36Kr Holdings Inc 20-F/A, filed May 19, 2026
36Kr Holdings Inc. (KRKR)
About this 20-F/A
36Kr Holdings Inc filed this 20-F/A on May 19, 2026, covering the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM
(Amendment No.1)
(Mark One)
| REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
OR
| ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For
the fiscal year ended
OR
| TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
OR
| SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
Date of event requiring this shell company report
For the transition period from
Commission
file number:
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
N/A
(Translation of Registrant’s name into English)
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
(Address of principal executive offices)
Tel: +
E-mail:
(Name, Telephone, E-mail and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person)
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
| The Stock Market LLC (The Nasdaq Capital Market) | ||||
| The |
* Not for trading, but only in connection with the listing of the American depositary shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
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. ordinary shares, comprised of Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share, Class B ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share, and Class C ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share, as of December 31, 2025.
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes ¨
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 ¨
Note - Checking the box above will not relieve any registrant required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 from their obligations under those Sections.
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.
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).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer ¨ | Accelerated filer ¨ | |
| Emerging
growth company |
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. ¨
† The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
has filed a report or 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.
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of
the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an
error to previously issued financial statements.
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ¨
Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:
| International
Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ¨ |
Other ¨ |
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 ¨
| Auditor Name | Auditor Location | Auditor Firm ID | ||
EXPLANATORY NOTE
36Kr Holdings Inc. (the “Company”) is filing this Amendment No. 1 on Form 20-F/A (this “Amendment No. 1”) to amend its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 23, 2026 (the “Original Filing”). This Amendment No. 1 is being filed solely to amend and restate in its entirety (i) “Item 3 - D. Risk Factors,” (ii) “Item 10 - B. Memorandum and Articles of Association,” and (iii) “Item 19. Exhibits” of the Original Filing. Specifically, the Exhibit Index is being amended to (a) incorporate by reference a corrected version of the Company’s Fourth Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, which was filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Report on Form 6-K/A on May 19, 2026, and (b) file herewith a corrected version of the Company’s 2019 Share Incentive Plan, as amended and approved by the Board on March 14, 2026.
This Amendment No. 1 speaks as of the filing date of the Original Filing, or April 23, 2026. No attempt has been made in this Amendment No. 1 to modify or update in any way the financial statements or any other items or disclosures in the Original Filing. Except as specifically noted herein, this Amendment No. 1 does not amend, update or restate any of the information previously included in the Original Filing, nor does this Amendment No. 1 reflect any event that has occurred after the date of the Original Filing. Accordingly, this Amendment No. 1 should be read in conjunction with the Original Filing and the Company’s other filings with the SEC subsequent to April 23, 2026.
As required by Rule 12b-15 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Company is also filing or furnishing the certifications required under Section 302 and Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 as exhibits to this Amendment No. 1.
| ITEM 3. | KEY INFORMATION |
3.D. Risk Factors
36Kr Holdings Inc. is a Cayman Islands holding company. It conducts its operations in China through its PRC subsidiaries and the consolidated variable interest entity, or the VIE. However, we and our direct and indirect subsidiaries do not, and it is virtually impossible for them to, have any equity interests in the VIE in practice as current PRC laws and regulations restrict foreign investment in companies that engage in value-added telecommunication services. As a result, we depend on certain contractual arrangements with the VIE to operate a significant portion of our business. This structure allows us to be considered the primary beneficiary of the VIE for accounting purposes, which serves the purpose of consolidating the VIE’s operating results in our financial statements under the U.S. GAAP. This structure also provides contractual exposure to foreign investment in such companies. Shareholders holding 99% equity interests of the VIE are also affiliated with our Company or affiliated with certain shareholders of the Company. Investors in the ADSs are purchasing equity securities of a Cayman Islands holding company rather than equity securities issued by our subsidiaries and the VIE. Investors who are non-PRC residents may never directly hold equity interests in the VIE under current PRC laws and regulations. As used in this annual report, “we,” “us,” “our company,” “our,” or “36Kr” refers to 36Kr Holdings Inc. and its subsidiaries, and, in the context of describing our consolidated financial information, business operations and operating data, our consolidated VIE, “Tianjin Duoke” refers to Tianjin Duoke Investment Co., Ltd., “Beijing Dake” refers to Beijing Dake Information Technology Co., Ltd., and “Beijing Duoke” refers to Beijing Duoke Information Technology Co. Ltd. We refer to Tianjin Duoke and Beijing Dake as the PRC subsidiaries in the context of describing of their activities. We refer to Beijing Duoke as the VIE in the context of describing its activities and contractual arrangements with us.
Our corporate structure involves unique risks to investors in the ADSs. In 2024 and 2025, the amount of revenues generated by the VIE accounted for 100% and 100%, respectively, of our total net revenues. As of December 31, 2024 and 2025, total assets of the VIE, excluding amounts due from other companies in the Group, equaled to 92% and 77% of our consolidated total assets as of the same dates, respectively. As of the date of this annual report, to the best knowledge of our Company, our directors and management, the VIE agreements have not been tested in a court of law in the PRC. If the PRC government deems that our contractual arrangements with the VIE do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to material penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations or otherwise significantly change our corporate structure. We and our investors face significant uncertainty about potential future actions by the PRC government that could affect the legality and enforceability of the contractual arrangements with the VIE and, consequently, significantly affect our ability to consolidate the financial results of the VIE and the financial performance of our company as a whole. The ADSs may decline in value or become worthless if we are unable to effectively enforce our contractual control rights over the assets and operations of the VIE that conduct a significant portion of our business in China. See “Item 3. Key Information-3.D. Risk Factor-Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure” for detailed discussion.
We face various legal and operational risks and uncertainties as a company based in and primarily operating in China. The PRC government has significant authority to exert influence on the ability of a China-based company, like us, to conduct its business, accept foreign investments or be listed on a U.S. stock exchange. For example, we face risks associated with regulatory approvals of offshore offerings, anti-monopoly regulatory actions, cybersecurity and data privacy, as well as the uncertainty on whether the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or PCAOB, will continue to be able to satisfactorily inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. The PRC government may also influence our operations at any time by adopting new laws and regulations as the government deems appropriate to further regulatory, political and societal goals. The PRC government has historically published new policies that significantly affected certain industries such as the education and internet industries, and we cannot rule out the possibility that it will in the future release regulations or policies regarding our industry that could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Any such action, once taken by the PRC government, could cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or in extreme cases, become worthless.
As of the date of this annual report, we do not have cash management policies and procedures in place that dictate how funds are transferred through our organization. Rather, the funds can be transferred in accordance with the applicable PRC laws and regulations without limitations, subject to satisfaction of applicable government registration and approval requirements. Loans by us to our PRC subsidiaries to finance their activities cannot exceed statutory limits and must be registered with the local counterpart of SAFE and capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries are subject to the requirement of making necessary filings in the Foreign Investment Comprehensive Management Information System, and registration with other governmental authorities in China. See “Item 4. Information on the Company — 4.A. History and Development of the Company — Our Corporate History.”
You should carefully consider all of the information in this annual report before making an investment in the ADSs. Below please find a summary of the principal risks and uncertainties we face, organized under relevant headings. In particular, as we are a China-based company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, you should pay special attention to subsections headed “Item 3. Key Information—3.D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China” and “Item 3. Key Information—3.D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure.”
Below please find a summary of the principal risks we face, organized under relevant headings. Please see “Item 3. Key Information—3.D. Risk Factors” and other information included elsewhere in this annual report for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties that we face.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
| · | Due to the rapidly evolving market in which we operate, it is difficult to evaluate our business. We cannot guarantee historical performance is indicative of future results of operations. For details, see page 4 of this annual report. |
| · | We are subject to risks associated with operating in the rapidly evolving New Economy sectors. For details, see page 5 of this annual report. |
| · | The success of our business depends on our ability to maintain and enhance our brand. Negative publicity about us, our services, operations and management, or our affiliates may adversely affect our reputation and business. For details, see page 5 of this annual report. |
| · | If we fail to provide high-quality content in a timely manner, we may not be able to attract or retain users. If our efforts to attract or retain users are not successful, our business and results of operations will be materially and adversely affected. For details, see page 5 of this annual report. |
| · | We cannot guarantee our monetization strategies will be successfully implemented or generate sustainable revenues or profit. For details, see page 6 of this annual report. |
| · | Our business could suffer if we are unable to retain or hire quality in-house writers and editors. For details, see page 6 of this annual report. |
| · | Deterioration or termination of cooperation with third-party professional content providers may have a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations. For details, see page 6 of this annual report. |
| · | Our business, prospects and financial results may be affected by our relationship with third-party platforms. For details, see page 6 of this annual report. |
| · | If the content provided on our platform is deemed to violate any PRC laws or regulations, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. For details, see page 6 of this annual report. |
| · | If we fail to develop effective online advertising services, retain or acquire new online advertising services customers, or manage the credit risk of our customers, our financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be materially and adversely affected. For details, see page 7 of this annual report. |
| · | Our business is subject to complex and evolving laws and regulations regarding cybersecurity and data privacy. For details, see page 7 of this annual report. |
Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure
| · | There are uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws, regulations, and rules relating to the agreements that establish the VIE structure for our operations in China, including potential future actions by the PRC government, which could affect the enforceability of our contractual arrangements with the VIE and, consequently, significantly affect the financial condition and results of operations performance of 36Kr. If the PRC government finds such agreements non-compliant with relevant PRC laws, regulations, and rules, or if these laws, regulations, and rules or the interpretation thereof change in the future, we could be subject to penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in the VIE. For details, see page 20 of this annual report. |
| · | Any failure by the VIE or its shareholders to perform their obligations under our contractual arrangements with them would have a material adverse effect on our business. For details, see page 21 of this annual report. |
| · | We rely on contractual arrangements with the VIE and its shareholders to operate our business, which may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing operational control and otherwise materially and adversely affect our business. For details, see page 24 of this annual report. |
Risks Related to Doing Business in China
| · | The approval, filing or other requirements of the China Securities Regulatory Commission or other PRC government authorities may be required under PRC law in connection with our issuance of securities overseas, or maintenance of the listing status of the ADSs, and the PRC government’s oversight and discretion over our business operations could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of the ADSs. For details, see page 22 of this annual report. |
| · | Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the newly enacted Foreign Investment Law of the PRC and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations. For details, see page 24 of this annual report. |
| · | The enforcement of laws, and changes in policies, laws and regulations in China, could adversely affect us. For details, see page 26 of this annual report. |
| · | Changes in China’s economic, political and social conditions as well as government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business and prospect. For details, see page 26 of this annual report. |
| · | Certain judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable in China. For details, see page 27 of this annual report. |
| · | Trading in our securities may be prohibited under the HFCAA if the PCAOB determines that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely our auditor, and as a result, U.S. national securities exchanges, such as the Nasdaq, may determine to delist our securities. For details, see page 27 of this annual report. |
Risks Related to the ADSs
| · | We believe that we were likely a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) for 2025, and due to the current trading prices of the ADSs there is a significant risk that we will be a PFIC for 2026 and possibly future taxable years, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors in the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares. For details, see page 42 of this annual report. |
| · | We have not maintained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement of $1.00 per share for continued listing on the Nasdaq. If we continue to fail to meet this requirement and Nasdaq determines to delist the ADSs, the delisting would adversely affect the market liquidity of the ADSs and the market price of the ADSs could decrease. For details, see page 36 of this annual report. |
| · | The trading price of the ADSs is likely to be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors. For details, see page 35 of this annual report. |
| · | If securities or industry analysts do not 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. For details, see page 36 of this annual report. |
| · | The sale or availability for sale of substantial amounts of the ADSs could adversely affect their market price. For details, see page 37 of this annual report. |
| · | Techniques employed by short sellers may drive down the market price of the ADSs. For details, see page 37 of this annual report. |
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
Due to the rapidly evolving market in which we operate, it is difficult to evaluate our business. We cannot guarantee historical performance is indicative of future results of operations.
We commenced our operations as a stand-alone company when we were incorporated by Beijing Xieli Zhucheng Finance Information Service Co., Ltd., or Xieli Zhucheng, in December 2016. Since then we have achieved rapid growth in terms of user traffic, customer base and revenues. However, due to the rapidly evolving market in which we operate, there is no assurance that we will be able to maintain our historical growth rates in future periods. Our growth prospects should be considered in light of the risks and uncertainties that the companies in the evolving market in our industry may encounter, including, among others, risks and uncertainties regarding our ability to:
| · | enrich New Economy-focused content offerings; |
| · | maintain, strengthen and diversify content distribution channels; |
| · | retain existing users on, and attract new users to, our platforms; |
| · | offer comprehensive business services tailored to enterprises’ needs throughout their lifecycles; |
| · | attract, retain and motivate talented in-house content creation teams; |
| · | maintain stable relationships with third-party professional content providers; |
| · | develop and implement successful monetization strategies; |
| · | increase brand awareness through marketing and branding activities; |
| · | upgrade existing technology and infrastructure and develop new technologies; |
| · | successfully compete with other companies that are currently in, or may in the future enter, our industry; and |
| · | adapt to the evolving regulatory environment. |
All of these endeavors involve risks and will require significant allocation of management and employee resources and capital expenditures. We cannot assure you that we will be able to effectively manage our growth or implement our business strategies effectively. If the market for our platform does not develop as we expect or if we fail to address the needs of this dynamic market, our business, results of operations and financial condition will be materially and adversely affected.
We are subject to risks associated with operating in the rapidly evolving New Economy sectors.
As a New Economy-focused content and business services provider dedicated to serving New Economy participants in China, we are subject to risks associated with the rapidly evolving nature of New Economy sectors, including but not limited to technology, consumer, retail, healthcare and enterprise services. Our future business, financial conditions, and results of operations will largely depend on the development of China’s New Economy and the growth of the number of New Economy participants. New Economy in China has experienced periods of rapid expansion, and the market size of New Economy-focused online advertising services, enterprise value-added services, and subscription services is expected to grow rapidly. However, there are significant uncertainties with respect to the growth and sustained profitability of China’s New Economy sectors, including changes in general economic conditions in China, New Economy market trends and regulatory environment. Most of these factors are beyond our control. For example, adverse regulatory developments in New Economy sectors in China, such as new or stricter licensing requirements and restrictive industry policies, could materially affect the result of operations and financial conditions of our customers participating in such industries, which may in turn reduce their demand for our services. As a result, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
The success of our business depends on our ability to maintain and enhance our brand. Negative publicity about us, our services, operations and management, or our affiliates may adversely affect our reputation and business.
We believe that maintaining and enhancing our 36Kr brand is critical to our success, especially user and customer acquisition and retention. Unsuccessful marketing efforts, low-quality content and service offerings and unsatisfying user and customer experience are likely to harm our brand image and value.
In addition, negative publicity about us, our services, operations and our management may adversely affect our reputation and business. We have received negative publicity from time to time, including negative Internet and blog postings about our company, our business, our management, our services or our affiliates. Certain of such negative publicity may come from malicious harassment or unfair competition acts by third parties. Our brand and reputation may be materially and adversely affected, which in turn may cause us to lose market share, users, customers and other third parties we conduct business with. As a result, our results of operations and financial performance may be negatively affected.
If we fail to provide high-quality content in a timely manner, we may not be able to attract or retain users. If our efforts to attract or retain users are not successful, our business and results of operations will be materially and adversely affected.
We have experienced significant user growth over the past several years. Our success depends on our ability to generate sufficient user traffic on our platform through the provision of high-quality New Economy-focused content. To attract and retain users, we need to further enrich our content by producing and sourcing new high-quality content in a cost-effective and timely manner. Furthermore, we need to anticipate and quickly respond to prevailing content formats, changing user preferences, and development in New Economy market trends. If we fail to cater to the needs and preferences of our users or deliver high-quality content in an efficient manner, we may suffer from reduced user traffic. In addition, if our valuable users no longer contribute their opinions or comments or other forms of interactive content to our platform, we may experience a decrease in the number of users or level of user engagement. At the same time, spam or excessive advertising could impact user experience on our platform, which could damage our reputation and deter visits to our platform. If we are unable to grow our user base or increase user engagement, our platform will become less attractive to potential customers, especially online advertising services customers. As a result, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
We cannot guarantee our monetization strategies will be successfully implemented or generate sustainable revenues or profit.
We currently generate a majority of our revenues from online advertising services and enterprise value-added services. Nevertheless, we have been diversifying and may further diversify our monetization channels by introducing new services, including services with which we have limited or no prior experience. We have been expanding our comprehensive enterprise value-added service offerings to meet various demands of our customers. We cannot assure you that any of our newly launched services will successfully achieve wide market acceptance, increase the penetration of our addressable market or generate revenues or profit. If our business initiatives fail to enhance our monetization abilities, we may not be able to maintain or increase our revenues or recover any associated costs, and our business and operating results may suffer as a result.
Our business could suffer if we are unable to retain or hire quality in-house writers, editors and video producers.
We rely primarily on our in-house writers, editors and video producers to create high-quality original content. We intend to continue to invest resources in our in-house content production writer and editorial team to maintain and improve content creation capabilities. Nevertheless, the demand and competition for talent is intense in our industry, particularly for skilled writers and editors. Therefore, we may need to offer high compensation and additional benefits to maintain a skilled in-house content creation team, which could increase our expenses. If we fail to compete effectively for talents, lose existing writers, editors or video producers, or fail to otherwise maintain an in-house content creation team at reasonable costs, our in-house content creation capabilities would be negatively affected. Any deterioration in our in-house content creation capabilities may materially and adversely affect our business and operating results. If we are unable to offer high-quality original content in a cost-effective manner, our user experience may be adversely affected, and we may suffer from reduced user traffic. Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected as a result.
Deterioration or termination of cooperation with third-party professional content providers may have a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.
Third-party professional content constitutes a meaningful part of our content offerings, and we intend to continue to attract and explore new partnership with third-party professional content providers. If we fail to maintain our relationship with them, or they fail to provide content of satisfactory quality upon terms commercially acceptable to us, we may lose a significant portion of high-quality content offerings, and as a result our brand and operations could be materially harmed.
Our business, prospects and financial results may be affected by our relationship with third-party platforms.
We distribute certain of our content through our accounts on leading third-party Internet and social networking platforms, including but not limited to Weixin, Weibo, Zhihu, Toutiao, Xinhua Net, Douyin and Bilibili. These third-party platforms enable us to effectively extend our user reach and enhance our influence. To the extent that we fail to leverage such third-party channels, our ability to attract or retain users may be harmed. If our relationship with these third-party platforms deteriorates or is terminated or we fail to establish or maintain relationships with them on commercially viable terms, we may not be able to quickly locate alternative channels. As a result, the aforementioned circumstances may limit our ability to continue growing our user base and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If the content provided on our platform is deemed to violate any PRC laws or regulations, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
China has enacted regulations governing Internet access and the distribution of news and other information over the Internet. Under these regulations, Internet content providers are prohibited from posting or displaying over the Internet content that, among other things, violates PRC laws and regulations, impairs the national dignity of China or the public interest, or is obscene, superstitious, fraudulent, violent or defamatory. Internet content providers are also prohibited from displaying content that may be deemed by relevant government authorities as “socially destabilizing” or leaking “state secrets” of China. In addition, certain news items, such as news relating to national security, may not be published without permission from the PRC regulatory authorities. If the PRC regulatory authorities were to take any action to limit or prohibit the distribution of information through our platform or our services, or to limit or regulate any current or future content or services available to users on our platform, our business could be significantly harmed.
In addition, we operate discussion forums, blogs, comment section and user survey for our users to interact on our platform, such as expressing opinions, posting comments and discussing with each other, and thereby generating our user interactive content. We have implemented an efficient and thorough content screening and monitoring mechanism which involves both automated filtering and manual review, to timely remove any inappropriate or illegal content, including interactive content on our platform. However, such procedures may not prevent all illegal or impropriate content or comments from being posted, and our editorial staff may fail to review and screen such content or comments effectively.
Failure to identify and prevent illegal or inappropriate content from being distributed on our platform may subject us to liability. To the extent that PRC regulatory authorities find any content on our platform objectionable, they may require us to limit or eliminate the dissemination of such content on our platform in the form of take-down orders or otherwise. In addition, PRC laws and regulations are subject to interpretation by the relevant authorities, and it may not be possible to determine in all cases the types of content that could result in our liability as a platform operator.
If we fail to develop effective online advertising services, retain or acquire new online advertising services customers, or manage the credit risk of our customers, our financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.
We generate a majority of our revenues from online advertising services. Revenue generated from online advertising services accounted for 70.2%, 78.2% and 78.8% of our total revenues in 2023, 2024 and 2025, respectively. Our ability to generate and maintain our revenues from online advertising services depends on a number of factors, including our brand value, our user and customer base and competition in the online advertising services market. We cannot assure you that we will be able to retain or acquire online advertising services customers in the future or maintain or increase the pricing of online advertising services. For instance, if our online advertising services customers find that they can gain public attention more efficiently elsewhere, or if our competitors provide online advertising services that suit their goals better, we may lose our online advertising services customers. In addition, third parties may develop and use certain technologies to block the display of our online advertising services customers’ advertisements on our platform. As a result, we may lose our online advertising services customers or be forced to reduce our pricing as our customers’ advertising becomes less effective due to more limited reach, which in turn materially and adversely affects our results of operations. Additionally, if our online advertising services customers determine that their advertising expenditure on our platform does not generate expected returns, they may bargain with us for lower pricing or reduce or terminate cooperation with us. Furthermore, given most of our online advertising service agreements with customers are short-term contracts, our customers may reduce or discontinue cooperation with us easily without incurring material liabilities. In addition, if our customers are unable to pay us in a timely manner or any failure in managing such credit risk may adversely affect our liquidity and cash flows, which in turn has an adverse effect on our business operations and financial condition.
Our business is subject to complex and evolving laws and regulations regarding cybersecurity and data privacy
The cybersecurity legal regime in China is relatively new and evolving rapidly, and their interpretation and enforcement involve significant uncertainties. As a result, it may be difficult to determine what actions or omissions may be deemed to be in violations of applicable laws and regulations in certain circumstances.
Network operators in China are subject to numerous laws and regulations, and have the obligations to, among others, (i) establish internal security management systems that meet the requirements of the classified protection system for cybersecurity, (ii) implement technical measures to monitor and record network operation status and cybersecurity incidents, (iii) implement data security measures such as data classification, backups and encryption, and (iv) submit for cybersecurity review under certain circumstances.
On November 7, 2016, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress issued the Cyber Security Law, which imposes more stringent requirements on operators of “critical information infrastructure,” especially in data storage and cross-border data transfer.
On December 28, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China, together with several other PRC governmental authorities, jointly published the Measures for Cybersecurity Review, with effect from February 15, 2022. Pursuant to these measures, (i) operators of critical information infrastructure that intend to purchase network products and services and online platform operators that conduct data processing activities, in each case that affect or may affect national security, and (ii) operators of network platforms seeking listing abroad that are in possession of more than one million users’ personal information must apply for a cybersecurity review.
We believe, to the best of our knowledge, our business operations do not violate any of the above PRC laws and regulations currently in effect in material aspects. We have been taking, and will continue to take, reasonable measures to comply with such laws, regulations, announcement, provisions and inspection requirements. However, the interpretation and application of these cybersecurity laws, regulations and standards are evolving. We cannot assure you that governmental authorities will not interpret or implement these and other laws or regulations in ways that may negatively affect us.
We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties and changes in PRC regulation of Internet businesses and companies, including limitations on our ability to own key assets such as our platform.
The Chinese government heavily regulates the Internet industry, including foreign investment in the Chinese Internet industry, content on the Internet and license and permit requirements for services providers in the Internet industry. Since some of the laws, regulations and legal requirements with respect to the Internet are relatively new and evolving, their interpretation and enforcement involve significant uncertainties.
Uncertainties relating to the regulation of the Internet business in China, including evolving licensing practices, give rise to the risk that some of our permits, licenses or operations may be subject to challenge, which may be disruptive to our business, subject us to sanctions or require us to increase capital, compromise the enforceability of relevant contractual arrangements, or have other adverse effects on us.
Due to the increasing popularity and use of the Internet and other online services, it is possible that a number of laws and regulations may be adopted with respect to the Internet or other online services covering issues such as user privacy, pricing, content, copyrights, distribution, antitrust and characteristics and quality of products and services. The adoption of additional laws or regulations may impede the growth of the Internet or other online services, which could, in turn, decrease the demand for our content and services and increase our cost of doing business. Moreover, the applicability to the Internet and other online services of existing laws in various jurisdictions governing issues such as property ownership, sales and other taxes, libel and personal privacy is uncertain and may take years to resolve. Any new legislation or regulation, the application of laws and regulations from jurisdictions whose laws do not currently apply to our business, or the application of existing laws and regulations to the Internet and other online services could significantly disrupt our operations or subject us to penalties.
In addition, the PRC regulatory authorities have taken steps to strengthen the regulation on cybersecurity and data protection. On June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress promulgated the PRC Data Security Law, effective on September 1, 2021. On August 20, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress promulgated the PRC Personal Information Protection Law, which became effective on November 1, 2021. On December 28, 2021, the CAC published the Revised Cybersecurity Review Measures, effective on February 15, 2022 and repealed the Cybersecurity Review Measures promulgated on April 13, 2020. Such Measures further restate and expand the applicable scope of the cybersecurity review. Pursuant to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, critical information infrastructure operators that procure internet products and services, and network platform operators engaging in data processing activities, must be subject to the cybersecurity review if their activities affect or may affect national security. In addition, network platform operators holding over one million users’ personal information shall apply with the Cybersecurity Review Office for a cybersecurity review before conducting any public offering in a foreign country. On July 30, 2021, the state council promulgated the Regulations on Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure, which became effective on September 1, 2021. On December 31, 2021, the CAC published the Administrative Provisions on Internet Information Service Algorithm Recommendation on its website, effective on March 1, 2022. These newly promulgated laws and regulations reflect PRC government further attempts to strengthen the legal protection for the national network security, data security, the security of key information infrastructure and the security of personal information protection. See “Item 4. Information on the Company-4.B. Business Overview-Regulation-Regulation on Cybersecurity and Censorship” for details on regulations over data protection and privacy in the PRC.
We have been taking and will continue to take reasonable measures to comply with such laws, regulations, announcements, provisions and inspection requirements; however, as such laws, regulations, announcement and provisions are relatively new, it remains uncertain how these announcements and provisions will be implemented. We cannot assure you we can adapt our operations to it in a timely manner. Evolving interpretations of such laws, regulations, 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 announcements and provisions and future regulations, laws and policies, we could incur additional expenses.
The interpretation and application of existing PRC laws, regulations and policies, the stated positions of relevant PRC government authorities and possible new laws, regulations or policies have created uncertainties regarding the legality of existing and future foreign investments in, and the businesses and activities of, Internet businesses in China, including our business. In addition, the direct shareholders of the VIE are PRC incorporated entities rather than PRC individuals. Therefore, the upward ownership structure and ultimate beneficial parties of such shareholders may vary from time to time, and we or the VIE may not be informed or aware of such variations. If any such change results in direct or indirect foreign stake in any of the shareholders of the VIE, the VIE may not be eligible for maintaining certain existing licenses to operate business where foreign investment is prohibited or restricted.
Lack of Internet news information license may expose us to administrative sanctions, which would materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The PRC government regulates the Internet industry extensively, including foreign ownership of, and the licensing requirements pertaining to, companies in the Internet industry. A number of regulatory agencies, including the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, or the MOCT, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or the MIIT, the Cyberspace Administration of China, or CAC, the National Radio and Television Administration, or the NRTA (previously known as the State Administration of Press Publication, Radio, Film and Television, or the SAPPRFT), the State Council Information Office, or the SCIO, and other governmental authorities, jointly regulate all major aspects of the Internet industry. Operators are required to obtain various government approvals and licenses prior to providing the relevant Internet information services.
The content provided on our platform, including New Economy-focused industry reports, market updates, flash updates, columns and interviews, may be deemed to be news information content. Pursuant to the Provisions for the Administration of Internet News Information Services issued by the national CAC on May 2, 2017 that became effective on June 1, 2017, an Internet news information license shall be obtained for a provider of Internet news information services to the public in a variety of ways, including forwarding Internet news information and offering of platforms for the dissemination of Internet news information. As such, we may be required to obtain an Internet news information license from CAC for our business. In practice, competent Internet news information services providers that are not state-owned, such as our company, may need to introduce a state-owned shareholder in order to facilitate the application and approval process for the Internet news information license. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—4.B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulation on Internet News Services.”
In addition, according to the Provisions for the Administration of Internet News Information Services, those that apply for a license for Internet news information collecting, editing and publishing services shall be news agencies (including the entities held thereby) or the entities under the charge of news publicity authorities. Internet news information services providers should separate their news collection and editing services from other operational businesses and non-state-owned capitals shall not engage in services of collecting and editing Internet news information. We are not a news agency or a state-owned entity engaging in services of collecting and editing Internet news information. As such, we may not be permitted to collect and edit Internet news information. As a result, the CAC or its applicable office at the provincial level may, at its sole discretion, order us to cease relevant operations, and impose a fine of more than RMB10,000 and less than RMB30,000; where a crime is constituted, it shall be subject to criminal liabilities.
We plan to apply for the Internet news information license from the CAC through the VIE when it is feasible to do so. As advised by our PRC legal advisor, current requirements for applying the Internet news information license include, among others, having a state-owned shareholder. As of the date of this annual report, we are not eligible to apply for such license. We cannot predict when we can be eligible, or when such requirements will be eased so that we can be eligible to apply for the Internet news information license. However, even if we are eligible to apply, there can be no assurance that our application will be accepted or approved by the CAC. In the event we fail to obtain the Internet news information license, we may be ordered to suspend relevant business, and our results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. As of the date of this annual report, we are not in the process of applying for the Internet news information license, and we have not received any notice of warning or been subject to any material administrative penalties or other disciplinary actions from the relevant government authorities for lack of the Internet news information license. However, in the past, CAC ordered certain PRC companies to suspend their online content offerings for a certain period of time due to their lack of Internet news information license. As such, we cannot assure you that we will not be subject to similar or other penalties, such as any warning, investigations, suspension of some or all of our content offerings or other penalties that may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Lack of Internet audio-visual program transmission license may expose us to administrative sanctions, which would materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Pursuant to the Administrative Provisions on Internet Audio-visual Program Service, or the Audio-visual Program Provisions, which was issued by the MIIT and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, or the SARFT (the predecessor of SAPPRFT) on December 20, 2007 and came into effect on January 31, 2008 and was amended on August 28, 2015, online transmission of audio and video programs requires an Internet audio-visual program transmission license and online audio-visual services providers must be either wholly state-owned or state-controlled. In a press conference jointly held by SARFT and MIIT to answer questions with respect to the Audio-visual Program Provisions in February 2008, SARFT and MIIT clarified that online audio-visual services providers that had already been operating lawfully prior to the issuance of the Audio-visual Program Provisions may re-register and continue to operate without becoming state-owned or controlled, provided that such providers have not engaged in any unlawful activities. This exemption will not be granted to online audio-video services providers established after the Audio-visual Program Provisions were issued. See “Item 4. Information on the Company-4.B. Business Overview-Regulation-Regulations on Internet Audio-visual Program Services.”
We provide our content in various formats, including audio and video, on our platform and several third party’s platforms. If such content offerings are considered as online transmission of audio and video programs, we may be required to obtain the Internet audio-visual program transmission license. As advised by our PRC legal advisor, current requirements for applying the Internet audio-visual program transmission license include, among others, being a state-owned or a state-controlled entity. As of the date of this annual report, we are not eligible to apply for such license. We cannot predict when we can be eligible, or when such requirements will be eased so that we can be eligible for applying the Internet audio-visual program transmission license. We plan to apply for the Internet audio-visual program transmission license when it is feasible to do so. If the relevant regulatory authorities find our operations to be in violation of the applicable laws and regulations, we may receive a warning and be ordered to rectify such non-compliance and pay a fine of not more than RMB30,000. In severe cases, we may be ordered to cease transmission of audio and video programs, be subject to a penalty equal to one to two times our total investment in the affected business and the devices we used for such operation may be confiscated. Furthermore, according to the Audiovisual Program Provisions, the telecommunications administrative authorities may, based on written opinions of the SARFT, and in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations on supervision of telecommunications and Internet, close our platform, revoke the relevant license or filings for the provision of Internet information service and order the relevant network operation entity which provides us signal access services to stop such provision of services. As of the date of this annual report, we are not in the process of applying for the Internet audio-visual program transmission license, and we have not received any notice of warning or been subject to any material administrative penalties or other disciplinary actions from the relevant governmental authorities for lack of the Internet audio-visual program transmission license. However, in the past, the relevant governmental authorities penalized certain PRC companies due to their lack of Internet audio-visual program transmission license. As such, we cannot assure you that we will not be subject to any warning, investigations into suspension of some of our content offerings or other penalties that may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Lack of Internet publishing license may expose us to administrative sanctions, which would materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
On February 4, 2016, the SAPPRFT and the MIIT jointly issued the Rules for the Administration for Internet Publishing Services, or the Internet Publishing Rules, which took effect on March 10, 2016, and prohibit wholly foreign-owned enterprises, Sino-foreign equity joint ventures and Sino-foreign cooperative enterprises from engaging in the provision of web publishing services. Under these rules, providers of online publications are required to hold an Internet publishing license. However, uncertainty remains regarding the interpretation of relevant concepts, including “online publications” under the current PRC laws and regulations. Although we have not been required by the General Administration of Press and Publication or other relevant authorities to obtain the Internet publishing license as of the date of this annual report, we may face further scrutiny by such authorities, and they may require us to apply for such license or subject us to penalties. In addition, cooperation between Internet publishing services providers and wholly foreign-owned enterprises, Sino-foreign equity joint ventures, or Sino-foreign cooperative enterprises within China or overseas organizations or individuals engaging in Internet publishing business shall be subject to examination and approval by the General Administration of Press and Publication in advance. See “Item 4. Information on the Company-4.B. Business Overview-Regulation-Regulations on Internet Publishing.”
If the provision of our in-house-generated content, in the forms of articles, pictures, audio and video clips, on our online platform is considered “online publishing”, we may be required to obtain the Internet publishing license. If the relevant regulatory authorities find our operations without an Internet publishing license to be in violation of the applicable laws and regulations, such regulatory authorities may order us to cease relevant operations or close our platform or confiscate the devices we used for such operations. If our revenue from such violation is less than RMB10,000, the relevant regulatory authorities may impose a fine of less than RMB50,000. If our revenue from such violation is RMB10,000 or above, such regulatory authorities may impose a fine equivalent to five to ten times of our revenue from the violation. In addition to the administrative penalties, our operation without the Internet publishing license may also subject us to civil and criminal liabilities.
We are planning to apply for the Internet publishing license for our business operation, and we have been continuously communicating with the competent authorities and will apply for it when it is feasible to do so. As advised by our PRC legal advisor, current requirements for applying the Internet publishing license include, among others, having a certain number of employees with technical and vocational qualifications for the profession of publishing and other related professions as approved by the SAPPRFT. As of the date of this annual report, we are not eligible to apply for such license. We cannot predict when we can be eligible, or when such requirements will be eased so that we can be eligible to apply for the Internet publishing license. However, even if we are eligible to apply, there can be no assurance that the application will be accepted or approved by the relevant regulatory authorities. As of the date of this annual report, we are not in the process of applying for the Internet publishing license as our employees are still in the process of obtaining the requisite qualifications and we cannot predict when such qualifications will be obtained. In addition, we have not received any notice of warning or been subject to material administrative penalties or other disciplinary actions from the relevant governmental authorities for lack of the license, which have had a material adverse impact on our business. However, we cannot assure you that we will not be subject to any warning, investigations, suspension of some or all of our content offerings or other penalties that may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Advertisements on our platform may subject us to penalties and other administrative actions.
Under PRC advertising laws and regulations, we are obligated to monitor the advertising content shown on our platform to ensure that such content is true, accurate and in full compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In addition, where a special government review is required for specific types of advertisements prior to posting, such as advertisements relating to pharmaceuticals, medical instruments, agrochemicals and veterinary pharmaceuticals, we are obligated to confirm that such review has been performed, and approval has been obtained from competent government authorities. To fulfill these monitoring functions, we typically include clauses in our online advertising contracts requiring that all advertising content provided by online advertising services customers must comply with relevant laws and regulations. Under PRC law, we may have claims against online advertising services customers for all damage caused by their breach of such representations. Violation of these laws and regulations may subject us to penalties, including fines, confiscation of our online advertising income, orders to cease dissemination of the advertisements and orders to publish an announcement correcting the misleading information. In circumstances involving serious violations, such as posting a pharmaceutical product advertisement without approval, or posting an advertisement for fake pharmaceutical product, PRC regulatory authorities may force us to terminate our online advertising operation or revoke our licenses. See “Item 4. Information on the Company-4.B. Business Overview-Regulation-Regulations on Online Advertising Services.”
A majority of the advertisements shown on our platform are provided to us by third parties. Although we have implemented automated and manual content monitoring systems and significant efforts have been made to ensure that the advertisements shown on our platform are in full compliance with applicable laws and regulations, we cannot assure you that all the content contained in such advertisements is true, accurate and legitimate as required by the advertising laws and regulations, especially given the uncertainty in the application of these laws and regulations. The inability of our systems and procedures to adequately and timely discover such evasions may subject us to regulatory penalties or administrative sanctions. Although we have not been subject to material penalties or administrative sanctions in the past for the advertisements shown on our platform, if we are found to be in violation of applicable PRC advertising laws and regulations in the future, we may be subject to penalties and our reputation may be harmed, which may have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—4.B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations on Online Advertising Services.”
We face competition in major aspects of our business. If we are unable to compete effectively in the industry we operate, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.
The New Economy-focused business services market is highly competitive. Our online advertising services face competition from other content-based online advertising services providers as well as technology channels of major Internet information portals, such as Sina and Tencent News. For our enterprise value-added services, we face competition from other New Economy-focused enterprise value-added services providers as well as traditional marketing, consulting and public relation companies. We also compete with paid content services providers and offline training agencies with respect to our subscription services. We also face competition from traditional advertising media. If we cannot effectively compete with these platforms and distribution channels for marketing budgets of our existing and potential customers, our results of operations and growth prospects could be adversely affected.
Our competition is primarily centered on increasing user traffic, user engagement and brand recognition, as well as customer acquisition and retention, among other factors. Some of our competitors have longer operating histories and significantly greater financial resources than we do, which may allow them to attract and retain more users and customers. Our competitors may compete with us in a variety of ways, including by offering popular content, introducing new business services, conducting more aggressive brand promotions and other marketing activities and through investments and acquisitions. If any of our competitors achieve greater market acceptance or is able to offer more attractive content and business services than us, our user traffic, customer acquisition and retention, brand value and market share may decrease, which may have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we are unable to conduct our marketing activities cost-effectively, our results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.
We have incurred expenses on a variety of marketing and branding activities. In 2023, 2024 and 2025, we incurred RMB127.5 million, RMB82.6 million, and RMB66.4 million (US$9.5 million) in sales and marketing expenses, accounting for 37.5%, 35.7% and 29.1% of our total revenues, respectively. Our marketing and branding activities may not be well received, successful or cost-effective, which may lead to significantly higher marketing expenses in the future. We may also not be able to continue our existing marketing and branding activities. Failure to refine our existing marketing strategies or introduce new effective marketing strategies in a cost-effective manner could impact on our business operations and financial performance.
Content provided on our platform may expose us to libel or other legal claims which may result in costly legal damages.
Claims may be threatened and filed against us for libel, defamation, invasion of privacy, intellectual property right infringements and other theories based on the nature and content of the information distributed on our platform. While we screen our content for such potential liability, there is no assurance that our screening process will identify all potential liability, especially liability arising from our user interactive content and content we source from third parties. In the past, there was no claim brought against us which resulted in material liability, but we cannot assure you we will not be subject to future claims that could be costly, encourage similar lawsuits, distract our management team and harm our reputation and possibly our business.
The use of generative AI may involve complex intellectual property issues. As the applicable laws and regulations in mainland China are still evolving and subject to further interpretation and implementation, AI-generated content could lead to copyright and other legal disputes, which could undermine the effectiveness of AI and subject us to liabilities and potential reputational harm. Although we believe that we have taken necessary measures according to the applicable laws, we cannot guarantee that we will always meet the regulatory requirements. If we fail to meet legal and regulatory requirements, we may be subject to penalties.
If we are unable to manage our growth, our business and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.
We have experienced rapid growth since our incorporation in 2016. To manage our business expansion, we need to continuously expand and enhance our infrastructure and technology, and improve our operational and financial systems, procedures and internal controls. We cannot assure you that our current and planned personnel, infrastructure, systems, procedures and controls will be adequate to support our expanding operations. We may be required to spend more on sales and marketing in order to support any such expansion and our efforts may not be effective. If we fail to manage our expansion effectively or efficiently, our business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
We may face challenges in expanding our international and local operations.
We rely on our diversified distribution channels to deliver our content to users in a cost-effective and timely manner. Specifically, we collaborate with established overseas and local media companies in setting up overseas and local stations. On the one hand, we face risks associated with expanding into new regions and markets in which we have limited or no experience and in which our brand may be less known. We may be unable to attract a sufficient number of users and other participants through our overseas and local stations. We may face fierce competition from overseas and local markets or other difficulties in operating effectively in these new markets. On the other hand, our international expansion and local penetration will also expose us to risks such as increased demands on management, operational and financial resources, different regulatory compliance requirements and exchange rate fluctuations, among others. One or more of these factors could adversely impact our international and local operations. Accordingly, any efforts we make to expand our international and local operations may not be successful.
Future investments in and acquisitions of complementary assets, technologies and businesses may fail and may result in equity or earnings dilution.
We may invest in or acquire assets, technologies and businesses that are complementary to our existing business. Our investments or acquisitions may not yield the results we expect. 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 goodwill or intangible assets and exposure to potential unknown liabilities of the acquired business. Furthermore, if such goodwill or intangible assets become impaired, we may be required to record a significant charge to our results of operations. Such investments and acquisitions may also require our management team to devote a significant amount of attention. Moreover, the cost of identifying and consummating investments and acquisitions, and integrating the acquired businesses into ours, may be significant, and the integration of acquired businesses may be disruptive to our existing business operations. In addition, we may have to obtain approval from the relevant PRC governmental authorities for the investments and acquisitions and comply with any applicable PRC rules and regulations, which may be costly. In the event our investments and acquisitions are not successful, our results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.
We have recorded negative cash flows from operating activities historically. We may need additional capital, and we may be unable to obtain such capital in a timely manner or on acceptable terms, or at all.
We have experienced cash outflow from operating activities in history. We recorded net cash used in operating activities of RMB122.2 million in 2023, net cash used in operating activities of RMB33.0 million in 2024, and net cash provided by operating activities of RMB19.0 million (US$2.7 million) in 2025. The cost of continuing operations could further reduce our cash position, and an increase in our net cash outflow from operating activities could adversely affect our operations by reducing the amount of cash available to meet the capital needs for our daily operation and future business expansion. Our ability to obtain additional capital is subject to a variety of uncertainties, including:
| · | our market position and competitiveness in the New Economy-focused business services market. |
| · | our future profitability, overall financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. |
| · | general market conditions for capital raising activities by New Economy and other Internet companies in China; and |
| · | economic, political and other conditions in China and internationally. |
We may be unable to obtain additional capital in a timely manner or on acceptable terms or at all. In addition, due to future capital needs and other business reasons, we may need to sell additional equity or debt securities or obtain a credit facility. The sale of additional equity or equity-linked securities could dilute our shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations or our ability to pay dividends to our shareholders.
If we fail to collect accounts receivable from our customers in a timely manner, our business operations and financial results may be materially and adversely affected.
Accounts receivables are generally non-interest bearing and are on terms between 90 to 270 days. In some cases, these terms are extended for certain qualifying long-term customers who have met specific credit requirements. We generally make a credit assessment of our customers before entering into an agreement with them. Nevertheless, we cannot assure you that we are or will be able to accurately assess the creditworthiness of each customer. Furthermore, the financial soundness of our customers, which is beyond our control, may affect our collection of accounts receivable. Any delay in payment or failed payment may adversely affect our liquidity and cash flow, which in turn has a material adverse effect on our business operations and financial results.
The continued and collaborative efforts of our senior management and key employees are crucial to our success, and our business may be harmed if we lose their services.
Our success depends on the continued and collaborative efforts of our senior management. If, however, one or more of our executives or other key personnel are unable or unwilling to continue to provide services to us, we may not be able to find suitable replacements easily or at all. Competition for management and key personnel is intense, and the pool of qualified candidates is limited. We may not be able to retain the services of our executives or key personnel or attract and retain experienced executives or key personnel in the future. If any of our executive officers or key employees join a competitor or forms a competing business, we may lose crucial business secrets, technological know-hows, customers and other valuable resources.
We may be subject to intellectual property infringement claims or other allegations by third parties for information or content distributed on our platform, which may be expensive to defend and may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and prospects.
Our success depends, in large part, on our ability to operate our business without infringing third-party rights, including third-party intellectual property rights. Companies on the Internet, technology and media industries own, and are seeking to obtain, a large number of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets, and they are frequently involved in litigation based on allegations of infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights or other related legal rights. The validity, enforceability and scope of protection of intellectual property rights in Internet-related industries, particularly in China, are uncertain and still evolving. As we face increasing competition and as litigation becomes more common in China in resolving commercial disputes, we face a higher risk of being the subject of intellectual property infringement claims.
While our content screening and monitoring mechanism screens are content for potential copyright infringements, we may not be able to identify all instances of copyright infringement, especially those arising from professional content we source from third parties. For example, content providers may submit copyrighted content that they have no right to distribute. In the event we deliver content that violates the copyrights of a third party, we may be required to pay damages to compensate such third party. In addition, our platform allows our users to voice their opinions, express their views, discuss with each other and provide feedback on our content. Content posted by our users may expose us to allegations by third parties of infringement of intellectual property rights, invasion of privacy, defamation and other violations of third-party rights. Pursuant to our user agreement, users agree not to post any content that is illegal, obscene or may otherwise violate generally accepted codes of ethics. We have also implemented automated and manual reviews of the content on our platform. However, there is no assurance that we can identify and remove all potentially infringing content uploaded by our users. As a result, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.
Third parties may take action and file claims against us if they believe that certain content on our site violates their copyrights or other related legal rights. We have been, and may in the future be, subject to such claims in the PRC.
In addition, we operate our platform primarily through the VIE and its subsidiaries, and our ability to monitor content as described above depends in large part on the experience and skills of the management of, and our control over, those consolidated affiliated entities. Our control over the management and operations of our consolidated affiliated entities through contractual arrangements may not be as effective as that through direct ownership. See “Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure—We rely on contractual arrangements with the VIE and its shareholders to operate our business, which may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing operational control and otherwise materially and adversely affect our business.”
Although we have not been subject to claims or lawsuits with respect to copyright infringement outside of China, we cannot assure you that we will not become subject to copyright laws or legal proceedings initiated by third parties in other jurisdictions, such as the United States, as a result of the ability of users to access our content in the United States and other jurisdictions, the ownership of the ADSs by investors in the United States and other jurisdictions, the extraterritorial application of foreign law by foreign courts, the fact that we sub-licensed content from licensors who in turn obtained their authorizations from content providers in the United States and other jurisdictions or otherwise. In addition, as a publicly listed company, we may be exposed to increased risk of litigation. If a claim of infringement brought against us in the United States or other jurisdictions is successful, we may be required to, upon enforcement, (i) pay substantial statutory or other damages and fines, (ii) remove relevant content from our platform or (iii) enter into royalty or license agreements which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all.
We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property and prevent others from unauthorized use of our intellectual property, which could cause us to be less competitive and harm our business.
We rely on a combination of copyright, trademark and other intellectual property laws and confidentiality agreements and other measures to protect our intellectual property rights. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, unauthorized parties may attempt to copy or otherwise obtain and use our copyrighted content and other intellectual property. Monitoring such unauthorized use is difficult and costly, and we cannot be certain that the steps we have taken will prevent misappropriation. From time to time, we may have to resort to litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights, which could result in substantial costs and diversion of our resources. The PRC has historically afforded less protection to a company’s intellectual property than the United States and the Cayman Islands, and therefore companies such as ours operating in the PRC face an increased risk of intellectual property piracy.
We may from time to time become a party to litigation, legal disputes, claims or administrative proceedings that may materially and adversely affect us.
We may from time to time become a party to various litigations, legal disputes, claims or administrative proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business. We may also get involved in legal disputes, claims or litigation in connection with our major corporate actions. For example, in connection with our reorganization in August 2019, shareholders of Xieli Zhucheng are entitled to designate an entity to subscribe for and/or receive shares of our company reflecting their respective indirect ownership percentages in the VIE before completion of the reorganization. A certain shareholder of Xieli Zhucheng, however, has not officially responded to Xieli Zhucheng’s request for such designation. As such, Xieli Zhucheng designated an offshore entity to hold the shares that such shareholders are entitled to receive in the reorganization, which represents approximately 1.5% of our total outstanding shares as of the date of this annual report, pending further instructions from such shareholders. We cannot assure you, however, that such shareholder will be satisfied with such arrangement or will not file any claim or lawsuit against Xieli Zhucheng or us to claim for damages or even challenge the validity of the reorganization and our contractual arrangements with the VIE.
We cannot predict the outcome of any litigation, legal disputes, claims or administrative proceedings. If any verdict or award is rendered against us or if we decide to settle the disputes, we may be required to incur monetary damages or other liabilities. Even if we can successfully defend ourselves, we may have to incur substantial costs and spend substantial time and effort in these lawsuits. Negative publicity relating to litigation, legal disputes, claims or administrative proceedings may damage our reputation and adversely affect the image of our brand and services. Furthermore, any litigation, legal disputes, claims or administrative proceedings which are not of material importance may escalate due to the various factors involved, such as the facts and circumstances of the cases, the likelihood of winning or losing, the monetary amount at stake, and the parties concerned continue to evolve in the future, and such factors may result in these cases becoming of material importance to us. Consequently, any ongoing or future litigation, legal disputes, claims or administrative proceedings could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our business, results of operations and financial condition may be harmed by service disruptions, or by our failure to timely and effectively scale and adapt our existing technology and infrastructure.
We have experienced, and may experience in the future, service disruptions, outages and other performance problems due to a variety of factors, including infrastructure changes, human or software errors, hardware failure, capacity constraints due to an overwhelming number of people accessing our services simultaneously, computer viruses and denial of service, fraud and security attacks. Any disruption or failure in our infrastructure could hinder our ability to handle existing or increased traffic on our platform or cause us to lose content stored on our platform, which could significantly harm our business and our ability to retain existing users and attract new users.
As the number of our users increases and as we continue to diversify into new content formats, we may be required to expand and adapt our technology and infrastructure to continue to reliably store, analyze and deliver content. It may become increasingly difficult to maintain and improve the performance of our services, especially during peak usage times, as our services become more complex and our user traffic increases. If our users are unable to access our platform or we are not able to make information available rapidly on our platform, or at all, users may become frustrated and seek other channels for their New Economy-focused content and may not return to our platform or use our platform as often in the future, or at all. This would negatively impact our ability to attract users and maintain high level of user engagement as well as our ability to attract online advertising services customers.
Our operations depend on the performance of the Internet infrastructure and fixed telecommunications networks in China. Any malfunction, capacity constraint or operation interruption may have an adverse impact on our business.
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 primarily rely on a limited number of telecommunication services providers to provide us with data communications capacity. 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 services providers. 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 platform. However, we have no control over the costs of the services provided by telecommunications services 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.
Privacy concerns relating to our services and the use of user information could damage our reputation, deter current and potential users and customers from using our services and negatively impact on our business.
We collect personal data from our users in order to better study and predict the preferences and demands of our users, and in turn tailor and recommend our content offerings accordingly. Concerns about the collection, use, disclosure or security of personal information or other privacy-related matters, even if unfounded, could damage our reputation, cause us to lose users and customers and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. While we strive to comply with applicable data protection laws and regulations, as well as our own posted privacy policies and other obligations we may have with respect to privacy and data protection, the failure or perceived failure to comply may result, and in some cases has resulted, in inquiries and other proceedings or actions against us by government agencies or others, as well as negative publicity and damage to our reputation and brand, each of which could cause us to lose users and customers, which could have an adverse effect on our business.
Any systems failure or compromise of our security that results in unauthorized access to or release of our users’ or customers’ data could significantly limit the adoption of our services, as well as harm our reputation and brand and, therefore, our business. We expect to continue to expend significant resources to protect against security breaches. The risk that these types of events could seriously harm our business is likely to increase as we expand the number of products and services we offer and expand our user base.
New laws or regulations concerning data protection, or the interpretation and application of existing consumer and data protection laws or regulations, which are often uncertain and in flux, may be inconsistent with our practices. Complying with new laws and regulations could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices in a manner materially adverse to our business. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—4.B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulation on Privacy Protection.”
If our security measures are breached, or if our services are subject to attacks that degrade or deny the ability of users to access our services, our services may be perceived as not being secure, users may curtail or stop using our services and our business, results of operations and financial condition may be harmed.
Our services involve the storage and transmission of users’ information, and security breaches expose us to a risk of loss of this information, litigation and potential liability. Our user data is encrypted and saved on cloud-based servers, protected by access control, and further backed up in long-distance servers, so as to minimize the possibility of data loss or breach. Upon security breach, our technical team will be notified immediately and diagnose and solve the technical problems. As of the date of this annual report, we have not experienced any material incidents of security breach.
Despite the security measures we have implemented, we may experience cyber-attacks of varying degrees, including attempts to hack into our user accounts or redirect our user traffic to other websites. Functions that facilitate interactivity with other mobile applications, which among other things allow users to log into our platform using their accounts or identities, could increase the scope of access of hackers to user accounts. Our security measures may also be breached due to employee error, malfeasance or otherwise. Additionally, outside parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees or users to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to our data or our users’ data or accounts or may otherwise obtain access to such data or accounts. Any such breach or unauthorized access could result in significant legal and financial exposure, damage to our reputation and a loss of confidence in the security of our services that could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service or sabotage systems change frequently and often are not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. If an actual or perceived breach of our security occurs, the market perception of the effectiveness of our security measures could be harmed, we could lose users and we may be exposed to significant legal and financial risks, including legal claims and regulatory fines and penalties. Any of these actions could have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our current dependence on a limited number of customers may cause significant fluctuations or declines in our revenues.
A considerable portion of our revenues is derived from a limited number of our customers. For details, see Note 4 “Concentrations and Risks” to our consolidated financial statements. Some of our customers may choose to place orders to us via third-party agencies, through which we provided advertising and other services to various enterprises they represent. There are inherent risks whenever a large percentage of total revenues are concentrated with a limited number of customers or agencies. It may not be possible for us to predict the future level of demand for our services by our largest customers. Actions taken by our largest customers to exploit their comparably superior bargaining position when negotiating for renewals of services agreements or otherwise could also have an adverse effect on our results of operations. In addition, revenues from the largest customers may fluctuate from time to time for reasons beyond our control. There can be no assurance that we can maintain relationships with our largest customers on commercially desirable terms. If any of the foregoing were to occur, we could be pressured to reduce the prices we charge for our services or risk losing our largest customers, which could have an adverse effect on our revenues and margins, and could negatively affect our financial position and results of operations and/or trading price of the ADSs.
Our user and customer operating metrics and other estimates are subject to inherent challenges in measuring our operating performance, which may harm our reputation.
We regularly review our operating metrics in relation to our users and customers to evaluate growth trends, measure our performance, and make strategic decisions. These metrics are calculated using our internal data as well as third-party platform’s data, have not been validated by an independent third party, and may not be indicative of our future operation results. While these numbers are based on what we believe to be reasonable estimates for the applicable period of measurement, there are inherent challenges in measuring how our platform is used across a large population in China. For example, we may not be able to distinguish individual users who have multiple registered accounts across our self-operated platforms and third-party platforms. Errors or inaccuracies in our metrics or data could result in incorrect business decisions and inefficiencies. For instance, if a significant understatement or overstatement of active users were to occur, we might expend resources to implement unnecessary business measures or fail to take required actions to remedy an unfavorable trend. If online advertising services customers or investors do not perceive our user or other operating metrics to accurately represent our user base, or if we discover inaccuracies in our user or other operating metrics, our reputation may be harmed.
If we fail to implement and maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting, we may be unable to accurately or timely report our results of operations or prevent fraud, and investor confidence and the trading price of the ADSs may be materially and adversely affected.
In the course of auditing our consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2025, we and our independent registered public accounting firm identified one material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting and other control deficiencies. The material weakness identified is our lack of sufficient competent financial reporting and accounting personnel with appropriate understanding of U.S. GAAP to design and implement formal period-end financial reporting controls and procedures to address U.S. GAAP technical accounting issues, and to prepare and review the consolidated financial statements and related disclosures in accordance with U.S. GAAP and financial reporting requirements set forth by the SEC. We are in the process of implementing a number of measures to address the identified material weakness and control deficiencies. However, we cannot assure you that these measures may fully address or remediate the material weakness and control deficiencies.
As a public company in the United States, we are subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. 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, 2020. In addition, when a company meets the SEC’s criteria, an independent registered public accounting firm must attest to and report on the effectiveness of the company’s internal control over financial reporting. Our management may conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective. Moreover, even if our management concludes that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, our independent registered public accounting firm, after conducting its own independent testing, may conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective. In addition, as a public company, our reporting obligations may place a significant strain on our management, operational and financial resources and systems for the foreseeable future. We may be unable to timely complete our evaluation testing and any required remediation.
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. 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 the 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 have limited business insurance coverage which could expose us to significant costs and business disruption.
Insurance companies in China offer limited business insurance products. We do not have any business liability or disruption insurance coverage for our operations in China. Any business disruption may result in our incurring substantial costs and the diversion of our resources, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate, which makes our results of operations difficult to predict and may cause our quarterly results of operations to fall short of expectations.
Our quarterly operating results have fluctuated in the past and may continue to fluctuate depending upon a number of factors, many of which are out of our control. Our operating results tend to be seasonal. For instance, advertising and marketing activities tend to be less active during the first quarter, which is Chinese New Year holiday season. As compared to the first quarter, our online advertising services customers tend to increase advertising and marketing spending near the end of each calendar year when they spend their remaining annual budgets. Moreover, as most of our online/ offline events are hosted in the fourth quarter of each year, we also experience increase in revenues during the fourth quarter of each year for our enterprise value-added services. For these reasons, comparing our operating results on a period-to-period basis may not be meaningful, and you should not rely on our past results as an indication of our future performance. Our quarterly and annual revenues and costs and expenses as a percentage of our revenues in a given period may be significantly different from our historical or projected rates and our operating results in future quarters may fall below expectations.
We have granted, and may continue to grant, share incentives, which may have an adverse effect on our future profit.
Xieli Zhucheng adopted a share incentive plan in 2014, or the 2014 Share Incentive Plan and Beijing Duoke adopted a share incentive plan in December 2016, or the 2016 Share Incentive Plan, to enhance its ability to attract and retain exceptionally qualified individuals and to encourage them to acquire a proprietary interest in the growth and performance of us. In September 2019, 36Kr Holdings Inc. adopted a share incentive plan, which we refer to as the 2019 Share Incentive Plan. The 2014 Share Incentive Plan and 2016 Share Incentive Plan were canceled concurrently upon the adoption of the 2019 Share Incentive Plan, and each participant of the 2014 Share Incentive Plan and 2016 Share Incentive Plan received corresponding grants of options under the 2019 Share Incentive Plan. In June 2021, we amended the 2019 Incentive Plan with the approval of the board of directors, pursuant to which the maximum aggregate number of ordinary shares which may be issued pursuant to all awards under the 2019 Share Incentive Plan is 162,186,000. In March 2026, we amended the 2019 Incentive Plan with the approval of the board of directors, pursuant to which the maximum aggregate number of ordinary shares which may be issued pursuant to all awards under the 2019 Share Incentive Plan is 296,556,000. See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—6.B. Compensation—Share Incentive Plan.”
In 2023, 2024 and 2025, we recorded expenses RMB4.7 million, gains RMB0.2 million and expenses RMB13.4 thousand(US$1.9 thousand), respectively, in share-based compensation expenses. We believe the granting of share-based awards is significant for us to attract and retain key personnel and employees, and we will continue to grant share-based compensation to employees in the future. As a result, our expenses associated with share-based compensation may increase, which may have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
A severe and prolonged global economic recession and the slowdown in the Chinese economy may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The global macroeconomic environment is facing challenges, including the ongoing trade disputes and tariffs and recent Russia-Ukraine crisis. The growth of the Chinese economy has slowed down since 2012 compared to the previous decade and the trend may continue. There is considerable uncertainty over the long-term effects of the monetary and fiscal policies adopted by the central banks and financial authorities of some of the world’s leading economies, including the United States and China. There have been concerns over unrest and terrorist threats in the Middle East, Europe and Africa. There have also been concerns on the relationship between China and other countries, including surrounding Asian countries, which may potentially lead to foreign investors closing down their businesses or withdrawing their investments in China and, thus, exiting the China market, and other economic effects. In addition, there have also been concerns on the relationship between China and the U.S. following rounds of tariffs imposed by the U.S. and retaliatory tariffs imposed by China. 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 prolonged slowdown in the global or Chinese economy may have a negative impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition, and continued turbulence in the international markets may adversely affect our ability to access the capital markets to meet liquidity needs. Our customers may reduce or delay spending with us, while we may have difficulty expanding our customer base fast enough, or at all, to offset the impact of decreased spending by our existing customers. In addition, to the extent we offer credit to any customer and the customer experiences financial difficulties due to the economic slowdown, we could have difficulty collecting payment from the customer.
We are closely monitoring potential changes in international trade policy and assessing the potential impact of such trade policy changes on our business operations and financial performance, including the use of tariffs by the United States, China and other global trading countries and any related retaliatory measures. Broadly speaking, these policies have added increased uncertainty and volatility to the global economy and financial markets. We believe that such changes to trade policy would not have a material imminent impact on our business operations, but as relevant policies are rapidly evolving, it may be difficult to evaluate their potential future impacts. Geopolitical conflicts like this may also lead to volatility in financial markets, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, increased procurement costs and declines in trading prices of our ordinary shares and the ADSs. In extreme cases, such conflicts could result in economic downturns that materially and adversely impact our operations.
Any catastrophe, including natural catastrophes and outbreaks of health pandemics and other extraordinary events, could disrupt our business operation.
We are vulnerable to natural disasters and other calamities. Fire, floods, typhoons, earthquakes, power loss, telecommunications failures, break-ins, war, riots, terrorist attacks or similar events may give rise to server interruptions, breakdowns, system failures or Internet failures, which could cause the loss or corruption of data or malfunctions of software or hardware as well as adversely affect our ability to provide our services.
Our business could also be adversely affected by the effects of Ebola virus disease, H1N1 flu, H7N9 flu, avian flu, severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS, COVID-19 or other epidemics. Our business operations could be disrupted if any of our employees is suspected of having abovementioned or any other contagious disease or condition, since it could require our employees to be quarantined and/or our offices to be disinfected. In addition, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected to the extent that any of these epidemics harms the Chinese economy in general.
Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure
There are uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws, regulations, and rules relating to the agreements that establish the VIE structure for our operations in China, including potential future actions by the PRC government, which could affect the enforceability of our contractual arrangements with the VIE and, consequently, significantly affect the financial condition and results of operations performance of 36Kr. If the PRC government finds such agreements non-compliant with relevant PRC laws, regulations, and rules, or if these laws, regulations, and rules or the interpretation thereof change in the future, we could be subject to penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in the VIE.
Foreign investment in the value-added telecommunication services industry in China is extensively regulated and subject to numerous restrictions. The Special Administrative Measures for Entrance of Foreign Investment (the “Negative List 2024”) provides that foreign investors are generally not allowed to own more than 50% of the equity interests in a commercial Internet content provider or other value-added telecommunication services provider other than an e-commerce services provider, and the Provisions on the Administration of Foreign-Invested Telecommunications Enterprises (2022 Revision) requires that the major foreign investor in a value-added telecommunication services provider in China must have experience in providing value-added telecommunications services overseas and maintain a good track record. In addition, foreign investors are prohibited from investing in companies engaged in Internet dissemination, Internet content provision, Internet news information services, online publishing businesses, certain Internet culture businesses, Internet audio-visual programs businesses and production and operation of radio and television programs. See “Item 4. Information on the Company-4.B. Business Overview-Regulation-Foreign Investment Law”
We are a Cayman Islands company and our subsidiary in China is currently considered a foreign-invested enterprise. Accordingly, in practice, our PRC subsidiary is not eligible to provide value-added telecommunication services or conduct other businesses which foreign-owned companies are prohibited or restricted from conducting in China. To ensure strict compliance with the PRC laws and regulations, we conduct such business activities through the VIE and its subsidiaries. Beijing Dake, our wholly owned subsidiary in China, has entered into a series of contractual arrangements with the VIE and its shareholders, which enables us to be considered as the primary beneficiary of the VIE for accounting purposes. For a description of these contractual arrangements, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—4.C. Organizational Structure—Contractual Arrangements with Beijing Duoke.”
If the PRC government finds that our contractual arrangements do not comply with its restrictions on foreign investment in the value-added telecommunication services and other foreign prohibited services or if the PRC government otherwise finds that we, the VIE, or any of its subsidiaries are in violation of PRC laws or regulations or lack the necessary permits or licenses to operate our business, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion in dealing with such violations or failures, including:
| · | revoking the business licenses and/or operating licenses of such entities; |
| · | discontinuing or placing restrictions or onerous conditions on our operation through any transactions between our PRC subsidiary and the VIE; |
| · | imposing fines, confiscating the income from our PRC subsidiary or the VIE, or imposing other requirements with which we or the VIE may not be able to comply; |
| · | requiring us to restructure our ownership structure or operations, including terminating the contractual arrangements with the VIE and deregistering the equity pledges of the VIE, which in turn would affect our ability to be considered the primary beneficiary of the VIE for accounting purposes; |
| · | restricting or prohibiting our use of the proceeds of our initial public offering to finance our business and operations in China; or |
| · | taking other regulatory or enforcement actions that could be harmful to our business. |
Any of these actions could cause significant disruptions 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. In addition, new PRC laws, regulations, and rules may be introduced to impose additional requirements, posing additional challenges to our corporate structure and contractual arrangements. If any of these occurrences results in our inability to direct the activities of the VIE or our failure to receive the economic benefits from the VIE and/or our inability to claim our contractual control rights over the assets of the VIE that conducts substantially all of our operations in China, we may not be able to consolidate the entity in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations and cause the ADSs to significantly decline in value or become worthless.
Any failure by the VIE or its shareholders to perform their obligations under our contractual arrangements with them would have a material adverse effect on our business.
Since PRC laws prohibit or restrict foreign equity ownership in certain kinds of business in China, we have relied and expect to continue to rely on the contractual arrangements with the VIE and its shareholders to operate our business in China.
However, these contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with control over our affiliated entities. Any of our affiliated entities, including the VIE and its shareholders, could breach their contractual arrangements with us by, among other things, failing to conduct their operations in an acceptable manner or taking other actions that are detrimental to our interests. In the event that the shareholders of the VIE breach the terms of these contractual arrangements and voluntarily liquidate the VIE, or the VIE declares bankruptcy and all or part of its assets become subject to liens or rights of third-party creditors, or are otherwise disposed of without our consent, we may be unable to conduct some or all of our business operations or otherwise benefit from the assets held by our affiliated entities, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Shareholders holding 99% of the registered share capital of the VIE are affiliated with our Company or affiliated with certain shareholders of the Company. Particularly, Tianjin Zhanggongzi Technology Partnership (L.P.) controlled by Mr. Liu Chengcheng, the Founder and a shareholder of the Company, owns 61.56% of equity interest of the VIE, Shenzhen Guohong No. 2 Enterprise Management Partnership (L.P.), an affiliate of one our existing shareholders, owns 23.08% of equity interest of the VIE, and Ningbo Meishan Baoshui Gangqu Tianhong Lvheng Investment Management Partnership (L.P.), an affiliate of one our existing shareholders, owns 14.36% of equity interest of the VIE. The enforceability of the contractual agreements between us, the VIE and its shareholders, depends to a large extent upon whether the VIE and its shareholders will fulfil these contractual agreements. Their interest in enforcing these contractual agreements may not align with our interests or the interests of our shareholders. If their interest diverges from that of our company and other shareholders, it may potentially increase the risk that they could seek to act contrary to these contractual arrangements. If the VIE or its 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. Our contractual arrangements are governed by PRC law and provide for the resolution of disputes through litigation in China. Accordingly, these agreements would be interpreted in accordance with PRC law, and any disputes would be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures. There remain significant uncertainties regarding the ultimate outcome of such adjudication should legal action become necessary. In the event that we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, or if we suffer significant delays or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to be considered the primary beneficiary of the VIE for accounting purposes, and our ability to conduct our business may be negatively affected.
In November 2022, Beijing Cultural Investment Development Group Asset Management Co., Ltd. (“BCI”), made an investment of RMB32,492 in Beijing Duoke for 1% of Beijing Duoke’s registered capital. Such minority stake holder is not a party to the contractual arrangements that are currently in effect among 36Kr, Beijing Duoke and Beijing Duoke’s other shareholders. As such, despite the fact that we will still be able to enjoy economic benefits and are considered as the primary beneficiary of Beijing Duoke and its subsidiaries, we will not be able to purchase or have BCI pledge its 1% equity interests in Beijing Duoke in the same manner as agreed under existing contractual arrangements, nor will we be granted the authorization of voting rights over these 1% equity interests. We believe that we will continue to be the primary beneficiary of Beijing Duoke for accounting purposes and consolidate its operating results in our financial statements under U.S. GAAP after the issuance of such 1% equity interests.
The approval, filing or other requirements of the China Securities Regulatory Commission or other PRC government authorities may be required under PRC law in connection with our issuance of securities overseas, or maintenance of the listing status of the ADSs, and the PRC government’s oversight and discretion over our business operations could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of the ADSs.
The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, purport to require offshore special purpose vehicles that are controlled by PRC companies or individuals and that have been formed for the purpose of seeking a public listing on an overseas stock exchange through acquisitions of PRC domestic companies or assets to obtain CSRC approval prior to publicly listing their securities on an overseas stock exchange. The interpretation and application of the regulations remain unclear. If CSRC approval under the M&A Rules is required, it is uncertain whether it would be possible for us to obtain the approval, and any failure to obtain or delay in obtaining CSRC approval for our future issuance of securities overseas would subject us to sanctions imposed by the CSRC and other PRC regulatory agencies.
Furthermore, we conduct our business primarily through our PRC subsidiaries and the VIE in China. Our operations in China are governed by PRC laws and regulations. The PRC government has significant oversight and discretion over the operation of our business, and it may influence our operations, which could result in a material adverse change in our operation and the value of the ADSs. The PRC government has indicated an intent to exert more oversight over overseas offerings and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers like us. For example, on July 6, 2021, relevant PRC government authorities promulgated the Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities, which emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over “illegal securities activities” and the supervision on overseas listings by China-based companies, and proposed to take effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems to deal with the risks and incidents faced by China-based overseas-listed companies, although such opinions did not specify the definition of “illegal securities activities.” Such opinions further provided that the special provisions of the State Council on overseas offerings and listings by those companies limited by shares will be revised and therefore the duties of domestic industry competent authorities and regulatory agencies will be clarified.
As these opinions were newly issued and there are no further explanations or detailed rules and regulations with respect to such opinions, there are still uncertainties regarding the interpretation and implementation of such opinions. In addition, new rules or regulations promulgated in the future could impose additional requirements on us, and it is uncertain how the new rules or regulations will be enacted, interpreted or implemented and how they will affect us. For example, it was reported that the CSRC may issue new rules requiring China-based companies to seek approval before going public outside of China, including in the U.S. Furthermore, on July 10, 2021, the CAC issued a revised draft of the Cybersecurity Review Measures for public comments, according to which, among others, an “operator of critical information infrastructure” or a “data processing operator,” who has personal information of more than one million users and is seeking to list its securities on a foreign stock exchange, must apply to the relevant cybersecurity review office for a cybersecurity review.
In addition, on December 28, 2021, the CAC published the Revised Cybersecurity Review Measures, which became effective on February 15, 2022. The Revised Cybersecurity Review Measures provide that a critical information infrastructure operator purchasing network products and services, and platform operators carrying out data processing activities, which affect or may affect national security, shall apply for cybersecurity review and that a platform operator with more than one million users’ personal information aiming to list abroad must apply for cybersecurity review. There are uncertainties as to the interpretation, application, and enforcement of the Revised Cybersecurity Review Measures. Under the Revised Cybersecurity Review Measures, we face potential risks if we are deemed as a “critical information infrastructure operator” or “platform operator” under the PRC cybersecurity laws and regulations and would be required to follow cybersecurity review procedures. During such review, we may be required to suspend providing any existing or new services to our customers and/or experience other disruptions of our operations, and such review could also result in negative publicity with respect to our Company and diversion of our managerial and financial resources. In addition, we cannot guarantee that new rules or regulations promulgated in the future will not impose any additional requirement on us or otherwise tighten the regulations on companies with a VIE structure.
On February 17, 2023, the CSRC published the Interim Administrative Measures on Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by the Domestic Enterprises (CSRC Announcement [2022] No. 43) (the “Overseas Listing Measures”), which became effective on March 31, 2023. Under the Overseas Listing Measures, a filing-based regulatory system will be applied to “indirect overseas offerings and listings” of PRC domestic companies, which refers to securities offerings and listings in an overseas market made under the name of an offshore entity but based on the underlying equity, assets, earnings or other similar rights of a domestic company that operates its main business domestically. The Overseas Listing Measures state that any post-listing follow-on offering by an issuer in an overseas market, including issuance of shares, convertible notes and other similar securities, shall be subject to filing requirements within three business days after the completion of the offering. Therefore, any of our future offerings and listing of our securities in an overseas market may be subject to the filing requirements under the Overseas Listing Measures. In connection with the Overseas Listing Measures, on February 17, 2023, the CSRC also published the Notice on the Administrative Arrangements for the Filing of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by the Domestic Enterprises (the “Notice on Overseas Listing Measures”). According to the Notice on Overseas Listing Measures, issuers that have already been listed in an overseas market by March 31, 2023, the date the Overseas Listing Measures will become effective, are not required to make any immediate filing and are only required to comply with the filing requirements under the Overseas Listing Measures when it consequently seeks to conduct a follow-on offering.
If the CSRC or other relevant PRC regulatory agencies subsequently determine that prior approval, filing and/or other administration procedure is required for any of our future offerings of securities overseas or maintenance of the listing status of the ADSs, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to obtain such approval or complete such filing or other administration procedures in a timely manner, or at all. The CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies also may take actions requiring us, or making it advisable for us, not to proceed with such offering or maintenance of the listing status of the ADSs. If we proceed with any of such offering or maintain the listing status of the ADSs without obtaining the CSRC’s or other PRC regulatory agencies’ approval or completing relevant filing or other administration procedures to the extent it is required, or if we are unable to comply with any new approval requirements which might be adopted for offerings that we have completed prior to the publication of the above-referenced opinions, we may face regulatory actions or other sanctions from the CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies. These regulatory agencies may impose fines and penalties on our operations in China, limit our ability to pay dividends outside of China, limit our operating privileges in China, delay or restrict the repatriation of the proceeds from offering of securities overseas into China or take other actions that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects, as well as the trading price of the ADSs.
Furthermore, if there are any other approvals, filings and/or other administration procedures to be obtained from or completed with the CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies as required by any new laws and regulations for any of our future proposed offering of securities overseas or the listing of the ADSs, we cannot assure you that we can obtain the required approval or complete the required filings or other regulatory procedures in a timely manner, or at all. Any failure to obtain the relevant approvals or complete the filings and other relevant regulatory procedures may subject us to regulatory actions or other sanctions from the CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, implementation of industry-wide regulations affecting our operations could cause the value of our securities to significantly decline. Therefore, investors of our company and our business face potential uncertainty from actions taken by the PRC government affecting our business.
Uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the newly enacted Foreign Investment Law of the PRC and how it may impact on the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.
On March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress adopted the Foreign Investment Law of the PRC, which became effective on January 1, 2020 and replaced three existing laws regulating foreign investment in China, namely, the Wholly Foreign-Invested Enterprise Law of the PRC, the Sino-Foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprise Law of the PRC and the Sino-Foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law of the PRC, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. The Foreign Investment Law of the PRC embodies an expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic investments. However, since it is relatively new, uncertainties still exist in relation to its interpretation and implementation. For example, the Foreign Investment Law of the PRC adds a catch-all clause to the definition of “foreign investment” so that foreign investment, by its definition, includes “investments made by foreign investors in China through other means defined by other laws or administrative regulations or provisions promulgated by the State Council” without further elaboration on the meaning of “other means.” It leaves leeway for the future legislations promulgated by the State Council to provide for contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment. It is therefore uncertain whether our corporate structure will be seen as violating the foreign investment rules as we are currently leveraging the contractual arrangements to operate certain businesses in which foreign investors are prohibited from or restricted to investing. Furthermore, if future legislation prescribed by the State Council mandate further actions to be taken by companies with respect to existing contractual arrangements, we may face uncertainties as to whether we can complete such actions in a timely manner, or at all. If we fail to take appropriate and timely measures to comply with any of these or similar regulatory compliance requirements, our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations could be materially and adversely affected.
We rely on contractual arrangements with the VIE and its shareholders to operate our business, which may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing operational control and otherwise materially and adversely affect our business.
We rely on contractual arrangements with the VIE, its shareholders, as well as certain of its subsidiaries to operate our business in China. For a description of these contractual arrangements, see “Item 4. Information on the Company-4.C. Organizational Structure-Contractual Arrangements with Beijing Duoke.” These contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with control over the VIE. For example, the VIE and its shareholders could breach their contractual arrangements with us by, among other things, failing to conduct their operations in an acceptable manner or taking other actions that are detrimental to our interests. The revenues contributed by the VIE and its subsidiaries constituted substantially all of our revenues in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
If we had direct ownership of the VIE, we would be able to exercise our rights as a shareholder to effect changes in the board of directors of the VIE, which in turn could implement changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management and operational level. However, under the contractual arrangements, we expect to rely on the performance by the VIE and its shareholders of their respective obligations under the contracts. The shareholders of the VIE may not act in the best interests of our company or may not fulfil their obligations under these contracts. Such risks will exist throughout the period in which we operate our business through the contractual arrangements with the VIE and its shareholders. 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 or other legal proceedings. See “-Any failure by the VIE or its 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 the VIE and its shareholders may not be as effective in controlling our business operations as direct ownership.
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.
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. 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 require additional expenses and delay. In the event we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, or if we suffer significant delays or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to be considered the primary beneficiary of the VIE for accounting purposes, and our ability to conduct our business may be negatively affected. See “-Risks Related to Doing Business in China-There are uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws, regulations, and rules relating to the agreements that establish the VIE structure for our operations in China, including potential future actions by the PRC government, which could affect the enforceability of our contractual arrangements with the VIE and, consequently, significantly affect the financial condition and results of operations performance of 36Kr. If the PRC government finds such agreements non-compliant with relevant PRC laws, regulations, and rules, or if these laws, regulations, and rules or the interpretation thereof change in the future, we could be subject to penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in the VIE.”
Contractual arrangements in relation to the VIE may be subject to scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities and they may determine that we or the VIE 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 within ten years after the taxable year when the transactions are conducted. We could face material and adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities determine that the contractual arrangements between us and the VIE 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 the income of the VIE 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 the VIE for PRC tax purposes, which could in turn increase its tax liabilities without reducing our PRC subsidiary’s tax expenses. In addition, the PRC tax authorities may impose additional tax liability on the VIE for the adjusted but unpaid taxes according to the applicable regulations. Our financial position could be materially and adversely affected if the VIE’s tax liabilities increase or if it is required to pay late payment fees and other penalties.
The shareholders of the VIE may have actual or potential conflicts of interest with us, which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.
The shareholders of the VIE may have actual or potential conflicts of interest with us. These shareholders may breach, or cause the VIE to breach, or refuse to renew, the existing contractual arrangements we have with them and the VIE, which would have a material and adverse effect on our ability to effectively control the VIE and receive economic benefits from them. For example, the shareholders may be able to cause our agreements with the VIE 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. If we cannot resolve any conflict of interest or dispute between us and these shareholders, we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could result in disruption of our business and subject us to uncertainty as to the outcome of any such legal proceedings.
We may lose the ability to use, or otherwise benefit from, the licenses, permits and assets held by the VIE.
As part of our contractual arrangements with the VIE, the VIE holds certain assets, licenses and permits that are material to our business operations, including without limitation permits, licenses, domain names and most of our IP rights. The contractual arrangements contain terms that specifically obligate the VIE’s shareholders to ensure the valid existence of the VIE and restrict the disposal of material assets of the VIE. However, in the event that the VIE’s shareholders breach the terms of these contractual arrangements and voluntarily liquidate any of the VIE, or the VIE declares bankruptcy and all or part of its assets become subject to liens or rights of third-party creditors, or are otherwise disposed of or encumbered without our consent, we may be unable to conduct some or all of our business operations or otherwise benefit from the assets held by the VIE, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, under the contractual arrangements, the VIE may not, in any manner, sell, transfer, mortgage or dispose of their material assets or legal or beneficial interests in the business without our prior consent. If the VIE undergoes a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, its shareholders or unrelated third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of the assets of the VIE, thereby hindering our ability to operate our business as well as constrain our growth.
Risks Related to Doing Business in China
The enforcement of laws, and changes in policies, laws and regulations in China, could adversely affect us.
The PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. The interpretations and enforcement of laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties. These uncertainties may affect our judgment on the relevance of legal requirements and our ability to enforce our contractual rights or tort claims. The PRC government has historically published new policies that adversely affected certain industries such as the education and internet industries, and we cannot rule out the possibility that it will in the future further release regulations or policies regarding our industry that could further affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, the CSRC published the Overseas Listing Measures, under which a filing-based regulatory system will be applied to “indirect overseas offerings and listings” of PRC domestic companies, which refers to securities offerings and listings in an overseas market made under the name of an offshore entity but based on the underlying equity, assets, earnings or other similar rights of a domestic company that operates its main business domestically. Any such action, once taken by the PRC government, could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or in extreme cases, become worthless.
However, as there are still regulatory uncertainties in this regard, we cannot assure you that we will be able to comply with new laws and regulations in all respects, and we may be ordered to rectify, suspend or terminate any actions or services that are deemed illegal by the regulatory authorities and become subject to material penalties, which may materially harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
In particular, PRC laws and regulations concerning the industries we operate are developing and evolving. Although we have taken measures to comply with the laws and regulations that are applicable to our business operations and avoid conducting any non-compliant activities under the applicable laws and regulations, the PRC governmental authorities may promulgate new laws and regulations regulating the industries we operate in the future. We cannot assure you that our practice would not be deemed to violate any new PRC laws or regulations relating to the industries we operate. Moreover, developments in the industries we operate may lead to changes in PRC laws, regulations and policies or in the interpretation and application of existing laws, regulations and policies that may limit or restrict us, which could materially and adversely affect our business and operations.
Changes in China’s economic, political and social conditions as well as government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business and prospect.
Substantially all of our operations are located in China. Accordingly, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations may be influenced to a significant degree by political, economic and social conditions in China generally, and by continued economic growth in China as a whole.
In addition, the Chinese government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. For example, Beijing Duoke is recognized as “High-New Technology Enterprise” (“HNTE”) and is eligible for a 15% preferential tax rate effective through 2023, 2024, and 2025, upon the completion of its filings with the relevant tax authorities. However, the qualification as an HNTE is subject to annual evaluation and a three-year review by the relevant authorities in China. There can be no assurance that we will enjoy such preferential tax treatment in the future. Without such preferential tax treatment, we may incur more tax expense, and our operating results could be adversely affected.
Any adverse changes in economic conditions in China 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 a reduction in demand for our services and adversely affect our competitive position. Any prolonged slowdown in the Chinese economy may reduce the demand for our services and materially and adversely affect our business and operating results.
Certain judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable in China.
We are a Cayman Islands company and substantially all of our current operations are conducted in China. In addition, most of our current directors and officers are nationals and residents of countries 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.
Shareholder claims that are common in the United States, including securities law class actions and fraud claims, generally 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 obtaining information needed for shareholder investigations or litigation outside China or otherwise with respect to foreign entities. Although the local 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 regulatory cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the Unities States have not been efficient in the absence of mutual and practical cooperation mechanism. According to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law 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. Accordingly, without the consent of the competent PRC securities regulators and relevant authorities, no organization or individual may provide the documents and materials relating to securities business activities to overseas parties. See also “-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.
Trading in our securities may be prohibited under the HFCAA if the PCAOB determines that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely our auditor, and as a result, U.S. national securities exchanges, such as the Nasdaq, may determine to delist our securities.
Our independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included 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 required by the laws of the United States to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess its compliance with the laws of the United States and professional standards. Our auditor is located in China, a jurisdiction where the PCAOB was historically unable to conduct inspections and investigations completely, without the approval of the Chinese authorities. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China in the past has made 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. As a result, investors were deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections.
In recent years, U.S. regulatory authorities have continued to express their concerns about challenges in their oversight of financial statement audits of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China. Furthermore, as part of a continued regulatory focus in the United States on access to audit and other information currently protected by national law, in particular China’s, the United States enacted the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCAA, in December 2020. Trading in our securities on U.S. markets, including the Nasdaq, may be prohibited under the HFCAA if the PCAOB determines that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely our auditor for two consecutive years. On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued the HFCAA Determination Report to notify the SEC of its determinations that the PCAOB was unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong, or the 2021 Determinations, including our auditor. On May 26, 2022, we were conclusively identified by the SEC under the HFCAA as having filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that cannot be inspected or investigated completely by the PCAOB in connection with the filing of our 2021 Form 20-F. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections in the past also deprived our investors of the benefits of such inspections. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB announced that it was able to conduct inspections and investigations completely of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong in 2022. The PCAOB vacated its previous 2021 Determinations accordingly. As a result, we are not at risk of having our securities subject to a trading prohibition under the HFCAA unless a new determination if made by the PCAOB.
However, whether the PCAOB will continue to conduct inspections and investigations completely to its satisfaction of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong is subject to uncertainty and depends on a number of factors out of our, and our auditor’s, control, including positions taken by authorities of the PRC. The PCAOB is expected to continue to demand complete access to inspections and investigations against accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong in the future and states that it has already made plans to resume regular inspections going forward. The PCAOB is required under the HFCAA to make its determination on an annual basis with regards to its ability to inspect and investigate completely accounting firms based in the mainland China and Hong Kong. The possibility of being a “Commission-Identified Issuer” and risk of delisting could continue to adversely affect the trading price of our securities.
If the PCAOB determines in the future that it no longer has full access to inspect and investigate accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and we use an accounting firm headquartered in one of these jurisdictions to issue an audit report on our financial statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, we and investors in the ADSs would be deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections again, which could cause investors and potential investors in the ADSs to lose confidence in our audit procedures and reported financial information and the quality of our financial statements, we would be identified as a “Commission-Identified Issuer” under the HFCAA following the filing of the annual report for the relevant fiscal year. If we were so identified for two consecutive years, trading in our securities on U.S. markets would be prohibited. If our shares and ADSs are prohibited from trading in the United States, there is no certainty that we will be able to list on a non-U.S. exchange or that a market for our shares will develop outside of the United States. This would also substantially impair your ability to sell or purchase the ADSs when you wish to do so. Furthermore, such trading prohibition would significantly affect our ability to raise capital on terms acceptable to us, or at all, which would have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and prospects.
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 the VIE. 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.
Regulation and censorship of information disseminated over the Internet in China may adversely affect our business and reputation and subject us to liability for information displayed on our platform.
The PRC government has adopted regulations governing Internet access and the distribution of news and other information over the Internet. Under these regulations, Internet content providers and Internet publishers are prohibited from posting or displaying over the Internet content that, among other things, violates PRC laws and regulations, impairs the national dignity of China, or is reactionary, obscene, superstitious, fraudulent or defamatory. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the revocation of licenses to provide Internet content and other licenses, and the closure of the concerned websites. The website operator may also be held liable for such censored information displayed on or linked to the websites. If our platform is found to be in violation of any such requirements, we may be penalized by relevant authorities, and our operations or reputation could be 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 and any tax we are required to pay could have a material and adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business.
We are a Cayman Islands holding company and, other than external financing, 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 and for services of any debt we may incur. Our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to distribute dividends is based upon their distributable earnings. Current PRC regulations permit our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to their respective shareholders only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, each of our PRC subsidiaries, the VIE and its subsidiaries is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a statutory reserve until such reserve reaches 50% of its registered capital. Each of our PRC subsidiaries is also required to further set aside a portion of its after-tax profits to fund the employee welfare fund, although the amount to be set aside, if any, is determined at its discretion. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends. If our PRC subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other payments to us. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to distribute dividends or other payments to their respective shareholders could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our businesses, pay dividends or otherwise fund and conduct our business.
In response to the persistent capital outflow and the RMB’s depreciation against the U.S. dollar in the fourth quarter of 2016, the People’s Bank of China, or the PBOC, and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, have implemented a series of capital control measures in the subsequent months, including stricter vetting procedures for China-based companies to remit foreign currency for overseas acquisitions, dividend payments and shareholder loan repayments. For instance, the PBOC issued the Circular on Further Clarification of Relevant Matters Relating to Offshore RMB Loans Provided by Domestic Enterprises, or PBOC Circular 306, on November 26, 2016, which provides that offshore RMB loans provided by a domestic enterprise to offshore enterprises with which it has an equity relationship shall not exceed 30% of the domestic enterprise’s most recent audited owner’s equity. PBOC Circular 306 may constrain our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to provide offshore loans to us. The PRC government may continue to strengthen its capital controls and our PRC subsidiaries’ dividends and other distributions may be subjected to tighter scrutiny in the future. In addition, under the Enterprise Income Tax Law of the PRC and related regulations, dividends, interests, rent or royalties paid by a foreign-invested enterprise, such as our PRC subsidiaries, to any of its foreign non-resident non-PRC enterprise investors, and net proceeds from any such foreign enterprise investor’s disposition of shares of the PRC subsidiary, are subject to a 10% withholding tax, unless the foreign enterprise investor qualifies for the benefits of a tax treaty with China that provides for a reduced rate of withholding tax.
Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions 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.
PRC regulation of loans to, and direct investment in, PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control of currency conversion may restrict or prevent us from using the proceeds of our initial public offering to make loans to our PRC subsidiary and the VIE, or to make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary.
In utilizing the proceeds of our initial public offering, we, as an offshore holding company, are permitted under PRC laws and regulations to provide funding to our PRC subsidiaries, which are treated as foreign-invested enterprises under PRC laws, through loans or capital contributions. However, loans by us to our PRC subsidiaries to finance their activities cannot exceed statutory limits and must be registered with the local counterpart of SAFE and capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries are subject to the requirement of making necessary filings in the Foreign Investment Comprehensive Management Information System, and registration with other governmental authorities in China.
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 Circular 19, effective on June 1, 2015, in replacement of the Circular on the Relevant Operating Issues Concerning the Improvement of the Administration of the Payment and Settlement of Foreign Currency Capital of Foreign-Invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular 142, the Notice from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Relevant Issues Concerning Strengthening the Administration of Foreign Exchange Businesses, or Circular 59, and the Circular on Further Clarification and Regulation of the Issues Concerning the Administration of Certain Capital Account Foreign Exchange Businesses, or Circular 45. According to Circular 19, the flow and use of the Renminbi capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested company is regulated such that Renminbi capital may not be used for the issuance of Renminbi entrusted loans, the repayment of inter-enterprise loans or the repayment of banks loans that have been transferred to a third party. Although Circular 19 allows Renminbi capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested enterprise to be used for equity investments within the PRC, it also reiterates the principle that Renminbi 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 the PRC 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 Circular 16, effective on June 9, 2016, which reiterates some of the rules set forth in Circular 19, but changes the prohibition against using Renminbi capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested company to issue Renminbi entrusted loans to a prohibition against using such capital to issue loans to non-associated enterprises. Violations of SAFE Circular 19 and Circular 16 could result in administrative penalties. Circular 19 and Circular 16 may significantly limit our ability to transfer any foreign currency we hold, including the net proceeds from our initial public offering and follow-on public offering to our PRC subsidiaries, which may adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business in the PRC.
Due to the restrictions imposed on loans in foreign currencies extended to any PRC domestic companies, we are not likely to make such loans to the VIE and its subsidiaries, each a PRC domestic company. Meanwhile, we are not likely to finance the activities of the VIE and its subsidiaries by means of capital contributions given the restrictions on foreign investment in the businesses that are currently conducted by the VIE and its subsidiaries.
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, if at all, with respect to future loans to our PRC subsidiaries or the VIE or future capital contributions by us to our PRC subsidiaries. As a result, uncertainties exist as to our ability to provide prompt financial support to our PRC subsidiaries or the VIE and its subsidiaries when needed. If we fail to complete such registrations or obtain such approvals, our ability to use foreign currency, including the proceeds we received 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.
Fluctuations in exchange rates could have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment.
The value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in political and economic conditions in China and by China’s foreign exchange policies. On July 21, 2005, the PRC government changed its decade-old policy of pegging the value of the Renminbi to the U.S. dollar, and the Renminbi appreciated more than 20% against the U.S. dollar over the following three years. Between July 2008 and June 2010, this appreciation halted and the exchange rate between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar remained within a narrow band. Since June 2010, the Renminbi has fluctuated against the U.S. dollar, at times significantly and unpredictably. On November 30, 2015, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the regular five-year review of the basket of currencies that make up the Special Drawing Right, or the SDR, and decided that with effect from October 1, 2016, Renminbi is determined to be a freely usable currency and will be included in the SDR basket as a fifth currency, along with the U.S. dollar, the Euro, the Japanese yen and the British pound. In the fourth quarter of 2016, the Renminbi has depreciated significantly in the backdrop of a surging U.S. dollar and persistent capital outflows of China. Moreover, there remains significant international pressure on the PRC government to adopt a more flexible currency policy, which could result in greater fluctuation of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar. With the development of the foreign exchange market and progress towards interest rate liberalization and Renminbi internationalization, the PRC government may in the future announce further changes to the exchange rate system and we cannot assure you that the Renminbi will not appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the future. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between the Renminbi and the 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. To date, 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.
Foreign exchange controls may limit our ability to utilize our revenues effectively and affect the value of your investment.
The PRC government imposes foreign exchange controls on the convertibility of the Renminbi, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. We receive substantially all of our revenues in Renminbi. Under our current corporate structure, our Cayman Islands holding company primarily relies 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 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 or registration to use cash generated from the operations of our PRC subsidiaries and VIE 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. The PRC government may at its discretion restrict access to foreign currencies for current account transactions in the future. 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 and holders of the ADSs.
The M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.
The Rules on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises 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 additional procedures and requirements could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time consuming and complex, including requirements in some instances that the anti-monopoly law enforcement agency 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 of the PRC requires that the anti-monopoly law enforcement agency be notified in advance of any transaction where the parties’ turnover in the China market and/or global market exceed certain thresholds and the buyer would obtain control of, or decisive influence over, the target as a result of the business combination. As further clarified by the Provisions of the State Council on the Threshold of Filings for Undertaking Concentrations issued by the State Council in 2008 and amended in September 2018 and in January 2024, such thresholds include: (i) the total global turnover of all operators participating in the transaction exceeds RMB12 billion in the preceding fiscal year and at least two of these operators each had a turnover of more than RMB800 million within China in the preceding fiscal year, or (ii) the total turnover within China of all the operators participating in the transaction exceeded RMB2 billion in the preceding fiscal year, and at least two of these operators each had a turnover of more than RMB400 million within China in the preceding fiscal year. There are numerous factors the anti-monopoly law enforcement agency considers in determining “control” or “decisive influence,” and, depending on certain criteria, the anti-monopoly law enforcement agency may conduct anti-monopoly review of transactions in respect of which it was notified. In light of the uncertainties relating to the interpretation, implementation and enforcement of the Anti-Monopoly Law of the PRC, we cannot assure you that the anti-monopoly law enforcement agency will not deem our past and future acquisitions or investments to have triggered filing requirement for anti-trust review. If we are found to have violated the Anti-Monopoly Law of the PRC for failing to file the notification of concentration and request for review, we could be subject to a fine of up to RMB500,000, and the parts of the transaction causing the prohibited concentration could be ordered to be unwound, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, the Circular of the General Office of the State Council on the Establishment of Security Review System for the Merger and Acquisition of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors that became effective in March 2011, and the Rules on Implementation of Security Review System for the Merger and Acquisition of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors issued by the Ministry of Commerce 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 Ministry of Commerce, and the rules prohibit any activities attempting to bypass a security review, including by structuring the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement. In the future, we may grow our business by acquiring complementary businesses. 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 from the Ministry of Commerce or its local counterparts may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.
PRC regulations relating to the establishment of offshore special purpose companies by PRC residents may subject our PRC resident beneficial owners or our PRC subsidiaries to liability or penalties, limit our ability to inject capital into our PRC subsidiaries, limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits to us, or may otherwise adversely affect us.
SAFE promulgated the Circular on Issues Concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration over the Overseas Investment and Financing and Round-trip Investment by Domestic Residents via Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, in July 2014. SAFE Circular 37 requires PRC residents or entities to register with SAFE or its local branches in connection with their establishment or control of an offshore entity established for the purpose of overseas investment or financing with such PRC residents or entities’ legally owned assets or equity interests in domestic enterprises or offshore assets or interests. In addition, such PRC residents or entities must update their SAFE registrations when the offshore special purpose vehicle undergoes material events relating to any change of basic information (including change of such PRC citizens or residents, name and operation term), increases or decreases in investment amount, transfers or exchanges of shares, or mergers or divisions. According to the Circular of Further Simplifying and Improving the Policies of Foreign Exchange Administration Applicable to Direct Investment released in February 2015 by 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 2015. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—4.B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations on Foreign Exchange and Offshore Investment.”
If our shareholders who are PRC residents or entities do not complete their registration with the local SAFE, the National Development and Reform Commission, or the NDRC, or MOCT branches, our PRC subsidiaries may be prohibited from distributing their profits and proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation to us, and we may be restricted in our ability to contribute additional capital to our PRC subsidiaries. In addition, our shareholders may be required to suspend or stop the investment and complete the registration within a specified time, and may be warned or prosecuted for criminal liability if a crime is constituted. Moreover, failure to comply with the SAFE registration described above could result in liability under PRC laws for evasion of applicable foreign exchange restrictions.
We have notified all 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 or outbound investment filings. 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 or outbound investment filings requirements. As a result, we cannot assure you that all of our shareholders or beneficial owners 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, NDRC or MOCT regulations. Failure by such shareholders or beneficial owners to comply with SAFE, NDRC or MOCT 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, which could adversely affect our business and prospects.
Furthermore, as these foreign exchange and outbound investment regulations are still relatively new and their interpretation and implementation has been constantly evolving, it is unclear how these regulations, and any future regulation concerning offshore or cross-border transactions, will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant government authorities. For example, we may be subject to a more stringent review and approval process with respect to our foreign exchange activities, such as remittance of dividends and foreign currency denominated borrowings, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, if we decide to acquire a PRC domestic company, we cannot assure you that we or the owners of such company, as the case may be, will be able to obtain the necessary approvals or complete the necessary filings and registrations required by the foreign exchange regulations. This may restrict our ability to implement our acquisition strategy and could adversely affect our business and prospects.
Any failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding the registration requirements for employee share incentive plans may subject the PRC plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions.
Pursuant to SAFE Circular 37, PRC residents who participate in share incentive plans in overseas non-publicly-listed companies may submit applications to SAFE or its local branches for the foreign exchange registration with respect to offshore special purpose companies. In the meantime, directors, executive officers and other employees who are PRC citizens or who are non-PRC residents residing in the PRC for a continuous period of not less than one year, subject to limited exceptions, and who have been granted share-based awards, may follow the Circular of the SAFE on Issues Concerning the Administration of Foreign Exchange Used for Domestic Individuals’ Participation in Equity Incentive Plan of Overseas Listed Companies, promulgated by SAFE in 2012. Pursuant to the circular, PRC citizens and non-PRC citizens who reside in China for a continuous period of not less than one year who participate in any stock incentive plan of an overseas publicly listed company, subject to a few exceptions, 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. 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, our directors, our executive officers and other employees who are PRC citizens or who reside in the PRC for a continuous period of not less than one year and who have been granted share-based awards are subject to these regulations. Failure to complete the SAFE registrations may subject us to fines, and legal sanctions and may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital into our PRC subsidiaries and limit 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—4.B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations on Foreign Exchange and Offshore Investment.”
The State Administration of Taxation 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 of 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 governmental authorities. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—4.B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations on Foreign Exchange and Offshore Investment.”
The enforcement of the PRC Labor Contract Law and other labor-related regulations in the PRC may adversely affect our business and results of operations.
The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress enacted the Labor Contract Law in 2008, and amended it on December 28, 2012. The Labor Contract Law introduced specific provisions related to fixed-term employment contracts, part-time employment, probationary periods, consultation with labor unions and employee assemblies, employment without a written contract, dismissal of employees, severance, and collective bargaining to enhance previous PRC labor laws. Under the Labor Contract Law, an employer is obligated to sign a non-fixed-term labor contract with any employee who has worked for the employer for ten consecutive years. Further, if an employee requests or agrees to renew a fixed-term labor contract that has already been entered into twice consecutively, the resulting contract, with certain exceptions, must have an unlimited term, subject to certain exceptions. With certain exceptions, an employer must pay severance to an employee where a labor contract is terminated or expires. In addition, the PRC governmental authorities have continued to introduce various new labor-related regulations since the effectiveness of the Labor Contract Law.
Under the PRC Social Insurance Law and the Administrative Measures on Housing Fund, employees are required to participate in pension insurance, work-related injury insurance, medical insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, and housing funds and employers are required, together with their employees or separately, to pay the social insurance premiums and housing funds for their employees. If we fail to make adequate social insurance and housing fund contributions, we may be subject to fines and legal sanctions, and our business, financial conditions and results of operations may be adversely affected.
These laws designed to enhance labor protection tend to increase our labor costs. In addition, as the interpretation and implementation of these regulations are still evolving, our employment practices may not be at all times be deemed in compliance with the regulations. As a result, we could be subject to penalties or incur significant liabilities in connection with labor disputes or investigations.
We may be classified as a “PRC resident enterprise” for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, which could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders and ADS holders and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment.
Under the Enterprise Income Tax Law of the PRC and its implementation rules, an enterprise established outside of the PRC with a “de facto management body” within the PRC is considered a “resident enterprise” and will be subject to PRC 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 over and overall management of the business, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise. In April 2009, the State Administration of Taxation issued a circular, known as 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 like us, the criteria set forth in the circular may reflect the State Administration of Taxation’s general position on how the “de facto management body” test 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 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.
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.” As a majority of our management members are based in China, it remains unclear how the tax residency rule will apply to our case. 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 may be subject to PRC enterprise income on our worldwide income at the rate of 25%, which could materially reduce our net income. In addition, we will also be subject to PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations. Furthermore, 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 the ADSs, if such income is treated as sourced from within the PRC. 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 ordinary shares, if such income is treated as sourced from within the PRC. Furthermore, if we are deemed a PRC resident enterprise, dividends paid to our non-PRC individual shareholders (including the ADS holders) and any gain realized on the transfer of ADSs or ordinary shares by such shareholders may be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 20% (which, in the case of dividends, may be withheld at source by us), if such income is deemed to be from PRC sources. These rates may be reduced by an applicable tax treaty, but it is unclear whether non-PRC shareholders of our company would be able to obtain 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 ordinary shares.
We face uncertainty with respect to indirect transfers of equity interests in PRC resident enterprises by their non-PRC holding companies.
On February 3, 2015, the State Administration of Taxation issued the Circular on Issues of Enterprise Income Tax on Indirect Transfers of Assets by Non-PRC Resident Enterprises, or SAT Circular 7. SAT Circular 7 extends its tax jurisdiction to transactions involving the transfer of taxable assets through offshore transfer of a foreign intermediate holding company. In addition, SAT Circular 7 has introduced safe harbors for internal group restructurings and the purchase and sale of equity securities through a public securities market. SAT Circular 7 also brings challenges to both foreign transferor and transferee (or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer) of taxable assets.
On October 17, 2017, the State Administration of Taxation issued the Circular on Issues of Tax Withholding regarding Non-PRC Resident Enterprise Income Tax at Source, or SAT Circular 37, which came into effect on December 1, 2017. SAT Circular 37 further clarifies the practice and procedure of the withholding of nonresident enterprise income tax.
Where a nonresident enterprise transfers taxable assets indirectly by disposing of the equity interests of an overseas holding company, which is known as an indirect transfer, the nonresident enterprise as either transferor or transferee, or the PRC entity that directly owns the taxable assets, may report such indirect transfer to the relevant tax authority. Using a “substance over form” principle, the PRC tax authority may disregard the existence of the overseas holding company if it lacks a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of reducing, avoiding or deferring PRC 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. Both the transferor and the transferee may be subject to penalties under PRC tax laws if the transferee fails to withhold the taxes and the transferor fails to pay the taxes.
We face uncertainties as to the reporting and other implications of certain past and future transactions where PRC taxable assets are involved, such as offshore restructuring, sale of the shares in our offshore subsidiaries and investments. Our company may be subject to filing obligations or taxed if our company is transferor in such transactions, and may be subject to withholding obligations if our company is transferee in such transactions, under SAT Circular 7 or SAT Circular 37. For transfer of shares in our company by investors who are non-PRC resident enterprises, our PRC subsidiaries may be requested to assist in the filing under SAT Circular 7 or SAT Circular 37. As a result, we may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with SAT Circular 7 or SAT Circular 37 or to request the relevant transferors from whom we purchase taxable assets to comply with these circulars, or to establish that our company should not be taxed under these circulars, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
The PCAOB had historically been unable to inspect our auditor in relation to their audit work performed for our financial statements and the inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of our auditor in the past had deprived our investors with the benefits of such inspections.
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. The auditor is located in mainland China, a jurisdiction where the PCAOB had historically been unable to conduct inspections and investigations completely before 2022. As a result, we and investors in the ADSs were deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China in the past made 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. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB issued a report that vacated its December 16, 2021 determination and removed mainland China and Hong Kong from the list of jurisdictions where it is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms. However, if the PCAOB determines in the future that it no longer has full access to inspect and investigate completely accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong, and we use an accounting firm headquartered in one of these jurisdictions to issue an audit report on our financial statements filed with the SEC, we and investors in the ADSs would be deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections again, which could cause investors and potential investors in the ADSs to lose confidence in our audit procedures and reported financial information and the quality of our financial statements.
Risks Related to the ADSs
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 is likely to be volatile and could fluctuate widely due to multiple factors, some of which are 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, including the following:
| · | variations in our revenues, operating costs and expenses, earnings and cash flow; |
| · | announcements of new investments, acquisitions, strategic partnerships or joint ventures by us or our competitors; |
| · | announcements of new products and services by us or our competitors; |
| · | changes in financial estimates by securities analysts; |
| · | detrimental adverse publicity about us, our shareholders, affiliates, directors, officers or employees, our content offerings, our business model, our services or our industry; |
| · | announcements of new regulations, rules or policies relevant for our business; |
| · | additions or departures of key personnel; |
| · | allegations of a lack of effective internal control over financial reporting, inadequate corporate governance policies, or allegations of fraud, among other things, involving China-based issuers; |
| · | release of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our outstanding equity securities or sales of additional equity securities; and |
| · | potential litigation or regulatory investigations. |
Any of these factors may result in large and sudden changes in the volume and price at which the ADSs will trade.
In the past, shareholders of public companies have often brought securities class action suits against those 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.
We have not maintained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement of $1.00 per share for continued listing on the Nasdaq. If we continue to fail to meet this requirement and Nasdaq determines to delist the ADSs, the delisting would adversely affect the market liquidity of the ADSs and the market price of the ADSs could decrease.
The ADSs are listed on the Nasdaq. In order to maintain our listing, we must meet minimum financial and other requirements, including the minimum bid price requirement of $1.00 per share for continued listing, as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1). We received a letter dated November 3, 2023 from the Nasdaq indicating that for the last 30 consecutive business days, the closing bid price of the ADSs was below the minimum bid price of US$1.00 per share requirement. As announced on May 3, 2024, Nasdaq approved the Company’s request to transfer the listing of its ADSs from the Nasdaq Global Market to the Nasdaq Capital Market. As part of its efforts to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, the Company changed the ratio of its ADSs representing Class A ordinary shares from one ADS representing 25 Class A ordinary shares to one ADS representing 500 Class A ordinary shares. The change became effective on October 3, 2024. On October 17, 2024, Nasdaq confirmed in the Compliance Notification that the closing bid price of the Company’s ADSs has been at $1.00 per share or greater for the ten consecutive business days from October 3, 2024 through October 16, 2024. Accordingly, the Company has regained compliance with the Nasdaq Capital Market Minimum Bid Price Requirement, and the matter is now closed.
There can be no assurance that we will meet the minimum bid price requirement or any other requirements in the future. The failure to maintain our listing on the Nasdaq would have an adverse effect on the market price and liquidity of the ADSs. Without a Nasdaq listing, shareholders may have a difficult time getting a quote for the sale or purchase of the ADSs, the sale or purchase of the ADSs would likely be made more difficult, and the trading volume and liquidity of the ADSs could decline. Delisting from the Nasdaq could also result in negative publicity and could make it more difficult for us to raise additional capital.
If securities or industry analysts do not 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.
The sale or availability for sale of substantial amounts of the ADSs could adversely affect their market price.
Sales of substantial amounts of the ADSs in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of the ADSs and could materially impair our ability to raise capital through equity offerings in the future. The ADSs representing our Class A ordinary shares sold in our initial public offering are freely transferable by persons other than our “affiliates” without restriction or further registration under the Securities In addition, ordinary 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. Any or all of these ordinary shares may be released prior to the expiration of the applicable lock-up period at the discretion of the designated representatives. To the extent ordinary shares are released before the expiration of the applicable lock-up period and sold into the market, the market price of the ADSs could decline. 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 the ADSs.
Techniques employed by short sellers may drive down the market price of the ADSs.
Short selling is the practice of selling securities that the seller does not own but rather has borrowed from a third party with the intention of buying identical securities back at a later date to return to the lender. The short seller hopes to profit from a decline in the value of the securities between the sale of the borrowed securities and the purchase of the replacement shares, as the short seller expects to pay less in that purchase than it received in the sale. As it is in the short seller’s interest for the price of the security to decline, many short sellers publish, or arrange for the publication of, negative opinions and allegations regarding the relevant issuer and its business prospects in order to create negative market momentum and generate profits for themselves after selling a security short. These short attacks have, in the past, led to selling of shares in the market. If we were to become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we could have to expend a significant amount of resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend ourselves. While we would strongly defend against any such short seller attacks, we may be constrained in the manner in which we can proceed against the relevant short seller by principles of freedom of speech, applicable state law or issues of commercial confidentiality.
You may be subject to limitations on the transfer of the ADSs.
The 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 it expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. The depositary may 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.
Because we do not expect to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future, you must rely on a price appreciation of the ADSs for a 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 the 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 the ADSs will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of the ADSs. There is no guarantee that the 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 the ADSs and you may even lose your entire investment in the ADSs.
Our fourth amended and restated 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 fourth amended and restated 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 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, in the form of ADS or otherwise. 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 representing our ordinary shares may fall and the voting and other rights of the holders of our ordinary shares and the ADSs may be materially and adversely affected.
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 memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, or the Companies Act, 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 precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands have 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 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 (other than copies of the memorandum and articles of association and the register of mortgages and charges, and any special resolutions passed by these companies) or to obtain copies of lists of shareholders of these companies. Our directors have discretion under our 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 our management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a company incorporated in the United States.
ADSs 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, to the fullest extent permitted by law, ADS holders waive the right to a jury trial for 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 were to oppose a jury trial based on this waiver, the court would have to determine whether the waiver was enforceable based on the facts and circumstances of the case in accordance with 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, or by a federal or state court in the City of New York, which has non-exclusive jurisdiction over matters arising under the deposit agreement. In determining whether to enforce a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver, courts will generally consider whether a party knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily waived the right to a jury trial. We believe that this would be 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. 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, including outcomes that could be less favorable to the plaintiff(s) in any such action.
Nevertheless, if this jury trial waiver is not permitted by applicable law, an action could proceed under the terms of the deposit agreement with a jury trial. No condition, stipulation or provision of the deposit agreement or the ADSs serves as a waiver by any holder or beneficial owner of ADSs or by us or the depositary of compliance with any substantive provision of the U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
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 your Class A ordinary shares underlying the ADSs.
Holders of ADSs do not have the same rights as our registered shareholders. As a holder of the 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 which attach to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the ADSs indirectly by giving voting instructions to the depositary in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement. Under the deposit agreement, you may vote only by giving voting instructions to the depositary, as holder of the Class A ordinary shares underlying the ADSs. If we ask for your instructions, then upon receipt of your voting instructions, the depositary will try to vote the underlying Class A ordinary shares in accordance with these instructions. If we do not instruct the depositary to ask for your instructions, the depositary may still vote in accordance with instructions you give, but it is not required to do so. You will not be able to directly exercise any right to vote with respect to the underlying Class A ordinary shares unless you withdraw the shares underlying your ADSs and become the registered holder of such shares prior to the record date for the general meeting. When a general meeting is convened, you may not receive sufficient advance notice of the meeting to enable you to withdraw the shares underlying the ADSs and become the registered holder of such shares prior to the record date for the general meeting 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 fourth amended and restated 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 Class A ordinary shares underlying the ADSs and 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 to deliver our voting materials to you. Under our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the minimum notice period required to be given by our company to our registered shareholders for convening a general meeting is fifteen (15) days. We cannot assure you that you will receive the voting material in time to ensure you can direct the depositary to vote your shares. 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 shares underlying the ADSs are voted and you may have no legal remedy if the shares underlying the ADSs are not voted as you requested.
Certain of our existing shareholders have substantial influence over our company, and their interests may not be aligned with the interests of our other stockholders.
Dagang Feng, our chief executive officer and the chairman of our board of directors, holds approximately 89.0% voting power as of the date of this annual report, including his sole voting power and the shared voting power resulting from an acting-in-concert agreement entered into in September 2019. For more information, see “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees-6.E. Share Ownership.” Accordingly, Mr. Feng will have the ability to control the outcome of matters submitted to our shareholders for approval, including decisions regarding mergers, consolidations, liquidations and the sale of all or substantially all of our assets, election of directors and other significant corporate actions. This concentration of ownership may also have the effect of discouraging, delaying or preventing a future change of control, which could deprive our stockholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their shares as part of a sale of our company and might reduce the price of the ADSs. The voting control of Mr. Feng will limit the ability of other shareholders to influence corporate activities and, as a result, we may take actions that shareholders other than Mr. Feng do not view as beneficial. As a shareholder, even a controlling shareholder, Mr. Feng is entitled to exercise his voting power in his own interests, which may not be the same as, or may conflict with, the interests of our other shareholders. Furthermore, because Mr. Feng controls a majority of our voting stock, he may pursue corporate opportunities independent of us.
Our dual-class share structure with different voting rights will limit 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 share structure such that our ordinary shares consist of Class A ordinary shares, Class B ordinary shares and Class C ordinary shares. In respect of matters requiring the votes of shareholders, each Class A ordinary share is entitled to one vote, each Class B ordinary share is entitled to 25 votes and each Class C ordinary share is entitled to 100 votes. Each Class B or Class C ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof. However, Class B ordinary shares are not convertible into Class C ordinary shares, and Class C ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares.
As of the date of this annual report, Palopo Holding Limited, an entity wholly owned by Dagang Feng, beneficially owns all of our issued and outstanding Class C ordinary shares. These Class C ordinary shares constituted approximately 5.5% of our total issued and outstanding share capital and 74.1% of the aggregate voting power of our total issued and outstanding share capital.
As of the date of this annual report, 36Kr Heros Holding Limited, an entity wholly owned by Chengcheng Liu, beneficially owns all of our issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares. These Class B ordinary shares constituted approximately 4.1% of our total issued and outstanding share capital and 13.9% of the aggregate voting power of our total issued and outstanding share capital.
As a result of this dual-class share structure, the holders of our Class B and Class C ordinary shares will have concentrated control over the outcome of matters put to a vote of shareholders and have significant influence over our business, including decisions regarding mergers, consolidations, liquidations and the sale of all or substantially all of our assets, election of directors and other significant corporate actions. The holders of Class B and Class C ordinary shares may take actions that are not in the best interest of us or our other shareholders or holders of the ADSs. This 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 the 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. In addition, future issuances of Class B or Class C ordinary shares may be dilutive to the holders of Class A ordinary shares. As a result, the market price of our Class A ordinary shares could be adversely affected. Furthermore, the conversion of Class B and Class C ordinary shares to Class A ordinary shares over time, while increasing the absolute voting power of holders of our Class A ordinary shares, may have the effect of increasing the relative voting power of the holders of Class B and Class C ordinary shares who retain their shares in the long term. As a result, the relative voting power of holders of Class A ordinary share may remain limited for a significant period of time.
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 since Dagang Feng controls a majority of our total voting power as of the date of this annual report. For so long as we remain a controlled company under that definition, we are permitted to elect to rely, and may rely, on certain exemptions from corporate governance rules, such as the requirement that a majority of our board of directors must be independent directors, and the requirement that our board of directors have a compensation committee and nominating and corporate governance committee composed entirely of 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.
The difference in the voting rights of our Class A ordinary share, Class B ordinary share and Class C ordinary share may harm the value and liquidity of our Class A ordinary share.
The difference in the voting rights of our Class A ordinary share, Class B ordinary share and Class C ordinary share could harm the value of our Class A ordinary share to the extent that any investor or potential future purchaser of our Class A ordinary share ascribes value to the right of holders of our Class B ordinary share to 25 votes per share and the right of holders of our Class C ordinary share to 100 votes per share. The existence of our dual-class share structure could also result in less liquidity for our Class A ordinary share than if there were only one class of our ordinary share.
Our dual-class share structure may depress the trading price of our Class A ordinary share.
Our dual-class share structure may result in a lower or more volatile market price of our Class A ordinary share or in adverse publicity or other adverse consequences. For example, certain index providers have announced restrictions on including companies with multiple-class share structures in certain of their indexes. S&P Dow Jones and FTSE Russell have announced changes to their eligibility criteria for inclusion of shares of public companies on certain indices, including the S&P 500. These changes exclude companies with multiple classes of shares from being added to these indices. In addition, several shareholder advisory firms have announced their opposition to the use of multiple- class structures. As a result, our dual-class share structure may prevent the inclusion of our Class A ordinary share in these 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 Class A ordinary share. 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 Class A ordinary share.
You may experience dilution of your holdings due to the 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.
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 corporate governance listing standards. These practices may afford less protection to shareholders than they would enjoy if we complied fully with the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards.
As a Cayman Islands company listed on the Nasdaq, we are subject to the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. However, the 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 corporate governance listing standards. We have followed and intend to continue to follow Cayman Islands corporate governance practices in lieu of the corporate governance requirements of the Nasdaq that listed companies must have: (i) a majority of independent directors; (ii) the establishment of a nominating/corporate governance committee composed entirely of independent directors; and (iii) a compensation committee composed entirely of independent directors. As a result of our reliance on the “foreign private issuer” or the “controlled company” exemptions, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would enjoy under the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.
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:
| · | the rules under the Exchange Act requiring the filing with the SEC of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K; |
| · | the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act; |
| · | the sections of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their stock ownership and trading activities and liability for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time; and |
| · | the rules under Regulation FD governing selective disclosure rules of material nonpublic information. |
We will be required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the end of each fiscal year. In addition, we intend to 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 will also be furnished to the SEC on Form 6-K. However, the information we are required to file with or furnish to the SEC will be 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 incur significant costs as a result of being a public company.
As a public company, we incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and the Nasdaq, impose various requirements on the corporate governance practices of public companies. In addition, as we have ceased to be an “emerging growth company” as such term is defined in the JOBS Act, we expect to incur significant expenses and devote substantial management effort toward ensuring compliance with the requirements of Section 404 and the other rules and regulations of the SEC.
We expect the rules and regulations applicable to public companies to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some corporate activities more time-consuming and costly. For example, as a public company, we will need to increase the number of independent directors and adopt policies regarding internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures. We also expect that operating as a public company makes 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 incur additional costs associated with our public company reporting requirements. It is also 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 the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs.
We believe that we were likely a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) for 2025 if the value of our assets is determined by reference to our market capitalization, and due to the current trading prices of the ADSs there is a significant risk that we will be a PFIC for 2026 and possibly future taxable years, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors in the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares.
In general, a non-U.S. corporation is a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for any taxable year in which (i) 75% or more of its gross income consists of passive income (the “income test”) or (ii) 50% or more of the average value of its assets (generally determined on a quarterly basis) consists of assets that produce, or are held for the production of, passive income (the “assets test”). For purposes of the above calculations, a non-U.S. corporation that owns (or is treated as owning for U.S. federal income tax purposes), directly or indirectly, at least 25% by value of the shares of another corporation is treated as if it held its proportionate share of the assets of the other corporation and received directly its proportionate share of the income of the other corporation. Passive income generally includes dividends, interest, rents, certain royalties and gains from financial investments. Cash is generally a passive asset for these purposes. Goodwill and other intangible assets are active assets to the extent attributable to activities that produce active income.
Because we hold a substantial amount of cash and financial investments, our PFIC status for any taxable year may depend on the average value of our goodwill and other intangible assets, in addition to other active assets. We have not obtained valuations of our assets (including goodwill and other intangible assets) for 2025. However, the value of our assets may be determined by reference to our average market capitalization. Because of the low average value of our market capitalization during 2025, we believe that we were likely a PFIC for our taxable year of 2025 if the value of our assets is determined by reference to our market capitalization. Considering the current low level and volatility of our market capitalization, there is a significant risk that we will also be a PFIC under the assets test for our taxable year of 2026, and possibly future taxable years, if the value of our assets is determined by reference to our market capitalization. Moreover, the extent to which our goodwill and other intangible assets should be treated as active assets is not entirely clear. In addition, we provide financing to customers as part of our advertisement agent services and although our income from this business segment is small, if in the future the proportionate share of this income grows, we may be a PFIC under the income test. Furthermore, it is not entirely clear how the contractual arrangements between us and the VIE will be treated for purposes of the PFIC rules, and we may be a PFIC for any taxable year if the VIE is not treated as owned by us. Our PFIC status for any taxable year is an annual factual determination that can be made only after the end of that year and will depend on the composition of our income and assets and the value of our assets from time to time. For these reasons, our PFIC status for any past, current or future taxable year is uncertain.
If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. investor owns the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, we will generally continue to be a PFIC with respect to that investor for all succeeding taxable years, even if we cease to meet the threshold requirements for PFIC status, unless certain elections are timely made by the investor. In addition, a U.S. holder of the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares will be subject to reporting obligations with respect to its ownership of PFIC stock. See “Item 10.E. Taxation-U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations-Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules”.
If we were deemed to be an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act, applicable restrictions could make it impractical for us to continue our business as contemplated and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We intend to conduct our operations so that we will not be deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Section 3(a)(1)(A) and Rule 3a-1 under the Investment Company Act generally provide that an entity will not be deemed to be an “investment company” for purposes of the Investment Company Act if: (a) it is not and does not hold itself out as being engaged primarily, and does not propose to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading securities and (b) consolidating the entity’s wholly-owned subsidiaries (within the meaning of the Investment Company Act), no more than 45% of the value of its assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) consists of, and no more than 45% of its net income after taxes (for the past four fiscal quarters combined) is derived from, securities other than U.S. government securities, securities issued by employees’ securities companies, securities issued by qualifying majority owned subsidiaries of such entity and securities issued by qualifying companies that are controlled primarily by such entity.
We believe that we are engaged primarily in the business of generating and distributing media content and providing business services, including online advertising services, enterprise value-added services and subscription services to customers, and not in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities. We hold ourselves out as such and do not propose to engage primarily in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities. Accordingly, we do not believe that the Company is what is frequently referred to as an “orthodox” investment company as defined in the Investment Company Act and described in clause (a) in the second sentence of the preceding paragraph. We also believe that the primary source of income from our businesses is properly characterized as income derived from our operating business, and not from investment securities. Furthermore, the Company’s assets, consolidated with its wholly-owned subsidiaries (within the meaning of the Investment Company Act), consist primarily of assets that we believe would not be considered securities for purposes of the Investment Company Act. Therefore, we believe that, consolidating the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries (within the meaning of the Investment Company Act), no more than 45% of the value of its assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) consists of, and no more than 45% of its net income after taxes (for the past four fiscal quarters combined) is derived from, securities other than U.S. government securities, securities issued by employees’ securities companies, securities issued by qualifying majority owned subsidiaries of the Company and securities issued by qualifying companies that are controlled primarily by the Company. Accordingly, we do not believe the Company is an investment company by virtue of the 45% test in Rule 3a-1 under the Investment Company Act as described in clause (b) in the second sentence of the preceding paragraph.
The need to comply with Section 3(a)(1)(A) and Rule 3a-1 under the Investment Company Act may cause us to restrict our business and subsidiaries with respect to how we invest excess cash pending use in our business. In addition, if we no longer meet the requirements of Section 3(a)(1)(A) and Rule 3a-1, and no other exemption is available to us, we may take other actions in order to conduct our business in a manner that does not subject us to the registration and other requirements of the Investment Company Act. This may include adjusting our cash management investments, which may result in lower rates of returns, and/or liquidating all or a portion of our investment securities (including potentially short- and/or long-term bank time deposits), including on unfavorable terms, and holding such amounts in cash, and/or acquiring assets or businesses that could change the nature of our business or potentially take other actions that may be viewed as adverse to the holders of the ADSs, in order to conduct our business in a manner that does not subject us to the registration and other requirements of the Investment Company Act.
If anything were to happen which would cause the Company to be deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may lose our ability to raise money in the U.S. capital markets and from U.S. lenders, and additional restrictions under the Investment Company Act could apply to us, all of which could make it impractical for us to continue our business as currently conducted. This would materially and adversely affect the value of the ADSs and our ability to pay dividends in respect of the ADSs.
| ITEM 10. | ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
| 10.B. | Memorandum and Articles of Association |
We are a Cayman Islands exempted company and our affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, as amended and restated from time to time, and Companies Act of the Cayman Islands, which we refer to as the “Companies Act” below, and the common law of the Cayman Islands.
We incorporate by reference into this annual report our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the form of which was filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Form 6-K/A (File Number 001-39117), filed with the SEC on May 19, 2026. Shareholders of the Company adopted our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association at the EGM on September 8, 2025, which became effective immediately.
The following are summaries of material provisions of our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the Companies Act insofar as they relate to the material terms of our ordinary shares.
Registered Office and Objects
Our registered office in the Cayman Islands is located at Maples Corporate Services Limited, PO Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104, Cayman Islands.
According to Clause 3 of our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the objects for which we are established are unrestricted and we have full power and authority to carry out any object not prohibited by the Companies Act or as the same may be revised from time to time, or any other law of the Cayman Islands.
Board of Directors
See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees.”
Ordinary Shares
General. Our ordinary shares are divided into Class A ordinary shares, Class B ordinary shares and Class C ordinary shares. Holders of our Class A ordinary shares, Class B ordinary shares and Class C ordinary will have the same rights except for voting and conversion rights. All of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares are fully paid and non-assessable. Our ordinary shares are issued in registered form and are issued when registered in our register of shareholders. We may not issue share to bearer. Our shareholders who are non-residents of the Cayman Islands may freely hold and transfer their ordinary shares.
Conversion. Class B ordinary shares and Class C ordinary shares may be converted into the same number of Class A ordinary shares by the holders thereof at any time, while Class A ordinary shares cannot be converted into Class B ordinary shares or Class C ordinary shares under any circumstances. Furthermore, Class B ordinary shares are not convertible into Class C ordinary shares, and Class C ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares. Upon any sale, transfer, assignment or disposition of Class B or Class C ordinary shares by a holder thereof to any person or entity which is not an affiliate of such holder, or upon a change of beneficial ownership of any Class B or Class C ordinary shares as a result of which any person who is not an affiliate of the holder becomes a beneficial owner of such Class B or Class C ordinary shares, such Class B or Class C ordinary shares shall be automatically and immediately converted into an equal number of Class A ordinary shares.
Dividends. The holders of our ordinary shares are entitled to such dividends as may be declared by our board of directors, subject to our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the Companies Act. In addition, our shareholders may by ordinary resolution declare a dividend, but no dividend may exceed the amount recommended by our directors. Our fourth amended and restated articles of association provide that dividends may be declared and paid out of our profits, realized or unrealized, or from any reserve set aside from profits which our board of directors determine is no longer needed. Dividends may also be declared and paid out of profits or share premium account. No dividend may be declared and paid unless our directors determine that, immediately after the payment, we will be able to pay our debts as they become due in the ordinary course of business and we have funds lawfully available for such purpose.
Voting Rights. In respect of all matters subject to a shareholders’ vote, each Class A ordinary share is entitled to one vote for the holder of each Class A ordinary share registered in his or her name on our register of members, each Class B ordinary share is entitled to 25 votes for the holder of each Class B ordinary share registered in his or her name on our register of members and each Class C ordinary share is entitled to 100 votes for the holder of each Class C ordinary share registered in his or her name on our register of members. A resolution put to the vote of the general meeting shall be decided on the vote of the requisite majority pursuant to a poll of the shareholders.
A quorum required for a meeting of shareholders consists of shareholders holding shares which carry a majority of the votes attaching to the issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at general meetings present in person or by proxy or, if a corporation or other non-natural person, by its duly authorized representative. As a Cayman Islands exempted company, we are not obliged by the Companies Act to call shareholders’ annual general meetings. Our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we may (but are not obliged to) in each year hold a general meeting as our annual general meeting in which case we will specify the meeting as such in the notices calling it, and the annual general meeting will be held at such time and place as may be determined by our directors. We, however, will hold an annual shareholders’ meeting during each fiscal year, as required by the Listing Rules at the Nasdaq. Each general meeting, other than an annual general meeting, shall be an extraordinary general meeting. Shareholders’ annual general meetings and any other general meetings of our shareholders may be called by a majority of our Board of Directors or our chairman of the Board of Directors or upon a requisition of shareholders holding at the date of deposit of the requisition not less than ten percent (10%) of the votes attaching to the issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at general meetings, in which case the directors are obliged to call such meeting and to put the resolutions so requisitioned to a vote at such meeting; however, our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association do not provide our shareholders with any right to put any proposals before annual general meetings or extraordinary general meetings not called by such shareholders. Advance notice of at least fifteen (15) days is required for the convening of our annual general meeting and other general meetings unless such notice is waived in accordance with our articles of association.
An ordinary resolution to be passed at a meeting by the shareholders requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes attaching to the ordinary shares cast by those shareholders entitled to vote who are present in person or by proxy at a general meeting, while a special resolution also requires the affirmative vote of no less than two-thirds of the votes attaching to the ordinary shares cast by those shareholders entitled to vote who are present in person or by proxy at a general meeting. Both ordinary resolutions and special resolutions may also be passed by a unanimous written resolution signed by all the shareholders of our company, as permitted by the Companies Act and our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. A special resolution will be required for important matters such as a change of name or making changes to our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
Transfer of Ordinary Shares. Subject to the restrictions in our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association as set out below, any of our shareholders may transfer all or any of his or her ordinary shares by an instrument of transfer in the usual or common form or any other form approved by our board of directors.
Our board of directors may, in its absolute discretion, decline to register any transfer of any ordinary share which is not fully paid up or on which we have a lien. Our Board of Directors may also decline to register any transfer of any ordinary share unless:
| · | the instrument of transfer is lodged with us, accompanied by the certificate for the ordinary shares to which it relates and such other evidence as our Board of Directors may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer; |
| · | the instrument of transfer is in respect of only one class of shares; |
| · | the instrument of transfer is properly stamped, if required; |
| · | in the case of a transfer to joint holders, the number of joint holders to whom the ordinary share is to be transferred does not exceed four; |
| · | the shares are free from any lien in favor of the Company; and |
| · | a fee of such maximum sum as the Nasdaq may determine to be payable or such lesser sum as our directors may from time to time require is paid to us in respect thereof. |
If our directors refuse to register a transfer they shall, within two months after the date on which the instrument of transfer was lodged, send to each of the transferor and the transferee notice of such refusal.
The registration of transfers may, after compliance with any notice required of the Nasdaq, be suspended and the register closed at such times and for such periods as our Board of Directors may from time to time determine, provided, however, that the registration of transfers shall not be suspended nor the register closed for 30 more than days in any year as our board may determine.
Liquidation. On a return of capital on winding up or otherwise (other than on conversion, redemption or purchase of ordinary shares), if the assets available for distribution amongst our shareholders shall be more than sufficient to repay the whole of the share capital at the commencement of the winding up, the surplus shall be distributed amongst our shareholders in proportion to the par value of the shares held by them at the commencement of the winding up, subject to a deduction from those shares in respect of which there are monies due, of all monies payable to our company for unpaid calls or otherwise. If our assets available for distribution are insufficient to repay all of the paid-up capital, the assets will be distributed so that the losses are borne by our shareholders in proportion to the par value of the shares held by them.
Redemption, Repurchase and Surrender of Ordinary Shares. We may issue shares on terms that such shares are subject to redemption, at our option or at the option of the holders thereof, on such terms and in such manner as may be determined, before the issue of such shares, by our Board of Directors. Our company may also repurchase any of our shares provided that the manner and terms of such purchase have been approved by our Board of Directors or are otherwise authorized by our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Under the Companies Act, the redemption or repurchase of any share may be paid out of our company’s profits or out of the proceeds of a fresh issue of shares made for the purpose of such redemption or repurchase, or out of capital (including share premium account and capital redemption reserve) if the company can, immediately following such payment, pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. In addition, under the Companies Act no such share may be redeemed or repurchased (a) unless it is fully paid up, (b) if such redemption or repurchase would result in there being no shares outstanding, or (c) if the company has commenced liquidation. In addition, our company may accept the surrender of any fully paid share for no consideration.
Variations of Rights of Shares. If at any time our share capital is divided into different classes or series of shares, the rights attached to any class or series of shares (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class or series), whether or not our company is being wound-up, may be varied with the consent in writing of a majority the holders of the issued shares of that class or series or with the sanction of a special resolution at a separate meeting of the holders of the shares of the class or series. The rights conferred upon the holders of the shares of any class issued shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu with such existing class of shares.
Inspection of Books and Records. Holders of our ordinary shares have no general right under Cayman Islands law to inspect or obtain copies of our list of shareholders or our corporate records (other than copies of our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the register of mortgages and charges, and any special resolution passed by our shareholders). However, we will provide our shareholders with annual audited financial statements.
Issuance of Additional Shares. Our fourth amended and restated memorandum of association authorizes our Board of Directors to issue additional ordinary shares from time to time as our Board of Directors shall determine, to the extent of available authorized but unissued shares.
Our fourth amended and restated memorandum of association also authorizes our Board of Directors to establish from time to time one or more series of preferred shares and to determine, with respect to any series of preferred shares, the terms and rights of that series, including:
| · | the designation of the series; |
| · | the number of shares of the series; |
| · | the dividend rights, dividend rates, conversion rights, voting rights; and |
| · | the rights and terms of redemption and liquidation preferences. |
Our Board of Directors may issue preferred shares without action by our shareholders to the extent authorized but unissued. Issuance of these shares may dilute the voting power of holders of ordinary shares.
Anti-Takeover Provisions. Some provisions of our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company or management that shareholders may consider favorable, including provisions that: (a) authorize our Board of Directors to issue preferred shares in one or more series and to designate the price, rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of such preferred shares without any further vote or action by our shareholders; and (b) limit the ability of shareholders to requisition and convene general meetings of shareholders.
However, under Cayman Islands law, our directors may only exercise the rights and powers granted to them under our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association for a proper purpose and for what they believe in good faith to be in the best interests of our company.
Exempted Company. We are an exempted company with limited liability under the Companies Act. The Companies Act distinguishes between ordinary resident companies and exempted companies. Any company that is registered in the Cayman Islands but conducts business mainly outside the Cayman Islands may apply to be registered as an exempted company. The requirements for an exempted company are essentially the same as for an ordinary company except that an exempted company:
| · | does not have to file an annual return of its shareholders with the Registrar of Companies; |
| · | is not required to open its register of members for inspection; |
| · | does not have to hold an annual general meeting; |
| · | may issue negotiable or bearer shares or shares with no par value; |
| · | may obtain an undertaking against the imposition of any future taxation (such undertakings are usually given for 20 years in the first instance); |
| · | may register by way of continuation in another jurisdiction and be deregistered in the Cayman Islands; |
| · | may register as a limited duration company; and |
| · | may register as a segregated portfolio company. |
“Limited liability” means that the liability of each shareholder is limited to the amount unpaid by the shareholder on that shareholder’s shares of the company (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstances in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil).
| ITEM 19. | Exhibits |
| Exhibit Number |
Description of Document | |
| 101.INS* | XBRL Instance Document | |
| 101.SCH* | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document | |
| 101.CAL* | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document | |
| 101.DEF* | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document | |
| 101.LAB* | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document | |
| 101.PRE* | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document | |
| 104* | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
| * | Filed herewith |
| ** | Furnished herewith |
† Previously filed with the Original Filing
SIGNATURES
The registrant hereby certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing its annual report on Form 20-F/A and that it has duly caused and authorized the undersigned to sign this annual report on its behalf.
| 36Kr Holdings Inc. | ||
| By: | /s/ Dagang Feng | |
| Name: Dagang Feng | ||
| Title: Chief Executive Officer | ||
| Date: May 19, 2026 | ||
Exhibit 4.1
36Kr Holdings Inc.
2019 SHARE INCENTIVE PLAN
(approved and
adopted by a board resolution passed on September 4, 2019，
amended and approved by a board resolution passed on August 18, 2021 and
March 14, 2026 )
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
| Section 1 . | Definitions and Interpretation. | 1 |
| Section 2 . | Purpose of the Plan. | 3 |
| Section 3 . | Condition.. | 3 |
| Section 4 . | Duration. | 3 |
| Section 5 . | Offer and Grant of Options. | 4 |
| Section 6 . | Exercise Price. | 5 |
| Section 7 . | Exercise of Options. | 5 |
| Section 8 . | Lapse of Option | 9 |
| Section 9 . | Redemption. | 10 |
| Section 10 . | Maximum Number of Shares Subject to Options | 10 |
| Section 11 . | Reorganization of Capital Structure | 11 |
| Section 12 . | Share Capital. | 11 |
| Section 13 . | Disputes. | 12 |
| Section 14 . | Alteration of this Plan.. | 12 |
| Section 15 . | Miscellaneous. | 12 |
Section 1. Definitions and Interpretation. (a) In this Plan, save where the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the respective meanings set opposite them:
“Adoption Date” being September 4, 2019, the date on which the Plan is approved and adopted by a resolution of the directors of the Company.
“Auditors” means the auditors for the time being of the Company.
“Award” means any Option granted under this Plan.
“Board” means the board of directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee thereof.
“Business Associate” means any advisors, consultants, distributors, contractors, contract manufacturers, agents, customers, business partners, joint venture business partners, service providers of any member of the Group.
“Business Day(s)” means any day on which banks in New York, Hong Kong and PRC are open for business and the Stock Exchange is open for business of dealing in securities.
“Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Company” means 36Kr Holdings Inc.
“Director” means any director (including executive director, non-executive director and independent non-executive director) of any member of the Group from time to time.
“Employee” means any employee or officer of any member of the Group.
“Exercise Price” means the price per Share at which a Grantee may subscribe for the Shares on the exercise of an Option as described in Section 6.
“Fair Market Value” means, with respect to any property (including, without limitation, any Shares or other securities) the fair market value of such property determined by such methods or procedures as shall be established in good faith from time to time by the Board in accordance with applicable law.
“Grantee” means any Participant who accepts an Offer in accordance with the terms of this Plan, or (where the context so permits) any person who is entitled to any Option in consequence of the death of the original Grantee.
“Grant Letter” means any written letter, agreement, contract or other instrument or document evidencing any Award granted under this Plan.
1
“Group” means the Company and its Subsidiaries.
“Hong Kong” means the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the PRC.
“Offer” means the offer of the grant of an Option made in accordance with Section 5.
“Offer Date” means the date on which an Offer is made to a Participant.
“Option(s)” means a right granted to subscribe for the Shares pursuant to this Plan.
“Option Period” means a period to be notified by Mr. Dagang Feng to each Grantee in which an Option granted must be exercised (provided that such period shall not be more than ten years commencing on the Offer Date). Mr. Dagang Feng may also impose restrictions on the exercise of an Option during the period an Option may be exercised.
“Participant(s)” means any Director, Employee or Business Associate who Mr. Dagang Feng considers, in his sole discretion, has contributed or will contribute to the Group.
“PRC” means the People’s Republic of China, for the purposes of this Plan does not apply to Taiwan, Macau Special Administrative Region and Hong Kong.
“Plan” means this 2019 Share Incentive Plan in its present form or as amended from time to time in accordance with the provisions hereof.
“Share Registrar” means the share registrar of the Company from time to time.
“Shares” means Class A ordinary shares, par value of US$0.0001 each in the capital of the Company (or of such other nominal amount as shall result from a sub-division, consolidation, reclassification or reconstruction of the share capital of the Company from time to time).
“Stock Exchange” means any internationally recognized stock exchange.
“Subsidiar(ies)” means any entity in which the Company has at any time, directly or indirectly, securities or other ownership interests having ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors or other persons performing similar functions, and any entity which is controlled by the Company contractually.
“US$” means United States dollars, the lawful currency of the United States.
2
(b) In this Plan, save where the context otherwise requires:
(i) the headings are inserted for convenience only and shall not limit, vary, extend or otherwise affect the construction of any provision of this Plan;
(ii) references to paragraphs are references to paragraphs of this Plan;
(iii) references to any statute or statutory provision shall be construed as references to such statute or statutory provision as respectively amended, consolidated or re-enacted, or as its operation is modified by any other statute or statutory provision (whether with or without modification), and shall include any subsidiary legislation enacted under the relevant statute;
(iv) expressions in the singular shall include the plural and vice versa;
(v) expressions in any gender shall include other genders; and
(vi) references to persons shall include bodies corporate, corporations, partnerships, sole proprietorships, organizations, associations, enterprises and branches.
Section 2. Purpose of the Plan. The purpose of the Plan is to enhance the ability of the Company to attract and retain exceptionally qualified individuals and to encourage them to acquire a proprietary interest in the growth and performance of the Company.
Section 3. Condition. This Plan shall take effect subject to the passing of a resolution by the Board to approve and adopt this Plan, and to authorize Mr. Dagang Feng to grant Options to subscribe for the Shares hereunder and to allot, issue and deal with the Shares pursuant to the exercise of any Options granted under this Plan.
If the condition is not satisfied within 30 days after adoption of the Plan by the Board, this Plan and any Options granted under this Plan shall forthwith lapse and no person shall be entitled to any rights or benefits or be under any obligations under or in respect of the Plan.
Section 4. Duration, Termination and Administration. (a) Subject to Section 3, this Plan shall be valid and effective for the period of time commencing on the Adoption Date and expiring on the day immediately prior to the earlier of (i) the date which is ten years after the Adoption Date; or (ii) the Company by resolution of the shareholders, or the Board, may at any time terminates the operation of this Plan, after which period no further Options will be granted but the provisions of this Plan shall remain in force to the extent necessary to give effect to the exercise of any Options which are granted during the life of the Plan or otherwise as may be required in accordance with the provisions of this Plan.
3
(b) This Plan shall be subject to the administration of Mr. Dagang Feng and the decision of Mr. Dagang Feng shall be final and binding on all parties. Mr. Dagang Feng shall have the right (i) to interpret and construe the provisions of the Plan; (ii) to determine the persons who will be awarded Options under the Plan, and the number of Options awarded thereto; (iii) to make such appropriate and equitable adjustments to the terms of Options granted under the Plan as he or she deems necessary, provided that such adjustments shall not have a negative impact on the economic interests of the Grantee; and (iv) to make such other decisions or determinations as he or she shall deem appropriate in the administration of the Plan.
(c) No member of the Board shall be personally liable by reason of any contract or other instrument executed by such member or on his behalf in his capacity as a member of the Board nor for any mistake of judgment made in good faith, and the Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each employee, officer or director of the Company to whom any duty or power relating to the administration or interpretation of the Plan may be allocated or delegated, against any cost or expense (including counsel fees) or liability (including any sum paid in settlement of a claim with the approval of the Board) arising out of any act or omission to act in connection with the Plan unless arising out of such person’s own fraud or bad faith.
Section 5. Offer and Grant of Options. (a) On and subject to the terms of this Plan, Mr. Dagang Feng shall be entitled at any time during the life of the Plan to make an Offer to any Participant, as Mr. Dagang Feng may in his absolute discretion select, to take up Options in respect of such number of Shares as Mr. Dagang Feng may determine at the Exercise Price. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Plan, Options may be granted on such terms and conditions in relation to their vesting, exercise or otherwise (e.g. by linking their exercise to the attainment or performance of milestones by any member of the Group, the Grantee or any group of Participants as Mr. Dagang Feng may determine).
(b) Options shall entitle the Grantee to subscribe for the Shares on the terms set out in this Plan save that if, at the time the Grantee wishes to exercise an Option, such exercise of the Option, the issue of the Shares to the Grantee pursuant to the Plan, the registration of the Grantee as the holder of such Shares, the exercise and enjoyment of the rights attaching to such Shares or the performance of the obligations of the Company or the Grantee under this Plan, is not permitted by any applicable laws or regulations, the Options shall not entitle the Grantee to subscribe for the Shares.
(c) An Offer shall be made to a Participant in the manner and in such form as Mr. Dagang Feng may from time to time determine requiring the Participant to undertake to hold the Options on the terms to be granted and to be bound by the provisions of this Plan.
(d) Any Offer may be accepted in respect of less than the number of Shares to which the offered Option relates.
4
(e) For certain Participants who were also participants of the share incentive plan adopted by Beijing Duoke Information Technology Co., Ltd. in December 2016 (the “2016 Incentive Plan”), Mr. Dagang Feng may determine to accelerate vesting of the Options granted to them under this Plan to mirror the respective vesting schedule of shares granted to them under the 2016 Incentive Plan as set forth in the Grant Letter;
Section 6. Exercise Price. Subject to Section 11, the Exercise Price shall be determined by Mr. Dagang Feng in his sole discretion and set forth in the Grant Letter; provided, however, that, the per share exercise price of options granted to Participants who are subject to taxation under the Code shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of such Options, and that in no event shall the Exercise Price be less than the par value of the Shares to be issued.
Section 7. Exercise of Options. (a) An Option shall be personal to the Grantee and shall not be assignable or transferable. No Grantee shall in any way sell, transfer, charge, mortgage, encumber or otherwise dispose of or create any interest (legal or beneficial) in favor of any third party over or in relation to any Option or enter into any agreement so to do, except for (A) the transmission of an Option on the death of the Grantee to his personal representatives(s) according to the terms of this Plan, or (B) the transfer of any Option to any trustee, acting in its capacity as such trustee, of any trust of which the Grantee is a beneficiary. Any breach of the foregoing by a Grantee shall entitle the Company to cancel any Option granted to such Grantee to the extent not already exercised without incurring any liability on the part of the Company.
(b) A Grantee (or where permitted under Section 7 (d)(ii), his legal personal representative(s)) may exercise his Option in whole or in part by giving notice in the form required by the Company stating that the Option is thereby exercised and specifying the number of Shares to be subscribed; and by a payment for the full amount of the aggregate Exercise Price for the Shares in respect of which the notice is given. Within 5 Business Days or otherwise agreed after receipt of the notice and payment of the Exercise Price and any applicable withholding and, where appropriate, receipt of the Auditors’ or financial advisors’ certificate pursuant to Section 10(a), the Company shall allot, and shall instruct the Share Registrar to issue, the relevant Shares to the Grantee (or his personal representatives) credited as fully paid and issue to the Grantee (or his personal representatives) a share certificate in respect of the Shares so allotted.
(c) Except as provided otherwise and subject to the terms and conditions upon which such Option was granted, the Option granted shall be exercisable in accordance with the following vesting schedule:
| · | for participant who has received a “B” or higher grade in his or her most recent annual evaluation, 25% of any Option granted shall vest and become exercisable on the first anniversary of the date of grant of such Option; |
5
| · | for participant who has received a “B” or higher grade in his or her most recent annual evaluation, 25% of any Option granted shall vest and become exercisable on the second anniversary of the date of grant of such Option; |
| · | for participant who has received a “B” or higher grade in his or her most recent annual evaluation, 25% of any Option granted shall vest and become exercisable on the third anniversary of the date of grant of such Option; and |
| · | for participant who has received a “B” or higher grade in his or her most recent annual evaluation, the remaining 25% of any Option granted shall vest and become exercisable on the fourth anniversary of the date of grant of such Option; |
provided that:
(i) in the event a Grantee terminates his employment or service on account of other than on one or more of the grounds of termination of employment, appointment or directorship specified in Section 8(f);
(ii) in the event a Grantee's conduct results in a material violation of any applicable law, regulation, the Company’s memorandum and articles of association or internal policies;
(iii) in the event a Grantee engages in any illegal conducts and is subject to criminal penalties, except as otherwise as determined by Mr. Dagang Feng;
(iv) in the event a Grantee engages in any disloyal conducts against the Company, including but not limited to, resigning from the Company and entering into employment with any company or entity that is engaged in any business directly or indirectly competing with the Company, and benefitting from any related party transaction, unless otherwise notified to and approved by the Company;
(v) in the event a Grantee’s conduct results in a substantial breach of any agreements with the Company, including but not limited to, disclosing any confidential information such as trade secrets, and failing to perform his or her obligations as an employee of the Company (except in the case of his or her incapacitation or death);
(vi) in the event a Grantee engages in any other conduct that has a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, reputation or financial conditions;
(vii) in the event of a Grantee’s death; or
(viii) in other events as determined by Mr. Dagang Feng;
all Options that are unvested as of the date of such event shall lapse, unless Mr. Dagang Feng otherwise determines in writing that such unvested Options shall not lapse and will continue to remain valid, such termination notwithstanding.
6
(d) Subject to (A) the condition specified in Section 3 being fully satisfied, and (B) the terms and conditions on which such Option was granted, Options vested may be exercised by the Grantee at any time during the Option Period, provided that:
(i) in the events specified in Section 7(c), the Grantee shall be entitled to exercise the Option up to the vested entitlement of such Grantee as at the date of such termination (to the extent he is entitled to exercise at the date of termination but not already exercised pursuant to the terms of this Plan and the terms of grant), failing which it will lapse;
(ii) if a general offer by way of voluntary offer, takeover or otherwise (other than by way of Plan of arrangement pursuant to Section 7(d)(iii) below) is made to all the holders of Shares (or all such holders other than the offeror and any person controlled by the offeror and any person acting in association or concert with the offeror) and such offer becomes or is declared unconditional prior to the expiry date of the relevant Option, the Company shall forthwith give notice thereof to the Grantee and the Grantee shall be entitled to exercise the Option to its full extent or, if the Company shall give the relevant notification, to the extent notified by the Company at any time within such period as shall be notified by the Company;
(iii) if a general offer for Shares by way of Plan of arrangement is made to all the holders of Shares and has been approved by the necessary number of holders of Shares at the requisite meetings, the Company shall forthwith give notice thereof to the Grantee and the Grantee may at any time thereafter (but before such time as shall be notified by the Company) exercise the Option to its full extent or, if the Company shall give the relevant notification, to the extent notified by the Company;
(iv) in the event a notice is given by the Company to its shareholders to convene a shareholders’ meeting for the purpose of considering and, if thought fit, approving a resolution to voluntarily wind-up the Company, the Company shall forthwith give notice thereof to the Grantee and the Grantee may at any time thereafter (but before such time as shall be notified by the Company) exercise the Option to its full extent or, if the Company shall give the relevant notification, to the extent notified by the Company, and the Company shall as soon as possible and in any event no later than three days prior to the date of the proposed shareholders’ meeting, allot, issue and register in the name of the Grantee such number of fully paid Shares which fall to be issued on exercise of such Option; and
7
(v) in the event of a compromise or arrangement, other than a plan of arrangement contemplated in Section 7(d)(iii) above, between the Company and its members and/or creditors being proposed in connection with a plan for the reconstruction or amalgamation of the Company, the Company shall give notice thereof to all Grantees on the same day as it first gives notice of the meeting to its members and/or creditors to consider such a plan or arrangement and the Grantee may at any time thereafter but before such time as shall be notified by the Company exercise the Option to its full extent or, if the Company shall give the relevant notification, to the extent notified by the Company, and the Company shall as soon as possible and in any event no later than 3 days prior to the date of the proposed meeting, allot, issue and register in the name of the Grantee such number of fully paid Shares which fall to be issued on exercise of such Option.
Upon the occurrence of any of the events referred to in Sections 7(d)(ii) to 7(d)(v), the Company may in its discretion and notwithstanding the terms of the relevant Option also give notice to a Grantee that his Option may be exercised at any time within such period as shall be notified by the Company and/or to the extent (not being less than the extent to which it could then be exercised in accordance with its terms) notified by the Company. If the Company gives such notice that any Option shall be exercised in part only, the balance of the Option shall lapse.
(e) The Shares to be allotted and issued upon the exercise of an Option will be subject to the provisions of the articles of association of the Company for the time being in force and will rank pari passu with the fully paid Shares in issue as from the date of exercise of the Option and in particular will entitle the holders to participate in all dividends or other distributions paid or made on or after the date of exercise of the Option other than any dividend or other distribution previously declared or recommended or resolved to be paid or made if the record date therefor is before the date of exercise of the Option, provided always that when the date of exercise of the Option falls on a date upon which the register of members of the Company is closed then the exercise of the Option shall become effective on the next available Business Day on which the register of members of the Company is re-opened.
(f) Mr. Dagang Feng may at any time, with the mutual consent of the Grantee, cancel Options previously granted to, but not yet exercised by a Grantee. Where the Company cancels Options and, in compliance with applicable law, offers Options to the same Grantee, the offer of such new Options may only be made with available Options to the extent not yet granted (excluding the cancelled Options) within the limit as mentioned in Section 10(a) of this Plan.
8
Section 8. Lapse of Option. An Option shall lapse automatically (to the extent (A) not already vested in accordance with Section 7(c), and (B) vested but not already exercised) on the earliest of:
(a) the expiry of the Option Period (subject to the provisions of Section 4(a));
(b) the expiry of the periods for exercising the Option as referred to in Section 7(d)(i), (ii) or (v);
(c) subject to the Plan of arrangement becoming effective, the expiry of the period for exercising the Option referred to in Section 7(d)(iii);
(d) subject to Section 7(d)(iv), the date of commencement of the winding up of the Company;
(e) the date on which the Grantee commits a breach of Section 7(a);
(f) the date on which:
(i) subject to Section 7(c)(i), the Grantee (being an Employee or Director of any member of the Group) ceases to be an employee, an officer or a director by reason of the termination of his employment, appointment or directorship, unless Mr. Dagang Feng otherwise determines in writing that such unvested Options shall not lapse and will continue to remain valid, such termination notwithstanding;
(ii) the Grantee (being an Employee) serves as an employee, director or officer of any other companies that are not a member of the Group, and/or, whether alone or jointly with others, carried on or be concerned or interested, directly or indirectly, whether as shareholder, employee, director, investor, consultant, adviser, partner or agent in any types of business which are in competition with or in opposition to any business of any member of the Group as determined by Mr. Dagang Feng in his sole discretion;
(iii) the Grantee being a Business Associate is under any contract with the Group, such contract is terminated by reason of breach of contract on the part of the Business Associate or the Grantee ceases to be a Business Associate for any other reason;
(iv) the Grantee being a Business Associate, appears either to be unable to pay or have no reasonable prospect to be able to pay debts, or has become insolvent, or has made any arrangements or composition with his or her creditors generally, or ceases or threaten to cease to carry on its business, or is wound up, or has an administrator or liquidator being appointed for the whole or any part of its undertaking or assets; or has been convicted of any criminal offence involving integrity or honesty; or
(v) unless Mr. Dagang Feng otherwise determines, and other than in the circumstances referred to in Section 7(d), the date the Grantee ceases to be a Participant (as determined by a Board resolution) for any reason;
9
(g) the date on which the Option is cancelled by Mr. Dagang Feng as provided in Section 7(f); and
(h) the date on which this Plan terminates pursuant to Section 4(a).
Section 9. Redemption.
(a) In the events specified in Section 7(c), the Company shall, upon and from the date of such events, have an irrevocable, exclusive, assignable right (the “Redemption Right”), to redeem all or any portion of the Shares subject to the Options that are vested and any Shares acquired upon exercise of any portion of the Option.
(b) The Company (or its assignee) may exercise the Redemption Right in the Company’s sole discretion, and in no event shall the Company (or its assignee) be obligated to exercise the Redemption Right. Each participant agrees and acknowledges that upon receipt of the written notice of redemption of any portion of the Options or Shares purchased under the Options, the Participant shall have no further rights to such portion of the Options or such Shares, as applicable.
(c) In the events specified in Section 7 (c)(ii) to (vi), unless otherwise determined by Mr. Dagang Feng, the Option granted to such Grantee terminates automatically on the date of such event. The Company (or its assignee) may acquire the Shares at the lower of the Exercise Price and the minimal price as prescribed by the law.
(d) In the events specified in Section 7 (c) (i), (vii) and (viii), the Company (or its assignee) may acquire the Shares at the price determined by Mr. Dagang Feng based on factors including but not limited to the net asset value per share, valuations and price-to-earning ratio of the Company.
Section 10. Maximum Number of Shares Subject to Options. (a) The total number of Shares which may be issued upon exercise of Options to be granted under this Plan shall not exceed in aggregate 296,556,000 Shares.
(b) The maximum number of Shares referred to in Sections 10(a) may be adjusted upon the occurrence of such events and in such manner as described in Section 11.
10
Section 11. Reorganization of Capital Structure. (a) In the event of any alteration in the capital structure of the Company by way of capitalization of profits or reserves, rights issue, sub-division or consolidation of Shares or reduction of share capital of the Company, but excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, any alteration in the capital structure of the Company as a result of an issue of Shares or other securities of the Group as consideration in a transaction to which the Company is a party, the Auditors or the financial advisors engaged by the Company for such purpose shall determine what equitable adjustment is required to be made to:
(i) the number and type of Shares or other securities then available for Awards under the Plan are subject to any unexercised Option; and/or
(ii) the Exercise Price; and/or
(iii) the method of exercise of the Options,
and the Auditors or such financial advisors shall certify in writing to the Board that such adjustments are in their/his opinion fair and reasonable. The capacity of the Auditors or financial advisors in this paragraph is that of experts and not of arbitrators and their certification shall, in the absence of manifest error, be final and binding on the Company and the Grantees. The costs of the Auditors or financial advisors shall be borne by the Company.
(b) For the avoidance of doubt, following the date on which the Shares first commence trading on a Stock Exchange the events set forth in Section 11(a) above shall include any extraordinary cash dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Shares or other securities), recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, repurchase or exchange of Shares or other securities of the Company, issuance of warrants or other rights to purchase Shares or other securities of the Company, issuance of Shares pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of securities of the Company, or other similar corporate transaction or event affecting the Shares, or of changes in applicable laws, regulations or accounting principles, in each case in respect of which an adjustment is appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan.
(c) Any such adjustments shall give each Participant the same proportion of the equity capital of the Company for which such Participant was entitled to subscribe for prior to such adjustments and any adjustments to the advantage of the Participants to the Exercise Price or to the number of Shares subject to the Options must be approved by the shareholders of the Company in general meeting. No adjustment may be made to the extent that Shares would be issued at less than their nominal value.
(d) If there has been any alteration in the capital structure of the Company as referred to in Section 11(a), the Company shall, upon receipt of a notice from a Grantee in accordance with Section 7(b), inform the Grantee of such alteration and shall either inform the Grantee of the adjustment to be made in accordance with the certificate of the Auditors or the financial advisors engaged by the Company for such purpose or, if no such certificate has yet been obtained, inform the Grantee of such fact and instruct the Auditors or the financial advisors as soon as practicable thereafter to issue a certificate in that regard in accordance with Section 11(a).
Section 12. Share Capital. The exercise of any Option shall be subject to the shareholders of the Company in general meeting approving any necessary increase in the authorized share capital of the Company. Subject thereto, the Board shall make available sufficient authorized but unissued share capital of the Company to meet subsisting requirements on the exercise of Options.
11
Section 13. Disputes. Any dispute arising in connection with this Plan (whether as to the number of Shares the subject of an Option, the amount of the Exercise Price or otherwise) may be determined by Mr. Dagang Feng, the decision of which shall be final and binding on all parties who may be affected thereby.
Section 14. Alteration of this Plan. (a) Subject to the terms set out in the paragraph below, the Board may amend any of the provisions of this Plan (including without limitation amendments in order to comply with changes in legal or regulatory requirements and in order to waive any restrictions, imposed by the provisions of this Plan) at any time (but not so as to affect adversely any rights which have accrued to any Grantee at that date).
(b) Any change to the authority of the Board in relation to any alteration to the terms of this Plan must be approved by shareholders of the Company in general meeting.
Section 15. Miscellaneous. (a) This Plan shall not form part of any contract of employment or engagement of services between the Group and any Participant and the rights and obligations of any Participant under the terms of his office, employment or engagement in services shall not be affected by the participation of the Participants in this Plan or any right which he may have to participate in it and this Plan shall afford such a Participant no additional rights to compensation or damages in consequence of the termination of such office, employment or engagement for any reason.
(b) This Plan shall not confer on any person any legal or equitable right (other than those rights constituting the Options themselves) against the Company directly or indirectly or give rise to any cause of action at law or in equity against the Company.
(c) The Company shall bear the costs of establishing and administering this Plan.
(d) Any notice or other communication between the Company and a Grantee may be sent by prepaid post, by electronic means, or by personal delivery to, in the case of the Company, its principal place of business in the PRC or such other address as notified to the Grantee from time to time and, in the case of the Grantee, his address in the PRC or such other address as notified to the Company from time to time.
(e) Any notice or other communication served by post:
(i) by the Company shall be deemed to have been served 24 hours after the same was put in the post; and
(ii) by the Grantee shall not be deemed to have been received until the same shall have been received by the Company.
12
(f) Any notice or other communication served by electronic means by the Company or the Grantee shall be deemed to have been served if the sender did not receive a failure of receipt notification.
(g) All allotments and issues of the Shares will be subject to all necessary consents under any relevant legislation for the time being in force in the PRC, Hong Kong and the Cayman Islands, and a Grantee shall be responsible for obtaining any governmental or other official consent or approval that may be required by any country or jurisdiction in order to permit the grant or exercise of the Option. The Company shall not be responsible for any failure by a Grantee to obtain any such consent or approval or for any tax or other liability to which a Grantee may become subject as a result of his or her participation in this Plan.
(h) This Plan and all Options granted hereunder shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Cayman Islands.
(i) This Plan is intended to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and the regulations and guidance thereunder ("Section 409A") with respect to Awards made to or held by any Participant who is subject to taxation under the Code. The provisions of this Plan shall be interpreted in a manner that satisfies such requirements, and this Plan shall be operated accordingly. If any provision of this Plan would otherwise frustrate or conflict with this intent, the provision will be interpreted and deemed amended so as to avoid this conflict. If an operational failure occurs with respect to the requirements of Section 409A, any affected Participant shall fully cooperate with the Company to correct the failure, to the extent possible, in accordance with any correction procedure established by the Internal Revenue Service. No provision of this Plan shall be interpreted to transfer any liability for a failure to comply with Section 409A from a Participant or any other Person to the Company. Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan or any Grant Letter, if at the time of termination of a Participant's employment or service with the Company he or she is a "specified employee" (as defined in Section 409A) and any payments upon such termination under this Plan or such Grant Letter are treated as deferred compensation subject to Section 409A, he or she will not be entitled to such payments until the earlier of (i) the date that is six months after such termination or (ii) any earlier date that does not result in any additional tax or interest to such Participant under Section 409A.
13
Exhibit 12.1
Certification by the Principal Executive Officer
Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
I, Dagang Feng, certify that:
| 1. | I have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F, as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto, of 36Kr Holdings Inc. (the “Company”); |
| 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
| 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
| 4. | The Company’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the company and have: |
| (a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
| (b) | Evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and |
| (c) | Disclosed in this report any change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the company’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
| 5. | The Company’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the Company’s auditors and the audit committee of the Company’s board of directors: |
| (a) | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and |
| (b) | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. |
| Date: May 19, 2026 | ||
| By: | /s/ Dagang Feng | |
| Name: | Dagang Feng | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
Exhibit 12.2
Certification by the Principal Financial Officer
Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
I, Xiang Li, certify that:
| 1. | I have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F, as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto, of 36Kr Holdings Inc. (the “Company”); |
| 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
| 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
| 4. | The Company’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the company and have: |
| (a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
| (b) | Evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and |
| (c) | Disclosed in this report any change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the company’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
| 5. | The Company’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the Company’s auditors and the audit committee of the Company’s board of directors: |
| (a) | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and |
| (b) | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. |
| Date: May 19, 2026 | ||
| By: | /s/ Xiang Li | |
| Name: | Xiang Li | |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer | |
Exhibit 13.1
Certification by the Principal Executive Officer
Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
In connection with the annual report of 36Kr Holdings Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2025 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 23, 2026, as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto (the “Report”), I, Dagang Feng, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to my knowledge:
(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
| Date: May 19, 2026 | ||
| By: | /s/ Dagang Feng | |
| Name: | Dagang Feng | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
Exhibit 13.2
Certification by the Principal Financial Officer
Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
In connection with the annual report of 36Kr Holdings Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2025 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 23, 2026, as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto (the “Report”), I, Xiang Li, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to my knowledge:
(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
| Date: May 19, 2026 | ||
| By: | /s/ Xiang Li | |
| Name: | Xiang Li | |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer | |