. We determine our course fees primarily based on the demand for our course offerings, the cost of our operations, the course fees charged by our competitors, our pricing strategy to gain market share and general economic conditions in the PRC. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to maintain or increase our tuition level in the future without adversely affecting the demand for our online course offerings.

Our failure to protect our intellectual property rights may undermine our competitive position, and litigation to protect our intellectual property rights or defend against third-party allegations of infringement may be costly and ineffective.

We believe that our patents, copyrights, trademarks and other intellectual property are essential to our success. We have devoted considerable time and energy to the development and improvement of our websites, applications, our system infrastructure and our course materials.

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We rely primarily on patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and other contractual restrictions for the protection of the intellectual property used in our business. Nevertheless, these provide only limited protection and the actions we take to protect our intellectual property rights may not be adequate. Furthermore, our pending intellectual property right applications may be rejected. Our trade secrets may become known or be independently discovered by our competitors. Third parties may in the future pirate our educational content and course materials developed in-house and may infringe upon or misappropriate our other intellectual property. Infringement upon or the misappropriation of, our proprietary technologies or other intellectual property could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. Although we have taken measures to monitoring and policing the unauthorized use of our copyrighted course materials, policing the unauthorized use of intellectual property rights can be difficult and expensive. In addition, our instructors with whom we have signed exclusive contracts engage in content development for our courses. Although instructors acknowledge in their employment agreements with us that we own the intellectual property of any content developed by such instructors in connection with their employment, some instructors may continue to use these course content if they resign with us and join our competitors, which may negatively impact the attractiveness of our courses to prospective students and parents, and our intellectual property rights for such course content could be costly and time consuming to defend. Although we have entered into agreements with certain instructors to prohibit them from using our course content without our prior consent, we cannot ensure compliance of instructors with such agreement.

Furthermore, litigation may be necessary to enforce our intellectual property rights, protect our trade secrets or determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others. Such litigation may be costly and divert management’s attention away from our business. An adverse determination in any such litigation would impair our intellectual property rights and may harm our business, prospects and reputation. Enforcement of judgments in China is uncertain, and even if we are successful in litigation, it may not provide us with an effective remedy. In addition, we have no insurance coverage against litigation costs and would have to bear all costs arising from such litigation to the extent we are unable to recover them from other parties. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may be involved in legal and other disputes from time to time arising out of our operations, in particular for allegations relating to our infringement of intellectual property rights of third parties, which may be expensive to defend and may disrupt our business and operations.

We have and may continue to be involved in legal and other disputes in the ordinary course of our business, including allegations against us for potential infringement of third-party copyrights or other intellectual property rights. We may also encounter disputes from time to time over rights and obligations concerning intellectual property rights and other legal rights, in particular third-party copyrights that may be infringed by us or the instructors and tutors in our business operation, and we may not prevail in those disputes. Our educational content is typically subject to internal review before being approved to launch and our content monitoring personnel monitor our live courses and other content of our in-school and after-school products and services. We have also adopted policies and procedures to prohibit instructors, tutors and other personnel from infringing upon third-party copyrights or, other intellectual property rights. However, we cannot assure you that our efforts will be effective in preventing potential infringement of third-party intellectual property rights or that instructors, tutors or other personnel will not, against our policies, use third-party copyrighted materials or intellectual property without proper authorization in our classes or on our applications or websites. The students, teachers and parents using our applications or websites may post unauthorized third-party content on our applications or websites, which we may not be able to detect in time, or at all. We may incur liability for unauthorized duplication or distribution of materials posted on our applications or websites or used in our classes. We have been and are now subject to allegations on the grounds of intellectual property rights infringement and other legal theories based on the content of the materials that we or instructors and tutors of our courses distribute or use in our business operation.

Any claims against us, with or without merit, could be time-consuming and costly to defend or litigate, divert our management’s attention and resources or result in the loss of goodwill associated with our brand. The application and interpretation of China’s intellectual property right laws and the procedures and standards for granting trademarks, patents, copyrights, know-how or other intellectual property rights in China, and the laws governing personal rights are still evolving and remain uncertain, and we cannot assure you that PRC courts or regulatory authorities would agree with our analysis. If a lawsuit against us is successful, we may be required to pay substantial damages and/or enter into royalty or license agreements with commercially unreasonable terms, or we

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may be unable to enter into such agreements at all. We may also lose, or be limited in, the rights to offer some of our course offerings, parts of our products or be required to make changes to our course materials, applications or other software. As a result, the scope of our course materials could be reduced, which could adversely affect the effectiveness of our curriculum, limit our ability to attract new students, limit the effectiveness of and slow down the speed of adoption of our smart in-school classroom solution, harm our reputation and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

If our security measures are breached or failed and result in unauthorized disclosure or unintended leakage of data, we could lose existing students, fail to attract new students and be exposed to protracted and costly litigation.

Maintaining platform security is of critical importance to us because we store and transmit proprietary and confidential information, which includes proprietary and confidential student, teacher, parent, instructor and tutor information, such as names, addresses, ID card numbers, bank account numbers and other personal information as well as personal academic learning and teaching information, all which is primarily stored in our digital database. To ensure the confidentiality and integrity of our data, we maintain a comprehensive and rigorous data security program. For example, we have implemented advanced data encryption measures to ensure secured storage and transmission of data, and prevent any unauthorized access or use of our user data. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Data Privacy and Security.” These measures, however, may not be as effective as we anticipate. As an education technology company, we face an increasing number of threats to our platform and computer systems, including unauthorized activity and access, system viruses, worms, malicious code, denial of service attacks, phishing attacks, and organized cyberattacks, any of which could breach our security and disrupt our platform and technology infrastructure. The techniques used by computer hackers and cyber criminals to obtain unauthorized access to data or to sabotage computer systems change frequently and generally are not detected until after an incident has occurred. We have implemented certain safeguards and processes to thwart hackers and protect the data in our platform and computer systems. However, our efforts to maintain the security and integrity of our platform, and the cybersecurity measures taken by our third-party service providers may be unable to anticipate, detect or prevent all attempts to compromise our systems. If our security measures are breached or fail as a result of third-party action, employee error, malfeasance or otherwise, it could result in the loss or misuse of or authorized third-party access to proprietary and confidential student, teacher, parent, employee and company information, which could subject us to liability, interrupt our business or adversely affect our reputation, potentially over an extended period of time.

Increased regulation of data utilization practices, including self-regulation, under existing laws that limit our ability to collect, transfer and use data, could have an adverse effect on our business. If we were to disclose data about our students, teachers, parents, instructors and tutors in a manner that was objectionable to them, our business reputation could be adversely affected, and we could face potential legal claims that could impact our operating results. Failure to comply with these obligations could subject us to liability, and to the extent that we need to alter our business model or practices to adapt to these obligations, we could incur additional expenses.

Any of these issues could harm our reputation, adversely affect our ability to attract and enroll prospective students, adversely affect our ability to maintain our filings, cause prospective students not to enroll or stay enrolled, cause schools and teachers to not adopt or cease their use of our smart in-school classroom solution, or subject us to third-party lawsuits, regulatory fines or other action or liability. Further, any reputational damage resulting from breach of our security measures could create distrust of our company by prospective students, teachers, parents or investors. We may be required to expend significant additional resources to protect us against the threat of security measures breaches or to alleviate problems caused by such disruptions or breaches.

We are subject to a variety of laws and other obligations regarding data protection, and any failure to comply with applicable laws and obligations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business generates and processes a large quantity of personal and behavioral data. We face risks inherent in handling large volumes of data and in protecting the security and privacy of such data. We are subject to various regulatory requirements relating to the security and privacy of data, including restrictions on the collection, storage and use of personal information and requirements to take steps to prevent personal data from being divulged, stolen, or tampered with. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulation Relating to Internet Information Security and Privacy Protection.” Regulatory requirements regarding the

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protection and privacy of data are constantly evolving and can be subject to differing interpretations or significant change, making the extent of our responsibilities in that regard uncertain. For example, the Cybersecurity Law of the PRC became effective in June 2017, but there are great uncertainties as to the interpretation and application of the law. It is possible that those regulatory requirements may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our practices. In addition, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or the MIIT, the Ministry of Public Security, and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued an announcement on January 23, 2019 regarding carrying out special campaigns against mobile internet application programs collecting and using personal information in violation of applicable laws and regulations, which prohibits business operators from collecting personal information irrelevant to their services, or forcing users to give authorization in disguised manner. Furthermore, the Cyberspace Administration of China issued the Provisions on the Cyber Protection of Children’s Personal Information on August 22, 2019, which took effect on October 1, 2019. The Provisions on the Cyber Protection of Children’s Personal Information requires, among others, that network operators who collect, store, use, transfer and disclose personal information of children under the age of 14 shall establish special rules and user agreements for the protection of children’s personal information, inform the children’s guardians in a noticeable and clear manner, and shall obtain the consent of the children’s guardians. We have been taking and will continue to take reasonable measures to comply with such announcement and provisions; however, as the announcement and provisions are relatively new, we cannot assure you we can adapt our operations to it in a timely manner. Evolving interpretations of such announcements and provisions or any future regulatory changes might impose additional restrictions on us generating and processing personal and behavioral data. We may be subject to additional regulations, laws and policies adopted by the PRC government to apply more stringent social and ethical standards in data privacy resulting from the increased global focus on this area. To the extent that we need to alter our business model or practices to adapt to these announcement and provisions and future regulations, laws and policies, we could incur additional expenses.

Any failure, or perceived failure, by us, or by our third-party partners, to maintain the security of our user data or to comply with applicable privacy, data security and personal information protection laws, regulations, policies, contractual provisions, industry standards, and other requirements, may result in civil or regulatory liability, including governmental or data protection authority enforcement actions and investigations, fines, penalties, enforcement orders requiring us to cease operating in a certain way, litigation, or adverse publicity, and may require us to expend significant resources in responding to and defending allegations and claims. Moreover, claims or allegations that we have failed to adequately protect our users’ data, or otherwise violated applicable privacy, data security and personal information protection laws, regulations, policies, contractual provisions, industry standards, or other requirements, may result in damage to our reputation and a loss of confidence in us by our students, teachers, parents or our partners, potentially causing us to lose course enrollments, school partners, content providers, other business partners and revenues, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique global and industry-wide challenges, including challenges to our business. In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the temporary closure of many corporate offices and schools across China. Given the strict quarantine measures put in place during this period, normal economic activity throughout China was sharply curtailed and normal in-school education was temporarily suspended. All of our revenues and our workforce are concentrated in China. Consequently, to the extent that COVID-19 exerts long-term negative impact on the Chinese economy, our results of operations and financial performance may be adversely affected. Since we lease offices and live-broadcasting studios in certain Chinese cities to support our online after-school tutoring service operation, research and development and daily operations, the COVID-19 outbreak caused temporary office and studio closures and rotation arrangements from late January to early May 2020, resulting in lower work efficiency and productivity. COVID-19 also temporarily caused our teacher service team to be unable to provide face-to-face customer service to our teacher users, which negatively impacted our user experience among school teachers. During this period impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as a result of the temporary closure of schools in China, students were prompted to engage in more online education as they study at home, which has positively affected the online after-school tutoring industry, including us. In addition, the number of schools and teachers that adopted our smart in-school classroom solution also grew more rapidly during this period of temporary school closure and more school administrators and education department officials gained insights into the benefits and advantages of our smart in-school classroom solution and products and became more open to accepting the

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integration of technology and teaching in the classroom. However, some of our third-party service providers may have experienced business interruptions during the period of COVID-19 outbreak, which may have led to lower efficiency and quality in services provided to us and our students. For example, our third-party service providers that support students in our trial courses experienced difficulties in recruiting sufficient numbers of qualified workers to meet our increased demand from late January to early May 2020.

Many of the quarantine measures within China have since been relaxed as of the date of this annual report, and we have resumed normal operations since early May 2020. While the duration and further development of the pandemic, and its disruption to our business and related financial impact cannot be reasonably estimated at this time, our consolidated results of operations for 2020 have not been materially affected by continued impacts from COVID-19. However, our results of operations may still be adversely affected to the extent that COVID-19 continues to affect the Chinese economy in general. In addition, the longer-term trajectory of COVID-19, both in terms of scope and intensity of the pandemic, in China as well as globally, together with its impact on the industry and the broader economy are still difficult to assess or predict and face significant uncertainties that will be difficult to quantify. Relaxation of restrictions on economic and social activities may also lead to new cases which may lead to re-imposed restrictions. If there is not a material recovery in the COVID-19 situation, or the situation further deteriorates in China or globally, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

If third-party education materials publishers and partners refuse to grant us intellectual property rights to educational content on acceptable terms or terminate their agreements with us, or if we are unable to adequately protect their educational content rights, our business could be adversely affected.

We rely on licenses from third-party education materials publishers and partners to distribute digital education textbook content to our school partners, teachers and students and to develop our other education products and content. We do not have long-term contracts or arrangements with most publishers and partners that guarantee the availability of such digital content. If we are unable to secure and maintain the rights to distribute, or otherwise use, the digital content upon terms that are acceptable to us, or if the publishers terminate their agreements with us, we would not be able to acquire such digital content from other sources and our ability to attract more schools and teachers to adopt our smart in-school classroom solution or new students to enroll in our online after-school tutoring services and retain existing schools, teachers and students could be adversely impacted. Some of our licenses give the publisher the right to withdraw our rights to distribute or use the digital content without cause and/or give the publisher the right to terminate the entire license agreement without cause. If a publisher exercises such a right, this could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Moreover, to the extent we are able to secure and maintain rights to distribute, or otherwise use, the digital textbook content, our competitors may be able to obtain the same rights on more favorable terms.

In addition, our ability to distribute, or otherwise use, the digital textbook content depends on publishers’ belief that we include effective digital rights management technology to control access to such digital content. If the digital rights management technology that we use is compromised or otherwise malfunctions, we could be subject to claims, and publishers may be unwilling to include their content in our product and service offerings, which would adversely affect our business and prospects.

Refunds or potential refund disputes of our course fees may negatively affect our cash flows, financial condition, and reputation.

For our online courses, we offer refunds for any remaining classes in a course to students who withdraw from the course. The refund is equal to the amount related to the undelivered classes. In addition, if students withdraw from a course 30 minutes before the start of the third class, they are offered a full, unconditional refund. The number of refund requests and the amount of refunds could be affected by a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control. These factors include, without limitation to, student dissatisfaction with our teaching quality and our educational content offerings, a perceived decline in our teaching quality due to the departure of popular instructors, privacy concerns relating to our services, negative publicity regarding us or online education in general, and any change or development in PRC laws and regulations with respect to fees and tuitions charged by online education service providers like us. Any refund payments that we may be required to make to our students, as well as the expenses we could incur for processing refunds and resolving refund disputes, could be substantial and could adversely affect our business operations and financial condition. A high volume of refunds and refund disputes may also generate negative publicity that could harm our reputation.

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The success and future growth of our business will be affected by teacher, student and parent acceptance of and market trends in integration of technology and education.

We operate at the intersection of the education and technology industries, and our business model features integrating technology closely with education to provide a more efficient and engaging learning experience. However, the integration of technology and education remains a relatively new concept in China, and there are limited proven methods to project user demand or preference or available industry standards on which we can rely. For example, despite the growing adoption of schools and teachers of our smart in-school classroom solution, there is no guarantee that it will also be well received by the broader education and teaching community. In addition, even with the proliferation of internet and mobile devices in China, we believe that some of our target students and their parents may still be inclined to choose traditional, face-to-face courses over online courses as they find the former more intimate and reliable. We cannot assure you that our products and services will continue to be attractive to our users in the future. If our smart in-school classroom solution and online after-school tutoring services, both of which utilize data insights and technology, become less appealing to our users, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Any significant disruption to or failures of our information technology systems, including events beyond our control, could reduce student satisfaction and could harm our reputation and cause our education services to be less attractive to our students.

The performance and reliability of our information technology system is critical to our operations and reputation. Our network infrastructure is currently deployed and our data is currently mainly maintained through several third-party internet data centers and cloud computing service providers in China. Our operations depend on each of the data centers’ and service providers’ ability to protect its and our system in its facilities against events such as damage or interruption from natural disasters, power or telecommunications failures, air quality issues, environmental conditions, computer viruses or attempts to harm our systems, criminal acts and similar events, which events are beyond our control. If our arrangements with such data centers and service providers are terminated or if there is a lapse of service or damage to any of their facilities, we could experience interruptions in our service. Although we continually back up our databases on both real-time and delayed bases, we may still lose important operating data or suffer disruption to our operations if there is a failure of the database system or the backup system. We may be required to invest significant resources in protecting against the foregoing technological disruptions, or to remediate problems and damages caused by such incidents, which could increase the cost of our business and in turn adversely affect our financial conditions and results of operations. We cannot assure you that we will be able to expand our information technology infrastructure in a timely and cost-effective manner to meet the increasing demands of our business growth. Any interruptions in the accessibility of or deterioration of the quality of access to our system could reduce teachers’, students’ and parents’ satisfaction and reduce the attractiveness of our smart in-school classroom solution and online K-12 tutoring course offerings, which would result in reduction in the number of teachers using our smart in-school classroom solution and number of students enrolling in our after-school tutoring courses. Although we have not experienced any significant disruptions to or failures of our information technology systems, we cannot assure you that such disruptions or failures will not happen in the future.

In addition, we rely on third-party mobile application distribution channels, such as Apple’s App Store and Android application stores, to distribute our mobile applications to students, teachers and parents. As such, the promotion, distribution and operation of our mobile applications are subject to such distribution channels’ standard terms and policies for application developers, which are subject to the interpretation of, and frequent changes by, these distribution channels. If Apple’s App Store or any other major distribution channel interprets or changes its standard terms and conditions in a manner that is detrimental to us in the future, or terminate its existing relationship with us, or if any third-party infringement claims are brought against our mobile applications, our mobile applications could be temporarily or permanently removed from such third-party mobile application distribution channels and our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

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If we fail to adopt new technologies that are important to our business, in particular the technology upgrades related to live broadcasting and AI, our competitive position and ability to generate revenues may be materially and adversely affected.

The technology used in internet and value-added telecommunications services in general, and in online education services in particular, may evolve and change over time. We believe our technologies are core to our success and are critical to the implementation of our business model. In particular, implementation of technologies to improve teaching efficiency is an important part of our smart in-school classroom solution and is critical to attracting new teachers to adopt our solution. As an education technology company, we must anticipate and adapt to such technological changes and adopt new technologies in a timely fashion. We also rely on our data and technology capabilities to build and maintain our platform and infrastructure. We cannot assure you that we can keep up with the fast pace of the technology industry, and continue to develop, innovate and utilize our proprietary capabilities. In particular, the application of technology in education is still at an early stage and under exploration. Our technologies may become obsolete or insufficient, and we may have difficulties in following and adapting to technological changes in the online education industry in a timely and cost-effective manner. New solutions and technologies developed and introduced by competitors could render our technology obsolete. Developing and integrating new technologies into our existing programs and algorithms could be expensive and time-consuming. We may not succeed in developing and incorporating new technologies at all. If we fail to continue to develop, innovate and utilize our technologies effectively and on a timely basis, our business, financial performance and prospects could be materially and adversely affected.

If our AI programs or proprietary data analytics algorithms, especially those related to localized and real-time educational content generation, are flawed or ineffective, our business and reputation could be harmed.

We rely on our proprietary data analytics algorithms to analyze student homework and academic assessment results data and based thereon to generate personalized and localized recommended study questions for students and teachers to aid in their learning and teaching, respectively, and to continually develop and improve the educational content offered in our online after-school tutoring courses. Although we have invested substantially in the development and continued improvement of our algorithms, we cannot assure you that our algorithms do not and will not carry any flaw or defect that could compromise our data analysis results. Particularly, some of these flaws or defects may not become evident until the algorithm is put to actual usage or after its continued failure to accurately generate on-point personalized or localized study question recommendations. Even if the algorithm is properly designed, its performance may be affected by the quality and volume of student learning performance data we aggregated. We also expect to experience significant growth in the amount of data we need to process as we continue to develop our business and enlarge our student base. As the amount of data and variables we process increases, the calculations that our algorithms must process become increasingly complex and the likelihood of any defect or error increases. In addition, a significant component of our smart in-school classroom solution is powered by our AI programs, which address complex challenges such as autoscoring, speech recognition and evaluation and grammar error detection. We may incur significant expenses to remediate any defects in our AI programs or data analytics algorithms, or may not be able to correct them at all. Although we have not experienced any material defects to date, we cannot assure you that our AI programs and algorithms are flawless. If any incidents of material defects took place, our student and teacher experiences with our products and courses would be significantly harmed, and they may lose confidence and trust in our products and courses. As a result, we may incur significant reputational damage and market share loss.

Inability to adequately and promptly respond to changes in examination systems, admission standards, test materials, teaching methods and regulation changes in the PRC could render our courses and services less attractive to students.

In China, school admissions rely heavily on examination results, and students’ performance in these exams is critical to their education and future employment prospects. It is therefore common for students to take after-school tutoring classes to improve their test performance, and the success of our business to a large extent depends on the continued use of entrance exams or tests by schools in their admissions. However, such heavy emphasis on examination scores may decline or fall out of favor with educational institutions or government authorities in China.

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Admission and assessment processes undergo constant changes, in terms of subject and skill focus, question type, examination format and the manner in which the processes are administered. We are therefore required to continually update and enhance our curricula, course materials and teaching methods. Any failure to respond to the changes in a timely and cost-effective manner will adversely impact the marketability of our courses and products, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Regulations and policies that decrease the weight of scholastic competition achievements in the admissions process mandated by government authorities or adopted by schools may have an impact on our enrollments. For example, the MOE issued certain implementation guidelines to clarify that local educational administrative departments at all levels, public schools and private schools are not allowed to use examinations to select their students for admission to middle schools from primary schools. As a result, public schools may not use various competitions or examination certificates as the criteria or basis for enrollment. Failure to track and respond to these changes in a timely and cost-effective manner would render our courses, services and products less attractive to students, which may materially and adversely affect our reputation and ability to continue to attract students.

We may not be able to timely develop our educational content in a cost-effective manner to make them appealing to existing and prospective students, or at all.

Our educational content development team works closely with our instructors on developing, updating and improving our existing courses and educational content and developing new courses and educational content to stay abreast of the latest educational trends and changes in education curricula and textbook content in their respective subject areas. The adjustments, updates and expansions of our existing courses and educational content and the development of new courses and educational content may not be accepted by existing or prospective students. Even if we are able to develop acceptable new course materials, we may not be able to introduce them as quickly as students require or as quickly as our competitors introduce competing offerings. Furthermore, offering new courses and educational content or upgrading existing ones may require us to commit significant resources and make significant investments in educational content development. If we are unsuccessful in pursuing educational content development and upgrading opportunities due to the financial constraints, failure to attract educational content development professionals or qualified instructors, or other factors, our ability to attract and retain students could be impaired and our financial results could suffer.

We cannot assure you that we will not be subject to liability claims for any inappropriate or illegal content in our educational content offerings, which could cause us to incur legal costs and damages our reputation.

Although we implement various content monitoring procedures, we cannot assure you that there will be no inappropriate or illegal content included in our educational content or applications and websites. In addition, our quiz questions designed internally based on our understanding of the relevant examination requirements may be investigated by the regulatory authorities. We may face civil, administrative or criminal liability or legal or regulatory sanctions, such as requiring us to restrict or discontinue our content, products or services, if an individual or corporate, governmental or other entity believes that any of our educational content or content displayed on our applications and websites violates any laws, regulations or governmental policies or infringes upon its legal rights. Even if such a claim were not successful, defending such a claim may cause us to incur substantial costs. Moreover, any accusation of inappropriate or illegal content in our educational content offerings or our applications and websites could lead to significant negative publicity, which could harm our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.

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The recognition of our brand may be adversely affected by any negative publicity concerning us and our business, shareholders, affiliates, directors, officers, instructors and other employees and tutors and other workers supplied by third-party service providers, as well as the industry in which we operate, regardless of its accuracy, that could harm our reputation and business.

We believe that the market recognition of our brand has significantly contributed to the success of our business and that maintaining and enhancing our brand recognition is critical to sustaining our competitive advantages. Negative publicity about us and our business, shareholders, affiliates, directors, officers, instructors, offline teacher service representatives and other employees and tutors and other full-time and part-time workers supplied by third-party service providers, as well as the industry in which we operate, can harm the recognition of our brand. Negative publicity, regardless of merits, could be related to a wide variety of matters, including but not limited to:

For example, in October 2018, it was reported that certain of our self-directed learning resources contained certain interactive, multi-media features that distracted students from learning and, in some cases, caused students to spend money on certain functions. We responded quickly to such reports and conducted a thorough internal investigation of all of our applications and learning resources to modify or remove, as applicable, any potentially improper content and features in such applications and resources. We also ceased to provide such self-directed learning resources and offered to refund money that were spent by students.

In addition to traditional media, there has been an increasing use of social media platforms and similar technologies in China, including instant messaging applications, social media websites and other forms of internet-based communications that provide individuals with access to a broad audience of consumers and other interested persons. The availability of information on instant messaging applications and social media platforms is virtually immediate as is its impact without affording us an opportunity for redress or correction. The opportunity for dissemination of information, including inaccurate information, is seemingly limitless and readily available. Information concerning our company, shareholders, affiliates, directors, officers, instructors, offline teacher service representatives and other employees and tutors and other workers supplied by third-party service providers, may be posted on such platforms at any time. The risks associated with any such negative publicity or incorrect or misleading information cannot be completely eliminated or mitigated and may materially harm the recognition of our brand, reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.

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If our senior management and other key personnel are unable to work together effectively or efficiently or if we lose their services, our business may be severely affected.

The continued services of our senior management and other key personnel are important to our continued success. In particular, we rely on the expertise and experience of Mr. Andy Chang Liu, our founder, chairman and CEO. We also rely on the experience and services from other senior management. If they cannot work together effectively or efficiently, our business may be severely disrupted. If one or more of our senior management were unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we might not be able to replace them easily or at all, and our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. Competition for experienced management personnel in the online education industry is intense, the pool of qualified candidates is limited, and we may not be able to retain the services of our senior executives or key personnel, or to attract and retain high-quality senior executives or key personnel in the future. If any of our senior management joins a competitor or forms a competing business, we may lose students, teaching staff, and other key professionals and staff members. Our senior management has entered into employment agreements with us which contain confidentiality and non-compete clauses. However, if any dispute arises between our senior management and us, we may have to incur substantial costs and expenses in order to enforce such agreements in China or we may be unable to enforce them at all.

Our success also depends on our having highly trained content and product development, financial, technical, human resource, sales and marketing staff, management personnel and qualified and dedicated instructors and tutors. We will need to continue to hire additional personnel as our business grows. A shortage in the supply of personnel with requisite skills or our failure to recruit them could impede our ability to increase revenues from our existing courses, products and services, to launch new offerings and to expand our operations, and would have an adverse effect on our business and financial results.

We are subject to third-party payment processing-related risks.

We accept payments through major third-party online payment channels in China, as well as bank transfers for our customers. We may also be susceptible to fraud, user data leakage and other illegal activities in connection with the various payment methods we offer. In addition, our business depends on the billing, payment and escrow systems of the third-party payment service providers to maintain accurate records of payments by customers and collect such payments. If the quality, utility, convenience or attractiveness of these payment processing and escrow services declines, or if we have to change the pattern of using these payment services for any reason, the attractiveness of our company could be materially and adversely affected. We are also subject to various rules, regulations and requirements, regulatory or otherwise, governing electronic funds transfers which could change or be reinterpreted to make it difficult or impossible for us to comply. If we fail to comply with these rules or requirements, we may be subject to fines and higher transaction fees and become unable to accept the current online payments solutions from our customers, and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. Business involving online payment services is subject to a number of risks that could materially and adversely affect third-party online payment service providers’ ability to provide payment processing and escrow services to us, including:

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Our brand image, business and results of operations may be adversely impacted by misconduct, improper activities and misuse of our product and service offerings by users, employees and workers supplied by third-party service providers, many of which are beyond our control.

We allow instructors and tutors to engage in real-time communication with our students and their parents. Our courses undergo multiple rounds of internal review and pilot testing before being broadly released. We regularly and actively monitor our live courses, chat messages and other content and communications on our platform to ensure that we are able to identify content that may be deemed inappropriate or in violation of laws, regulations and government policies. When any inappropriate or illegal content is identified, we promptly remove the content. However, since we have limited control over the real-time and offline behavior of our students, instructors, tutors supplied by third-party service providers and other users, to the extent any improper behavior is associated with our content, applications or websites, our ability to protect our brand image and reputation may be limited. In addition, if any of our students, instructors, tutors supplied by third-party service providers or other users suffer or allege to have suffered physical, financial or emotional harm following contact initiated through our content, applications or websites, we may face civil lawsuits or other liabilities initiated by the affected individual or governmental or regulatory actions against us. In response to allegations of illegal or inappropriate activities conducted on our applications or websites or any negative media coverage about us, PRC governmental authorities may intervene and hold us liable for non-compliance with PRC laws and regulations concerning the dissemination of information on the internet and subject us to administrative penalties or other sanctions, such as requiring us to restrict or discontinue some of the content, features and services provided through our applications or websites. As a result, our business may suffer and our brand image, student and teacher base, results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.

We are exposed to the risk of other types of fraud or other misconduct by employees and tutors supplied by third-party service providers. Other types of misconduct include, but are not limited to, intentionally failing to comply with government regulations, engaging in unauthorized activities when interacting with our students and during the course of their work, such as mishandling student records and data, and making misrepresentation to our prospective students, teachers and school partners during marketing activities, all of which could harm our business and reputation. It is not always possible to deter misconduct by employees and tutors supplied by third-party service providers, and such risks are greater with respect to misconduct, improper activities and misuse of our products and data by tutors of paid courses and teaching staff of trial courses supplied by third-party service providers, over whom we have less control as they are not our own employees. Although we set out confidentiality and conduct requirements for such tutors in our agreements with third-party service providers and third-party service providers set out similar requirements in their employment or service contracts with such tutors, and we oversee the performance of such tutors supplied by third-party service providers and request these third-party service companies to replace workers that engage in misconduct and illegal activities, such efforts may not be effective in controlling and deterring misconduct and improper activities. The precautions we take to prevent and detect misconduct by employees and tutors supplied by third-party service providers may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Increases in labor costs, inflation and implementation of stricter labor laws in the PRC may adversely affect our business and results of operations.

The currently effective PRC Labor Contract Law took effect from January 1, 2008 and was later amended on December 28, 2012. The PRC Labor Contract Law has reinforced the protection of employees who, under the PRC Labor Contract Law, have the right, among others, to have written employment contracts, to enter into employment contracts with no fixed term under certain circumstances, to receive overtime wages and to terminate or alter terms in labor contracts. Furthermore, the PRC Labor Contract Law sets forth additional restrictions and increases the costs involved with dismissing employees. To the extent that we need to significantly reduce our workforce, the PRC Labor Contract Law could adversely affect our ability to do so in a timely and cost-effective

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manner, and our results of operations could be adversely affected. In addition, for employees whose employment contracts include noncompetition terms, the PRC Labor Contract Law requires us to pay monthly compensation after such employment is terminated, which will increase our operating expenses. Because the PRC governmental authorities have introduced various new labor-related regulations since the PRC Labor Contract Law took effect, and the interpretation and implementation of these regulations are still evolving, our employment practices could violate the PRC Labor Contract Law and related regulations and could be subject to related penalties, fines or legal fees. If we are subject to severe penalties or incur significant legal fees in connection with labor law disputes or investigations, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

We engage independent third-party service providers to recruit, train and manage tutors of paid courses and teaching staff of trial courses at our request and settle payment of service fees to such third-party service providers. But we cannot preclude the possibility that these workers supplied by third-party service providers may be classified as “dispatched workers” by courts, arbitration tribunals or government agencies. In December 2012, the Labor Contract Law was amended and in January 2014, the Interim Provisions on Labor Dispatch were promulgated, to impose more stringent requirements on the use of employees of temp agencies, who are known in China as “dispatched workers.” For example, the number of dispatched workers may not exceed a certain percentage of the total number of employees and the dispatched workers can only engage in temporary, auxiliary or substitutable work. However, since the application and interpretation of the PRC Labor Contract Law and the Interim Provisions on Labor Dispatch are limited and uncertain, we cannot assure you our business operation will be deemed to be in full compliance with them. If we are found to be in violation of any requirements under the Labor Contract Law, the Interim Provisions on Labor Dispatch or their related rules and regulations, we may be ordered by the labor authority to rectify the non-compliance by entering into written employment contracts with the deemed “dispatched workers,” or be subject to regulatory penalty, other sanction or liability or be subject to labor disputes.

We expect that our labor costs, including wages and employee benefits, will continue to increase. Unless we are able to pass on these increased labor costs to our customers by attracting new customers or increasing the prices of our products and courses, our financial conditions and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.

Our results of operations are subject to seasonal fluctuations.

Our industry generally experiences seasonality, primarily due to seasonal changes in service days and course enrollments. For example, we may generate higher growth in net revenues in the second and fourth quarters in the future because of the increased paid course enrollments for the spring and fall semesters. We may also experience lower net margin in the first and third quarters in the future, primarily due to higher sales and marketing expenses resulting from increased enrollments in our promotional courses for the summer and winter holiday seasons. Overall, the historical seasonality of our business has been relatively mild due to our rapid growth, but seasonality may increase in the future. Due to our limited operating history, the seasonal trends that we have experienced in the past may not be indicative of our future operating results. Our financial condition and results of operations for future periods may continue to fluctuate. As a result, the trading price of our ADSs may fluctuate from time to time due to seasonality.

We have granted, and expect to continue to grant, share-based awards under our share incentive plans, which may result in increased share-based compensation expenses.

We adopted share incentive plans in 2015, 2018 and 2020, or the 2015 Plan, the 2018 Plan and the 2020 Plan, respectively, for the purpose of granting share-based compensation awards to employees, officers, directors and consultants to incentivize their performance and promote the success of our business. As of February 28, 2021, the maximum aggregate number of ordinary shares that may be issued under the 2015 Plan, the 2018 Plan and the 2020 Plan is 59,899,375, 25,703,602 and 20,521,221, respectively. See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—B. Compensation of Directors and Executive Officers—Share Incentive Plans.” We recorded RMB123.5 million, RMB93.1 million and RMB356.0 million (US$54.6 million) in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively, in share-based compensation expenses. We expect to continue to grant awards under our share incentive plans, which we believe is of significant importance to our ability to attract and retain key personnel and employees. As a result, our expenses associated with share-based compensation may increase, which may have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

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If we cannot maintain our corporate culture as we grow, we could lose the innovation, collaboration and focus that contribute to our business.

We believe that a critical component of our success is our corporate culture, which fosters innovation and has roots in genuine care for children’s education and a deep understanding of our students, teachers and schools as well as the evolving education industry in China. As we continue to expand and grow our business, we may find it difficult to maintain these valuable aspects of our corporate culture. Any failure to preserve our culture could undermine our reputation in the marketplace and negatively impact our ability to attract and retain employees and students, which would in turn jeopardize our future success.

We face risks related to natural and other disasters, including severe weather conditions or outbreaks of health epidemics, and other extraordinary events, which could significantly disrupt our operations.

In addition to the impact of COVID-19, our business could be materially and adversely affected by natural disasters, other health epidemics or other public safety concerns affecting the PRC, and particularly Beijing. Natural disasters may give rise to server interruptions, breakdowns, system failures, technology platform failures, internet failures or other operation interruptions for us and our service providers, which could cause the loss or corruption of data or malfunction of software or hardware as well as adversely affect our ability and the ability of our service providers to conduct daily operations and to deliver our products and course offerings. Our business could also be adversely affected if employees of ours or our service providers are affected by health epidemics. In addition, our results of operations could be adversely affected to the extent that any health epidemic harms the Chinese economy in general.

Our headquarters are located in Beijing, where most of our directors and management and the majority of our employees currently reside. Most of our system hardware and back-up systems are hosted in facilities located in Beijing and most of our service providers are located in Beijing. Consequently, if any natural disasters, health epidemics or other public safety concerns were to affect Beijing, our operation may experience material disruptions, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have limited business insurance coverage, which could expose us to significant costs and business disruption.

Insurance companies in China currently do not offer as extensive an array of insurance products as insurance companies in more developed economies. We do not maintain any liability insurance or property insurance policies covering students, equipment and facilities for injuries, death or losses due to fire, earthquake, flood or any other disaster. Consistent with customary industry practice in China, we do not maintain business interruption insurance, nor do we maintain key-man life insurance. We have determined that the costs of insuring for these risks and the difficulties associated with acquiring such insurance on commercially reasonable terms make it impractical for us to have such insurance. Any uninsured business disruptions may result in our incurring substantial costs and the diversion of resources, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

If we fail to develop and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may be unable to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud, and investor confidence and the market price of our ADSs may be adversely impacted.

Prior to our initial public offering, we have been a private company with limited accounting personnel and other resources with which to address our internal controls. In the course of preparing our consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019, we identified one material weakness and other control deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting. As defined in the standards established by the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, a “material weakness” is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

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The material weakness that has been identified relates to our lack of sufficient skilled staff with appropriate knowledge of U.S. GAAP for the purpose of financial reporting and our lack of formal accounting policies and procedures manual to ensure proper financial reporting to comply with U.S. GAAP and SEC requirements. The material weakness, if not timely remedied, may lead to significant misstatements in our consolidated financial statements in the future. Following the identification of the material weakness, we have taken measures and plan to continue to take measures to remediate these control deficiencies. See “Item 15. Controls and Procedures—Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.” As of December 31, 2020, based on our management’s assessment on the performance of the remediation measures, we determined that the material weakness had been remediated. In the future we may determine that we have additional material weaknesses, or our independent registered public accounting firm may disagree with our management assessment of the effectiveness of our internal controls.

Since our initial public offering, we have become a public company in the United States and are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, requires that we include a report from management on our internal control over financial reporting in our annual report on Form 20-F beginning with our annual report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021. In addition, once we cease to be an “emerging growth company” as such term is defined in the JOBS Act, our independent registered public accounting firm must attest to and report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.

During the course of documenting and testing our internal control procedures, in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 404, we may identify other or more material weaknesses or deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, if we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal control over financial reporting, as these standards are modified, supplemented or amended from time to time, we may not be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 and our independent registered public accounting firm may not be able to conclude that we have effective internal control over financial reporting at a reasonable assurance level. Generally speaking, if we fail to achieve and maintain an effective internal control environment, we could suffer material misstatements in our financial statements and fail to meet our reporting obligations, which would likely cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information. This could in turn limit our access to capital markets, harm our results of operations and lead to a decline in the trading price of our ADSs. Additionally, ineffective internal control over financial reporting could expose us to increased risk of fraud or misuse of corporate assets and subject us to potential delisting from the stock exchange on which we list, regulatory investigations and civil or criminal sanctions. We may also be required to restate our consolidated financial statements for prior periods. Furthermore, we have incurred and anticipate that we will continue to incur considerable costs, management time and other resources in an effort to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other requirements.

Our operations depend on the performance of the internet infrastructure and telecommunications networks in China.

The successful operation of our business depends on the performance of the internet infrastructure and telecommunications networks in China. Almost all access to the internet is maintained through state-owned telecommunications operators under the administrative control and regulatory supervision of the MIIT. Moreover, we have entered into contracts with various subsidiaries of a limited number of telecommunications service providers at provincial level and rely on them to provide us with data communications capacity through local telecommunications lines. We have limited access to alternative networks or services in the event of disruptions, failures or other problems with China’s internet infrastructure or the telecommunications networks provided by telecommunications service providers. We regularly serve a large number of parents, students and teachers. With the expansion of our business, we may be required to upgrade our technology and infrastructure to keep up with the increasing traffic on our online applications and websites. However, we have no control over the costs of the services provided by telecommunications service providers. If the prices we pay for telecommunications and internet services rise significantly, our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. If internet access fees or other charges to internet users increase, our user traffic may decline and our business may be harmed.

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We may need additional capital in the future to pursue our business objectives. If we cannot obtain additional capital on acceptable terms, or at all, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

We may need to raise additional capital to respond to business challenges or opportunities, accelerate our growth, develop new offerings or enhance our technological capacities. Due to the unpredictable nature of the capital markets and our industry, there can be no assurance that we will be able to raise additional capital on terms favorable to us, or at all, if and when required, especially if we experience disappointing results of operations. If adequate capital is not available to us as required, our ability to fund our operations, take advantage of unanticipated opportunities, develop or enhance our infrastructure or respond to competitive pressures could be significantly limited. If we do raise additional funds through the issuance of equity or convertible debt securities, the ownership interests of our shareholders could be significantly diluted. These newly issued securities may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of existing shareholders.

We may not be able to achieve the benefits we expect from future investments and acquisitions.

We may make equity investments in or acquisitions of additional businesses, assets and technologies that complement our existing business in the future. This may include opportunities to expand our offerings and strengthen our technology and data capabilities. If the businesses or assets we acquire or invest in do not subsequently generate the anticipated financial performance or if any goodwill impairment test triggering event occurs, we may need to revalue or write down the value of goodwill and other intangible assets in connection with such acquisitions or investments, which would harm our results of operations. In addition, investments and acquisitions could result in the use of substantial amounts of cash, potentially dilutive issuances of equity securities, significant amortization expenses related to intangible assets, significant diversion of management attention and exposure to potential unknown liabilities of the acquired business. In addition, as we often do not have control over the companies in which we only have minority stake, we cannot ensure that these companies will always comply with applicable laws and regulations in their business operations. Material non-compliance by our investees may cause substantial harms to our reputations and the value of our investment. In addition, we may be unable to identify appropriate acquisition or strategic investment targets when it is necessary or desirable to make such acquisition or investment to remain competitive or to expand our business. Even if we identify an appropriate acquisition or investment target, we may not be able to successfully negotiate the terms of the acquisition or investment, finance the proposed transaction or integrate the relevant businesses into our existing business and operations. In the event that our investments and acquisitions are not successful, our results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.

A severe and prolonged global economic recession and the slowdown in the Chinese economy may adversely affect our business and results of operations.

COVID-19 had a severe and negative impact on the Chinese and the global economy since early 2020. Whether this will lead to a prolonged downturn in the economy is still unknown, especially considering the multiple recent outbreaks in various countries and regions as well as the uncertainties brought by the newly launched vaccination programs. Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, the global macroeconomic environment was facing numerous challenges. The growth rate of the Chinese economy had already been slowing since 2012 compared to the previous decade and the trend may continue. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, China’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth was 6.6% in 2018, 6.1% in 2019, and 2.3% in 2020. There is considerable uncertainty over the long-term effects of the expansionary monetary and fiscal policies which had been adopted by the central banks and financial authorities of some of the world’s leading economies, including the United States and China, even before 2020. Unrest, terrorist threats and the potential for war in the Middle East and elsewhere may increase market volatility across the globe. There have also been concerns about the relationship between China and other countries, including the surrounding Asian countries, which may potentially have economic effects. In particular, there is significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the United States and China with respect to trade policies, treaties, government regulations and tariffs. It is unclear whether these challenges and uncertainties will be contained or resolved and what effects they may have on the global political and economic conditions in the long term. Economic conditions in China are sensitive to global economic conditions, as well as changes in domestic economic and political policies and the expected or perceived overall economic growth rate in China. Any severe or prolonged slowdown in the global or Chinese economy may materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

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Fluctuations in exchange rates could have a material and adverse effect on the value of your investment and our results of operations.

The conversion of Renminbi into foreign currencies, including the U.S. dollar, is based on rates set by the People’s Bank of China. The Renminbi has fluctuated against the U.S. dollar and other currencies, at times significantly and unpredictably. The value of Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies is affected by changes in China’s political and economic conditions and by China’s foreign exchange policies, among other things. We cannot assure you that Renminbi will not appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar and other currencies in the future. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between Renminbi and U.S. dollar in the future.

Significant revaluation of the Renminbi may have a material and adverse effect on your investment. For example, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars we receive from our initial public offering into Renminbi for our operations, appreciation of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the Renminbi amount we would receive from the conversion. Conversely, if we decide to convert our Renminbi into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our ordinary shares or ADSs or for other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the Renminbi would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us.

Very limited hedging options are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. As of the date of this annual report, we have not entered into any hedging transactions in an effort to reduce our exposure to foreign currency exchange risk. While we may decide to enter into hedging transactions in the future, the availability and effectiveness of these hedges may be limited and we may not be able to adequately hedge our exposure, or at all. In addition, our currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert Renminbi into foreign currency.

We face certain risks relating to the real properties that we lease.

We lease real properties from third parties primarily for our office and live broadcasting studios in China, and the lease agreements for most of these leased properties have not been registered with the PRC government authorities as required by PRC law. Although the failure to do so does not in itself invalidate the leases, we may be ordered by the PRC government authorities to rectify such noncompliance and, if such noncompliance were not rectified within a given period of time, we may be subject to fines imposed by PRC government authorities ranging from RMB1,000 and RMB10,000 for those of our lease agreements that have not been registered with the relevant PRC government authorities.

As of the date of this annual report, we are not aware of any regulatory or governmental actions, claims or investigations being contemplated or any challenges by third parties to our use of our leased properties the lease agreements of which have not been registered with the government authorities. However, we cannot assure you that the government authorities will not impose fines on us due to our failure to register any of our lease agreements, which may negatively impact our financial condition.

In addition, some of the ownership certificates or other similar proof of certain leased properties have not been provided to us by the relevant lessors. Therefore, we cannot assure you that such lessors are entitled to lease the relevant real properties to us. If the lessors are not entitled to lease the real properties to us and the owners of such real properties decline to ratify the lease agreements between us and the respective lessors, we may not be able to enforce our rights to lease such properties under the respective lease agreements against the owners. As of the date of this annual report, we are not aware of any claim or challenge brought by any third parties concerning the use of our leased properties without obtaining proper ownership proof. If our lease agreements are claimed as null and void by third parties who are the real owners of such leased real properties, we could be required to vacate the properties, in the event of which we could only initiate the claim against the lessors under relevant lease agreements for indemnities for their breach of the relevant leasing agreements. We cannot assure you that suitable alternative locations are readily available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, and if we are unable to relocate our operations in a timely manner, our operations may be interrupted.

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Failure to make adequate contributions to various employee benefits plans as required by PRC regulations may subject us to penalties.

Companies operating in China are required to participate in various government-sponsored employee benefit plans, including certain social insurance, housing funds and other welfare-oriented payment obligations, and contribute to the plans in amounts equal to certain percentages of salaries, including bonuses and allowances, of employees up to a maximum amount specified by the local government from time to time at locations where our employees are based. The requirement of employee benefit plans has not been implemented consistently by the local governments in China given the different levels of economic development in different locations. To efficiently administrate the contribution of employment benefit plans of our employees in some cities, we engage third-party agents to make the contribution for our employees. Our failure in making contributions to various employee benefit plans and in complying with applicable PRC labor-related laws may subject us to late payment penalties, and we could be required to make up the contributions for these plans as well as to pay late fees and fines. If we are subject to late fees or fines in relation to the underpaid employee benefits, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected. In addition, to the extent that we can make a reasonable estimate of the liability arising from our failure in making full contributions to various employee benefit plans, we record a related contingent liability. However, the amount of our estimates may be inaccurate, in which case our financial condition and cash flow may be adversely affected if we were to pay late fees or fines in relation to the underpaid employee benefits.

Our advertising content may subject us to penalties and other administrative actions.

Under PRC advertising laws and regulations, we are obligated to monitor our advertising content to ensure that such content is true and accurate and in full compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In addition, education or training advertisement are further prohibited from containing content such as guarantee for passing of examination or the effect of education or training, recommendation and/or endorsement by scientific research institutes, academic institutions, educational organizations, industry associations, professionals or beneficiaries using their name or image. Violation of these laws and regulations may subject us to penalties, including fines, confiscation of our advertising income, orders to cease dissemination of the advertisements and orders to publish an announcement correcting the misleading information. In circumstances involving serious violations by us, PRC government authorities may force us to terminate our advertising operations or revoke our licenses. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulation Relating to Advertising.”

While we have made significant efforts to ensure that our advertisements are in full compliance with applicable PRC laws and regulations, we cannot assure you that all the content contained in our advertisements is true and accurate as required by, and complies in all aspects with, the advertising laws and regulations, especially given the uncertainty in the interpretation of these PRC laws and regulations. If we are found to be in violation of applicable PRC advertising laws and regulations, we may be subject to penalties and our reputation may be harmed, which may negatively affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure

If the PRC government finds that the agreements that establish the structure for operating certain of our operations in China do not comply with PRC regulations relating to the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations.

Foreign ownership in entities that provide value-added telecommunication services (except for e-commerce, domestic multi-party communications, store-and-forward and call center), such as provision of online course content, is subject to restrictions under current PRC laws and regulations. Specifically, foreign ownership of an internet information service provider may not exceed 50%, and the major foreign investor is required to have a record of good performance and operating experience in managing value-added telecommunications business. We are a company registered in the Cayman Islands. Shanghai WFOE and Beijing WFOE, or our wholly foreign owned entities, or our WFOEs, are our PRC subsidiaries and foreign-invested enterprises under PRC laws. To comply with PRC laws and regulations, we conduct such business activities in China primarily through Shanghai VIE, one of our VIEs. Our WFOEs have entered into a series of contractual arrangements with our respective VIEs and their respective shareholders. For a description of these contractual arrangements, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure.” As a result of these contractual arrangements, we exert control over our VIEs and consolidate financial results of our VIEs and their subsidiaries in our financial statements under U.S. GAAP. Our VIEs hold the licenses, approvals and key assets that are essential for our operations.

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In the opinion of our PRC counsel, Tian Yuan Law Firm, (i) the ownership structure of our VIEs and our WFOEs does not result in any violation of PRC laws and regulations currently in effect; and (ii) the contractual arrangements among each of our WFOEs, our respective VIEs and their respective shareholders governed by PRC law will not result in any violation of PRC laws or regulations currently in effect. However, we have been further advised by our PRC counsel that there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current or future PRC laws and regulations. Thus, the PRC government may ultimately take a view contrary to the opinion of our PRC counsel. If the PRC government otherwise find that we are in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations or lack the necessary permits or licenses to operate our business, the relevant governmental authorities would have broad discretion in dealing with such violation, including, without limitation:

Any of these events could cause significant disruption to our business operations and severely damage our reputation, which would in turn materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If occurrences of any of these events results in our inability to direct the activities of our VIEs in China that most significantly impact its economic performance, and/or our failure to receive the economic benefits from our consolidated variable interest entities, we may not be able to consolidate their financial results in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

We rely on contractual arrangements with our VIEs and their shareholders for our business operations, which may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing operational control.

We have relied and expect to continue to rely on contractual arrangements with our VIEs, and their shareholders to operate our business in China. These contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with control over our VIEs. For example, our VIEs and their shareholders could breach their contractual arrangements with us by, among other things, failing to conduct the operations of our VIEs in an acceptable manner or taking other actions that are detrimental to our interests.

If we had direct ownership of our VIEs in China, we would be able to exercise our rights as a shareholder to effect changes in the board of directors of our VIEs, which in turn could implement changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management and operational level. However, under the current contractual arrangements, we rely on the performance by our VIEs and their shareholders of their obligations under the contracts to exercise control over our VIEs. The shareholders of our VIEs may not act in the best interests of our company or may not perform their obligations under these contracts. Such risks exist throughout the period in which we intend to operate certain portion of our business through the contractual arrangements with our VIEs. If any dispute relating to these contracts remains unresolved, we will have to enforce our rights under these contracts through the operations of PRC law and arbitration, litigation and other legal proceedings and therefore will be subject to uncertainties in the PRC legal system. See “—Any failure by our VIEs or their shareholders to perform their obligations under our contractual arrangements with them would have a material and adverse effect on our business.” Therefore, our contractual arrangements with our VIEs may not be as effective in ensuring our control over the relevant portion of our business operations as direct ownership would be.

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Any failure by our VIEs or their shareholders to perform their obligations under our contractual arrangements with them would have a material and adverse effect on our business.

If our VIEs or their shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under the contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements. We may also have to rely on legal remedies under PRC law, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and contractual remedies, which we cannot assure you will be sufficient or effective under PRC law. For example, if the shareholders of our VIEs were to refuse to transfer their equity interests in our VIEs to us or our designee if we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these contractual arrangements, or if they were otherwise to act in bad faith toward us, then we may have to take legal actions to compel them to perform their contractual obligations.

All the agreements under our contractual arrangements are governed by PRC law and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in China. Accordingly, these contracts would be interpreted in accordance with PRC law and any disputes would be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures. The legal system in the PRC is not as developed as in some other jurisdictions, such as the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. Meanwhile, there are very few precedents and little formal guidance as to how contractual arrangements in the context of a consolidated variable interest entity should be interpreted or enforced under PRC law. There remain significant uncertainties regarding the ultimate outcome of such arbitration should legal action become necessary. In addition, under PRC law, rulings by arbitrators are final, parties cannot appeal the arbitration results in courts, and if the losing parties fail to carry out the arbitration awards within a prescribed time limit, the prevailing parties may only enforce the arbitration awards in PRC courts through arbitration award recognition proceedings, which would require additional expenses and delay. In the event we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, or if we suffer significant delay or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exert effective control over our VIEs, and our ability to conduct our business may be negatively affected. See “—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us.”

The shareholders of our VIEs may have actual or potential conflicts of interest with us, which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.

The shareholders of our VIEs may have actual or potential conflicts of interest with us. These shareholders may breach, or cause our VIEs to breach, or refuse to renew, the existing contractual arrangements we have with them and our VIEs, which would have a material and adverse effect on our ability to effectively control our VIEs and receive economic benefits from them. For example, the shareholders may be able to cause our agreements with our VIEs to be performed in a manner adverse to us by, among other things, failing to remit payments due under the contractual arrangements to us on a timely basis. We cannot assure you that when conflicts of interest arise any or all of these shareholders will act in the best interests of our company or such conflicts will be resolved in our favor.

Currently, we do not have any arrangements to address potential conflicts of interest between these shareholders and our company, except that we could exercise our purchase option under the exclusive option agreements with these shareholders to request them to transfer all of their equity interests in the VIEs to a PRC entity or individual designated by us, to the extent permitted by PRC law. For individuals who are also our directors and officers, we rely on them to abide by the laws of the Cayman Islands, which provide that directors and officers owe a fiduciary duty to the company that requires them to act in good faith and in what they believe to be the best interests of the company and not to use their position for personal gains. The shareholders of our respective VIEs have executed powers of attorney to appoint our WFOEs or a person designated by our WFOEs to vote on their behalf and exercise voting rights as shareholders of our respective VIEs. If we cannot resolve any conflict of interest or dispute between us and the shareholders of our VIEs, we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could result in disruption of our business and subject us to substantial uncertainty as to the outcome of any such legal proceedings.

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Contractual arrangements in relation to our VIEs may be subject to scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities and they may determine that we or our PRC consolidated variable interest entities owe additional taxes, which could negatively affect our financial condition and the value of your investment.

Under applicable PRC laws and regulations, arrangements and transactions among related parties may be subject to audit or challenge by the PRC tax authorities. We could face material and adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities determine that the contractual arrangements in relation to our VIEs were not entered into on an arm’s length basis in such a way as to result in an impermissible reduction in taxes under applicable PRC laws, rules and regulations, and adjust income of our VIEs in the form of a transfer pricing adjustment. A transfer pricing adjustment could, among other things, result in a reduction of expense deductions recorded by our VIEs for PRC tax purposes, which could in turn increase their tax liabilities without reducing our PRC subsidiaries’ tax expenses. In addition, the PRC tax authorities may impose late payment fees and other penalties on our VIEs for the adjusted but unpaid taxes according to the applicable regulations. Our financial position could be materially and adversely affected if our VIEs’ tax liabilities increase or if they are required to pay late payment fees and other penalties.

Our current corporate structure and business operations may be affected by the newly enacted Foreign Investment Law.

On March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress, or NPC, promulgated the Foreign Investment Law, which took effect on January 1, 2020. Since it is relatively new, uncertainties exist in relation to its interpretation and implementation. The Foreign Investment Law does not explicitly classify whether variable interest entities that are controlled through contractual arrangements would be deemed as foreign invested enterprises if they are ultimately “controlled” by foreign investors. However, it has a catch-all provision under definition of “foreign investment” that includes investments made by foreign investors in China through other means as provided by laws, administrative regulations or the State Council. Therefore, it still leaves leeway for future laws, administrative regulations or provisions of the State Council to provide for contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment, and it remains uncertain whether our contractual arrangements will be deemed to be in violation of the market access requirements for foreign investment in the PRC and if yes, how our contractual arrangements should be dealt with.

The Foreign Investment Law grants national treatment to foreign-invested entities, except for those foreign-invested entities that operate in industries specified as either “restricted” or “prohibited” from foreign investment in the Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for Foreign Investment Access jointly promulgated by the Ministry of Commerce, or MOFCOM, and the National Development and Reform Commission, or the NDRC, as amended from time to time. The Foreign Investment Law provides that foreign-invested entities are barred from operating in “prohibited” industries and will require market entry clearance and other approvals from relevant PRC government authorities if operating in “prohibited” industries. On December 26, 2019, the Supreme People’s Court issued the Interpretations on Certain Issues Regarding the Application of Foreign Investment Law, or the FIL Interpretations, which came into effect on January 1, 2020. In accordance with the FIL Interpretations, any claim to invalidate an investment agreement will be supported by courts if such agreement is found to be entered into for purposes of making investments in the “prohibited industries” under the negative list or for purposes of investing in “restricted industries” while failing to satisfy the conditions set out in the Negative List. If our control over our VIEs through contractual arrangements are deemed as foreign investment in the future, and any business of our VIEs is “restricted” or “prohibited” from foreign investment under the “negative list” effective at the time, we may be deemed to be in violation of the Foreign Investment Law, the contractual arrangements that allow us to have control over our VIEs may be deemed as invalid and illegal, and we may be required to unwind such contractual arrangements and/or restructure our business operations, any of which may have a material adverse effect on our business operation.

Furthermore, if future laws, administrative regulations or provisions mandate further actions to be taken by companies with respect to existing contractual arrangements, we may face substantial uncertainties as to whether we can complete such actions in a timely manner, or at all. Failure to take timely and appropriate measures to cope with any of these or similar regulatory compliance challenges could materially and adversely affect our current corporate structure and business operations.

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We may lose the ability to use and enjoy assets held by our VIEs that are material to the operation of certain portion of our business if the entities go bankrupt or become subject to a dissolution or liquidation proceeding.

As part of our contractual arrangements with our VIEs, our VIEs hold certain assets that are material to the operation of certain portion of our business, including licenses, permits, domain names and most of our IP rights. If our VIEs go bankrupt and all or part of their assets become subject to liens or rights of third-party creditors, we may be unable to continue some or all of our business activities, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Under the contractual arrangements, our VIEs may not, in any manner, sell, transfer, mortgage or dispose of their assets or legal or beneficial interests in the business without our prior consent. If our VIEs undergoes a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, the independent third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of these assets, thereby hindering our ability to operate our business, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Relating to Doing Business in China

Changes in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations.

All of our operations are conducted in China, and most of our assets are located in China. Accordingly, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be influenced to a significant degree by economic, political and social conditions in China generally. The PRC economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the level of development, growth rate, level of government involvement and control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. The PRC government exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through allocating resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy, and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. In addition, the PRC government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing relevant industrial policies.

While the PRC economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. In addition, the rate of growth has been slowing since 2012, and the impact of COVID-19 on the Chinese and global economies in 2020 was severe. Any adverse changes in economic conditions in China, in the policies of the PRC government or in the laws and regulations in China could have a material adverse effect on the overall economic growth of China. Such developments could adversely affect our business and operating results, lead to reduction in demand for our solutions and services and adversely affect our competitive position. The PRC government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures may benefit the overall PRC economy, but may have a negative effect on us. For example, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations. In addition, in the past, the PRC government has implemented certain measures, including interest rate adjustment, to control the pace of economic growth. These measures may cause decreased economic activity in China, which may adversely affect our business and results of operations. In addition, the increased global focus on social, ethical and environmental issues may lead to China’s adoption of more stringent standards in these areas, which may adversely impact the operations of China-based companies including us.

Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us.

The PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes, where prior court decisions have limited precedential value. The PRC legal system is evolving rapidly, and the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules may contain inconsistencies and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties.

From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. However, since PRC judicial and administrative authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to predict the outcome of a judicial or administrative proceeding than in more developed legal systems. These uncertainties may impede our ability to enforce the contracts we have entered into and could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

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Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based, in part, on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published in a timely manner, or at all, but which may have retroactive effect. As a result, we may not always be aware of any potential violation of these policies and rules. Such unpredictability towards our contractual, property (including intellectual property) and procedural rights could adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations.

You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing actions in China against us or our management named in the annual report based on foreign laws.

We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands; however, we conduct all of our operations in China and most of our assets are located in China. In addition, most of our directors and executive officers are nationals or residents of jurisdictions other than the United States and most of their assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for you to effect service of process upon us or our management named in the annual report inside mainland China. It may also be difficult for you to enforce in U.S. courts of the judgments obtained in U.S. courts based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us and our officers and directors. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands or the PRC would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts against us or such persons predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state.

The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other forms of written arrangement with the United States that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, the PRC courts will not enforce a foreign judgment against us or our directors and officers if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC laws or national sovereignty, security or public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States.

The custodians or authorized users of our controlling non-tangible assets, including chops and seals, may fail to fulfill their responsibilities, or misappropriate or misuse these assets.

Under the PRC law, legal documents for corporate transactions, including agreements and contracts are executed using the chop or seal of the signing entity or with the signature of a legal representative whose designation is registered and filed with relevant PRC market regulation administrative authorities.

In order to secure the use of our chops and seals, we have established internal control procedures and rules for using these chops and seals. In any event that the chops and seals are intended to be used, the responsible personnel will submit the application through our office automation system and the application will be verified and approved by authorized employees in accordance with our internal control procedures and rules. In addition, in order to maintain the physical security of our chops, we generally have them stored in secured locations accessible only to authorized employees. Although we monitor such authorized employees, the procedures may not be sufficient to prevent all instances of abuse or negligence. There is a risk that our employees could abuse their authority, for example, by entering into a contract not approved by us or seeking to gain control of one of our subsidiaries or our VIEs or their subsidiaries. If any employee obtains, misuses or misappropriates our chops and seals or other controlling non-tangible assets for whatever reason, we could experience disruption to our normal business operations. We may have to take corporate or legal action, which could involve significant time and resources to resolve and divert management from our operations.

If we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC income tax purposes, such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders or ADS holders.

Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules, an enterprise established outside of the PRC with a “de facto management body” within China is considered a “resident enterprise” and will be subject to the enterprise income tax on its global income at the rate of 25%. The implementation rules define the term “de facto management body” as the body that exercises full and substantial control and overall management over the business, productions, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise. In 2009, the State Administration

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of Taxation, or the SAT, issued the Circular of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues Relating to Identification of PRC-Controlled Overseas Registered Enterprises as Resident Enterprises in Accordance with the De Facto Standards of Organizational Management, or SAT Circular 82, which provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de facto management body” of a PRC-controlled enterprise that is incorporated offshore is located in China. Although this circular only applies to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups, not those controlled by PRC individuals or foreigners, the criteria set forth in the circular may reflect SAT’s general position on how the “de facto management body” text should be applied in determining the tax resident status of all offshore enterprises. According to SAT Circular 82, an offshore incorporated enterprise controlled by a PRC enterprise or a PRC enterprise group will be regarded as a PRC tax resident by virtue of having its “de facto management body” in China and will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax on its global income only if all of the following conditions are met: (i) the primary location of the day-to-day operational management is in China; (ii) decisions relating to the enterprise’s financial and human resource matters are made or are subject to approval by organizations or personnel in China; (iii) the enterprise’s primary assets, accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholder resolutions, are located or maintained in China; and (iv) at least 50% of voting board members or senior executives habitually reside in China.

We believe none of our entities outside of China is a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes. However, the tax resident status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term “de facto management body.” If the PRC tax authorities determine that our company or any of our subsidiaries outside of China is a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes, we could be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 25% on our worldwide income, which could materially reduce our net income, and we may be required to withhold a 10% withholding tax from dividends we pay to our shareholders that are non-resident enterprises, including the holders of our ADSs. In addition, non-resident enterprise shareholders (including the ADS holders) may be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 10% on gains realized on the sale or other disposition of ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, if such income is treated as sourced from within China. Furthermore, if we are deemed a PRC resident enterprise, dividends payable to our non-PRC individual shareholders (including the ADS holders) and any gain realized on the transfer of ADSs or Class A ordinary shares by such shareholders may be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 10% in the case of non-PRC enterprises or a rate of 20% in the case of non-PRC individuals unless a reduced rate is available under an applicable tax treaty. It is unclear whether non-PRC shareholders of our company would be able to claim the benefits of any tax treaties between their country of tax residence and the PRC in the event that we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise. Any such tax may reduce the returns on your investment in the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares.

We face uncertainties with respect to indirect transfer of equity interests in PRC resident enterprises by their non-PRC holding companies.

We face uncertainties regarding the reporting on and consequences of previous private equity financing transactions involving the transfer and exchange of shares in our company by non-resident investors. In February 2015, the SAT issued the Bulletin on Issues of Enterprise Income Tax on Indirect Transfers of Assets by Non-PRC Resident Enterprises, or SAT Bulletin 7. Pursuant to SAT Bulletin 7, an ‘‘indirect transfer’’ of PRC assets, including a transfer of equity interests in an unlisted non-PRC holding company of a PRC resident enterprise, by non-PRC resident enterprises may be re-characterized and treated as a direct transfer of the underlying PRC assets, if such arrangement does not have a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of avoiding payment of PRC enterprise income tax. As a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax, and the transferee or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer is obligated to withhold the applicable taxes, currently at a rate of 10% for the transfer of equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise. On October 17, 2017, the SAT issued the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues Concerning the Withholding of Non-resident Enterprise Income Tax at Source, or SAT Bulletin 37, which came into effect on December 1, 2017. The SAT Bulletin 37 further clarifies the practice and procedure of the withholding of nonresident enterprise income tax. We also face uncertainties on the reporting and consequences of future private equity financing transactions, share exchanges or other transactions involving the transfer of shares in our company by investors that are non-PRC resident enterprises.

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The PRC tax authorities may pursue non-resident enterprises involved in our previous or future private equity financing transactions with respect to a filing or the transferees with respect to withholding obligation, and request our PRC subsidiaries to assist in the filing. As a result, we and non-resident enterprises in such transactions may become at risk of being subject to filing obligations or being taxed under SAT Bulletin 7 and SAT Bulletin 37, and may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with them or to establish that we and our non-resident enterprises should not be taxed under these regulations, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

If our preferential tax treatments are revoked or become unavailable or if the calculation of our tax liability is successfully challenged by the PRC tax authorities, we may be required to pay tax, interest and penalties in excess of our tax provisions.

Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules, the statutory enterprise income tax rate is 25%, but certain “high and new technology enterprises strongly supported by the state,” or HNTEs, are qualified for a preferential enterprise income tax rate of 15% subject to certain qualification criteria. Currently, one of our VIEs, Shanghai VIE, enjoys a preferential enterprise income tax rate of 15% as it is recognized as a HNTE by relevant PRC governmental authorities. The qualification as an HNTE is subject to annual evaluation and a three-year review by the relevant PRC governmental authorities. If Shanghai VIE fails to maintain its HNTE status, experiences any increase in the enterprise income tax rate, or faces any discontinuation, retroactive or future reduction or refund of any of the preferential tax treatments currently enjoyed, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Further, in the ordinary course of our business, we are subject to complex income tax and other tax regulations, and significant judgment is required in the determination of a provision for income taxes. Although we believe our tax provisions are reasonable, if the PRC tax authorities successfully challenge our position and we are required to pay tax, interest and penalties in excess of our tax provisions, our financial condition and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.

The M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations may make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions.

The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in 2006 and amended in 2009, and some other regulations and rules concerning mergers and acquisitions established complex procedures and requirements for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, including requirements in some instances that the MOFCOM be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise. Moreover, the Anti-Monopoly Law promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, or SCNPC, which became effective in 2008 requires that transactions which are deemed concentrations and involve parties with specified turnover thresholds must be cleared by the MOFCOM before they can be completed. On February 7, 2021, the Anti-monopoly Commission of the State Council, published the Anti-Monopoly Guidelines for the Internet Platform Economy Sector that aims at specifying some of the circumstances under which an activity of internet platforms may be identified as monopolistic act as well as classifying that concentrations involving variable interest entities shall be subject to anti-monopoly review. In addition, the security review rules issued by the MOFCOM that became effective in September 2011 specify that mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors that raise “national defense and security” concerns and mergers and acquisitions through which foreign investors may acquire de facto control over domestic enterprises that raise “national security” concerns are subject to strict review by the MOFCOM, and the rules prohibit any activities attempting to bypass a security review, including by structuring a transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement.

In the future, we may pursue potential strategic acquisitions that are complementary to our business and operations. Complying with the requirements of the above-mentioned regulations and other relevant rules to complete such transactions could be time-consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval or clearance from the MOFCOM, may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.

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Failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding the registration requirements for employee stock ownership plans or share option plans may subject the PRC plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions.

In February 2012, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, promulgated the Notices on Issues Concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Stock Incentive Plan of Overseas Publicly Listed Company, replacing earlier rules promulgated in 2007. Pursuant to these rules, PRC citizens and non-PRC citizens who reside in China for a continuous period of not less than one year and participate in any stock incentive plan of an overseas publicly listed company are required to register with SAFE through a domestic qualified agent, which could be the PRC subsidiaries of such overseas-listed company, and complete certain other procedures, unless certain exceptions are available. In addition, an overseas-entrusted institution must be retained to handle matters in connection with the exercise or sale of stock options and the purchase or sale of shares and interests. We and our executive officers and other employees who are PRC citizens or non-PRC citizens living in China for a continuous period of not less than one year and have been granted options are subject to these regulations as our company has become an overseas-listed company. Failure to complete SAFE registrations may subject them to fines of up to RMB300,000 for entities and up to RMB50,000 for individuals and may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital into our PRC subsidiaries and our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to distribute dividends to us. We also face regulatory uncertainties that could restrict our ability to adopt additional incentive plans for our directors, executive officers and employees under PRC law. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulation Relating to Foreign Exchange—Regulation on Stock Incentive Plans.”

In addition, the SAT has issued certain circulars concerning employee share options and restricted shares. Under these circulars, our employees working in China who exercise share options or are granted restricted shares will be subject to PRC individual income tax. Our PRC subsidiaries have obligations to file documents related to employee share options or restricted shares with relevant tax authorities and to withhold individual income taxes for those employees who exercise their share options. If our employees fail to pay or we fail to withhold their income taxes according to relevant laws and regulations, we may face sanctions imposed by the tax authorities or other PRC government authorities. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulation Relating to Foreign Exchange—Regulation on Stock Incentive Plans.”

PRC regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents may limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to change their registered capital or distribute profits to us or otherwise expose us or our PRC resident beneficial owners to liability and penalties under PRC laws.

In July 2014, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment Through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37. SAFE Circular 37 requires PRC residents (including PRC individuals and PRC corporate entities as well as foreign individuals that are deemed as PRC residents for foreign exchange administration purposes) to register with SAFE or its local branches in connection with their direct or indirect offshore investment activities. SAFE Circular 37 further requires amendment to the SAFE registrations in the event of any changes with respect to the basic information of the offshore special purpose vehicle, such as change of a PRC individual shareholder, name and operation term, or any significant changes with respect to the offshore special purpose vehicle, such as increase or decrease of capital contribution, share transfer or exchange, or mergers or divisions. SAFE Circular 37 is applicable to our shareholders who are PRC residents and may be applicable to any offshore acquisitions that we make in the future. According to the Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Policies for the Foreign Exchange Administration of Direct Investment released on February 13, 2015 by the SAFE, local banks will examine and handle foreign exchange registration for overseas direct investment, including the initial foreign exchange registration and amendment registration, under SAFE Circular 37 from June 1, 2015. The PRC residents shall, by themselves or entrusting accounting firms or banks, file with the online information system designated by SAFE with respect to its existing rights under offshore direct investment each year prior to the requisite time.

If our shareholders who are PRC residents or entities do not complete their registration with the local SAFE branches or qualified local banks or complete annual filing of its existing rights under offshore direct investment, our PRC subsidiaries may be prohibited from distributing to us its profits and proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation, and we may be restricted in our ability to contribute additional capital to our PRC subsidiaries. Moreover, failure to comply with the SAFE registration described above could result in liability under PRC laws for evasion of applicable foreign exchange restrictions.

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We have used our best efforts to notify PRC residents or entities who directly or indirectly hold shares in our Cayman Islands holding company and who are known to us as being PRC residents or entities to complete the foreign exchange registrations and annual filings of its existing rights under offshore direct investment. However, we may not be informed of the identities of all the PRC residents or entities holding direct or indirect interest in our company, nor can we compel our beneficial owners to comply with SAFE registration requirements. We cannot assure you that all shareholders or beneficial owners of ours who are PRC residents or entities have complied with, and will in the future make, obtain or update any applicable registrations or approvals required by, SAFE regulations.

The failure or inability of such shareholders or beneficial owners to comply with SAFE regulations, or failure by us to amend the foreign exchange registrations of our PRC subsidiaries, could subject us to fines or legal sanctions, restrict our overseas or cross-border investment activities, limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to make distributions or pay dividends to us or affect our ownership structure. As a result, our business operations and our ability to distribute profits to you could be materially and adversely affected.

We may rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a material and adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business.

We are a Cayman Islands holding company and we rely principally on dividends and other distributions on equity from our PRC subsidiaries for our cash requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders for services or any debt we may incur. If our PRC subsidiaries incur debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us. Under PRC laws and regulations, our PRC subsidiaries, which is a foreign-owned enterprise, may pay dividends only out of its respective accumulated profits as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, a foreign-owned enterprise is required to set aside at least 10% of its accumulated after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a certain statutory reserve fund, until the aggregate amount of such fund reaches 50% of its registered capital. Such reserve funds cannot be distributed to us as dividends. At its discretion, a foreign-owned enterprise may allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to an enterprise expansion fund.

Our PRC subsidiaries generate essentially all of their revenue in Renminbi, which is not freely convertible into other currencies. As a result, any restriction on currency exchange may limit the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to use their Renminbi revenues to pay dividends to us.

The PRC government may continue to strengthen its capital controls, and more restrictions and substantial vetting processes may be put forward by SAFE for cross-border transactions falling under both the current account and the capital account. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other kinds of payments to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business.

In addition, the Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules provide that a withholding tax rate of up to 10% will be applicable to dividends payable by Chinese companies to non-PRC-resident enterprises unless otherwise exempted or reduced according to treaties or arrangements between the PRC central government and governments of other countries or regions where the non-PRC-resident enterprises are incorporated.

PRC regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control of currency conversion may delay or prevent us from using the proceeds of our initial public offering to make loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries and our VIEs in China, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.

We are an offshore holding company conducting our operations in China through our PRC subsidiaries and VIEs and their subsidiaries. We may make loans to our PRC subsidiaries and VIEs and their subsidiaries subject to the approval from or registration with governmental authorities and limitation on amount, or we may make additional capital contributions to our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries in China. Any loans to our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries in China, which are treated as foreign-invested enterprises, or FIEs, under PRC law, are subject to applicable foreign exchange loan registrations. In addition, an FIE shall use its capital pursuant to the principle of

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authenticity and self-use within its business scope. The capital of an FIE shall not be used for the following purposes: (i) directly or indirectly used for payment beyond the business scope of such FIE or the payment prohibited by relevant laws and regulations; (ii) directly or indirectly used for investment in securities or investments in financial management other than banks’ principal-secured products unless otherwise provided by relevant laws and regulations; (iii) the granting of loans to non-affiliated enterprises, except where it is expressly permitted in the business license; and (iv) paying the expenses related to the purchase of real estate that is not for self-use (except for the foreign-invested real estate enterprises).

SAFE promulgated the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Reforming the Administration of Foreign Exchange Settlement of Capital of Foreign-invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular 19, effective June 2015, in replacement of a former regulation. According to SAFE Circular 19, the flow and use of the RMB capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested company is regulated such that RMB capital may not be used for the issuance of RMB entrusted loans, the repayment of inter-enterprise loans or the repayment of bank loans that have been transferred to a third party. Although SAFE Circular 19 allows RMB capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested enterprise to be used for equity investments within China, it also reiterates the principle that RMB converted from the foreign currency-denominated capital of a foreign-invested company may not be directly or indirectly used for purposes beyond its business scope. Thus, it is unclear whether SAFE will permit such capital to be used for equity investments in China in actual practice. SAFE promulgated the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Reforming and Standardizing the Foreign Exchange Settlement Management Policy of Capital Account, or SAFE Circular 16, effective on June 9, 2016, which reiterates some of the rules set forth in SAFE Circular 19, but changes the prohibition against using RMB capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested company to issue RMB entrusted loans to a prohibition against using such capital to issue loans to non-associated enterprises. Violations of SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16 could result in administrative penalties. SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16 may significantly limit our ability to transfer any foreign currency we hold, including the net proceeds from our initial public offering, to our PRC subsidiaries, which may adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business in China. On October 23, 2019, the SAFE promulgated the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Further Promoting the Convenience of Cross-border Trade and Investment, or the SAFE Circular 28, which, among other things, allows all foreign-invested companies to use Renminbi converted from foreign currency-denominated capital for equity investments in China, as long as the equity investment is genuine, does not violate applicable laws, and complies with the negative list on foreign investment. However, since the SAFE Circular 28 is newly promulgated, it is unclear how SAFE and competent banks will carry this out in practice.

In light of the various requirements imposed by PRC regulations on loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the necessary government registrations or obtain the necessary government approvals on a timely basis, or at all, with respect to future loans by us to our PRC subsidiaries or VIEs or their subsidiaries or with respect to future capital contributions by us to our PRC subsidiaries. If we fail to complete such registrations or obtain such approvals, our ability to use the proceeds from our initial public offering and to capitalize or otherwise fund our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.

Governmental control of currency conversion may limit our ability to utilize our revenues effectively and affect the value of your investment.

The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the Renminbi into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. We receive all of our revenues in Renminbi. Under our current corporate structure, our Cayman Islands holding company may rely on dividend payments from our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval of the SAFE, by complying with certain procedural requirements. Specifically, under the existing exchange restrictions, without prior approval of SAFE, cash generated from the operations of our PRC subsidiaries in China may be used to pay dividends to our company. However, approval from or registration with appropriate government authorities is required where Renminbi is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. As a result, we need to obtain SAFE approval to use cash generated from the operations of our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated variable interest entities to pay off their respective debt in a currency other than Renminbi owed to entities outside China, or to make other capital expenditure payments outside China in a currency other than Renminbi.

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In light of the flood of capital outflows of China in 2016 due to the weakening Renminbi, the PRC government has imposed more restrictive foreign exchange policies and stepped-up scrutiny of major outbound capital movement including overseas direct investment. More restrictions and substantial vetting processes are put in place by SAFE to regulate cross-border transactions falling under the capital account. If any of our shareholders regulated by such policies fails to satisfy the applicable overseas direct investment filing or approval requirement timely or at all, it may be subject to penalties from the relevant PRC authorities. The PRC government may at its discretion further restrict access in the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy our foreign currency demands, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders, including holders of the ADSs.

Our ADSs may be delisted under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act if the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or the PCAOB, is unable to inspect auditors who are located in China. The delisting of our ADSs, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment. Additionally, the inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections deprives our investors with the benefits of such inspections.

The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCA Act, was enacted on December 18, 2020. The HFCA Act states if the SEC determines that we have filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that has not been subject to inspection by the PCAOB for three consecutive years beginning in 2021, the SEC shall prohibit our shares or ADSs from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over the counter trading market in the U.S.

Our auditor, the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included elsewhere in this annual report, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. Since our auditor is located in China, a jurisdiction where the PCAOB has been unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the Chinese authorities, our auditor is currently not inspected by the PCAOB.

On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirement of the HFCA Act. We will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies us as having a “non-inspection” year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. The SEC is assessing how to implement other requirements of the HFCA Act, including the listing and trading prohibition requirements described above.

The SEC may propose additional rules or guidance that could impact us if our auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspection. For example, on August 6, 2020, the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, or the PWG, issued the Report on Protecting United States Investors from Significant Risks from Chinese Companies to the then President of the United States. This report recommended the SEC implement five recommendations to address companies from jurisdictions that do not provide the PCAOB with sufficient access to fulfil its statutory mandate. Some of the concepts of these recommendations were implemented with the enactment of the HFCA Act. However, some of the recommendations were more stringent than the HFCA Act. For example, if a company was not subject to PCAOB inspection, the report recommended that the transition period before a company would be delisted would end on January 1, 2022.

The SEC has announced that the SEC staff is preparing a consolidated proposal for the rules regarding the implementation of the HFCA Act to address the recommendations in the PWG report. It is unclear when the SEC will complete its rulemaking and when such rules will become effective and what, if any, of the PWG recommendations will be adopted. The implications of this possible regulation in addition to the requirements of the HFCA Act are uncertain. Such uncertainty could cause the market price of our ADSs to be materially and adversely affected, and our securities could be delisted or prohibited from being traded "over-the-counter" earlier than would be required by the HFCA Act. If our securities are unable to be listed on another securities exchange by then, such a delisting would substantially impair your ability to sell or purchase our ADSs when you wish to do so, and the risk and uncertainty associated with a potential delisting would have a negative impact on the price of our ADSs.

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The PCAOB’s inability to conduct inspections in China prevents it from fully evaluating the audits and quality control procedures of our independent registered public accounting firm. As a result, we and investors in our ordinary shares are deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our independent registered public accounting firm’s audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of China that are subject to the PCAOB inspections, which could cause investors and potential investors in our stock to lose confidence in audit procedures and reported financial information and the quality of our financial statements.

In May 2013, the PCAOB announced that it had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding on Enforcement Cooperation with the CSRC and the PRC Ministry of Finance, which establishes a cooperative framework between the parties for the production and exchange of audit documents relevant to investigations undertaken by the PCAOB in the PRC or by the CSRC or the PRC Ministry of Finance in the United States. The PCAOB continues to be in discussions with the CSRC and the PRC Ministry of Finance to permit joint inspections in the PRC of audit firms that are registered with the PCAOB and audit Chinese companies that trade on U.S. exchanges.

It may be difficult for overseas regulators to conduct investigations or collect evidence within China.

Shareholder claims or regulatory investigations that are common in jurisdictions outside China are difficult to pursue as a matter of law or practicality in China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to providing information needed for regulatory investigations or litigation initiated outside China. Although the authorities in China may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities regulatory authorities of another country or region to implement cross-border supervision and administration, such cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the United States or other jurisdictions may not be efficient in the absence of a mutual and practical cooperation mechanism. Furthermore, according to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law, or Article 177, which became effective in March 2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within the territory of the PRC, and without the consent by the Chinese securities regulatory authorities and the other competent governmental agencies, no entity or individual may provide documents or materials related to securities business to any foreign party. While detailed interpretation of or implementation rules under Article 177 have yet to be promulgated, the inability of an overseas securities regulator to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within China and the potential obstacles for information provision may further increase difficulties you face in protecting your interests. See also “—Risks relating to the ADS—You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through U.S. courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law” for risks associated with investing in us as a Cayman Islands company.

Proceedings instituted by the SEC against PRC-based “big four” accounting firms, including our independent registered public accounting firm, could result in financial statements being determined to not be in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act.

Starting in 2011 the PRC-based “big four” accounting firms, including our independent registered public accounting firm, were affected by a conflict between U.S. and Chinese law. Specifically, for certain U.S.-listed companies operating and audited in mainland China, the SEC and the PCAOB sought to obtain from the Chinese firms access to their audit work papers and related documents. The firms were, however, advised and directed that under Chinese law, they could not respond directly to the U.S. regulators on those requests, and that requests by foreign regulators for access to such papers in China had to be channeled through the CSRC.

In late 2012, this impasse led the SEC to commence administrative proceedings under Rule 102(e) of its Rules of Practice and also under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 against the Chinese accounting firms, including our independent registered public accounting firm. A first instance trial of the proceedings in July 2013 in the SEC’s internal administrative court resulted in an adverse judgment against the firms. The administrative law judge proposed penalties on the firms including a temporary suspension of their right to practice before the SEC, although that proposed penalty did not take effect pending review by the Commissioners of the SEC. On February 6, 2015, before a review by the Commissioners had taken place, the firms reached a settlement with the SEC. Under the settlement, the SEC accepts that future requests by the SEC for the production of documents will normally be made to the CSRC. The firms will receive matching Section 106 requests, and are required to abide by a detailed set of procedures with respect to such requests, which in substance require them to facilitate production via the CSRC. If

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they fail to meet specified criteria, the SEC retains authority to impose a variety of additional remedial measures on the firms depending on the nature of the failure. Remedies for any future noncompliance could include, as appropriate, an automatic six-month bar on a single firm’s performance of certain audit work, commencement of a new proceeding against a firm, or, in extreme cases, the resumption of the current proceeding against all four firms. If additional remedial measures are imposed on the PRC-based “big four” accounting firms, including our independent registered public accounting firm, in administrative proceedings brought by the SEC alleging the firms’ failure to meet specific criteria set by the SEC with respect to requests for the production of documents, we could be unable to timely file future financial statements in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act.

In the event that the SEC restarts the administrative proceedings, depending upon the final outcome, listed companies in the United States with major PRC operations may find it difficult or impossible to retain auditors in respect of their operations in the PRC, which could result in financial statements being determined not to be in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, including possible delisting. Moreover, any negative news about any such future proceedings against these audit firms may cause investor uncertainty regarding China-based, U.S.-listed companies and the market price of our ADSs may be adversely affected.

If our independent registered public accounting firm was denied, even temporarily, the ability to practice before the SEC and we were unable to timely find another registered public accounting firm to audit and issue an opinion on our financial statements, our financial statements could be determined to be not in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act. Such a determination could ultimately lead to the delisting of the ADSs or deregistration from the SEC, or both, which would substantially reduce or effectively terminate the trading of the ADSs in the United States.

Recent litigation and negative publicity surrounding China-based companies listed in the U.S. may result in increased regulatory scrutiny of us and negatively impact the trading price of our ADSs.

We believe that litigation and negative publicity surrounding companies with operations in China that are listed in the U.S. have negatively impacted stock prices for such companies. Various equity-based research organizations have published reports on China-based companies after examining, among other things, their corporate governance practices, related party transactions, sales practices and financial statements that have led to special investigations and stock suspensions on national exchanges. Any similar scrutiny of us, regardless of its lack of merit, could result in a diversion of management resources and energy, potential costs to defend ourselves against rumors, decreases and volatility in the ADS trading price, and increased directors and officers insurance premiums, and could have a material adverse effect upon our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Changes in international trade policies and rising political tensions, particularly between the U.S. and China, may adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Although cross-border business may not be an area of our focus, if we plan to expand our business internationally in the future, any unfavorable government policies on international trade, such as capital controls or tariffs, may affect the demand for our products and services, impact our competitive position, or prevent us from being able to conduct business in certain countries. If any new tariffs, legislation, or regulations are implemented, or if existing trade agreements are renegotiated, such changes could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Recently, there have been heightened tensions in international economic relations, such as the one between the United States and China. The U.S. government has recently imposed, and has recently proposed to impose additional, new, or higher tariffs on certain products imported from China to penalize China for what it characterizes as unfair trade practices. China has responded by imposing, and proposing to impose additional, new, or higher tariffs on certain products imported from the United States. Following mutual retaliatory actions for months, on January 15, 2020, the United States and China entered into the Economic and Trade Agreement Between the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China as a phase one trade deal, effective on February 14, 2020. It remains unclear what additional actions, if any, will be taken by the U.S. or other governments with respect to international trade, tax policy related to international commerce, or other trade matters.

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The situation is further complicated by the political tensions between the United States and China that escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the wake of the NPC’s decision on Hong Kong national security legislation, sanctions imposed by the U.S. Department of Treasury on certain officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the central government of the PRC and the executive orders issued by U.S. President in August 2020 that prohibit certain transactions with certain China-based companies and their respective subsidiaries. Against this backdrop, China has implemented, and may further implement, measures in response to the changing trade policies, treaties, tariffs and sanctions and restrictions against Chinese companies initiated by the U.S. government. For example, the MOFCOM published new rules in January 2021 to counter restrictions imposed by foreign countries on Chinese citizens and companies. See “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Anti Long-Arm Jurisdiction.” Rising trade and political tensions could reduce levels of trade, investments, technological exchanges and other economic activities between China and other countries, which would have an adverse effect on global economic conditions, the stability of global financial markets, and international trade policies.

Although the direct impact of the current international trade and political tension, and any escalation of such tension, on the online education industry in China is uncertain, the negative impact on general, economic, political and social conditions may adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks relating to the ADS

The trading price of the ADSs is likely to be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors.

The trading price of the ADSs has been volatile since our ADSs started to trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, and could fluctuate widely due to factors beyond our control. This may happen because of broad market and industry factors, including the performance and fluctuation of the market prices of other companies with business operations located mainly in China that have listed their securities in the United States. In addition to market and industry factors, the price and trading volume for the ADSs may be highly volatile for factors specific to our own operations, including the following:

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Any of these factors may result in large and sudden changes in the volume and price at which the ADSs will trade. Furthermore, the stock market in general experiences price and volume fluctuations that are often unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of companies like us. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our ADSs. Volatility or a lack of positive performance in the ADS price may also adversely affect our ability to retain key employees, most of whom have been granted equity incentives.

In the past, shareholders of public companies have often brought securities class action suits against companies following periods of instability in the market price of their securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a significant amount of our management’s attention and other resources from our business and operations and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit, which could harm our results of operations. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

If securities or industry analysts cease to publish research or reports about our business, or if they adversely change their recommendations regarding the ADSs, the market price for the ADSs and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for the ADSs will be influenced by research or reports that industry or securities analysts publish about our business. If one or more analysts who cover us downgrade the ADSs, the market price for the ADSs would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease to cover us or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which, in turn, could cause the market price or trading volume for the ADSs to decline.

Our dual-class voting structure will limits your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any change of control transactions that holders of our Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may view as beneficial.

We have adopted a dual-class voting structure such that our ordinary shares consist of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares (with certain shares remaining undesignated, with power for our directors to designate and issue such classes of shares as they think fit). Holders of Class A ordinary shares are entitled to one vote per share, while holders of Class B ordinary shares are entitled to thirty votes per share. Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof, while Class A ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances. Holders of Class B ordinary shares have the ability to control matters requiring shareholders’ approval, including any amendment of our memorandum and articles of association. Any future issuances of Class B ordinary shares may be dilutive to the voting power of holders of Class A ordinary shares. Any conversions of Class B ordinary shares into Class A ordinary shares may dilute the percentage ownership of the existing holders of Class A ordinary shares within their class of ordinary shares. Such conversions may increase the aggregate voting power of the existing holders of Class A ordinary shares. In the event that we have multiple holders of Class B ordinary shares in the future and certain of them convert their Class B ordinary shares into Class A ordinary shares, the remaining holders who retain their Class B ordinary shares may experience increases in their relative voting power.

As of February 28, 2021, Mr. Andy Chang Liu, our founder, chairman and chief executive officer, beneficially owned all of our issued Class B ordinary shares. These Class B ordinary shares constitute 12.1% of our total issued and outstanding share capital and 80.5% of the aggregate voting power of our total issued and outstanding share capital due to the disparate voting powers associated with our dual-class share structure. See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—E. Share Ownership.” As a result of the dual-class share structure and the concentration of ownership, holders of Class B ordinary shares will have considerable influence over matters such as decisions regarding mergers and consolidations, election of directors and other significant corporate actions. Such holders may take actions that are not in the best interest of us or our other shareholders. This

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concentration of ownership may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company, which could have the effect of depriving our other shareholders of the opportunity to receive a premium for their shares as part of a sale of our company and may reduce the price of our ADSs. This concentrated control will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any potential merger, takeover or other change of control transactions that holders of Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may view as beneficial.

The dual-class structure of our ordinary shares may adversely affect the trading market for our ADSs.

Certain shareholder advisory firms have announced changes to their eligibility criteria for inclusion of shares of public companies on certain indices, including the S&P 500, to exclude companies with multiple classes of shares and companies whose public shareholders hold no more than 5% of total voting power from being added to such indices. In addition, several shareholder advisory firms have announced their opposition to the use of multiple class structures. As a result, the dual class structure of our ordinary shares may prevent the inclusion of our ADSs representing Class A ordinary shares in such indices and may cause shareholder advisory firms to publish negative commentary about our corporate governance practices or otherwise seek to cause us to change our capital structure. Any such exclusion from indices could result in a less active trading market for our ADSs. Any actions or publications by shareholder advisory firms critical of our corporate governance practices or capital structure could also adversely affect the value of our ADSs.

We currently do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future and you must rely on price appreciation of our ADSs for return on your investment.

We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, we do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Therefore, you should not rely on an investment in our ADSs as a source for any future dividend income.

Our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends, subject to certain requirements of Cayman Islands law. In addition, our shareholders may by ordinary resolution declare a dividend, but no dividend may exceed the amount recommended by our directors. Under Cayman Islands law, a Cayman Islands company may pay a dividend out of either profit or share premium account, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in the company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. Even if our board of directors decides to declare and pay dividends, the timing, amount and form of future dividends, if any, will depend on our future results of operations and cash flow, our capital requirements and surplus, the amount of distributions, if any, received by us from our subsidiaries, our financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. Accordingly, the return on your investment in our ADSs will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of our ADSs. There is no guarantee that our ADSs will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which you purchased the ADSs. You may not realize a return on your investment in our ADSs and you may even lose your entire investment in our ADSs.

The sale or availability for sale of substantial amounts of our ADSs could adversely affect their market price.

Sales of substantial amounts of our ADSs in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of our ADSs and could materially impair our ability to raise capital through equity offerings in the future. Shares held by our existing shareholders may also be sold in the public market in the future subject to the restrictions in Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act and the applicable lock-up agreements. We cannot predict what effect, if any, market sales of securities held by our significant shareholders or any other shareholder or the availability of these securities for future sale will have on the market price of our ADSs.

Our seventh memorandum and articles of association contain anti-takeover provisions that could have a material adverse effect on the rights of holders of our ordinary shares and the ADSs.

Our seventh memorandum and articles of association contain provisions to limit the ability of others to acquire control of our company or cause us to engage in change-of-control transactions. These provisions could have the effect of depriving our shareholders of an opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain control of our company in a tender offer or similar transaction. Our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our shareholders, to issue preferred

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shares in one or more series and to fix their designations, powers, preferences, privileges and relative participating, optional or special rights and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the rights associated with our ordinary shares, including Class A ordinary shares represented by ADSs. Preferred shares could be issued quickly with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change in control of our company or make removal of management more difficult. If our board of directors decides to issue preferred shares, the price of the ADSs may fall and the voting and other rights of the holders of our ordinary shares and the ADSs may be materially and adversely affected.

Our seventh memorandum and articles of association and the deposit agreement provide that the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (or, if the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York lacks subject matter jurisdiction over a particular dispute, the state courts in New York County, New York) is the exclusive judicial forum within the U.S. for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising out of or relating in any way to the federal securities laws of the United States, and any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating in any way to the ADSs or the deposit agreement, which could limit the ability of holders of our ordinary shares, the ADSs or other securities to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us, our directors and officers, the depositary, and potentially others.

Our seventh memorandum and articles of association provide that the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (or, if the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York lacks subject matter jurisdiction over a particular dispute, the state courts in New York County, New York) is the exclusive forum within the United States for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising out of or relating in any way to the federal securities laws of the United States, regardless of whether such legal suit, action, or proceeding also involves parties other than our company. The deposit agreement provides that the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (or, if the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York lacks subject matter jurisdiction over a particular dispute, the state courts in New York County, New York) shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any suit, action or proceeding against or involving us or the depositary, arising out of or relating in any way to the deposit agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby or by virtue of owning the ADSs. The enforceability of similar federal court choice of forum provisions in other companies’ organizational documents has been challenged in legal proceedings in the United States, and it is possible that a court could find this type of provision to be inapplicable or unenforceable. If a court were to find the federal choice of forum provision contained in our Seventh memorandum and articles of association or the deposit agreement to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions. If upheld, the forum selection clause in our Seventh memorandum and articles of association, as well as the forum selection provision in the deposit agreement, may limit a security-holder’s ability to bring a claim against us, our directors and officers, the depositary, and potentially others in his or her preferred judicial forum, and this limitation may discourage such lawsuits. Holders of our shares or the ADSs will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with the federal securities laws and the regulations promulgated thereunder pursuant to the exclusive forum provision in the Seventh memorandum and articles of association and deposit agreement. In addition, the forum selection provision of the deposit agreement does not effect the right of an ADS holder or the depositary to require any claim against us, including a federal securities law claim, to be submitted to arbitration or to commence an action in any court in aid of that arbitration provision or to enter judgment upon or enforce any arbitration award.

The voting rights of holders of ADSs are limited by the terms of the deposit agreement, and you may not be able to exercise your right to direct the voting of the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs.

Holders of ADSs do not have the same rights as our registered shareholders. As a holder of ADSs, you will not have any direct right to attend general meetings of our shareholders or to cast any votes at such meetings. You will only be able to exercise the voting rights attached to the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs indirectly by giving voting instructions to the depositary in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement. Where any matter is to be put to a vote at a general meeting where we asked the depositary to solicit your instruction, then upon receipt of your voting instructions, the depositary will try, as far as is practicable, to vote the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs in accordance with your instructions. You will not be able to directly exercise your right to vote with respect to the underlying Class A ordinary shares unless you cancel and withdraw the Class A ordinary shares and become the registered holder of such shares prior to the record date for the general meeting.

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When a general meeting is convened, you may not receive sufficient advance notice of the meeting to withdraw the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs and become the registered holder of such shares to allow you to attend the general meeting and to vote directly with respect to any specific matter or resolution to be considered and voted upon at the general meeting. In addition, under our Seventh memorandum and articles of association, for the purposes of determining those shareholders who are entitled to attend and vote at any general meeting, our directors may close our register of members and/or fix in advance a record date for such meeting, and such closure of our register of members or the setting of such a record date may prevent you from withdrawing the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs and from becoming the registered holder of such shares prior to the record date, so that you would not be able to attend the general meeting or to vote directly. Where any matter is to be put to a vote at a general meeting, upon our instruction the depositary will notify you of the upcoming vote and will arrange to deliver our voting materials to you. We cannot assure you that you will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that you can instruct the depositary to vote the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs.

In addition, the depositary and its agents are not responsible for failing to carry out voting instructions or for their manner of carrying out your voting instructions. This means that you may not be able to exercise your right to direct how the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs are voted and you may have no legal remedy if the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs are not voted as you requested. In addition, in your capacity as an ADS holder, you will not be able to call a shareholders’ meeting.

Further, under the deposit agreement for the ADSs, if you do not vote, the depositary will give us a discretionary proxy to vote the Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs at shareholders’ meetings if:

The effect of this discretionary proxy is that you cannot prevent our Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs from being voted under the circumstances described above. This may adversely affect your interests and make it more difficult for shareholders to influence the management of our company. Holders of our Class A ordinary shares are not subject to this discretionary proxy.

You may not receive cash dividends or other distributions if the depositary decides it is impractical to make them available to you.

The depositary will pay cash distributions or other distributions on the ADSs only to the extent that we decide to make distributions on our Class A ordinary shares or other deposited securities, and we do not have any present plan to pay any cash dividends on our Class A ordinary shares in the foreseeable future. To the extent that there is a distribution, the depositary has agreed to pay you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on our shares or other deposited securities after deducting its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of shares your ADSs represent. However, the depositary may, at its discretion, decide that it is inequitable or impractical to make a distribution available to any holders of ADSs. For example, the depositary may determine that it is not practicable to distribute certain property through the mail, or that the value of certain distributions may be less than the cost of mailing them. In these cases, the depositary may decide not to distribute such property to you.

You may be subject to limitations on transfer of your ADSs.

Your ADSs are transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the depositary may close its books at any time or from time to time when it deems expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. The depositary may close its books from time to time for a number of reasons, including in connection with corporate events such as a rights offering, during which time the depositary needs to maintain an exact number of ADS holders on its books for a specified period. The depositary may also close its books in emergencies, and on weekends and public holidays. The depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of the ADSs generally when our share register or the books of the depositary are closed, or at any time if we or the depositary thinks it is advisable to do so because of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body, or under any provision of the deposit agreement, or for any other reason.

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You may experience dilution of your holdings due to inability to participate in rights offerings.

We may, from time to time, distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire securities. Under the deposit agreement, the depositary will not distribute rights to holders of ADSs unless the distribution and sale of rights and the securities to which these rights relate are either exempt from registration under the Securities Act with respect to all holders of ADSs, or are registered under the provisions of the Securities Act. The depositary may, but is not required to, attempt to sell these undistributed rights to third parties, and may allow the rights to lapse. We may be unable to establish an exemption from registration under the Securities Act, and we are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to these rights or underlying securities or to endeavor to have a registration statement declared effective. Accordingly, holders of ADSs may be unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience dilution of their holdings as a result.

You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through U.S. courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law.

We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. Our corporate affairs are governed by our seventh memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against our directors, actions by our minority shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from the common law of England, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding, on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedents in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws than the United States. Some U.S. states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law than the Cayman Islands. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have the standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States.

Shareholders of Cayman Islands exempted companies like us have no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate records (apart from the memorandum and articles of association and the register of mortgages and charges) or to obtain copies of lists of shareholders of these companies. Our directors have discretion under our Seventh amended and restated articles of association to determine whether or not, and under what conditions, our corporate records may be inspected by our shareholders, but are not obliged to make them available to our shareholders. This may make it more difficult for you to obtain the information needed to establish any facts necessary for a shareholder motion or to solicit proxies from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest.

As a result of all of the above, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of our board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a company incorporated in the United States. For a discussion of significant differences between the provisions of the Companies Act of the Cayman Islands and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders, see “Item 10. Additional Information—B. Memorandum and Articles of Association—Differences in Corporate Law.”

Certain judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable.

We are a Cayman Islands exempted company and most of our assets are located in China. All of our current operations are conducted in China. In addition, most of our current directors and senior executive officers are nationals and residents of jurisdictions other than the United States. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the United States in the event that you believe that your rights have been infringed under the U.S. federal securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of China may render you unable to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers.

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ADS holders may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to claims arising under the deposit agreement, which could result in less favorable outcomes to the plaintiff(s) in any such action.

The deposit agreement governing the ADSs representing our Class A ordinary shares provides that, subject to the depositary’s right to require a claim to be submitted to arbitration, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (or, if the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York lacks subject matter jurisdiction over a particular dispute, in the state courts in New York County, New York) shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine claims arising out of or relating in any way to the deposit agreement (including claims arising under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act) and in that regard, to the fullest extent permitted by law, ADS holders waive the right to a jury trial of any claim they may have against us or the depositary arising out of or relating to our shares, the ADSs or the deposit agreement, including any claim under the U.S. federal securities laws.

If we or the depositary opposed a jury trial demand based on the waiver, the court would determine whether the waiver was enforceable based on the facts and circumstances of that case in accordance with the applicable state and federal law. To our knowledge, the enforceability of a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver in connection with claims arising under the federal securities laws has not been finally adjudicated by the United States Supreme Court. However, we believe that a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver provision is generally enforceable, including under the laws of the State of New York, which govern the deposit agreement. In determining whether to enforce a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver provision, courts will generally consider whether a party knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily waives the right to a jury trial. We believe that this is the case with respect to the deposit agreement and the ADSs. It is advisable that you consult legal counsel regarding the jury waiver provision before investing in the ADSs.

If you or any other holders or beneficial owners of ADSs bring a claim against us or the depositary in connection with matters arising under the deposit agreement or the ADSs, including claims under federal securities laws, you or such other holder or beneficial owner may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to such claims, which may have the effect of limiting and discouraging lawsuits against us or the depositary, lead to increased costs to bring a claim, limited access to information and other imbalances of resources between such holder and us, or limit such holder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that such holder finds favorable. If a lawsuit is brought against us or the depositary under the deposit agreement, it may be heard only by a judge or justice of the applicable trial court, which would be conducted according to different civil procedures and may result in different outcomes than a trial by jury would have had, including results that could be less favorable to the plaintiff(s) in any such action.

Nevertheless, if this jury trial waiver provision is not enforced, to the extend a court action proceeds, it would proceed under the terms of the deposit agreement with a jury trial. No condition, stipulation or provision of the deposit agreement or ADSs shall relieve us or the depositary from our respective obligations to comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act nor serve as a waiver by any holder or beneficial owner of ADSs of compliance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

An ADS holder’s right to pursue claims against the depositary is limited by the terms of the deposit agreement.

Under the deposit agreement, any legal suit, action or proceeding against or involving us or the depositary, arising out of or relating in any way to the deposit agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby or by virtue of owning the ADSs may only be instituted in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (or, if the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York lacks subject matter jurisdiction over a particular dispute, in the state courts in New York County, New York), and a holder of our ADSs, will have irrevocably waived any objection which such holder may have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding, and irrevocably submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such action or proceeding. However, the enforceability of similar federal court choice of forum provisions in other companies’ organizational documents has been challenged in legal proceedings in the United States, and it is possible that a court could find this type of provision to be inapplicable or unenforceable. Accepting or consenting to this forum selection provision does not represent you are waiving compliance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Furthermore, investors cannot waive compliance with the U.S. federal securities laws and rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

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The deposit agreement provides that the depositary or an ADS holder may require any claim asserted by it against us arising out of or relating to our Class A ordinary shares, the ADSs or the deposit agreement be referred to and finally settled by an arbitration conducted under the terms described in the deposit agreement, although the arbitration provisions do not preclude you from pursuing any claim, including claims under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (or such state courts if the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York lacks subject matter jurisdiction). The exclusive forum selection provisions in the deposit agreement also do not affect the right of any party to the deposit agreement to elect to submit a claim against us to arbitration, or our duty to submit that claim to arbitration, as provided in the deposit agreement, or the right of any party to an arbitration under the deposit agreement, to commence an action to compel that arbitration, or to enter judgment upon or to enforce an award by the arbitrators, in any court having jurisdiction over an action of that kind. The arbitration provisions apply to actions arising under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act. Accepting or consenting to the arbitration provisions does not constitute a waiver by investors of our or the depositary’s compliance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

We are an emerging growth company within the meaning of the Securities Act and may take advantage of certain reduced reporting requirements.

As a company with less than US$1.07 billion in revenues for our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” pursuant to the JOBS Act. Therefore, we may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include exemption from the auditor attestation requirement under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, in the assessment of the emerging growth company’s internal control over financial reporting and permission to delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. As a result, if we elect not to comply with such reporting and other requirements, in particular the auditor attestation requirements, our investors may not have access to certain information they may deem important.

The JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company does not need to comply with any new or revised financial accounting standards until such date that a private company is otherwise required to comply with such new or revised accounting standards. However, we have elected to “opt out” of this provision and, as a result, we need to comply with new or revised accounting standards as required when they are adopted for public companies. This decision to opt out of the extended transition period under the JOBS Act is irrevocable.

As a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, we are permitted to adopt certain home country practices in relation to corporate governance matters that differ significantly from the Nasdaq listing standards.

As a Cayman Islands exempted company listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, we are subject to the Nasdaq listing standards, which requires listed companies to have, among other things, a majority of their board members to be independent and independent director oversight of executive compensation and nomination of directors. However, Nasdaq rules permit a foreign private issuer like us to follow the corporate governance practices of its home country. Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, may differ significantly from the Nasdaq listing standards.

We are permitted to elect to rely on home country practice to be exempted from the corporate governance requirements. If we choose to follow home country practice in the future, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they would otherwise enjoy if we complied fully with the Nasdaq listing standards.

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act, and as such we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to U.S. domestic public companies.

Because we qualify as a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act, we are exempt from certain provisions of the securities rules and regulations in the United States that are applicable to U.S. domestic issuers, including:

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We are required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the end of each fiscal year. In addition, we publish our results on a quarterly basis as press releases, distributed pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq. Press releases relating to financial results and material events are also furnished to the SEC on Form 6-K. However, the information we are required to file with or furnish to the SEC is less extensive and less timely compared to that required to be filed with the SEC by U.S. domestic issuers. As a result, you may not be afforded the same protections or information that would be made available to you were you investing in a U.S. domestic issuer.

We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules and, as a result, may rely on exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements that provide protection to shareholders of other companies.

We are a “controlled company” as defined under the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules because Mr. Andy Chang Liu, our founder, chairman and chief executive officer, beneficially owns more than 50% of our total voting power. For so long as we remain a controlled company under that definition, we are permitted to elect to rely on, and may rely on, certain exemptions from corporate governance rules, including an exemption from the rule that a majority of our board of directors must be independent directors. As a result, you will not have the same protection afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to these corporate governance requirements.

There can be no assurance that we will not be classified as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes for any taxable year, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. Holders of our ADSs or ordinary shares.

A non-U.S. corporation, such as our company, will be classified as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for any taxable year if either (1) at least 75% of its gross income for such year consists of certain types of “passive” income (the “income test”); or (2) at least 50% of the value of its assets (generally determined on the basis of a quarterly average) during such year is attributable to assets that produce passive income or are held for the production of passive income (the “asset test”). Although the law in this regard is not entirely clear, we treat our consolidated VIEs and their subsidiaries as being owned by us for U.S. federal income tax purposes because we control their management decisions and are entitled to substantially all of the economic benefits associated with them. As a result, we consolidate their results of operations in our consolidated U.S. GAAP financial statements. If it were determined, however, that we are not the owner of our consolidated VIEs and their subsidiaries for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we may be treated as a PFIC for the current taxable year and any subsequent taxable year. Assuming that we are the owner of our consolidated VIEs and their subsidiaries for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we do not believe we were a PFIC for the taxable year ended December 31, 2020 and we do not expect to be or become a PFIC for the current taxable year or the foreseeable future.

However, while we do not expect to be or become a PFIC, no assurance can be given in this regard because the determination of whether we are or will become a PFIC for any taxable year is a fact-intensive inquiry made annually that depends, in part, upon the composition of our income and assets. Fluctuations in the market price of our ADSs may cause us to be or become a PFIC for the current or subsequent taxable years because the value of our assets for the purpose of the asset test, including the value of our goodwill and other unbooked intangibles, may be determined by reference to the market price of our ADSs from time to time (which may be volatile). The composition of our income and assets may also be affected by how, and how quickly, we use our liquid assets.

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If we were to be or become a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder (as defined in “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation—United States Federal Income Tax Considerations”) holds our ADSs or ordinary shares, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could apply to such U.S. Holder. See “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation—United States Federal Income Tax Considerations—Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.”

We incur increased costs as a result of being a public company, particularly after we cease to qualify as an “emerging growth company.”

We have become a public company and expect to incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and Nasdaq, impose various requirements on the corporate governance practices of public companies. We expect these rules and regulations to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some corporate activities more time-consuming and costly.

As a public company, we need to increase the number of independent directors and adopt policies regarding internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures. Operating as a public company may make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. In addition, we may incur additional costs associated with our public company reporting requirements. It may also be more difficult for us to find qualified persons to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers. We are currently evaluating and monitoring developments with respect to these rules and regulations, and we cannot predict or estimate with any degree of certainty the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs.

In addition, after we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” we expect to incur significant expenses and devote substantial management effort toward ensuring compliance with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the other rules and regulations of the SEC.

ITEM 4. INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY

We set up Shanghai Hexu Information Technology Co., Ltd., or Shanghai VIE, in December 2012.

Our holding company, 17 Education & Technology Group Inc., was incorporated in October 2012. In December 2012, 17 Education & Technology Group Inc. established a wholly-owned subsidiary in Hong Kong, Sunny Education (HK) Limited. In April 2013, Sunny Education (HK) Limited established a wholly-owned subsidiary in China, Shanghai Yiqi Zuoye Information Technology Co., Ltd., or Shanghai WFOE. In May 2013, we gained control over Shanghai VIE through Shanghai WFOE by entering into a series of contractual arrangements with Shanghai VIE and its shareholders.

To expand our business operations, we established Beijing Yiqi Education Information Consultation Co., Ltd., or Beijing VIE, in February 2019, and further entered into a series of contractual arrangements with Beijing VIE and its shareholders in May 2020, through which our wholly owned subsidiary Beijing Yiqi Education & Technology Co., Ltd., or Beijing WFOE, established in July 2019, effectively controls Beijing VIE.

To further expand our business operations, we established Beijing Xiaofeng Online Technology Co., Ltd., or Beijing Xiaofeng, in March 2019, and we gained control over Beijing Xiaofeng through Shanghai WFOE by entering into a series of contractual arrangements with Beijing Xiaofeng and its shareholders in August 2020, and the contractual arrangements are deemed effective from the incorporation of Beijing Xiaofeng. As of the date of this annual report, there is no material business operations for Beijing VIE, Beijing WFOE and Beijing Xiaofeng. We are currently in the process of winding down Beijing Xiaofeng because it does not engage in material business activities.

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We also established certain wholly-owned subsidiaries of Shanghai VIE and Beijing VIE to conduct our business, including Beijing Yiqi Science Technology Co., Ltd. in January 2017, Shang Li Qi Di Education Technology (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. in November 2019, Qi Mai Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. in December 2019 and Taizhou Jiaojiang Yiqi Education Training School Co., Ltd. in June 2020. In addition, to operate our online after-school tutoring business, Beijing Yiqi Science Technology Co., Ltd obtained 100% sponsorship interest in Beijing Haidian District Yiqi Education Training School in July 2017 and Beijing VIE obtained 100% equity interest in Beijing Yiqi Information Technology Co., Ltd. in June 2020.

Our principal executive offices are located at 16/F, Block B, Wangjing Greenland Center, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100102, People’s Republic of China. Our telephone number at this address is +86 (10) 5945-1082. Our registered office in the Cayman Islands is located at the offices of Maples Corporate Services Limited, P.O. Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104, Cayman Islands.

SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC on www.sec.gov. You can also find information on our website https://ir.17zuoye.com/investor-relations. The information contained on our website is not a part of this annual report.

Overview

We are a leading education technology company in China with an “in-school + after-school” integrated model. Our smart in-school classroom solution delivers data-driven teaching, learning and assessment products to teachers, students and parents across over 70,000 K-12 schools. Leveraging our in-school leadership, we offer online K-12 large class after-school tutoring services that complement students’ in-school learning. Powered by our integrated model and technology, our online K-12 large-class after-school tutoring courses stand out in terms of our unique approach to personalization realized through our data-driven understanding of individual students’ in-school performance, as well as our district-level localized insights. In 2018, 2019 and 2020, net revenues from our online K-12 tutoring services represented 30.2%, 88.5% and 94.1% of our total net revenues, respectively.

In-School

At our founding, we believed that delivering truly effective education in China requires a focus on the in-school learning that is core to the K-12 school system, and as such, we strategically began building our smart in-school classroom solution, including homework and academic assessment products, for K-12 schools in 2012 to empower in-school learning. Over the past eight years, we have significantly expanded the product portfolio within our smart in-school classroom solution to encompass class preparation and delivery, homework-related activities and academic assessment, delivering significant efficiency improvements to teachers, students and parents in all of their key daily educational activities and enabling them to engage in ways that would be impossible using traditional offline methods. The core functions of our in-school products are free of charge for teachers, students and parents to use.

Our massive and proprietary content library features localized homework assignments, academic assessments and teaching and learning materials that closely track the local curriculum and educational objectives at schools across the country. In particular, our content library currently has a deep reserve of high-quality written and multimedia educational resources, including over 18 million homework questions, assessment sets, supplementary teaching and learning guides, self-directed learning videos, in-class teaching content kits and digital picture books that have been accurately tagged to meet educational needs under all major K-12 academic subjects and textbook versions. The widespread adoption of our smart in-school classroom solution and the high quality of our educational content offerings, as well as their daily integration into the in-school learning environment, have solidified our brand recognition and enabled us to win enduring trust from all stakeholders – teachers, students and parents. The high-frequency interactions we have across our products and our unique access to a large amount of mission-critical learning data also give us deep insight across all of our user groups. As of December 31, 2020, we had serviced over 1.0 million verified teacher users, 56.9 million verified student users and 49.4 million registered parent users on a cumulative basis. Our smart in-school classroom solution was used at over 70,000 K-12 schools in over 300 cities across all provincial-level regions in mainland China in 2020.

For teachers. We believe school teachers are the pillars of the education system. We provide teachers with comprehensive educational content that we have fine-tuned over the past eight years, as well as a range of powerful

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tools that allow them to more efficiently execute their daily activities, freeing them to concentrate on improving the quality of their teaching. With our products, teachers can easily track student performance during the semester and throughout different grades, empowering them to offer a significantly higher level of personalization and elicit better results from students.

For students. Our ultimate goal is to improve learning efficiency and outcomes for students across China. Our products enable students to engage with a massive, proprietary library of localized learning content, access and complete their assignments online, and receive personalized feedback based on issues identified in their homework and assessments. All of these activities and related in-school data are captured in a digital academic profile.

For parents. We offer parents an effective, user-friendly way to monitor the academic performance and progress of their children. We also provide parents with up-to-date analysis on the areas where their children face challenges, as well as individualized study plans designed to tackle these areas of academic weakness, enabling them to take a more active role in the learning process.

After-School

To help students overcome their individual academic weaknesses, we started to offer online K-12 after-school tutoring courses in a large-class dual-teacher format in 2017, providing them an after-school learning experience that is closely integrated with their in-school education. Our online after-school tutoring courses cover the major subject matters of China’s K-12 education.

We leverage our profound insights into student academic performance in school to design our online K-12 after-school tutoring courses. In addition, our significant presence in K-12 schools across China allows us to align our after-school tutoring content and learning modules with local curriculum and assessment objectives. Moreover, the trusted relationships we have developed with teachers, students and parents provide us with a large and familiar pool of prospective tutoring customers, as well as a community of supporters that provide organic word-of-mouth referrals.

Our Smart In-School Classroom Solution

Over the past eight years, we have significantly expanded the product portfolio of smart in-school classroom solution to encompass class preparation and delivery, homework-related activities and academic assessment, delivering significant efficiency to teachers, students and parents in all of their key daily educational activities and enable them to perform tasks that are otherwise impracticable using traditional offline methods. Our smart in-school classroom solution covers most of the major subjects of K-12 education in China, including nine subjects required in the Gaokao. The core functions of our in-school products are free of charge for teachers, students and parents to use.

School Coverage and User Base

We have established a strong national footprint within China’s K-12 education system through almost a decade of expansion and growth. In 2020, our smart in-school classroom solution was used at over 70,000 K-12 schools in over 300 cities across all provincial-level regions in China.

Through our high-quality and effective in-school products, we have amassed a large and highly engaged user community. As of December 31, 2020, we had serviced over 1.0 million verified teacher users, 56.9 million verified student users and 49.4 million registered parent users on a cumulative basis. In 2020, each active verified teacher user on average issued approximately eight homework assignments per week, and each active user of our in-school student applications on average maintained approximately seven sessions of user per week. In addition, the average MAUs of our in-school applications for students reached 15.6 million, 14.1 million and 19.7 million in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Use Cases

Our smart in-school classroom solution covers all of the key activities related to K-12 in-school education in China, including class preparation and delivery, homework-related activities and academic assessment.

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Class Preparation and Delivery

Given recent developments in technological capabilities and consumer behavior, technology has increasingly become a part of K-12 education. Our 17 Smart Class software is a comprehensive content creation tool that seamlessly integrates with the software school teachers use to teach. When preparing presentations and other course materials, teachers can instantly access hundreds of thousands of pieces of highly modularized, accurately labeled, readily usable and easily customizable educational content from our database. Our proprietary content library is frequently updated and is organized across a number of easy-to-navigate classifications, including subject, learning objective, grade level, textbook version, and content type, among others. Teachers are also able to incorporate homework and assessment data from our in-school applications when preparing teaching materials for class, and in this way can make sure to take into account common mistakes on past homework questions and examinations. By using our high-quality content and our in-school data to create customized class materials, teachers are able to easily deliver an engaging, interactive learning experience for their students with more effective results.

Homework-Related Activities

To provide an integrated education experience, our system matches the corresponding teacher, student and parent accounts to streamline homework assignments, synchronize updates on learning progress and outcomes and facilitate communications among them.

Homework Assignment

Our applications give teachers the ability to easily access our massive, proprietary content library when assigning homework to their students. Our content is highly localized, which given the significant regional differences in China’s K-12 education, is necessary to effectively improve students’ educational outcomes. Leveraging our state-of-the-art algorithm technologies, our applications automatically generate and recommend to teachers a wide variety of homework sets sourced from our proprietary content library. These homework sets are tailored according to a number of corresponding local and personal factors, including textbook versions, learning objectives, specific knowledge points and weaknesses and areas for improvement. They are further categorized for specific use cases, such as day-to-day, after-class homework, holiday homework and exam preparation. For more information on the related algorithm technologies, see “—Technology—Big Data—Algorithms.” We also provide teachers with the flexibility to create their own customized homework sets using questions sourced from our content library. Teachers may also use our applications to distribute paper-based homework assignments to their students digitally. In addition to homework questions, our content library also includes a large collection of interactive educational materials, including digital picture books, conversation exercises and short videos we have developed in-house for teachers to incorporate into their assignments.

In addition, our applications for students and parents recommend highly personalized exercises that complement homework assigned by teachers for additional learning at students’ own pace.

Homework Submission, Evaluation and Supervision

Our applications allow students to submit the answers to their homework and other evaluation questions digitally through a range of common input mechanisms, including typing, digital handwriting and voice. Our teacher applications automatically grades or, at a minimum, generates preliminary marks for all homework sourced from our content library as soon as students complete their assignments. Our powerful automatic speech recognition and computer vision technologies enable real-time answer evaluation and grading of both spoken and written text formats with high accuracy and reliability. For more information on the related technologies, see “—Technology—Automatic Speech Recognition and Evaluation” and “—Technology—Computer Vision.”

We also enable parents to supervise their children’s homework in real-time. Our parent application sends automatic notifications for a range of activities, alerting parents of new assignments, delays and an overview of student homework results so that parents can easily track their children’s day-to-day learning progress.

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Tracking and Analyzing Homework Results

Our applications vastly improve the efficiency and depth with which teachers are able to track and analyze homework results to monitor student learning progress. For each homework assignment, our teacher applications automatically generate a comprehensive report based on insights from a wide variety of mission-critical data, including individual student results and class-wide accuracy rates, as well as average scores for each individual question. Our applications thereby promptly and precisely identify for teachers the weaknesses and areas of improvement of students both on a class-wide and an individual level, which is key to improving the effectiveness of their teaching and, ultimately, student educational outcomes. Our algorithm technologies also learn on this data to constantly fine-tune our homework recommendations for each teacher, creating a self-reinforcing cycle that rewards long-term, repeated use of our products.

Through their respective applications, students and parents can also access detailed compilations of all the mistakes students have made in the past, which constitute valuable personalized learning materials for students’ review and reference for parents’ guidance and supervision.

Academic Assessment

We assist teachers in various forms of academic assessment catering to their diverse needs. Leveraging our highly localized content library and powerful applications, teachers can design, distribute and easily grade assessments with ease in a range of assessment scenarios, from short quizzes to mid-term and final exams. Purely online academic assessments have become increasingly popular among teachers and schools since the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we also help teachers digitize, grade and review examinations distributed and completed in offline settings. Using our powerful algorithm technologies, we also provide teachers, schools and parents detailed post-assessments analysis reports to help them better understand and contextualize the academic performance of their students. For more information on the related algorithm technologies, see “—Technology—Big Data—Algorithms.”

Our After-School Tutoring Services

We started to offer online K-12 after-school tutoring courses in a large-class dual-teacher format in 2017. Under our “in-school + after-school” integrated model, we leverage our profound insights into student academic performance in school to design our online after-school tutoring courses. In addition, our significant presence in K-12 schools across China allows us to align our after-school tutoring content and learning modules with local curriculum and assessment objectives. Moreover, the trusted relationships we have developed with teachers, students and parents provide us with a large and familiar pool of prospective tutoring customers, as well as a community of supporters that provide organic word-of-mouth referrals.

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Course Offerings

We offer a comprehensive library of tutoring courses covering all grades and major subject matters required in high school and college entrance exams. We offer our courses in four semesters, namely, the two school semesters in Spring and Fall, and the two holiday semesters in Summer and Winter. We generally livestream our classes during weekends or during after-school hours on weekdays in the two school semesters in Spring and Fall and for a consecutive period of seven to ten days in the two holiday semesters in Summer and Winter. The following table provides our course offerings based on grades and subjects as of December 31, 2020:

Capitalizing on our proprietary content library and profound insights gained from in-school learning data, we are able to efficiently provide a large number of highly localized courses covering a wide range of regions. These courses cater to students’ learning needs based on a variety of factors, including, among others, specific geographic location, version of textbook and level of difficulty. For example, we offer, at varying difficulty levels, middle school mathematics courses specifically tailored to eight different regional textbook versions in China.

Our Dual-Teacher Model

We have adopted a dual-teacher model to improve student engagement and learning effectiveness. We divide each large class into multiple smaller groups and assign a tutor to each group to closely assist and guide each student throughout the entire period of a course. Each tutor typically is assigned to work with 200 to 300 students. We believe this dual-teacher model helps maximize our ability to improve teaching effectiveness and efficiency, and the personal attention provided to our students helps build a sense of community that drives student engagement and enhances learning results.

As of December 31, 2020, 340 instructors and 3,402 tutors were servicing the students of our online after-school tutoring courses. Our high-quality, well-trained instructors are critical to providing students an effective and engaging learning experience with our proprietary educational content. The tutors play an in-depth, overarching role in supplementing our instructors’ teaching efforts and closely guiding students and parents with data-driven insights. Their responsibilities include supervising students’ in-class performance, reviewing after-class assignments and recommending personalized exercises, and advising parents on their children’s learning progress.

Support System

Our instructors are guided by our data-driven insights and assisted by the tutors in preparing and delivering courses. During course preparation, our instructors are able to reference students’ common questions and mistakes by the large amount of learning data we accumulated, allowing them to structure courses accordingly to proactively address these questions and mistakes. During course delivery, the tutors keep our instructors updated on students’ learning progress and feedback, based on which our instructors continually fine-tune their teaching.

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We empower our tutors with a modularized program to help them channel our data-driven insights into their services for students and parents throughout each stage of our courses. For example, the system enables the tutors to efficiently recommend to their students highly personalized after-class exercises and learning materials based on our data-driven insights about their in-school academic performance, as well as trends and patterns of in-school education at various local levels that we monitor and synthesize on a real-time basis. Further, the tutors capitalize on the strong algorithm capabilities of the program to provide parents highly contextualized and detailed evaluation of their children’s performance and provide personalized consultation accordingly throughout and upon the completion of each course. We only use insights from students’ in-school academic performance data for after-school tutoring services if we have obtained the requisite prior consent.

Recruitment

We routinely onboard seasoned instructors with extensive local teaching experience and strong reputations, as well as high-quality recent graduates from top universities in China and abroad. We are highly selective in recruiting our instructors. Applicants must go through multiple rounds of screening processes, including preliminary interviews, teaching skills demonstrations and re-examinations.

To continually strengthen the pool of tutors for our courses, we engage third-party service providers to regularly enlist recent graduates of reputable universities and experienced candidates with relevant educational experience. We impose high selection standards in a variety of criteria, including grasp of relevant academic subjects, analytical and communication skills, teamwork abilities, personality traits, commitment to customer service and sense of responsibility. Candidates must undergo series of interviews, trainings and assessments before they are formally accepted.

Development

Before they are approved to formally teach our online classes, our newly-hired instructors must complete rigorous, standardized training programs to ensure they have the requisite teaching skills and understanding to deliver our systematically developed content effectively. Subjects of these programs include fundamental training on academic understanding and teaching skills, in-depth training on utilizing our systems and programs, pilot courses and performance evaluation and preparation and rehearsal for live-classes. We closely supervise our instructors’ performance. For example, our quality assurance personnel review our online courses by random selection on a weekly basis to evaluate instructors’ performance and help them hone their class delivery. In addition, we also utilize our data analytics technologies to help analyze and refine their teaching skills.

The tutors must complete a comprehensive onboarding program with respect to our work flows, operational systems, corporate culture, client service protocols and other key aspects of their responsibilities. To further improve their ability to manage their relationships with students and parents throughout each stage of our courses, they are also subject to continued, practical trainings periodically on a number of key areas, such as abilities to effectively communicate with parents, to elevate students’ motivation and interest, to efficiently analyze students’ weaknesses and areas for improvement and to provide personalized advice.

Evaluation and Compensation

Our instructors and tutors are subject to comprehensive evaluations on a quarterly basis, in addition to the on-going evaluation processes in place. Adopting a holistic approach, we consider a wide variety of quantitative and qualitative criteria, including student learning outcomes, student retention, parent feedback and contributions to other related areas, such as content development and staff training. Our instructors and tutors receive competitive performance-based bonuses and hourly course fees.

Class Experience

Our state-of-the-art, multi-functional interface creates a highly engaging, immersive and interactive experience for our students, which we believe sets us apart from many of our competitors. Students may use the 17 Online School application, or log onto the website of our after-school tutoring services, to participate in live-streaming classes and review recorded classes.

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In addition to interacting with each other in the live-chat box, students, instructors and tutors can efficiently conduct a variety of real-time activities using our pre-set modules to simulate a real-world classroom experience. For example, instructors and students may assign and answer multiple choice questions within customized time limits, organize group quiz competitions live and conduct instructor-to-student live video chats through multiple picture-in-picture windows for showcasing answers to the whole class.

To ensure the effectiveness of our online courses, our live-streaming system is designed to encourage students’ participation through a variety of measures. For example, our system allows instructors to provide students various forms of virtual animated effects and cosmetic features to incentivize their active participation and excellent performance.

Full-Screen Interface

To further simulate a real-world classroom experience, starting in July 2020, we have started to provide a full-screen interface for a majority of our paid courses. The full-screen interface features a live-streaming feed that occupies the entire default viewer interface. This format is conducive to creating a more immersive and engaging learning environment that is similar to an offline classroom setting for our students. The large high-resolution display in this format can present approximately 30% more content on each slide than the “blackboard” in traditional three-module interfaces.

CGI-Based Interface

We also utilize CGI livestreaming studios for delivering the content of certain primary school English courses. Adopting advanced CGI technologies commonly used in motion picture and television production, we are able to efficiently incorporate a wide variety of animated visual effects by simultaneously layering them onto the background for the instructors to present. The resulting interface provides a highly interactive, immersive learning environment that is particularly effective in stimulating and cultivating younger students’ interest in learning.

Course Fees

The course fees for our paid courses per semester typically ranged from RMB99 to RMB1,928 per course in 2020. Our median level of course fees increased by 13% from 2018 to 2019, and increased by 34% from 2019 to 2020. We also offer trial courses that are priced below RMB99 per course, including free promotional courses.

Content Development

Our integrated, data-driven content development capability is critical to the quality of all our product offerings. Underlying this distinctive capability are our highly systemized and streamlined development processes and best practices, which, in turn, are executed by our multidisciplinary development team in a closely coordinated fashion. As of December 31, 2020, we had 330 content development professionals, many of whom have extensive practical experience in a variety of related fields, such as teaching, educational statistics, algorithms and visual design.

In-School Content

The content in our massive, proprietary content library primarily includes localized homework and academic assessment questions sets and multimedia, interactive educational materials. Development of the questions sets generally involves two major stages:

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For our interactive, multimedia educational materials, our dedicated multidisciplinary professionals carry out series of scripting, designing and testing processes to maximize their effectiveness in stimulating students’ interest and improving learning outcomes. We constantly update our content library according to updates in local educational requirements and trends, as well as learning and behavioral data generated by our users.

After-School Content

The development efforts of our online after-school tutoring courses primarily concentrate on two key areas:

Technology

Technology is at the core of our business, driving our content development, product innovation and operational optimization. As of December 31, 2020, we had a team of 696 technology professionals, whose expertise spans a broad range of related fields, from automatic speech recognition and evaluation, computer vision, algorithm engineering, big data analytics to operational and infrastructure maintenance. Many of our technology experts have prior work experience at leading internet and technology companies in both China and the rest of the world. We are committed to continually strengthening our technological capabilities and attracting and developing high-quality technology talents.

Automatic Speech Recognition and Evaluation

We have accumulated extensive expertise in developing and applying automatic speech recognition and evaluation technologies, which are primarily used for real-time grading of English-speaking exercises on our in-school applications. In addition to pronunciation and fluency, we are also able to evaluate vocabulary, grammar, expression and other semantic elements of speech with high accuracy by integrating our speech recognition and evaluation and language processing capabilities. In 2020, the highest number of audio messages that our automatic recognition and evaluation technologies evaluated on a daily basis surpassed 300 million. Such a large amount of audio data enables us to train our AI engine to adjust to the evaluation criteria of different schools and teachers, and therefore significantly improves the accuracy of evaluation at local levels. In addition, we have developed a strong expertise in automatic recognition and evaluation of younger children’s speech, using accumulated data and experience with respect to their differences in pronunciation, vernacular and speech pattern. As a testament to our strong capabilities in automatic speech recognition and evaluation, we have entered into a strategic partnership with PEP Digital Publishing Corporation Limited, a subsidiary of People’s Education Press, China’s largest publisher of K-12 public school textbooks and other educational materials, that focuses on digitalization of educational materials. Through the partnership, we help improve their language learning and assessment programs with our accumulated expertise and technologies.

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Computer Vision

We have also developed strong computer vision technologies. They are used in a wide variety of offline-to-online homework- and academic assessment-related scenarios, such as automatic evaluation of handwritten dictation, short-answer and essay questions for English and Chinese education and computational and word problems for mathematics education. We continually improve the accuracy of, and broaden the capabilities of, our computer vision technologies leveraging the vast amount of visual data we process.

Big Data

Algorithms

Our algorithm technologies significantly improve the efficiency and precision of our content development and recommendation efforts. When identifying all the knowledge points that each question in our content library covers, our algorithm technologies, in conjunction with our natural language technologies, have significantly improved the efficiency of our data tagging efforts compared to manual tagging. Further, our algorithm-based recommendation system provides the foundation for our capabilities to automatically recommend homework sets to teachers and extra exercises to students and teachers. Through in-depth analysis of weaknesses and areas for improvement on class-wide and personal levels and the identification of the underlying commonalities among questions in terms of difficulty levels and knowledge points, the recommendation system allows our in-school products to recommend homework sets tailored to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of learning.

Our item response theory-based algorithm technologies are extensively used in analyzing the results of academic assessments conducted through our in-school applications and in our after-school tutoring services. The algorithm model factors in each assessment question’s difficulty levels and knowledge points in relation to students’ learning progress and other attributes. We are therefore able to provide to teachers, schools and parents highly contextualized assessment analysis reports showing the academic performance of students underlying their assessment scores.

Business Intelligence

We extract valuable business intelligence from the vast amounts of data we process and optimize our efficiency across a wide range of our business operations. For example, we use big data analytics to construct user profiles for after-school tutoring courses’ students, which in turn provides valuable insights as to how to improve students’ learning experience, increase their retention and conversion of paid course enrollments. We also constantly monitor and analyze the key performance indicators of instructors, tutors and other related staff, adjust our human resource allocations accordingly to maximize the cost-effectiveness of our courses. In addition, we heavily rely on big data analytics to predict user behavior to optimize the precision and efficiency of our sales and marketing and customer service efforts.

Infrastructure

Our servers are hosted in our own internet data centers in different regions in China, including Beijing, Wuxi and Guangzhou. We continually back-up our databases on both real-time and delayed bases. Our IT and operation professionals continually monitor the performance of our websites, applications and network infrastructure to promptly respond to potential risks. We also partner with leading cloud service providers in China to host our computing functions.

Sales, Marketing and Customer Service

Smart In-School Classroom Solution

We primarily utilize our offline teacher service team, and leverage organic word-of-mouth referrals that we generate as our brand grows, to promote our smart in-school classroom solution in K-12 schools across China. Our offline teacher service team consists of full-time representatives, who provide customer service for teachers, including helping teachers to learn to use our products, and regularly gathering their feedback and update them on our products’ new features and content. These representatives have developed strong execution capabilities, team-

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building skills and sales know-how from our continuous and rigorous training. The representatives generally initiate the first contact by paying a visit to a teacher that might be interested in our products at their school. Once we have established a foothold in a school, we often increase adoption of our smart in-school classroom solution at the same school across multiple grades and academic subjects through organic teacher user referrals. They also participate in educational meetings and conduct promotional events at the school to further promote and integrate our products into the school’s educational plans. As our brand continues to grow, we generate a significant amount of word-of-mouth referrals among teachers and other stakeholders across China, which in turn further increases our user base and brand recognition.

After-School Tutoring Services

We market after-school tutoring courses and strengthen our brand recognition primarily through a variety of online channels. In particular, our in-school products, especially our parent application, provide a large amount of organic traffic for us to target the key decision makers in a cost-effective and efficient manner. We also leverage word-of-mouth referrals generated based on our general brand recognition and trust from users of both our in-school products and after-school courses. We also place advertisements and conduct marketing campaigns on major social media platforms, websites and TV channels in China.

Trial Courses

We constantly offer trial courses that are priced below RMB99 per course, including free promotional courses. These trial courses provide prospective students an engaging, encouraging experience that demonstrates the effectiveness of our educational content and instructors in improving their learning experience and outcomes. Our powerful data-driven insights allow us to help prospective students efficiently identify the academic needs and areas of improvement, and to effectively convert sales leads into paid course enrollments.

Online Community and Content Marketing

We continually engage in online community and content marketing initiatives, primarily through our official accounts on major social network platforms in China and local groups of parent users we organize on these platforms, to constantly promote our courses and brand and maintain a continuous dialogue with them. Leveraging our accumulated in-school and after-school experience and content, we routinely produce and distribute informative marketing materials on helpful and pertinent topics, such as cultivating children’s interest in learning, nurturing parent-child relationships and understanding of current trends in education.

Other Educational Services

We also offer a variety of other educational services bolstered by our exceptional capability to create educational content and our advanced technologies, primarily including (i) membership-based premium educational content subscriptions to our selected proprietary offerings, including à la carte courses, workbooks, study plans and associated services, available on our parent application; (ii) education informatization services, which consist of various SaaS solutions in relation to teaching management, content development and data analytics for education-related government entities, schools and service providers; and (iii) AI-enabled courses in the format of interactive, small-class course offerings that encourage teamwork and competition among students.

Data Privacy and Security

We are committed to protecting the large amount of user data that we collect, process, store and use on a daily basis. We have implemented advanced data encryption measures to ensure secured transmission of data, encrypt confidential personal information for storage and apply classified encryption methodology based on the level of risk. In addition, we have established stringent internal protocols to prevent any unauthorized access or use of our user data. We have obtained the Level III Certification in Information Security and Protection issued by the relevant local branch of Ministry of Public Security. Our back-end security system is capable of handling malicious attacks to safeguard the security of our operations and to protect the privacy of our students. All our employees and tutors are required to strictly follow our detailed internal rules, policies and protocols to ensure the privacy of our user data. We limit the types of personal information that our employees and products are allowed to collect to only those strictly necessary for conducting our operations. Our user data is ranked by level of risk, and our risk department works with our various operating departments to delineate the types and scope of user data that employees are allowed to access based on their work scope and job responsibility. Our employees’ and tutors’ access and use of user data are automatically recorded and routinely reviewed. We also conduct system-wide vulnerability scanning and penetration test every year to continually improve our data security measures.

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Content Monitoring

We are committed to maintaining a healthy and positive educational environment for students and other users. Our educational content is typically subject to internal review and testing by multiple levels of our operational and management teams before being approved to launch. Our dedicated content monitoring and risk management personnel monitor our live courses, chat messages and other content on our in-school and after-school products.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Deeply rooted in China’s K-12 education ecosystem, we regularly engage in corporate social responsibility initiatives under the brand 17 Cares to promote educational equality. 17 Cares focuses on using our experience, technologies and resources to improve the quality of K-12 education in impoverished regions in China. In cooperation with local authorities, non-profit organizations, schools and other community stakeholders, we have sponsored a wide variety of charitable events and public interest activities, ranging from providing pro bono educational informatization and training services, donating funds and educational resources, to facilitating the exchange between students from rural and urban areas.

Competition

We compete with other providers on, and continually strengthen our advantages in, the following principal competitive factors:

The online after-school tutoring services industry in China is intensely competitive. We believe the principal competitive factors in our business include the following:

We believe that we are well-positioned to effectively compete on the factors listed above. For a discussion of risks relating to competition, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—We face significant competition, and if we fail to compete efficiently, we may lose our market share or fail to gain additional market share, which would adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.”

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Intellectual Property

We highly value our intellectual property rights, which are fundamental to our success and competitiveness. We rely on a combination of copyright and trademark law, trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements with employees to protect our intellectual property rights. We have also adopted a comprehensive set of internal rules for intellectual property management. These guidelines set the obligations of our employees and create a reporting mechanism in connection with our intellectual property protection. As of December 31, 2021, we had registered 185 trademarks, 48 literature and artwork copyrights, 71 software copyrights and 72 domain names in China.

In addition, under the employment agreements we enter into with our employees, they acknowledge that the intellectual property developed by them in connection with their employment with us, including our in-house developed content and technologies and recorded courses, are our property.

Insurance

We provide certain employees supplemental health insurance. We do not maintain any liability insurance or property insurance policies covering students, equipment and facilities for injuries, death or losses due to fire, earthquake, flood or any other disaster. Consistent with customary industry practice in China, we do not maintain business interruption insurance, nor do we maintain key-man life insurance.

Regulations

We operate our business in China under a legal regime created and made by PRC lawmakers consisting of the NPC, the country’s highest legislative body, the State Council, the highest authority of the executive branch of the PRC central government, and several ministries and agencies under its authority, including the MOE, the MIIT, the State Administration for Market Regulation (formerly known as the State Administration for Industry and Commerce), or the SAMR, and the National Press and Publication Administration (formerly known as the State Administration of Press Publication Radio Film and Television). This section summarizes the principal PRC regulations related to our business.

Regulation Relating to Foreign Investment

On March 15, 2019, the NPC promulgated the Foreign Investment Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2020 and replaced the trio of laws regulating foreign investment in China, namely, the Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law, the Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprise Law and the Wholly Foreign-invested Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. The foreign-invested enterprises established prior to the effective of the Foreign Investment Law may keep their corporate forms, among other things, within five years after January 1, 2020. Pursuant to the Foreign Investment Law, “foreign investors” means natural persons, enterprises, or other organizations of a foreign country, “foreign-invested enterprises”, or FIEs, means any enterprise established under PRC law that is wholly or partially invested by foreign investors and “foreign investment” means any foreign investor’s direct or indirect investment in mainland China, including: (i) establishing FIEs in mainland China either individually or jointly with other investors; (ii) obtaining stock shares, stock equity, property shares, other similar interests in Chinese domestic enterprises; (iii) investing in new projects in mainland China either individually or jointly with other investors; and (iv) making investment through other means provided by laws, administrative regulations, or State Council provisions.

The Foreign Investment Law stipulates that China implements the management system of pre-establishment national treatment plus a negative list to foreign investment and the government generally will not expropriate foreign investment, except under special circumstances, in which case it will provide fair and reasonable compensation to foreign investors. Foreign investors are barred from investing in prohibited industries on the negative list and must comply with the specified requirements when investing in restricted industries on that list. When a license is required to enter a certain industry, the foreign investor must apply for one, and the government must treat the application the same as one by a domestic enterprise, except where laws or regulations provide otherwise. In addition, foreign investors or FIEs are required to file information reports and foreign investment shall be subject to the national security review. In addition, the Implementation Rules of the Foreign Investment Law, effective on January 1, 2020, clarifies that the Foreign Investment Law and its implementation rules also apply to investments by FIEs in China.

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On December 26, 2019, the Supreme People’s Court of China promulgated the Interpretations on Certain Issues Regarding the Application of Foreign Investment Law, effective on January 1, 2020, pursuant to which “investment contracts” are defined as relevant agreements formed as a result of direct or indirect investments in China by foreign investors, namely, foreign individuals, foreign enterprises or other foreign organizations, including contracts for establishment of foreign investment enterprises, share transfer contracts, equity transfer contracts, contracts for transfer of property or other similar interests, contracts for newly-built projects and etc. Any claim to invalidate an investment contract will be supported by courts if such investment contract is decided to be entered into for purposes of making foreign investments in the “prohibited industries” under the negative list or for purposes of investing in the “restricted industries” without satisfaction of conditions set out in the negative list.

Regulation Relating to Foreign Investment Restrictions

According to the latest Special Administrative Measures for the Entry of Investment (Negative List), or the Negative List, promulgated by the MOFCOM and the NDRC, effective on July 23, 2020, the provision of value-added telecommunications services falls in the restricted industries and the percentage of foreign ownership cannot exceed 50% (except for e-commerce, domestic multi-party communication, store-and-forward and call center).

The Regulations on Administration of Foreign-Invested Telecommunications Enterprises, or the FITE Regulations, as last amended on February 6, 2016, are the key regulations for foreign direct investment in telecommunications companies in China. The FITE Regulations stipulates that the foreign investor of a telecommunications enterprise is prohibited from holding more than 50% of the equity interest in an FIE that provides value-added telecommunications services. In addition, the main foreign investor who invests in a value-added telecommunications enterprise in China must demonstrate a positive track record and experience in providing such services. Moreover, foreign investors that meet these qualification requirements that intend to invest in or establish a value-added telecommunications enterprise operating the value-added telecommunications business must obtain approvals from the MIIT and the MOFCOM, or their authorized local counterparts, which retain considerable discretion in granting approvals.

On July 13, 2006, the MIIT, issued the Circular on Strengthening the Administration of Foreign Investment in Value-added Telecommunications Services, which requires that (i) foreign investors can only operate a telecommunications business in China through establishing a telecommunications enterprise with a valid telecommunications business operation license; (ii) domestic license holders are prohibited from leasing, transferring or selling telecommunications business operation licenses to foreign investors in any form, or providing any resource, sites or facilities to foreign investors to facilitate the unlicensed operation of telecommunications business in China; (iii) value-added telecommunications services providers or their shareholders must directly own the domain names and registered trademarks they use in their daily operations; (iv) each value-added telecommunications services provider must have the necessary facilities for its approved business operations and maintain such facilities in the geographic regions covered by its license; and (v) all value-added telecommunications services providers should improve network and information security, enact relevant information safety administration regulations and set up emergency plans to ensure network and information safety. The provincial communications administration bureaus, as local authorities in charge of regulating telecommunications services, may revoke the value-added telecommunications business operation licenses of those who fail to comply with the above requirements or fail to rectify such noncompliance within specified time limits.

Regulation Relating to Value-added Telecommunications Services

On September 25, 2000, the State Council issued the PRC Regulations on Telecommunications, or the Telecommunications Regulations, as last amended on February 6, 2016, to regulate telecommunications activities in China. The Telecommunications Regulations divided the telecommunications services into two categories, namely “infrastructure telecommunications services” and “value-added telecommunications services.” Pursuant to the Telecommunications Regulations, operators of value-added telecommunications services, or VATS, must first obtain a Value-added Telecommunications Business Operating License, or VATS License, from the MIIT or its provincial level counterparts. On July 3, 2017, the MIIT promulgated the Administrative Measures on Telecommunications Business Operating Licenses, which set forth more specific provisions regarding the types of licenses required to operate VATS, the qualifications and procedures for obtaining such licenses and the administration and supervision of such licenses.

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The Classified Catalog of Telecommunications Services (2015 Version), or the 2015 MIIT Catalog, effective on March 1, 2016 and as amended on June 6, 2019, defines information services as “the information services provided for users through public communications networks or internet by means of information gathering, development, processing and the construction of the information platform.” Moreover, information services continue to be classified as a category of VATS and are clarified to include information release and delivery services, information search and query services, information community platform services, information real-time interactive services, and information protection and processing services under the 2015 MIIT Catalog.

The Administrative Measures on Internet Information Services, or the ICP Measures, promulgated by the PRC State Council and as last amended on January 8, 2011, sets forth more specific rules on the provision of internet information services. According to the ICP Measures, any company that engages in the provision of commercial internet information services must obtain a sub-category VATS License for Internet Information Services, or the ICP License, from the relevant government authorities before providing any commercial internet information services within the PRC. Pursuant to the above-mentioned regulations, “commercial internet information services” generally refer to provision of specific information content, online advertising, web page construction and other online application services through the internet for profit making purpose. According to the ICP Measures, internet information service providers cannot produce, duplicate, publish or disseminate information that (i) is against any fundamental principles set out in the Constitution Law of China; (ii) endangers the national security, leaks the national secrets, incites to overthrow the national power, or undermines the national unity; (iii) damages the national honor or interests; (iv) incites the ethnic hatred and ethnic discrimination or undermines the solidarity among all ethnic groups; (v) undermines the national policies on religions and advocates religious cults and feudal superstition; (vi) disseminates rumors to disrupt the social order and undermines the social stability; (vii) disseminates the obscene materials, advocates gambling, violence, killing and terrorism, or instigates others to commit crimes; (viii) humiliates or defames others or infringes the legitimate rights and interests of others; and (ix) is otherwise prohibited by laws and regulations.

In addition to the Telecommunications Regulations and the other regulations discussed above, the provision of commercial internet information services on mobile internet apps is regulated by the Administrative Provisions on Mobile Internet Applications Information Services, which was promulgated by the Cyberspace Administration of China, or the CAC, on June 28, 2016 and came into effect on August 1, 2016. The providers of mobile internet applications are subject to requirements under these provisions, including acquiring the qualifications and complying with other requirements provided by laws and regulations and being responsible for information security.

Regulation Relating to Private Education

The Education Law of PRC, or the Education Law, sets forth provisions relating to the fundamental education systems of China, including a school system of pre-school education, primary education, secondary education and higher education, a system of nine-year compulsory education and a system of education certificates. The Education Law stipulates that the government formulates plans for the development of education, establishes and operates schools and other types of educational institutions, and in principle, enterprises, institutions, social organizations and individuals are encouraged to operate schools and other types of educational organizations in accordance with PRC laws and regulations.

On December 28, 2002, the SCNPC promulgated the Law for Promoting Private Education, or the Private Education Law, which was last amended on December 29, 2018. Pursuant to the Private Education Law, sponsors of private schools may choose to establish non-profit or for-profit private schools at their own discretion and the establishment of the private schools must be subject to approvals granted by relevant government authorities and registered with relevant registration authorities.

On August 10, 2018, the MOJ published a draft amendment to the Regulations on the Implementation of the Law for Promoting Private Education of PRC, or the MOJ Draft, for public comment. The MOJ Draft stipulates that private schools using internet technology to provide online diploma-awarding educational courses shall obtain the private school operating permit of similar academic education at the same level, as well as the internet operating permit. The institutions that use internet technology to provide training and educational activities, vocational qualification and vocational skills training, or providing an internet technology service platform for the above activities, would need to obtain the corresponding internet operating permit and file with the administrative department for education or the department of human resources and social security at the provincial level where the institution is domiciled, and such institutions shall not provide educational and teaching activities which require the private school operating permit. The internet technology service platform that provides training and educational activities shall review and register the identity information of institutions or individuals applying for access to the platform.

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Regulation Relating to After-school Tutoring and Educational Apps

On February 13, 2018, the MOE, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the SAMR jointly promulgated the Circular on Alleviating After-school Burden on Primary and Secondary School Students and Implementing Inspections on After-school Training Institutions, pursuant to which the government authorities will carry out a series of inspections on after-school training institutions and order those with material potential safety risks to suspend business for self-inspection and rectification and those without proper establishment licenses or school operating permits to apply for relevant qualifications and certificates under the guidance of competent government authorities. Moreover, after-school training institutions must file with the local education authorities and publicly present the classes, courses, target students, class hours and other information relating to their academic training courses (primarily including courses on Chinese and mathematics). After-school training institutions are prohibited from providing academic training services beyond the scope or above the level of school textbooks, or organizing any academic competitions (such as Olympiad competitions) or level tests for students of primary and secondary schools. In addition, primary and secondary schools may not reference the student’s performance in the after-school training institutions as one of admission criteria.

On August 6, 2018, the General Office of the State Council issued the Opinion on the Regulation of the Development of After-school Training Institutions, or State Council Circular 80, which primarily regulates the after-school training institutions targeting students in elementary and middle schools. State Council Circular 80 reiterates prior guidance that after-school training institutions must obtain a private school operating permit, and further requires such institutions to meet certain minimum requirements. For example, after-school training institutions are required to (i) have a training premise that satisfies specific safety criteria, with an average area per student of no less than three square meters during the applicable training period; (ii) comply with relevant requirements relating to fire safety, environmental protection, hygiene, food operation and others; (iii) purchase personal safety insurance for their students to reduce safety risks; and (iv) avoid hiring any teachers who are working concurrently in primary or secondary schools, and ensure that teachers tutoring in academic subjects (such as Chinese, mathematics, English, physics, chemistry and biology) have the corresponding teacher qualification licenses. Teachers in primary and secondary schools cannot force or compel students to participate in tutoring provided by after-school training institutions, which is consistent with the principle of the PRC Compulsory Education Law that primary and secondary schools cannot promote or disguise products or services to students for their profit. In addition, after-school training institutions are prohibited from carrying out exam-oriented training, training that goes beyond the school syllabus, training in advance of the corresponding school schedule or any training activities associated with student admission, and they are not allowed to organize any level test, rank examination or competition on academic subjects for primary and secondary students. The training content of after-school training institutions cannot exceed the corresponding national curricular standards and training progress shall not be more accelerated than the corresponding progress of local schools. According to State Council Circular 80, after-school training institutions are also required to disclose and file relevant information regarding the institution, including their training content, schedule, targeted students and school timetable to the relevant education authority, and their training classes may not end later than 8:30 p.m. each day or otherwise conflict with the teaching time of local primary and secondary schools. Course fees can only be collected for courses in three months or shorter installments. Moreover, State Council Circular 80 requests that competent local authorities formulate relevant local standards for after-school training institutions within their administrative area. If an overseas listed after-school training institution publicizes overseas any periodical report, or any interim report on material adverse effect on its operation, it must concurrently publish the information in Chinese on its official website (or on the disclosure platform for securities exchange information in the absence of an official website). With respect to online education service providers, State Council Circular 80 provides a principle that regulatory authorities of networking, culture, information technology, radio and television industries should cooperate with regulatory authorities of education in supervising online education in their relevant industry. On May 6, 2020, the General Office of the MOE promulgated the Notice on the Negative List of Advanced Trainings for Six Compulsory Education Subjects (for Trial Implementation), which, in accordance with the State Council Circular 80, prohibits after-school training institutions from providing advanced trainings that do not follow the formal school curricula to the students in primary school and secondary school, and further defined activities that will be regarded as advanced training in the subjects of Chinese, mathematics, English, physics, chemistry and biology.

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On August 30, 2018, the MOE, SAMR, and certain other government authorities issued the Comprehensive Implementation Plan for Myopia Control in Children and Teenagers, which requires, among others, that the schools (i) shall use electronic devices based on the principal of necessity, shall not rely on electronic devices for teaching and homework assignment and shall rather assign paper-based homework in principle, and shall limit use of electronic devices to no more than 30% of total teaching time; and (ii) shall strictly implement the learning and development guidelines for children aged from 3 to 6, pay attention to the importance of child life and play and avoid “primary school” teaching.

On November 20, 2018, the General Office of the MOE, the General Office of the SAMR and the General Office of the Ministry of Emergency Management jointly issued the Notice on Improving the Specific Governance and Rectification Mechanisms of After-school Education Institutions, which provides that provincial regulatory authorities of education should be responsible for being filed with the training institutions that use internet technology to provide online training and target primary and secondary school students. Provincial regulatory authorities of education should supervise the online after-school training institutions based on the policies regulating the offline after-school training institutions. In addition, online after-school training institutions are required to file the information of their courses, such as names, contents, target students, syllabi and schedules with the relevant provincial regulatory authorities of education and publish the name, photo, class schedule and certificate number of the teacher qualification license of each teacher on their websites.

On December 25, 2018, the General Office of the MOE issued the Notice on Strictly Forbidding Harmful Apps in Primary and Secondary Schools, which stipulates, among other things, that (i) local primary schools, secondary schools and education departments, should conduct comprehensive investigations on Apps in their campus, and should call off using any Apps containing harmful contents (such as commercial advertisements and internet games) or increasing the burden to the students, and (ii) a filing and reviewing system of learning Apps should be established.

On August 10, 2019, the MOE, jointly with certain other PRC government authorities, issued the Opinions on Guiding and Regulating the Orderly and Healthy Development of Educational Mobile Apps, or the Opinions on Educational Apps, which requires, among others, mobile Apps that provide services for school teaching and management, student learning and student life, or home-school interactions, with school faculties, students or parents as the main users and with education or learning as the main application scenarios, are educational Apps, which should be filed with competent provincial regulatory authorities for education. The Opinions on Educational Apps also requires, among others, that (i) each provider of educational Apps should obtain the ICP License or complete the ICP filing and obtain the certificate and the grade evaluation report for graded protection of cybersecurity before the completion of filing; (ii) the educational Apps with main users under the age of 18 should limit the use time of its App, specify the range of suitable ages, and strictly monitor the content in its App; (iii) if any educational App will be introduced as a mandatory App to students in any school, such educational App should be approved by the applicable school through its collective decision-making process and be filed with the competent regulatory authorities for education; and (iv) the educational Apps selected by regulatory authorities for education and schools as the teaching or management tools are not allowed to charge any fees to students or parents or offer any commercial advertisements or games. On November 11, 2019, the MOE issued the Administrative Measures on Filing of Educational Mobile Apps. In 2020, the MOE established a public channel that can be used to submit complaints with respect to educational apps and set a penalty points system based on the severity of the complaints. For serious complaints substantiated by relevant government authorities, an appropriate number of penalty points is recorded for the relevant educational app provider, and remedial measures also may be required. In the event that an educational app provider receives 12 or more penalty points within 12 months or certain types of serious complaints, the MOE may revoke such provider’s filing, blacklist such provider, remove its educational app from the app store, publicize the complaint or prohibit such provider from submitting any filings for six months. Complaints can be made against both educational app providers and users regarding a variety of matters including failure to file or obtain relevant permits; illegal or inappropriate information; inappropriate collection and use of personal information; and violation of relevant requirements for primary and secondary schools and online after-school training programs.

On June 10, 2020, the General Office of MOE and the General Office of SAMR promulgated the Notice on Issuing the Form of Service Contract for After-school Training Provided to Primary and Secondary School Students, which requires the local competent regulatory authorities to guide the relevant parties to use the form of service contract for after-school training activities provided to primary and secondary school students. The form of service contract covers the obligations and rights of parties involved in the after-school training, including detailed provisions on training fees, refund arrangement and default liabilities.

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On October 13, 2020, the General Office of the MOE and the General Office of the SAMR jointly promulgated the Notice on the Centralized Rectification of After-school Tutoring Institutions’ Illegal Acts of Infringing Consumers’ Rights by Using Unfair Standard Terms. The Notice stipulates that local education and market regulation authorities shall make efforts to conduct investigation of after-school tutoring institutions’ illegal acts which infringes consumers’ rights by using unfair standard terms to exempt themselves from liability, increase consumers’ liability and exclude consumers’ legal rights.

The Law for Protection of Minors issued by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on September 4, 1991 was recently amended on October 17, 2020 and such amendments will take effect on June 1, 2021. According to the amended Law for Protection of Minors, kindergartens and after-school training agencies may not carry out primary school curriculum for the pre-school age minors, and online education products and services that are targeted at minors shall not include any links to online games or push any advertisements and other information that are irrelevant to teaching.

The MOE and certain other PRC government authorities jointly promulgated the Implementation Opinions on Regulating Online After-school Training, or the Online After-school Training Opinions, as effective on July 12, 2019. The Online After-school Training Opinions is to regulate academic after-school training involving internet technology provided to students in primary and secondary schools. The Online After-School Training Opinions requires, among others, that online after-school training institutions should file with the competent provincial regulatory authorities of education and such regulatory authorities of education, jointly with other provincial government authorities, should review the filings and qualifications of the online after-school training institutions.

With respect to the filing requirements, the Online After-school Training Opinions provides, among others, that (i) an online after-school training institution should file with the competent provincial regulatory authorities of education after it obtains the ICP License and the grade evaluation report for the graded protection of cybersecurity; (ii) the materials need to be filed by the online after-school training institutions include, among others, the materials related to the institution (such as the information on their ICP Licenses and other relevant licenses), the management systems used for protection of personal information and cybersecurity, the training content and the training personnel; and (iii) the competent provincial regulatory authorities of education should promulgate local implementing rules on filing requirements, which should focus on training institutions, training content and training personnel.

The Online After-school Training Opinions further provides that the competent provincial regulatory authorities of education should, jointly with other provincial government authorities, review the filings and qualifications of the online after-school training institutions, focusing on the following matters: (i) the training content should not include online games or other content or links irrelevant with the training itself, and should not be beyond the scope of relevant national school syllabus. No illegal publications may be published, printed, reproduced or distributed, and no infringement or piracy activities may be conducted during the training. The training content and data should be stored for more than one year, among which the live streaming teaching videos should be stored for more than six months; (ii) each course should not be longer than 40 minutes and should be taken at intervals of not less than 10 minutes, and the training time should not conflict with the teaching time of primary and secondary schools. Each live-streaming course provided to students receiving compulsory education should not end later than 9:00 p.m., and no homework should be left for primary school students in Grade 1 and Grade 2. The online after-school training platforms should have eye protection and parental supervision functions; (iii) the online after-school training institutions should not hire any teachers who are currently working at primary or secondary schools. Training personnel of academic subjects are required to obtain necessary teacher qualification licenses. The online after-school training institutions’ platforms and course interfaces should present the names, photos and teacher qualification licenses of training personnel, and the learning, working and teaching experiences of foreign training personnel; (iv) with the consent of students and their parents, the online after-school training institutions should verify the identification information of each student, and should not illegally sell or provide such information to third parties. User behavior log must be kept for more than one year; (v) the charge items and standard and refund policy should be specifically presented on the training platforms. The prepaid fees can only be used for education and training purposes, and cannot be used for other investment activities. If the prepaid fees are charged based on the number of classes, the prepaid fees are not allowed to be collected in a lump sum for more than 60 classes. If the prepaid fees are charged based on the length of the learning period, the prepaid fees are not allowed to be collected for a learning period of more than three months; and (vi) the online after-school training institutions with incompliance or issues identified by the competent provincial regulatory authorities of education must complete the rectification, and would be subject to fines, administrative order to suspend operations or other administrative sanctions if they fail to complete the rectification in time.

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On April 21, 2020, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Welfare and other government authorities jointly promulgated the Notice of Implementing the Phased Measures of “Taking Certificate after Starting Career” for Certain Occupations under COVID-19, pursuant to which all college graduates who are eligible for the teacher qualification examination and meet the requirements of teacher qualification regarding ideological and political criteria, language skills and physical conditions are allowed to start to engage in the related work of education before obtaining the teacher qualification licenses. The teacher qualification licenses are not be a mandatory precondition for college graduates if they are hired prior to December 31, 2020.

On November 27, 2020, the MOE and the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission jointly promulgated the Notice on Further Strengthening the Standardized Management of Online Course Platforms for Minors. The Notice emphasizes that local cyberspace authorities and education authorities shall regularly organize screening of the training platforms for minors and take measures such as suspending or removing training platforms or requiring training platforms to rectify within a given time limit. After such rectification is completed, the education authorities will re-review the relevant filings.

Regulation Relating to Online Transmission of Audio-Visual Programs

To regulate the provision of audio-visual program services to the public via the internet, including through mobile networks, within the territory of the PRC, the State Administration of Press Publication Radio Film and Television, or the SAPPRFT (currently known as National Radio and Television Administration), and the MIIT jointly promulgated the Administrative Provisions on Internet Audio-Visual Program Service, or the Audio-Visual Program Provisions, on December 20, 2007, which was last amended on August 28, 2015. Under the Audio-Visual Program Provisions, “internet audio-visual program services” is defined as activities of producing, redacting and integrating audio-visual programs, providing them to the general public via the internet, and providing service for other people to upload and transmit audio-visual programs, and providers of internet audio-visual program services are required to obtain a License for Online Transmission of Audio-Visual Programs issued by the SAPPRFT, or complete certain registration procedures with the SAPPRFT. In general, providers of internet audio-visual program services must be either state-owned or state-controlled entities, and the business to be carried out by such providers must satisfy the overall planning and guidance catalog for internet audio-visual program service determined by the SAPPRFT.

On March 10, 2017, the SAPPRFT issued the Provisional Implementation of the Tentative Categories of Internet Audio-Visual Program Services, or the Categories, which revised the previous version issued on March 17, 2010. According to the Categories, there are four categories of internet audio and video programs services which are further divided into seventeen sub-categories. The third sub-category to the second category covers the making and editing of certain specialized audio-visual programs concerning, among other things, educational content, and broadcasting such content to the general public online.

Regulation Relating to Internet Live Streaming Services

On November 4, 2016, the CAC issued the Administrative Regulation on Internet Live Streaming Services, effective from December 1, 2016, according to which, “internet live streaming” is defined as the activities of continuously releasing real-time information to the public based on the internet in forms such as videos, audios, images and texts, and “internet live-streaming service providers” are defined as the operators that provide internet live-streaming platform service. In addition, the internet live-streaming service providers should take various measures during operation of their services, such as examining and verifying the authenticity of the identification information, and file such information for records.

On July 12, 2017, the CAC issued a Notice on Development of the Filing Work for Enterprises Providing Internet Live Streaming Services, which provides that all the companies providing internet live streaming services should file with the local authority since July 15, 2017, otherwise the CAC or its local counterparts may impose administrative sanctions on such companies.

Pursuant to the Circular on Tightening the Administration of Internet Live Streaming Services jointly issued by the MIIT, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, or the MOCT, and several other government agencies on August 1, 2018, the live streaming services providers are required to file with the local public security authority within 30 days after they commence the service online.

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Regulation Relating to Production and Distribution of Radio and Television Programs

The Administrative Measures on the Production and Operation of Radio and Television Programs, or the Radio and TV Programs Measures, promulgated by the SAPPRFT are applicable for establishing institutions that produce and distribute radio and television programs or for the production of radio and television programs like programs with a special topic, column programs, variety shows, animated cartoons, radio plays and television dramas and for activities like transactions and agency transactions of program copyrights. Pursuant to the Radio and TV Programs Measures, any entity that intends to produce or operate radio or television programs must first obtain the Permit for Production and Operation of Radio and TV Programs from the SAPPRFT or its local branches.

Regulation Relating to Internet Culture Activities

The Interim Administrative Provisions on Internet Culture, or the Internet Culture Provisions, which was promulgated by the Ministry of Culture, or MOC (currently known as the MOCT), on February 17, 2011 and last amended on December 15, 2017, requires internet information services providers engaging in commercial “internet culture activities” to obtain an internet culture business operating license from the MOC. “Internet cultural activity” is defined under the Internet Culture Provisions as an act of provision of internet cultural products and related services, which includes (i) the production, duplication, importation, and broadcasting of the internet cultural products; (ii) the online dissemination whereby cultural products are posted on the internet or transmitted via the internet to end-users, such as computers, fixed-line telephones, mobile phones, television sets and games machines, for online users’ browsing, use or downloading; and (iii) the exhibition and competition of the internet cultural products. In addition, “internet cultural products” is defined under the Internet Culture Provisions as cultural products produced, broadcast and disseminated via the internet, which mainly include internet cultural products especially produced for the internet, such as online music entertainment, online games, online shows and plays (programs), online performances, online works of art and online cartoons, and internet cultural products produced from cultural products such as music entertainment, games, shows and plays (programs), performances, works of art, and cartoons through certain techniques and duplicating those to internet for dissemination.

On May 14, 2019, the General Office of MOC promulgated the Notice on Adjusting the Scope of Internet Culture Business Operating License and Further Standardize the Approval Work, which provides that online music, online shows and plays, online performances, online works of art, online cartoons, displays and games are the activities that fall in the scope of internet culture business operating license, and further clarifies that educational live streaming activities are not deemed as online performances.

Regulation Relating to Online Publishing

On February 4, 2016, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, or the SAPPRFT (currently reformed into the State Administration of Press and Publication (National Copyright Bureau) under the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China) and the MIIT jointly issued the Administrative Provisions on Online Publishing Services, or the Online Publishing Provisions, which came into effect on March 10, 2016. Under the Online Publishing Provisions, any entity providing online publishing services shall obtain an Online Publishing Services Permit. “Online publishing services” refer to the provision of online publications to the public through information networks; and “online publications” refer to digital works with publishing features such as having been edited, produced or processed and are available to the public through information networks, including: (i) written works, pictures, maps, games, cartoons, audio/video reading materials and other original digital works containing useful knowledge or ideas in the field of literature, art, science or other fields; (ii) digital works of which the content is identical to that of any published book, newspaper, periodical, audio/video product, electronic publication or the like; (iii) network literature databases or other digital works, derived from any of the aforesaid works by selection, arrangement, collection or other means; and (iv) other types of digital works as may be determined by the SAPPRFT.

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Regulation Relating to Internet Information Security and Privacy Protection

The PRC Constitution states that the PRC laws protect the freedom and privacy of communications of citizens and prohibit infringement of such rights. PRC governmental authorities have enacted laws and regulations on internet information security and protection of personal information from any abuse or unauthorized disclosure. The Decisions on Maintaining Internet Security which was enacted by the SCNPC on December 28, 2000 and amended on August 27, 2009, may subject violators to criminal punishment in the PRC for any effort to: (i) gain improper entry into a computer or system of strategic importance; (ii) disseminate politically disruptive information; (iii) leak state secrets; (iv) spread false commercial information; or (v) infringe intellectual property rights. The Ministry of Public Security, or MPS, has promulgated measures that prohibit use of the internet in ways which, among other things, result in a leakage of state secrets or a spread of socially destabilizing content. If an information service provider violates these measures, the MPS and the local security bureaus may revoke its operating license and shut down its websites.

Pursuant to the Decision on Strengthening the Protection of Online Information issued by the SCNPC on December 28, 2012, and the Order for the Protection of Telecommunication and Internet User Personal Information issued by the MIIT on July 16, 2013, any collection and use of user personal information must be subject to the consent of the user, abide by the principles of legality, rationality and necessity and be within the specified purposes, methods and scopes. “Personal information” is defined as information that identifies a citizen, the time or location for his/her use of telecommunication and internet services or involves privacy of any citizen such as his/her birth date, ID card number, and address. An internet information service provider must also keep information collected strictly confidential, and is further prohibited from divulging, tampering or destroying of any such information, or selling or providing such information to other parties. Any violation of the above decision or order may subject the internet information service provider to warnings, fines, confiscation of illegal gains, revocation of licenses, cancelation of filings, closedown of websites or even criminal liabilities.

Pursuant to the Notice of the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate and the MPS on Legally Punishing Criminal Activities Infringing upon the Personal Information of Citizens, issued on April 23, 2013, and the Interpretation of the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate on Several Issues regarding Legal Application in Criminal Cases Infringing upon the Personal Information of Citizens, which was issued on May 8, 2017 and took effect on June 1, 2017, the following activities may constitute the crime of infringing upon a citizen’s personal information: (i) providing a citizen’s personal information to specified persons or releasing a citizen’s personal information online or through other methods in violation of relevant national provisions; (ii) providing legitimately collected information relating to a citizen to others without such citizen’s consent (unless the information is processed, not traceable to a specific person and not recoverable); (iii) collecting a citizen’s personal information in violation of applicable rules and regulations when performing a duty or providing services; or (iv) collecting a citizen’s personal information by purchasing, accepting or exchanging such information in violation of applicable rules and regulations.

Pursuant to the Ninth Amendment to the Criminal Law issued by the SCNPC on August 29, 2015, which became effective on November 1, 2015, any person or entity that fails to fulfill the obligations related to internet information security administration as required by applicable laws and refuses to rectify upon orders is subject to criminal penalty for the result of (i) any dissemination of illegal information in large scale; (ii) any severe effect due to the leakage of the client’s information; (iii) any serious loss of criminal evidence; or (iv) other severe situation, and any individual or entity that (x) sells or provides personal information to others in a way violating the applicable law, or (y) steals or illegally obtain any personal information is subject to criminal penalty in severe situation.

Pursuant to the PRC Cyber Security Law issued by the SCNPC on November 7, 2016, effective as of June 1, 2017, “personal information” refers to all kinds of information recorded by electronic or otherwise that can be used to independently identify or be combined with other information to identify individuals’ personal information, including but not limited to: individuals’ names, dates of birth, ID numbers, biologically identified personal information, addresses and telephone numbers, etc. The PRC Cyber Security Law also provides that: (i) to collect and use personal information, network operators shall follow the principles of legitimacy, rightfulness and necessity, disclose rules of data collection and use, clearly express the purposes, means and scope of collecting and using the information, and obtain the consent of the persons whose data is gathered; (ii) network operators shall neither gather personal information unrelated to the services they provide, nor gather or use personal information in violation of the provisions of laws and administrative regulations or the scopes of consent given by the persons

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whose data is gathered; and shall dispose of personal information they have saved in accordance with the provisions of laws and administrative regulations and agreements reached with users; and (iii) network operators shall not divulge, tamper with or damage the personal information they have collected, and shall not provide the personal information to others without the consent of the persons whose data is collected. However, if the information has been processed and cannot be recovered and thus it is impossible to match such information with specific persons, such circumstance is an exception.

Pursuant to the Provisions on Internet Security Supervision and Inspection by Public Security Organs, which was promulgated by the MPS on September 15, 2018 and became effective on November 1, 2018, the public security departments are authorized to carry out internet security supervision and inspection of the internet service providers from the following aspects, among others: (i) whether the service providers have completed the recordation formalities for online entities, and filed the basic information on and the changes of the accessing entities and users; (ii) whether they have established and implemented the cybersecurity management system and protocols, and appointed the persons responsible for cybersecurity; (iii) whether the technical measures for recording and retaining users’ registration information and weblog data are in place according to the law; (iv) whether they have taken technical measures to prevent computer viruses, network attacks and network intrusion; (v) whether they have adopted preventive measures to tackle the information that is prohibited to be issued or transmitted by the laws and administrative regulations in the public information services; (vi) whether they provide technical support and assistance as required by laws to public security departments to safeguard national security and prevent and investigate on terrorist activities and criminal activities; and (vii) whether they have fulfilled the obligations of the grade-based cybersecurity protection and other obligations prescribed by the laws and administrative regulations. In particular, public security departments shall also carry out supervision and inspection on whether an internet service provider has taken required measures to manage information published by users, adopted proper measures to handle the published or transmitted information that is prohibited to be published or transmitted, and kept the relevant records.

In addition, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, the MIIT, the MPS, and the SAMR jointly issued an Announcement of Launching Special Crackdown Against Illegal Collection and Use of Personal Information by Apps on January 23, 2019 to implement special rectification works against mobile Apps that collect and use personal information in violation of applicable laws and regulations, where business operators are prohibited from collecting personal information irrelevant to their services, or forcing users to give authorization in a disguised manner. On November 28, 2019, the National Internet Information Office, the MIIT, the MPS and the SAMR further jointly issued a notice to classify and identify illegal collection and use of personal information.

On August 22, 2019, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission issued the Provisions on the Cyber Protection of Children’s Personal Information, which took effect on October 1, 2019. The Provisions on the Cyber Protection of Children’s Personal Information apply to the collection, storage, use, transfer and disclosure of the personal information of children under the age of 14 via the internet. The Provisions on the Cyber Protection of Children’s Personal Information require that network operators shall establish special rules and user agreements for protection of personal information for children under the age of 14, inform their guardians in a noticeable and clear manner, and shall obtain the consent of their guardians. When obtaining the consent of their guardians, network operators shall explicitly disclose several matters, including, without limitation, the purpose, method and scope of collection, storage, use, transfer and disclosure of such personal information, and methods for correcting and deleting such personal information. Provisions on the Cyber Protection of Children’s Personal Information also require that when collecting, storing, using, transferring and disclosing such personal information, network operators shall comply with certain regulatory requirements, including, without limitation, that network operators shall designate specific personnel to take charge of the protection of such personal information and shall strictly grant information access authorization for their staff to such personal information under the principle of minimal authorization.

According to the Civil Code of China, which has taken effect on January 1, 2021, a natural person has the right of privacy and the personal information of a natural person will be protected in accordance with law. Information processors may not divulge or tamper with the personal information collected or stored by them and may not illegally provide any natural person’s personal information to others without the consent of such natural person.

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The SAMR promulgated the Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Online Transactions, which will take effect from May 1, 2021. The measures require that online transaction operators shall not force customers, whether or not in a disguised manner, to consent to the collection and use of information not directly related to their business activities by means of one-off general authorization, default authorization, bundling with other authorizations, or the suspension of installation and use. Otherwise, such online transaction operator may be subject to fines and consequences under related laws and regulations, including without limitation suspension of business for rectification and revocation of permits and licenses.

Regulation Relating to Publishing

Under the Administrative Provisions on the Publications Market, which was jointly promulgated by the SAPPRFT and the MOFCOM on May 31, 2016 and became effective on June 1, 2016, any enterprise or individual who engages in publishing activities shall obtain a publishing license from SAPPRFT or its local counterpart. Without licensing, such entity or individual may be ordered to cease illegal acts by the competent administrative department of publication and be concurrently subject to fines.

Regulation Relating to Advertising and Promotion

The principal regulations governing advertising businesses in China are the PRC Advertising Law as last amended on October 26, 2018 and the Advertising Administrative Regulations issued on October 26, 1987. These laws, rules and regulations require companies that engage in advertising activities to obtain a business license that explicitly includes advertising in the business scope from the SAMR or its local branches.

Applicable PRC advertising laws, rules and regulations contain certain prohibitions on the content of advertisements in China (including prohibitions on misleading content, superlative wording, socially destabilizing content or content involving obscenities, superstition, violence, discrimination or infringement of the public interest). Education and/or training advertisements shall not contain the following contents: (i) explicit or implicit guarantee for successful enrolment to a higher grade, passing of examination, obtaining of degree qualification or passing certificate, or the effect of education or training; (ii) explicit or implicit expression of participation by the relevant examination body or its personnel, personnel setting examination questions in the education or training; and recommendation and/or endorsement by scientific research institutes, academic institutions, educational organizations, industry associations, professionals or beneficiaries using their name or image.

Advertisers, advertising operators and advertising distributors are required by applicable PRC advertising laws, rules and regulations to ensure that the content of the advertisements they prepare or distribute is true and in compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations. Violation of these laws, rules and regulations may result in penalties, including fines, confiscation of advertising income, orders to cease dissemination of the advertisements and orders to publish an advertisement correcting the misleading information. In circumstances involving serious violations, the SAMR or its local branches may revoke the violator’s license or permit for advertising business operations. In addition, advertisers, advertising operators or advertising distributors may be subject to civil liability if they infringe the legal rights and interests of third parties, such as infringement of intellectual proprietary rights, unauthorized use of a name or portrait and defamation.

In addition, the Anti-Unfair Competition Law promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, last amended on April 23, 2019 requires that business operators shall not make false or misleading commercial promotion for the performance, functions, quality, sales, user evaluation, accolades, etc. as to defraud or mislead customers.

Regulation Relating to Intellectual Property Rights

Copyright and Software Registration

The SCNPC promulgated the PRC Copyright Law in 1990 and last revised it on November 11, 2020 with the amendments becoming effective on June 1, 2021. The amended Copyright Law extends copyright protection to internet activities, products disseminated over the internet, software products, audio-visual works and any other intellectual achievements which comply with the characteristics of the works. In addition, there is a voluntary registration system administered by the China Copyright Protection Center. To address the problem of copyright infringement related to the content posted or transmitted over the internet, the National Copyright Administration, or the NCAC, and the MIIT jointly promulgated the Measures for Administrative Protection of Copyright Related to Internet on April 29, 2005, which became effective on May 30, 2005.

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On December 20, 2001, the State Council promulgated the Computer Software Protection Regulations which came into effect on January 1, 2002 and was last amended on January 30, 2013. These regulations are formulated for protecting the rights and interests of computer software copyright owners, encouraging the development and application of computer software and promoting the development of software business. In order to further implement the Computer Software Protection Regulations, the NCAC issued the Computer Software Copyright Registration Procedures on February 20, 2002, as amended on May 19, 2004, which applies to software copyright registration, license contract registration and transfer contract registration.

Patents

The SCNPC adopted the Patent Law of the PRC in 1984 and last amended on October 17, 2020, which will become effective on June 1, 2021. A patentable invention, utility model or design must meet three conditions, namely novelty, inventiveness and practical applicability. Patents cannot be granted for scientific discoveries, rules and methods for intellectual activities, methods used to diagnose or treat diseases, animal and plant varieties or methods of nuclear transformation and substances obtained by means of nuclear transformation. The Patent Office under the National Intellectual Property Administration is responsible for receiving, examining and approving patent applications. A patent is valid for a twenty-year term for an invention, a ten-year term for a utility model and a fifteen-year term for a design, all starting from the application date. Except under certain specific circumstances provided by law, any third-party user must obtain consent or a proper license from the patent owner to use the patent, otherwise the use will constitute an infringement of the rights of the patent holder.

Trademark

Trademarks are protected by the PRC Trademark Law, which was adopted in 1982, last revised in April 2019 and became effective in November 2019, as well as its implementation rules adopted in 2002 and revised in 2014. The Trademark Office of National Intellectual Property Administration under the SAMR handles trademark registrations and grants a protection term of ten years to registered trademarks which may be renewed for consecutive ten-year periods upon request by the trademark owner. The PRC Trademark Law has adopted a “first-to-file” principle with respect to trademark registration. Where a trademark for which a registration has been made is identical or similar to another trademark which has already been registered or been subject to a preliminary examination and approval for use on the same kind of or similar commodities or services, the application for registration of such trademark may be rejected. Any person applying for the registration of a trademark may not prejudice the existing right first obtained by others, nor may any person register in advance a trademark that has already been used by another party and has already gained a “sufficient degree of reputation” through such party’s use. An application for registration of a malicious trademark not for use will be rejected and those who apply for trademark registration maliciously will be given administrative penalties of warnings or fines according to the circumstances; those who file trademark lawsuits maliciously will be punished by the people’s court according to applicable laws.

Domain Name

The Administrative Measures on Internet Domain Names, or the Domain Name Measures, were promulgated by the MIIT on August 24, 2017, and came into effect on November 1, 2017. According to the Domain Name Measures, any party that has domain name root servers, and the institution for operating domain name root servers, the domain name registry and the domain name registrar within the territory of China, shall obtain a permit for this purpose from the MIIT or the communications administration of the local province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government. The registration of domain names is generally on a “first-apply-first-registration” basis and a domain name applicant will become the domain name holder upon the completion of the application procedure.

On May 28, 2020, the National People’s Congress approved the Civil Code of PRC, which took effect on January 1, 2021. Under the Civil Code, if an offender intentionally infringes upon the intellectual property rights of others and the circumstance is severe, the infringed party shall have the right to request for the corresponding punitive compensation.

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Regulation Relating to Scope of Business

Under the Implementation Rules for the Administrative Regulations on Registration of Enterprise Legal Persons promulgated by the SAMR in 1988 and last amended in 2019, enterprises shall engage in business activities in accordance with the scope of business approved and registered by the registration authorities. Enterprises which engage in business activities beyond the approved and registered scope of business shall be given a warning, depending on the extent of the offense, illegal income shall be confiscated, a fine of no more than three times the amount of the illegal income shall be imposed, capped at RMB30,000; where there is no illegal income, a fine of no more than RMB10,000 shall be imposed.

Regulation Relating to Employment, Social Insurance and Housing Fund

Employment

Pursuant to the PRC Labor Law effective from January 1, 1995 and last amended on December 29, 2018 and the PRC Labor Contract Law effective from January 1, 2008 and amended on December 28, 2012, a written labor contract shall be executed by an employer and an employee when the employment relationship is established, and an employer is under an obligation to sign an unlimited-term labor contract with any employee who has worked for the employer for ten consecutive years. Furthermore, if an employee requests or agrees to renew a fixed-term labor contract that has already been entered into twice consecutively, the resulting contract must have an unlimited term, with certain exceptions. All employers must compensate their employees equal to at least the local minimum wage standards. All employers are required to establish a system for labor safety and sanitation, strictly abide by state rules and standards and provide employees with appropriate workplace safety training. In addition, the PRC government has continued to introduce various new labor-related regulations after the PRC Labor Contract Law. Amongst other things, new annual leave requirements mandate that annual leave ranging from 5 to 15 days is available to nearly all employees and further require that the employer compensate an employee for any annual leave days the employee is unable to take in the amount of three times his daily salary, subject to certain exceptions. Moreover, all PRC enterprises are generally required to implement a standard working time system of eight hours a day and forty hours a week, and if the implementation of such standard working time system is not appropriate due to the nature of the job or the characteristics of business operation, the enterprise may implement a flexible working time system or comprehensive working time system after obtaining approvals from the relevant authorities.

Social Insurance

The Law on Social Insurance of the PRC, which was promulgated on October 28, 2010 and amended on December 29, 2018, has established social insurance systems of basic pension insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, work injury insurance and basic medical insurance, and has elaborated in detail the legal obligations and liabilities of employers who do not comply with relevant laws and regulations on social insurance.

According to the Interim Regulations on the Collection and Payment of Social Insurance Premiums, the Regulations on Work Injury Insurance, the Regulations on Unemployment Insurance and the Trial Measures on Employee Maternity Insurance of Enterprises, enterprises in the PRC shall provide benefit plans for their employees, which include basic pension insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, work injury insurance and basic medical insurance. An enterprise must provide social insurance by going through social insurance registration with local social insurance authorities or agencies, and shall pay or withhold relevant social insurance premiums for or on behalf of employees. On July 20, 2018, the General Office of the State Council issued the Plan for Reforming the State and Local Tax Collection and Administration Systems, which stipulated that the SAT will become solely responsible for collecting social insurance premiums.

Housing Fund

According to the Administrative Regulations on the Administration of Housing Fund, which was promulgated on April 3, 1999 and last amended on March 24, 2019, housing fund paid and deposited both by employee themselves and their unit employer shall be owned by the employees. An employer should undertake registration of payment and deposit of the housing fund in the housing fund management center and open a housing fund account on behalf of its employees in a commissioned bank. Employers should timely pay and deposit housing fund contributions in full amount and late or insufficient payments shall be prohibited.

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Regulation Relating to Foreign Exchange

Regulation on Foreign Currency Exchange

The principal regulations governing foreign currency exchange in China are the PRC Foreign Exchange Administration Regulations, or the Foreign Exchange Administration Regulations, which were promulgated by the State Council on January 29, 1996 and last amended on August 5, 2008. Under the Foreign Exchange Administration Regulations, Renminbi is generally freely convertible for payments of current account items, such as trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions and dividend payments, but not freely convertible for capital account items, such as direct investment, loan or investment in securities outside China, unless prior approval of SAFE or its local counterparts has been obtained.

On March 30, 2015, SAFE promulgated the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Reforming the Administration of Foreign Exchange Settlement of Capital of Foreign-invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular 19, which became effective on June 1, 2015 and was amended on December 30, 2019. According to SAFE Circular 19, the foreign exchange capital of FIEs shall be subject to the Discretionary Foreign Exchange Settlement, which means that the foreign exchange capital in the capital account of an FIE for which the rights and interests of monetary contribution have been confirmed by the local foreign exchange bureau (or the book-entry registration of monetary contribution by the banks) can be settled at the banks based on the actual operational needs of the FIE. The proportion of Discretionary Foreign Exchange Settlement of the foreign exchange capital of an FIE is temporarily set at 100%. The Renminbi converted from the foreign exchange capital will be kept in a designated account and if an FIE needs to make further payment from such account, it still needs to provide supporting documents and proceed with the review process with the banks. Furthermore, SAFE Circular 19 stipulates that the use of capital by FIEs shall follow the principles of authenticity and self-use within the business scope of enterprises. The capital of an FIE and capital in Renminbi obtained by the FIE from foreign exchange settlement shall not be used for the following purposes: (i) directly or indirectly used for payments beyond the business scope of the enterprises or payments as prohibited by relevant laws and regulations; (ii) directly or indirectly used for investment in securities unless otherwise provided by the relevant laws and regulations; (iii) directly or indirectly used for issuance of RMB entrusted loans, repayment of inter-enterprise loans (including advances by the third party) or repayment of bank loans that have been transferred to a third party; or (iv) directly or indirectly used for expenses related to the purchase of real estate that is not for self-use (except for the foreign-invested real estate enterprises).

The Circular on Reforming and Standardizing the Foreign Exchange Settlement Management Policy of Capital Account, or SAFE Circular 16, was promulgated by SAFE on June 9, 2016. Pursuant to SAFE Circular 16, enterprises registered in the PRC may also convert their foreign debts from foreign currency to Renminbi on a self-discretionary basis. SAFE Circular 16 provides a unified standard for the conversion of foreign exchange under capital account items (including but not limited to foreign currency capital and foreign debts) on a self-discretionary basis which applies to all enterprises registered in the PRC. SAFE Circular 16 reiterates the principle that Renminbi converted from foreign currency-denominated capital of a company may not be directly or indirectly used for purposes beyond its business scope or prohibited by PRC Laws, while such converted Renminbi shall not be provided as loans to its non-associated enterprises.

On October 23, 2019, SAFE promulgated the Notice for Further Advancing the Facilitation of Cross-border Trade and Investment, or the SAFE Circular 28, which, among other things, allows all foreign-invested companies to use Renminbi converted from foreign currency-denominated capital for equity investments in China, as long as the equity investment is genuine, does not violate applicable laws, and complies with the negative list on foreign investment.

Regulation on Foreign Debt

A loan made by a foreign entity as direct or indirect shareholder in an FIE is considered to be foreign debt in China and is regulated by various laws and regulations, including the Regulation of the People’s Republic of China on Foreign Exchange Administration, the Interim Provisions on the Management of Foreign Debts, the Statistical Monitoring of Foreign Debts Tentative Provisions, the Detailed Rules for the Implementation of Provisional Regulations on Statistics and Supervision of Foreign Debt, and the Administrative Measures for Registration of Foreign Debts. Under these rules and regulations, a shareholder loan in the form of foreign debt made to a PRC entity does not require the prior approval of SAFE. However, such foreign debt must be registered with and recorded by SAFE or its local branches within 15 business days after entering into the foreign debt contract. Pursuant to these rules and regulations, the maximum amount of the aggregate of (i) the outstanding balance of foreign debts with a term not longer than one year, and (ii) the accumulated amount of foreign debts with a term longer than one year, of an FIE shall not exceed the difference between its registered total investment and its registered capital, or Total Investment and Registered Capital Balance.

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On January 12, 2017, the People’s Bank of China, or PBOC, promulgated the Notice of the People’s Bank of China on Full-coverage Macro-prudent Management of Cross-border Financing, or PBOC Circular 9. PBOC established a cross-broader financing regulation system based on the capital or net assets of the micro main body under macro prudential rules, and the legal entities and financial institutions established in China including the branches of foreign banks registered in China but excluding government financing vehicles and real estate enterprise, may carry out cross-border financing of foreign currency in accordance with relevant regulations of such system. PBOC Circular 9 provides that, among other things, the outstanding amount of the foreign currency for the entities in cross-border financing shall be limited to the Upper Limit of the Risk Weighted Balance of such entity, which shall be calculated according to the formula provided in PBOC Circular 9. PBOC Circular 9 also provides that during the one-year period starting from January 12, 2017, foreign-invested enterprises may choose one method to carry out cross-broader financing in foreign currency either according to PBOC Circular 9 or according to the Interim Provisions on the Management of Foreign Debts. After the end of such one-year period, the method of foreign-invested enterprises to carry out cross-broader financing in foreign currency will be determined by PBOC and SAFE.

Regulation on Foreign Exchange Registration of Overseas Investment by PRC Residents

SAFE issued the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment Through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, to regulate foreign exchange matters in relation to the use of special purpose vehicles, or SPVs, by PRC residents or entities to seek offshore investment and financing or conduct round trip investment in China. Under SAFE Circular 37, a SPV refers to an offshore entity established or controlled, directly or indirectly, by PRC residents (including individuals and entities) for the purpose of seeking offshore financing or making offshore investment, using legitimate onshore or offshore assets or interests, while “round trip investment” refers to direct investment in China by PRC residents through SPVs, namely, establishing FIEs to obtain the ownership, control rights and management rights. The term “control” under SAFE Circular 37 is broadly defined as the operation rights, beneficiary rights or decision-making rights acquired by PRC residents in the offshore special purpose vehicles by means of acquisition, trust, proxy, voting rights, repurchase, convertible bonds or other arrangements. SAFE Circular 37 provides that, before making contribution into an SPV, PRC residents are required to complete foreign exchange registration with SAFE or its local branch. SAFE promulgated the Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Foreign Exchange Administration Policy on Direct Investment, which provides that applications for foreign exchange registration of inbound foreign direct investments and outbound overseas direct investments, including those required under SAFE Circular 37, will be filed with qualified banks instead of SAFE.

An amendment to the registration is required if there is a material change with respect to the SPV registered, such as any change of basic information (including change of the PRC residents, name and operation term), increases or decreases in investment amount, transfers or exchanges of shares, and mergers or divisions. Failure to comply with the registration procedures set forth in SAFE Circular 37 and the subsequent notice, or making misrepresentation on or failure to disclose controllers of the FIE that is established through round-trip investment, may result in restrictions being imposed on the foreign exchange activities of the relevant FIE, including payment of dividends and other distributions, such as proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation, to its offshore parent or affiliate, and the capital inflow from the offshore parent, and may also subject relevant PRC residents or entities to penalties under PRC foreign exchange administration regulations.

Regulation on Stock Incentive Plans

SAFE promulgated the Circular of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Issues concerning the Administration of Foreign Exchange Used for Domestic Individuals’ Participation in Equity Incentive Plans of Companies Listed Overseas, or the Stock Option Rules on February 15, 2012, replacing the previous rules issued by SAFE in March 2007. Under the Stock Option Rules and other relevant rules and regulations, PRC citizens and non-PRC citizens who reside in China for a continuous period of not less than one year and participate in any stock incentive plan of an overseas publicly listed company are required to register with SAFE through a domestic qualified agent, which could be a PRC subsidiary of such overseas-listed company, and complete certain other procedures, unless certain exceptions are available. In addition, an overseas-entrusted institution must be retained to handle matters in connection with the exercise or sale of stock options and the purchase or sale of shares and interests.

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In addition, the SAT has issued certain circulars concerning employee share options or restricted shares. Under these circulars, the employees working in China who exercise share options or are granted restricted shares will be subject to PRC individual income tax. The PRC subsidiaries of such overseas listed company have obligations to file documents related to employee share options or restricted shares with relevant tax authorities and to withhold individual income taxes of those employees who exercise their share options. If the employees fail to pay or the PRC subsidiaries fail to withhold their income taxes according to relevant laws and regulations, the PRC subsidiaries may face sanctions imposed by the tax authorities or other PRC government authorities.

Regulation Relating to Taxation

Enterprise Income Tax

On March 16, 2007, the NPC enacted the Enterprise Income Tax Law, which was last amended on December 29, 2018, and on December 6, 2007, the State Council promulgated the Implementing Rules of the Enterprise Income Tax Law, which became effective on January 1, 2008 and was amended on April 23, 2019 (or collectively, the PRC EIT Law). The PRC EIT Law applies a uniform 25% enterprise income tax rate to both FIEs and domestic enterprises, except where tax incentives are granted to special industries and projects. Enterprises qualifying as “High and New Technology Enterprises” are entitled to a preferential 15% enterprise income tax rate rather than the 25% statutory tax rate. The preferential tax treatment continues as long as an enterprise can retain its “High and New Technology Enterprise” status.

Under the PRC EIT Law, an enterprise established outside China with its “de facto management body” located in China is considered a “resident enterprise”, which means it can be treated as a domestic enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes. A non-resident enterprise that does not have an establishment or place of business in China, or has an establishment or place of business in China but the income of which has no actual relationship with such establishment or place of business, shall pay enterprise income tax on its income deriving from inside China at the reduced rate of enterprise income tax of 10% and such income tax shall be subject to withholding at the source, where the payer shall act as the withholding agent. Dividends generated after January 1, 2008 and payable by an FIE in China to its foreign enterprise investors are subject to a 10% withholding tax, unless any such foreign investor’s jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty with China that provides for a preferential withholding arrangement.

The Notice on Issues Concerning the Determination of Chinese-Controlled Enterprises Registered Overseas as Resident Enterprises on the Basis of Their Bodies of Actual Management, or the SAT Circular 82, provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de facto management body” of a PRC-controlled enterprise that is incorporated offshore is located in China. According to the SAT Circular 82, an offshore incorporated enterprise controlled by a PRC enterprise or a PRC enterprise group will be regarded as a PRC tax resident by virtue of having its “de facto management body” in China, and will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax on its global income only if all of the following conditions are met: (i) the primary location of the day-to-day operational management is in the PRC; (ii) decisions relating to the enterprise’s financial and human resource matters are made or are subject to approval by organizations or personnel in the PRC; (iii) the enterprise’s primary assets, accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholder resolutions are located or maintained in the PRC; and (iv) at least 50% of voting board members or senior executives habitually reside in the PRC.

Pursuant to the Arrangement between mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income, the withholding tax rate in respect to the payment of dividends by a mainland China enterprise to a Hong Kong enterprise may be reduced to 5% from a standard rate of 10% if the Hong Kong enterprise directly holds at least 25% of the mainland China enterprise and certain other conditions are satisfied. Pursuant to the Notice of the State Administration of Taxation on the Issues concerning the Application of the Dividend Clauses of Tax Agreements, a Hong Kong resident enterprise must meet the following conditions, among others, in order to apply the reduced withholding tax rate: (i) it must be a company; (ii) it must directly own the required percentage of equity interests and voting rights in the mainland China resident enterprise; and (iii) it must have directly owned such required percentage in the mainland China resident enterprise throughout the 12 months prior to receiving the dividends.

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On February 3, 2015, the SAT issued the Bulletin on Issues of Enterprise Income Tax on Indirect Transfers or Assets by Non-PRC Resident Enterprises, or SAT Bulletin 7, which extends its tax jurisdiction to transactions involving the transfer of taxable assets through offshore transfer of a foreign intermediate holding company. Pursuant to SAT Bulletin 7, where a non-resident enterprise indirectly transfers properties such as equity in PRC resident enterprises without any justifiable business purposes and aiming to avoid the payment of enterprise income tax, such indirect transfer must be reclassified as a direct transfer of equity in PRC resident enterprise. To assess whether an indirect transfer of PRC taxable properties has reasonable commercial purposes, all arrangements related to the indirect transfer must be considered comprehensively and factors set forth in SAT Bulletin 7 must be comprehensively analyzed in light of the actual circumstances. In addition, SAT Bulletin 7 has introduced safe harbors for internal group restructurings and the purchase and sale of equity securities through a public securities market.

On October 17, 2017, the SAT issued the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues Concerning the Withholding of Non-resident Enterprise Income Tax at Source, or SAT Bulletin 37, which further clarifies the practice and procedure of the withholding of non-resident enterprise income tax.

Value-Added Tax

Pursuant to the Provisional Regulations on PRC Value-added Tax and its implementation regulations, unless otherwise specified by relevant laws and regulations, any entity or individual engaged in the sales of goods, provision of processing, repairs and replacement services and importation of goods into China is generally required to pay a value-added tax, or VAT, for revenues generated from sales of products, while qualified input VAT paid on taxable purchase can be offset against such output VAT.

Regulation Relating to M&A and Overseas Listings

On August 8, 2006, six PRC regulatory agencies, including the MOFCOM, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the SAT, the SAMR, the CSRC, and SAFE jointly issued the M&A Rules, which became effective on September 8, 2006 and was amended on June 22, 2009. The M&A Rules requires in some instances that the MOFCOM be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise where any of the following situations exist: (i) the transaction involves an important industry in China, (ii) the transaction may affect national economic security, or (iii) the PRC domestic enterprise has a well-known trademark or historical Chinese trade name in China. The M&A Rules, among other things, also require that (i) PRC entities or individuals obtain MOFCOM approval before they establish or control an SPV overseas, provided that they intend to use the SPV to acquire their equity interests in a PRC company at the consideration of newly issued share of the SPV, or Share Swap, and list their equity interests in the PRC company overseas by listing the SPV in an overseas market; (ii) the SPV obtains MOFCOM’s approval before it acquires the equity interests held by the PRC entities or PRC individual in the PRC company by Share Swap; and (iii) the SPV obtains CSRC approval before it lists overseas.

The M&A Rules further requires that the MOFCOM be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor acquires control of a PRC domestic enterprise or a foreign company with substantial PRC operations, if certain thresholds under the Provisions on Thresholds for Prior Notification of Concentrations of Undertakings, issued by the State Council, are triggered. Moreover, the Anti-Monopoly Law promulgated by the SCNPC requires that transactions which are deemed concentrations and involve parties with specified turnover thresholds be cleared by the MOFCOM before they can be completed.

Anti-Monopoly Law

The Anti-Monopoly Law promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress which became effective on August 1, 2008 and the Interim Provisions on the Review of Concentrations of Undertakings promulgated by the SAMR which became effective on December 1, 2020 require that transactions which are deemed concentrations and involve parties with specified turnover thresholds must be cleared by the SAMR before they can be completed. Where the participation in concentration of undertakings by way of foreign-funded merger and acquisition of domestic enterprises or any other method which involves national security, the examination of concentration of undertakings shall be carried out pursuant to the provisions of this Law and examination of national security shall be carried out pursuant to the relevant provisions of the State. Failure to comply with above regulations may result in an order to stop concentration, dispose the shares/assets or transfer the operation within a stipulated period, or adopt other necessary measures to reinstate the pre-concentration status, or fines.

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On February 7, 2021, the Anti-monopoly Commission of the State Council issued the Anti-monopoly Guidelines for the Internet Platform Economy Sector that aims to specify some of the circumstances under which an activity of internet platforms may be identified as monopolistic as well as to classify that concentrations involving variable interest entities shall also be subject to anti-monopoly review.

Regulations Relating to Anti Long-Arm Jurisdiction

The MOFCOM issued the Provisions on the List of Unreliable Entities, or the MOFCOM Order No. 4 of 2020, on September 19, 2020. Pursuant to the MOFCOM Order No. 4 of 2020, a working committee shall decide whether or not to include a foreign entity concerned in the list of unreliable entities and make an announcement on such inclusion based on investigation of following factors: (i) the extent of damage caused to China’s sovereignty, security and development interests; (ii) the extent of the damage to the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, other organizations or individuals; (iii) whether or not the international economic and trade rules are followed; and (iv) any other relevant factors. If a foreign entity is included in the list of unreliable entities, the working committee may decide to take one or more of the following measures: (i) restricting or prohibiting the foreign entity from engaging in import or export activities related to China; (ii) restricting or prohibiting the foreign entity's investment within the territory of China; (iii) restricting or prohibiting the entry of the foreign entity's relevant personnel or transport vehicles into the territory of China; (iv) restricting or cancelling the work permit, stay or residence qualification of the foreign entity's relevant personnel in China; (v) imposing a fine corresponding to the seriousness of the case against the foreign entity; or (vi) any other necessary measures.

On January 9, 2021, the MOFCOM promulgated the Rules on Counteracting Unjustified Extra-Territorial Application of Foreign Legislation and Other Measures, or the MOFCOM Order No. 1 of 2021. Pursuant to the MOFCOM Order No. 1 of 2021, where a citizen, legal person or other organization of China is prohibited or restricted by foreign legislation and other measures from engaging in normal economic, trade and related activities with a third State (or region) or its citizens, legal persons or other organizations, he/she/it shall truthfully report such matters to the competent department of commerce of the State Council within 30 days. A working committee will take the following factors into consideration when assessing whether there exists unjustified extra-territorial application of foreign legislation and other measures: (i) whether international law or the basic principles of international relations are violated; (ii) potential impact on China’s national sovereignty, security and development interests; (iii) potential impact on the legitimate rights and interests of the citizens, legal persons or other organizations of China; and (iv) any other relevant factors. In case it is confirmed that there exists unjustified extra-territorial application of foreign legislation and other measures, the MOFCOM may issue an injunction against such relevant foreign legislation and other measures. A citizen, legal person or other organization in China may apply for exemption from compliance with an injunction.

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The following diagram illustrates our corporate structure as of the date of this annual report, including our principal subsidiaries and other entities that are material to our business, as of the date of this annual report:

Notes:

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Contractual Arrangements with Our VIE and Its Shareholders

Current PRC laws and regulations impose certain restrictions or prohibitions on foreign ownership of companies that engage in value-added telecommunication services and certain other businesses. We are an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. Shanghai WFOE and Beijing WFOE are our PRC subsidiaries, which we refer to as our WFOEs in this annual report, and they are foreign-invested enterprises under PRC Laws. To comply with PRC laws and regulations, we conduct certain of our business in China through Shanghai VIE, Beijing VIE and Beijing Xiaofeng, our consolidated variable interest entities in China which we refer to as our VIEs in this annual report, based on a series of contractual arrangements by and among our WFOEs, our VIEs and their respective shareholders.

Our contractual arrangements with our VIEs and their respective shareholders allow us to (i) exercise effective control over our VIEs, (ii) receive substantially all of the economic benefits of our VIEs, and (iii) have an exclusive call option to purchase all or part of the equity interests in our VIEs when and to the extent permitted by PRC law.

As a result of our direct ownership in our WFOEs and the contractual arrangements with our VIEs, we are regarded as the primary beneficiary of our VIEs, and we treat our VIEs and their subsidiaries as our consolidated affiliated entities under U.S. GAAP. We have consolidated the financial results of our VIEs and their subsidiaries in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

The following is a summary of the currently effective contractual arrangements by and among our WFOEs, our VIEs and their respective shareholders.

Arrangements that provide us effective control over our VIE

Proxy Agreement and Powers of Attorney. Pursuant to the proxy agreement and powers of attorney executed by Shanghai WFOE, Shanghai VIE and Shanghai VIE’s shareholders and the respective power of attorney executed by each of Shanghai VIE’s shareholders, each of Shanghai VIE’s shareholders irrevocably authorized Shanghai WFOE or its designee(s) to act on their respective behalf as proxy attorney, to the extent permitted by law, to exercise all rights of shareholders concerning all the equity interest held by each of them in Shanghai VIE, including but not limited to proposing to convene or attend shareholder meetings, signing resolutions and minutes of such meetings, voting at such meetings, nominating and appointing directors, receiving dividends and selling, transferring, pledging or disposing of all the equity held in part or in whole, and exercising all other rights as shareholders. The proxy agreement and powers of attorney will remain effective within the operating period of Shanghai VIE, unless otherwise unilaterally terminated by Shanghai WFOE in its sole discretion. The proxy agreement and powers of attorney were executed in May 2013, which were amended and restated in May 2020, and the amended and restated proxy agreement and powers of attorney were deemed effective from November 2018. The proxy agreement and powers of attorney were further amended and restated in September 2020 due to the change of Shanghai VIE’s nominee shareholders.

In May 2020, Beijing WFOE, Beijing VIE and each of Beijing VIE’s shareholders entered into a proxy agreement and powers of attorney and each of Beijing VIE’s shareholders entered into a power of attorney, each as amended and restated in September 2020 due to the change of Beijing VIE’s nominee shareholders, each of which includes terms substantially similar to the proxy agreement and powers of attorneys relating to Shanghai VIE as described above, respectively.

In August 2020, Shanghai WFOE, Beijing Xiaofeng and each of Beijing Xiaofeng’s shareholders entered into a proxy agreement and powers of attorney and each of Beijing Xiaofeng’s shareholders entered into a power of attorney, each of which is deemed effective from the incorporation of Beijing Xiaofeng and includes terms substantially similar to the proxy agreement and powers of attorneys relating to Shanghai VIE as described above, respectively.

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Equity Interest Pledge Agreement. Under the equity interest pledge agreement among Shanghai WFOE, Shanghai VIE and Shanghai VIE’s shareholders, Shanghai VIE’s shareholders pledged all of their equity interests of Shanghai VIE to Shanghai WFOE as security for performance of the obligations of Shanghai VIE and Shanghai VIE’s shareholders and their spouses, as applicable, under the exclusive management services and business cooperation agreement, the exclusive call option agreement, the proxy agreement and powers of attorney, and consent letters. During the term of the equity interest pledge agreement, Shanghai WFOE has the right to receive all of Shanghai VIE’s dividends and profits distributed on the pledged equity. If any of the specified events of default occurs, Shanghai WFOE, as pledgee, will have the right to purchase, auction or sell all or part of the pledged equity interests in Shanghai VIE and will have priority in receiving the proceeds from such disposal. Shanghai WFOE may transfer all or any of its rights and obligations under the equity interest pledge agreement to its designee(s) at any time. Shanghai VIE and its shareholders undertake that, without the prior written consent of Shanghai WFOE, they will not transfer, or create or allow any encumbrance on the pledged equity interests. The agreement will remain in effect until the earlier of (i) the fulfillment of all the obligations under the exclusive management services and business cooperation agreement, the exclusive call option agreement, the proxy agreement and powers of attorney, and consent letters, (ii) the exercise of right of pledge by Shanghai WFOE pursuant to the terms and conditions of this equity interest pledge agreement, or (iii) that the shareholders of Shanghai VIE transfer all the equity held in Shanghai VIE to Shanghai WFOE or its designee(s) pursuant to the exclusive call option agreement. The equity interest pledge agreement was executed in May 2013, which was amended and restated in May 2020, and the amended and restated equity interest pledge agreement was deemed effective from November 2018. The equity interest pledge agreement was further amended and restated in September 2020 due to the change of Shanghai VIE’s nominee shareholders.

In May 2020, Beijing WFOE, Beijing VIE and Beijing VIE’s shareholders entered into an equity interest pledge agreement, as amended and restated in September 2020 due to the change of Beijing VIE’s nominee shareholders, which includes terms substantially similar to the equity interest pledge agreement relating to Shanghai VIE as described above.

In August 2020, Shanghai WFOE, Beijing Xiaofeng and Beijing Xiaofeng’s shareholders entered into an equity interest pledge agreement, which is deemed effective from the incorporation of Beijing Xiaofeng and includes terms substantially similar to the equity interest pledge agreement relating to Shanghai VIE as described above.

We have completed the registration of the equity interest pledge under the equity interest pledge agreement in relation to Beijing Xiaofeng, Shanghai VIE and Beijing VIE with the relevant office of the State Administration for Market Regulation in accordance with the PRC Property Rights Law.

Agreements that allow us to receive economic benefits from our VIE

Exclusive Management Services and Business Cooperation Agreement. Pursuant to the exclusive management services and business cooperation agreement among Shanghai WFOE, Shanghai VIE and certain subsidiaries of Shanghai VIE, Shanghai WFOE has the exclusive right to provide or designate any third-party to provide, among other things, asset and business operation consultancy services, research and development services for education software and courseware, employee professional training services, human resource management services, market survey and research services, permission of intellectual property rights, and other business and technological support as needed to Shanghai VIE and its subsidiaries. In exchange, Shanghai VIE and its subsidiaries agree to pay service fees to Shanghai WFOE in an amount determined by Shanghai WFOE in its sole discretion and can be adjusted by Shanghai WFOE unilaterally. Without the prior written consent of Shanghai WFOE, Shanghai VIE or its subsidiaries cannot accept services provided by, or establish similar cooperation relationship with, any third-party. Shanghai WFOE has the exclusive ownership of all intellectual property rights created as a result of the performance of this agreement unless otherwise provided by PRC laws or regulations, which remain effective whether or not the agreement is amended or terminated. The exclusive management services and business cooperation agreement has an initial term of ten years and shall automatically renew at the end of each term for a further term of ten years, unless otherwise terminated by Shanghai WFOE in its sole discretion with 10 days’ prior written notice. Under no circumstances can Shanghai VIE or its subsidiaries terminate the exclusive management services and business cooperation agreement without the written consent of Shanghai WFOE. The exclusive management services and business cooperation agreement was executed in May 2013, which was amended and restated in May 2020, and the amended and restated exclusive management services and business cooperation agreement was deemed effective from November 2018.

In May 2020, Beijing WFOE, Beijing VIE and certain subsidiaries of Beijing VIE entered into an exclusive management services and business cooperation agreement, which includes terms substantially similar to the exclusive management services and business cooperation agreement relating to Shanghai VIE as described above.

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In August 2020, Shanghai WFOE and Beijing Xiaofeng entered into an exclusive management services and business cooperation agreement, which is deemed effective from the incorporation of Beijing Xiaofeng and includes terms substantially similar to the exclusive management services and business cooperation agreement relating to Shanghai VIE as described above.

Agreements that provide us with the option to purchase the equity interests in our VIE

Exclusive Call Option Agreement. Under the exclusive call option agreement among Shanghai WFOE, Shanghai VIE and Shanghai VIE’s shareholders, each of the shareholders of Shanghai VIE has irrevocably granted Shanghai WFOE an exclusive call option to purchase, or designate a third-party to purchase, all or any part of their equity interests in Shanghai VIE and Shanghai VIE has irrevocably granted Shanghai WFOE an exclusive call option to purchase, or designate a third-party to purchase, all or any part of its assets, each at a purchase price of RMB1.0 or equal to the lowest price permissible by the then-applicable PRC laws and regulations, at Shanghai WFOE’s sole and absolute discretion to the extent permitted by PRC law. If the purchase price is higher than RMB1.0, the shareholders of Shanghai VIE shall promptly give all considerations they received from the exercise of the options to Shanghai WFOE or its designee(s). Shanghai VIE and its shareholders covenant that, without Shanghai WFOE’s prior written consent, they will not, among other things, (i) create any pledge or encumbrance on their equity interests in Shanghai VIE; (ii) transfer or otherwise dispose of their equity interests in Shanghai VIE; (iii) amend Shanghai VIE’s articles of association or change Shanghai VIE’s registered capital; (iv) cause Shanghai VIE to enter into or terminate any material contract to which Shanghai VIE is a party, except in the ordinary course of business; (v) change the scope of business of Shanghai VIE; (vi) allow Shanghai VIE to incur, inherit, guarantee or permit any debts, except for those payables incurred in the ordinary or usual course of business; (vii) merge or consolidate Shanghai VIE with any other entity or acquire or invest in any other entity; (viii) distribute any dividend; (ix) sell, transfer, mortgage or otherwise dispose of any of Shanghai VIE’s assets or allow any encumbrance of any assets, except for the disposal or the encumbrances of the assets that are treated as necessary for their daily business operations; or (x) terminate, liquidate or dissolve Shanghai VIE. The exclusive call option agreement has an initial term of ten years and shall automatically renew at the end of each term for a further term of ten years, unless otherwise terminated by Shanghai WFOE in its sole discretion with 10 days’ prior written notice. Under no circumstances can Shanghai VIE or its shareholders terminate the exclusive call option agreement. The exclusive call option agreement was executed in May 2013, which was amended and restated in May 2020, and the amended and restated exclusive call option agreement was deemed effective from November 2018. The exclusive call option agreement was further amended and restated in September 2020 due to the change of Shanghai VIE’s nominee shareholders.

In May 2020, Beijing WFOE, Beijing VIE and Beijing VIE’s shareholders entered into an exclusive call option agreement, as amended and restated in September 2020 due to the change of Beijing VIE’s nominee shareholders, which includes terms substantially similar to the exclusive call option agreement relating to Shanghai VIE as described above.

In August 2020, Shanghai WFOE, Beijing Xiaofeng and Beijing Xiaofeng’s shareholders entered into an exclusive call option agreement, which is deemed effective from the incorporation of Beijing Xiaofeng and includes terms substantially similar to the exclusive call option agreement relating to Shanghai VIE as described above.

Consent Letters. Pursuant to the consent letters executed by each of Shanghai VIE’s shareholders and its spouse on various dates, each signing shareholder and its spouse unconditionally and irrevocably agreed that the equity interest in Shanghai VIE held by and registered in the name of such shareholder be disposed of in accordance with the proxy agreement and powers of attorney, the equity interest pledge agreement, the exclusive management services and business cooperation agreement, and the exclusive call option agreement described above, and that such shareholder may perform, amend or terminate such agreements without any additional consent of its spouse. Additionally, the signing spouses agreed not to assert any rights over the equity interest in Shanghai VIE held by the shareholders. In addition, in the event that the signing spouses obtain any equity interest in Shanghai VIE held by the shareholders for any reason, they agree to be bound by and sign any legal documents substantially similar to the contractual arrangements described above, as may be amended from time to time.

Each of Beijing VIE’s shareholders and its spouse entered into consent letters, as applicable, which includes terms substantially similar to the consent letters relating to Shanghai VIE as described above.

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Each of Beijing Xiaofeng’s shareholders and its spouse entered into consent letters, as applicable, which is deemed effective from the incorporation of Beijing Xiaofeng and includes terms substantially similar to the consent letters relating to Shanghai VIE as described above.

In the opinion of Tian Yuan Law Firm, our PRC legal counsel:

However, our PRC legal counsel has also advised us that there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws, regulations and rules. Accordingly, the PRC regulatory authorities may take a view that is contrary to the opinion of our PRC legal counsel. It is uncertain whether any new PRC laws or regulations relating to variable interest entity structures will be adopted or if adopted, what they would provide. If we or our VIEs are found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, or fail to obtain or maintain any of the required permits or approvals, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion to take action in dealing with such violations or failures. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure—If the PRC government finds that the agreements that establish the structure for operating certain of our operations in China do not comply with PRC regulations relating to the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations,” “—Our current corporate structure and business operations may be affected by the newly enacted Foreign Investment Law” and “—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us.”

Our principal regional executive offices are located in Beijing and Shanghai, China, and we have also leased offices and studios in a number of other cities in China. Information on our leased properties as of December 31, 2020 is summarized below.

We lease our premises under lease agreements from independent third parties. We believe that our existing facilities are generally adequate to meet our current needs, but we expect to seek additional space as needed to accommodate future growth.

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ITEM 4.A. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

Not Applicable.

ITEM 5. OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this annual report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties about our business and operations. Our actual results and the timing of selected events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this annual report. See “Forward-Looking Information.”

We are a leading education technology company in China with an “in-school + after-school” integrated model. Our smart in-school classroom solution delivers data-driven teaching, learning and assessment products to teachers, students and parents across over 70,000 K-12 schools. Leveraging our unique insights into the academic performance of tens of millions of students at these schools, we offer online K-12 large-class after-school tutoring services that complement students’ in-school learning with a higher level of personalization. Our online K-12 large-class after-school tutoring services accounted for 30.2%, 88.5% and 94.1% of our total net revenues in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. We also offer other educational services, which primarily include membership-based premium educational content offerings.

Under our “in-school + after-school” integrated model, we leverage our profound insights into student academic performance in school to design our online after-school tutoring courses. In addition, our significant presence in K-12 schools across China allows us to align our after-school tutoring content and learning modules with local curriculum and assessment objectives. Our paid course enrollments increased by 166.9% from 272 thousand in 2018 to 726 thousand in 2019, and further increased by 178.0% to 2,018 thousand in 2020. Net revenues from our online K-12 tutoring services increased by 283.0% from RMB93.9 million in 2018 to RMB359.6 million in 2019, and further increased by 238.9% to RMB1,218.6 million (US$186.8 million) in 2020.

Our net revenues increased by 30.7% from RMB310.7 million in 2018 to RMB406.2 million in 2019, and further increased by 218.6% to RMB1,294.4 million (US$198.4 million) in 2020. We generated a net loss of RMB656.1 million, RMB963.8 million and RMB1,339.9 million (US$205.3 million) in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively.

The gross billings of our online K-12 tutoring services increased by 268.4% from RMB148.4 million in 2018 to RMB546.7 million in 2019, and by 202.6% from RMB546.7 million in 2019 to RMB1,654.6 million (US$253.6 million) in 2020. For discussions of gross billings of our online K-12 tutoring services and reconciliation of gross billings of online K-12 tutoring services to net revenues from online K-12 tutoring services, see “—Non-GAAP Financial Measure—Gross Billings of Online K-12 Tutoring Services.”

General Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations

Our results of operations are affected by the general factors driving China’s education industry. We have benefited from China’s overall economic growth, significant urbanization rate, and higher per capita disposable income of households, and increased penetration of internet and mobile applications in China. Our results of operations are also subject to changes in the regulatory landscape affecting China’s education industry, particularly uncertainties relating to both in-school and after-school educational services. The PRC government regulates various aspects of our business and operations, including the qualification, licensing or filing requirements for entities that provide education services and limitations on foreign investments in the education industry. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—Uncertainties exist in relation to new legislation or proposed changes in the PRC regulatory requirements regarding online private education and smart in-school classroom solutions, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.”

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Specific Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations

Besides the general factors affecting the education industry in China, our results of operations are affected by the following specific factors relating to our business:

Our ability to increase paid course enrollments

Our net revenues primarily consist of course fees we charge for our online after-school tutoring services, which is primarily driven by the increase in our paid course enrollments. Our paid course enrollments increased by 166.9% from 272 thousand in 2018 to 726 thousand in 2019, and further increased by 178.0% to 2,018 thousand in 2020. We believe the growth in our paid course enrollment is directly affected by the quality and effectiveness of our course offerings. We will continually enhance our course offerings by further optimizing our course content, honing the instructors’ and tutors’ skills and strengthening our technologies. We will also further promote our brand, and optimize our sales and marketing efforts to generate paid course enrollments cost-effectively.

Our ability to increase course fees

Our net revenues are also affected by the level of course fees we charge for our online K-12 after-school tutoring courses. From 2018 to 2020, we generally raised our course fees every 6 to 12 months. Our median level of course fees increased by 13% from 2018 to 2019, and increased by 34% from 2019 to 2020. Our ability to increase the level of course fees is affected by the quality and effectiveness of our course offerings, the overall demand for our courses, and prices and availability of competing courses. We will continue to monitor these factors and seek to regularly increase the level of our course fees.

Our ability to manage our costs and expenses effectively

Our gross and net margins depend on our ability to control our costs and expenses as we continue to grow and expand our large-class after-school tutoring services. Compensation costs, primarily including salaries, welfare, and service fees for our instructors and tutors, have accounted for a large majority of our cost of revenues. Our ability to control these costs depends significantly on whether we can further capitalize on the scalability of our large-class dual-teacher model and continually improve our efficiency and cost-effectiveness in deploying our instructors and tutors and adoption of technologies.

Sales and marketing expenses have been a major component of our operating expenses. Our promotional course expenses have been the main driver of our sales and marketing expenses as we sought to attract new students. Salaries and welfare of our sales and marketing personnel, including those related to both our in-school and after-school operations, has also been one of the largest items of our sales and marketing expenses as our sales and marketing team expanded. We have substantially improved our sales and marketing efficiency as our online after-school tutoring services scaled up rapidly, resulting in a decrease of sales and marketing expenses as a percentage of our net revenues from 2019 to 2020. To further lower or maintain our sales and marketing expenses as a percentage of our net revenues, we will continue to improve our efficiency and capitalize on our brand value and recognition of the high quality and effectiveness of our course offerings.

We have also incurred substantial amounts of research and development expenses. Salaries and welfare expenses encompass those for technology and content development staff for both of our in-school and after-school operations. The increases in such expenses are in line with our continuous efforts to enhance the quality and breadth of our in-school and after-school tutoring products and services, particularly including the initial expenses in talent recruitment needed to lay the foundation in terms of technological and content development capacity to support our growth in course enrollments. Our research and development expenses also decreased as a percentage of our net revenues from 2019 to 2020 as our operational scale expanded. We will continue to optimize our course content and enhance our technologies to attract new students and improve our operating efficiency.

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Our ability to further strengthen our in-school business

Under our “in-school + after-school” integrated model, our after-school tutoring services benefit significantly from, and are highly synergistic with, our in-school business, which we believe fundamentally sets us apart from our competitors in the after-school tutoring industry. We leverage the data-driven insights accumulated in our in-school business to provide localized course offerings and personalized tutoring services that are complimentary to students’ in-school education, creating a highly effective and efficient after-school learning experience. In addition, the trusted relationships we have developed with teachers, students and parents provide us with a large and familiar pool of prospective tutoring customers, as well as a community of supporters that provide organic word-of-mouth referrals.

To further magnify and capitalize on these benefits, we are committed to continually developing our in-school business. We believe that increasing our in-school products’ user base and user engagement will help us optimize our data-driven insights to further improve our after-school tutoring services, and strengthen our brand and customer trust to attract more enrollments of our courses.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has also broadly affected China’s education industry. Due to the public health concerns and the need for higher efficiency from relevant governmental authorities, schools and other stakeholders in the education industry, there has been an accelerating demand for smart in-school classroom solutions and online after school tutoring services in China since the outbreak of COVID-19. However, COVID-19 has had, and may continue to have, a negative impact on the Chinese and world’s economy in general and our operations in particular. For more information, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors— Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak” and “—A severe and prolonged global economic recession and the slowdown in the Chinese economy may adversely affect our business and results of operations.”

Key Components of Results of Operations

Net revenues

In 2019 and 2020, we derived the vast majority of our net revenues from the course fees that we charge for our large-class after-school tutoring courses. In 2018, we derived a majority of our net revenues from other educational services, while our large-class after-school tutoring services were in the early stages of development.

The following table sets forth a breakdown of our total net revenues by amounts and percentages for the periods presented:

We generally collect course fees in advance, which we initially record as deferred revenues. We recognize revenues proportionally as the classes are delivered. The majority of our courses are typically delivered within a period of four months or less. For most of our courses, we continue to provide students 36 months access to the recorded courses after the online live courses have been delivered. The related revenue for playback is recognized proportionally over the playback period. The playback revenue represents a relatively small portion of the total course fees.

Our net revenues from other educational services in 2018 consisted primarily of the fees we charged for the self-directed learning resource subscription services that we previously offered. We ceased to provide these

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offerings in the second half of 2018 as we started to focus on our online K-12 large-class after-school tutoring services. Our net revenues from other educational services in 2019 and 2020 consisted primarily of the subscription fees we charged for our membership-based premium educational content. The subscription periods range from 15 days to one year. We recognize the revenues related to self-directed learning resource subscription services and membership-based premium educational content subscription services proportionally throughout the subscription periods for our content. We collect the subscription fees in advance and record it as deferred revenue.

Cost of revenues

Our cost of revenues primarily consists of compensation costs, teaching material costs, and others. We expect our cost of revenues to increase in absolute amounts in the foreseeable future as we serve more students and offer more courses.

The following table sets forth the components of our cost of revenues by amounts and percentages of our net revenues for the periods presented:

Compensation costs. Our compensation costs primarily include salaries, welfare and service fees for our instructors and tutors.

Teaching material costs. Our teaching material costs primarily include costs of teaching materials provided to students of our paid courses and the logistics costs.

Others. Our other costs of revenues primarily include rental costs for our office space and studios, costs for the bandwidth required for our livestreaming courses, depreciation of the properties and equipment, and administrative costs for our course offerings.

Operating expenses

Our operating expenses consist of sales and marketing expenses, research and development expenses, and general and administrative expenses. The following table sets forth the components of our operating expenses by amounts and percentages of our net revenues for the periods presented:

Sales and marketing expenses. Our sales and marketing expenses primarily consist of (i) promotional course expenses, including teaching materials and promotional items provided to students of promotional courses, logistics expenses and service fees for promotional course teaching staff, (ii) salaries, benefits and commission for

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sales and marketing personnel of our in-school and after-school operations, and (iii) other expenses associated with our sales marketing activities, including rental, depreciation and amortization and other general expenses. We expect our sales and marketing expenses to increase in absolute amounts in the foreseeable future as we seek to further promote our after-school tutoring and in-school products and services, such as through enhanced advertising initiatives.

The following table sets forth the components of our sales and marketing expenses by amounts and percentages of our net revenues for the periods presented:

Research and development expenses. Our research and development expenses consist primarily of (i) salaries and welfare for technology and content development personnel of our in-school and after-school operations and (ii) other expenses associated with our research and development activities, including rental, development and depreciation expenses. We expect our research and development expenses to increase in absolute amounts in the foreseeable future primarily due to our continued investments in the technologies and content.

The following table sets forth the components of our research and development expenses by amounts and percentages of our net revenues for the periods presented:

General and administrative expenses. Our general and administrative expenses consist primarily of (i) salaries and welfare for our general and administrative personnel and (ii) other general and administrative expenses, including rental and depreciation expenses. We expect our general and administrative expenses to increase in absolute amounts in the future as our business continues to grow and as we incur increased costs related to our compliance obligations as a public company under U.S. securities laws.

The following table sets forth the components of our general and administrative expenses by amounts and percentages of our net revenues for the periods presented: