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6-K

Zhihu Inc. (ZH)

6-K 2026-06-03 For: 2026-06-03
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Added on June 03, 2026

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 6-K

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the month of June 2026


Commission File Number: 001-40253

Zhihu Inc.

(Registrant’s Name)

18 Xueqing Road

Haidian District, Beijing100083

People’s Republicof China

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

Form 20-F x      Form 40-F o

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No. Description
99.1 Press Release—Zhihu Inc. Reports Unaudited First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
99.2 Press Release—Zhihu Inc. Announces Change of Non-Executive Director
99.3 Announcement—Change of Non-Executive Director

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Zhihu Inc.
By : /s/ Han Wang
--- --- ---
Name : Han Wang
Title : Chief Financial Officer

Date: June 3, 2026

Exhibit 99.1

Zhihu Inc. Reports Unaudited First Quarter 2026Financial Results

BEIJING, China, June 3, 2026 — Zhihu Inc. (“Zhihu” or the “Company”) (NYSE: ZH; HKEX: 2390), a leading online content community in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2026.

First Quarter 2026 Highlights

Total revenues were RMB651.6 million (US$94.5 million), compared with RMB729.7 million in the same period of 2025.
Gross margin was 59.6%, compared with 61.8% in the same<br>period of 2025.
--- ---
Net loss was RMB8.5 million (US$1.2 million), narrowing<br>by 15.6% from the same period of 2025.
--- ---

Adjusted net income (non-GAAP)^[1]^ was RMB17.2<br>million (US$2.5 million), representing an increase of 147.2% from the same period of 2025.
Average monthly subscribing members^[2]^ were<br>13.1 million in the first quarter of 2026.
--- ---

“The first quarter of 2026 marked a solid start to the year, as we advanced our high-quality growth strategy,” said Mr. Yuan Zhou, chairman and chief executive officer of Zhihu. “Our community ecosystem continued to thrive, driven by a more dynamic user demographic, enhanced user engagement, and deeper social connections, while our content creators remained highly vibrant, consistently contributing authentic, high-quality content. At the same time, we accelerated the integration of AI capabilities across our community and business operations, further unlocking the value of our community. Building on this solid foundation, our core businesses are showing encouraging signs of recovery, while our new business initiatives continued to gain momentum and to deliver meaningful incremental growth. Looking ahead, we remain focused on strengthening operational profitability, steadily advancing AI-related commercialization initiatives, and continuing to unlock the unique value of our real-user community in the AI era, to drive healthy and sustainable business growth.”

“First-quarter results demonstrate the resilience of our financial model, evidenced by a non-GAAP net income of RMB17.2 million, representing a 147.2% year-over-year increase and a strong sequential return to profitability,” said Mr. Han Wang, chief financial officer of Zhihu. “During the quarter, our gross margin recovered sequentially to 59.6%, driven by disciplined execution of our efficiency-driven strategy that reduced total operating expenses by 10.4% year over year. This supported continued improvements in our earnings quality. Going forward, we will continue to drive high-quality growth through improved operating efficiency and disciplined capital allocation, including share repurchases, with a clear focus on maximizing long-term shareholder value.”


1

First Quarter 2026 Financial Results


Total revenues were RMB651.6 million (US$94.5 million), compared with RMB729.7 million in the same period of 2025.

Marketing services revenue was RMB191.4 million (US$27.7 million), compared with RMB197.0 million in the same period of 2025. The decrease was primarily due to our proactive and ongoing refinement of service offerings.

Paid content and IP operations revenue^[3]^ was RMB402.3 million (US$58.3 million), compared with RMB420.9 million in the same period of 2025. The decrease was primarily due to a decline in the number of our average monthly subscribing members, partially offset by the growth of revenues generated from our intellectual property (“IP”) operations.

Other revenues^[3][4]^ were RMB57.8 million (US$8.4 million), compared with RMB111.8 million in the same period of 2025. The decrease was primarily due to the strategic refinement of our vocational training business.

Cost of revenues decreased by 5.5% to RMB263.2 million (US$38.2 million) from RMB278.6 million in the same period of 2025. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in cloud services and bandwidth costs resulting from our improved technological efficiency.

Gross profit was RMB388.3 million (US$56.3 million), compared with RMB451.1 million in the same period of 2025. Gross margin was 59.6%, compared with 61.8% in the same period of 2025.

Total operating expenses decreased by 10.4% to RMB451.2 million (US$65.4 million) from RMB503.7 million in the same period of 2025.


Selling and marketing expenses decreased by 11.1% to RMB285.1 million (US$41.3 million) from RMB320.6 million in the same period of 2025. The decrease was primarily due to more disciplined marketing spending and a decrease in personnel-related expenses.

Research and development expenses decreased by 22.4% to RMB110.1 million (US$16.0 million) from RMB141.9 million in the same period of 2025. The decrease was primarily attributable to improvements in our research and development efficiency.

General and administrative expenses were RMB56.0 million (US$8.1 million), compared with RMB41.2 million in the same period of 2025. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase in the allowance for expected credit losses on trade receivables.

Loss from operations was RMB62.9 million (US$9.1 million), compared with RMB52.6 million in the same period of 2025.

**Adjusted loss from operations (non-GAAP)^[1]^**was RMB37.1 million (US$5.4 million), compared with RMB35.0 million in the same period of 2025.


2

**** Netloss narrowed by 15.6% to RMB8.5 million (US$1.2 million) from RMB10.1 million in the same period of 2025.

Adjusted net income (non-GAAP)^[1]^ increased by 147.2% to RMB17.2 million (US$2.5 million) from RMB6.9 million in the same period of 2025.

Diluted net loss per American depositary share (“ADS”) was RMB0.11 (US$0.02), compared with RMB0.12 in the same period of 2025.

Cash and cash equivalents, term deposits, restricted cash and short-terminvestments

As of March 31, 2026, the Company had cash and cash equivalents, term deposits, restricted cash and short-term investments of RMB4,490.3 million (US$651.0 million), compared with RMB4,451.2 million as of December 31, 2025.


Share Repurchase Programs

As of March 31, 2026, the Company had repurchased an aggregate of 34.8 million Class A ordinary shares (including Class A ordinary shares underlying the ADSs) for a total consideration of US$70.7 million on both the New York Stock Exchange and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited under the Company’s existing share repurchase programs. During the first quarter of 2026, the Company repurchased 3.7 million Class A ordinary shares for a total consideration of US$4.2 million.

^[1]^Adjusted loss from operations and adjusted net income/(loss) are non-GAAP financial measures. For more information on the non-GAAP financial measures, please see the section “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and the table captioned “Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results” set forth at the end of this press release.

^[2]^ Monthly subscribing members refers to the number of members who subscribed for our membership packages in a specified month. Average monthly subscribing members for a period is calculated by dividing the sum of monthly subscribing members for each month during the specified period by the number of months in such period.

^[3]^Starting from the first quarter of 2026, the Company reported revenues generated from paid membership and IP operations collectively as “paid content and IP operations revenue” to better present its business and results of operations in line with its overall strategy. Revenues generated from IP operations, which were formerly included in “other revenues,” primarily consist of copyrights licensing and content distribution. Revenues for the applicable comparison periods have been retrospectively reclassified.

^[4]^Starting from the third quarter of 2025, the Company simplified its revenue stream by reclassifying vocational training into “others” to align with its overall strategy. Revenues for the applicable comparison periods have been retrospectively reclassified.


3

Conference Call

The Company’s management will host a conference call at 7:00 A.M. U.S. Eastern Time on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 (7:00 P.M. Beijing/Hong Kong Time on Wednesday, June 3, 2026) to discuss the results.

All participants wishing to join the conference call must pre-register online using the link provided below. Once the pre-registration has been completed, each participant will receive a set of dial-in numbers and a unique access PIN which can be used to join the conference call.

Registration Link:

https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BI3688e4763901491aa49594b4434a6a84


Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company’s investor relations website at https://ir.zhihu.com.


About Zhihu Inc.

Zhihu Inc. (NYSE: ZH; HKEX: 2390) is a leading online content community where people come to find solutions, make decisions, seek inspiration, and have fun. Since the initial launch in 2010, Zhihu has grown into the largest Q&A-inspired online content community in China. For more information, please visit https://ir.zhihu.com.


Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In evaluating the business, the Company considers and uses non-GAAP financial measures, such as adjusted loss from operations and adjusted net income/(loss), to supplement the review and assessment of its operating performance. The Company defines non-GAAP financial measures by excluding the impact of share-based compensation expenses, amortization and impairment of intangible assets resulting from business acquisitions, impairment of goodwill and the tax effects of the non-GAAP adjustments, which are non-cash expenses. The Company believes that the non-GAAP financial measures facilitate comparisons of operating performance from period to period and company to company by adjusting for potential impacts of items, which the Company’s management considers to be indicative of its operating performance. The Company believes that the non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating the Company’s consolidated results of operations in the same manner as they help the Company’s management.

The non-GAAP financial measures are not defined under U.S. GAAP and are not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The presentation of the non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. The use of the non-GAAP financial measures has limitations as an analytical tool, and investors should not consider them in isolation from or as a substitute for analysis of our results of operations or financial condition as reported under U.S. GAAP. For more information on the non-GAAP financial measures, please see the tables captioned “Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results” set forth at the end of this press release.


4

Exchange Rate Information

This announcement contains translations of certain Renminbi amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars were made at a rate of RMB6.8980 to US$1.00, the exchange rate in effect as of March 31, 2026 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “target,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to,” or other similar expressions. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company’s filings with the SEC and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.


For investor and media inquiries, please contact:


Zhihu Inc.

Email: [email protected]

Christensen Advisory

Roger Hu

Tel: +86-10-5900-1548

Email: [email protected]

5

ZHIHU INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTSOF OPERATIONS

(All amounts in thousands, except share, ADS, per share data and per ADS data)

For the Three Months Ended
March 31, 2025 December 31, 2025 March 31, 2026
RMB RMB RMB US
Revenues:
Marketing services 196,959 234,808 191,413 27,749
Paid content and IP operations 420,875 347,523 402,322 58,324
Others 111,831 61,185 57,831 8,384
Total revenues 729,665 643,516 651,566 94,457
Cost of revenues (278,561 ) (298,699 ) (263,235 ) (38,161 )
Gross profit 451,104 344,817 388,331 56,296
Selling and marketing expenses (320,632 ) (275,243 ) (285,146 ) (41,337 )
Research and development expenses (141,866 ) (123,085 ) (110,065 ) (15,956 )
General and administrative expenses (41,209 ) (84,009 ) (56,005 ) (8,119 )
Impairment of goodwill - (126,344 ) - -
Total operating expenses (503,707 ) (608,681 ) (451,216 ) (65,412 )
Loss from operations (52,603 ) (263,864 ) (62,885 ) (9,116 )
Other income/(expenses):
Investment income 19,349 34,629 28,594 4,145
Interest income 20,610 13,379 15,608 2,263
Exchange losses (96 ) (56 ) (90 ) (13 )
Others, net 2,399 (2,487 ) 11,856 1,719
Loss before income tax (10,341 ) (218,399 ) (6,917 ) (1,002 )
Income tax benefits/(expenses) 233 7,609 (1,610 ) (233 )
Net loss (10,108 ) (210,790 ) (8,527 ) (1,235 )
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests 14 2,156 23 3
Net loss attributable to Zhihu Inc.’s shareholders (10,094 ) (208,634 ) (8,504 ) (1,232 )
Net loss per share
Basic (0.04 ) (0.89 ) (0.04 ) (0.01 )
Diluted (0.04 ) (0.89 ) (0.04 ) (0.01 )
Net loss per ADS (One ADS represents three Class A ordinary shares)
Basic (0.12 ) (2.66 ) (0.11 ) (0.02 )
Diluted (0.12 ) (2.66 ) (0.11 ) (0.02 )
Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding
Basic 244,504,405 235,516,843 231,674,268 231,674,268
Diluted 244,504,405 235,516,843 231,674,268 231,674,268

All values are in US Dollars.

6

ZHIHU INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTSOF OPERATIONS (CONTINUED)

(All amounts in thousands, except share, ADS, per share data and per ADS data)

For the Three Months Ended
March 31, 2025 December 31, 2025 March 31, 2026
RMB RMB RMB US
Share-based compensation expenses included in:
Cost of revenues (872 ) 157 386 56
Selling and marketing expenses 262 497 (271 ) (39 )
Research and development expenses (599 ) 4,145 7,158 1,038
General and administrative expenses 15,367 29,503 17,005 2,465

All values are in US Dollars.

7

ZHIHU INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(All amounts in thousands)



As of December 31, 2025 As of March 31, 2026
RMB RMB US
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents 3,369,154 2,992,056 433,757
Term deposits 30,000 - -
Short-term investments 840,938 1,288,233 186,755
Restricted cash 1,078 - -
Trade receivables 357,998 389,837 56,514
Amounts due from related parties 25,570 27,327 3,962
Prepayments and other current assets 107,265 100,083 14,509
Total current assets 4,732,003 4,797,536 695,497
Non-current assets:
Property and equipment, net 5,349 4,312 625
Intangible assets, net 29,588 27,908 4,046
Long-term investments, net 158,480 33,638 4,876
Term deposits 210,000 210,000 30,444
Right-of-use assets 42,063 31,938 4,630
Other non-current assets 13,391 13,866 2,010
Total non-current assets 458,871 321,662 46,631
Total assets 5,190,874 5,119,198 742,128
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 681,307 678,778 98,402
Salary and welfare payables 188,038 193,412 28,039
Taxes payables 16,285 36,953 5,357
Contract liabilities 186,034 222,023 32,186
Amounts due to related parties 16,135 6,017 872
Short term lease liabilities 21,382 18,118 2,627
Short-term borrowings 35,000 - -
Other current liabilities 124,233 112,491 16,308
Total current liabilities 1,268,414 1,267,792 183,791
Non-current liabilities
Long term lease liabilities 15,592 9,345 1,355
Deferred tax liabilities 27,174 6,221 902
Other non-current liabilities 4,650 5,968 865
Total non-current liabilities 47,416 21,534 3,122
Total liabilities 1,315,830 1,289,326 186,913
Total Zhihu Inc.’s shareholders’ equity 3,804,136 3,755,588 544,446
Noncontrolling interests 70,908 74,284 10,769
Total shareholders’ equity 3,875,044 3,829,872 555,215
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity 5,190,874 5,119,198 742,128

All values are in US Dollars.


8

ZHIHU INC.

UNAUDITED RECONCILIATIONS OF GAAP AND NON-GAAPRESULTS

(All amounts in thousands)

For the Three Months Ended
March 31, 2025 December 31, 2025 March 31, 2026
RMB RMB RMB US
Loss from operations (52,603 ) (263,864 ) (62,885 ) (9,116 )
Add:
Share-based compensation expenses 14,158 34,302 24,278 3,520
Amortization and impairment of intangible assets resulting from business acquisitions 3,490 13,950 1,510 219
Impairment of goodwill - 126,344 - -
Adjusted loss from operations (34,955 ) (89,268 ) (37,097 ) (5,377 )
Net loss (10,108 ) (210,790 ) (8,527 ) (1,235 )
Add:
Share-based compensation expenses 14,158 34,302 24,278 3,520
Amortization and impairment of intangible assets resulting from business acquisitions 3,490 13,950 1,510 219
Impairment of goodwill - 126,344 - -
Tax effects on non-GAAP adjustments (600 ) (3,215 ) (105 ) (15 )
Adjusted net income/(loss) 6,940 (39,409 ) 17,156 2,489

All values are in US Dollars.

9

Exhibit 99.2

ZhihuInc. Announces Change of Non-Executive Director

BEIJING, China, June 3, 2026—Zhihu Inc. (“Zhihu” or the “Company”) (NYSE: ZH; HKEX: 2390), a leading online content community in China, today announced the appointment of Mr. Qu Chen as a non-executive director of the Company. Mr. Bing Yu has resigned as a non-executive director of the Company in order to dedicate more time to his other business commitments. These changes are effective on June 3, 2026.

Mr. Chen has over 13 years of experience in strategic investment, capital markets, and business analysis. He joined Kuaishou Technology (HKEX: 1024) in April 2018 and currently serves as Head of Business Analytics, responsible for Kuaishou Group’s strategy, investment and operational analysis. Before joining Kuaishou Group, he was the founder and served as the chief executive officer of Beijing Nebulium Games Technology Co., Ltd. from June 2013 to September 2017. Mr. Chen received his Master of Business Administration from Stanford University (officially the Leland Stanford Junior University) in June 2013.

“On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Bing Yu for his valuable contributions throughout his tenure and wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” said Mr. Yuan Zhou, chairman and chief executive officer of the Company. “We are also pleased to welcome Mr. Qu Chen to the board. Mr. Chen has built a strong track record in China’s internet sector, with deep expertise in business strategy, investment, and capital markets. His industry insights and strategic perspective will support the board as we continue to advance our long-term growth strategy.”

About Zhihu Inc.

Zhihu Inc. (NYSE: ZH; HKEX: 2390) is a leading online content community where people come to find solutions, make decisions, seek inspiration, and have fun. Since the initial launch in 2010, Zhihu has grown into the largest Q&A-inspired online content community in China. For more information, please visit https://ir.zhihu.com.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Zhihu Inc.

Email: [email protected]

Christensen Advisory

Roger Hu

Tel: +86-10-5900-1548

Email: [email protected]

Exhibit 99.3

Hong Kong Exchangesand Clearing Limited and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited take no responsibility for the contents of this announcement, make norepresentation as to its accuracy or completeness and expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising fromor in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of this announcement.

ZhihuInc.

(Acompany controlled through weighted voting rights and incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability)

(NYSE:ZH; HKEX: 2390)

CHANGEOF NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

RESIGNATIONOF NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The board (the “Board”) of directors (the “Directors”) of Zhihu Inc. (the “Company”, and together with its subsidiaries and its consolidated affiliated entities, the “Group”) announces that Mr. Bing Yu (“Mr. Yu”) has resigned as a non-executive Director with effect from June 3, 2026 due to the need to dedicate more time to other business commitments.

Mr. Yu confirmed that (i) he has no disagreement with the Board; and (ii) there is no other matter relating to his resignation that needs to be brought to the attention of the shareholders of the Company or the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Stock Exchange”).

The Board would like to take this opportunity to express its sincere gratitude to Mr. Yu for his valuable contributions to the Company during his tenure of office.

APPOINTMENT OF NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Qu Chen (“Mr. Chen”) as a non-executive Director with effect from June 3, 2026.

Set forth below is the biographical details of Mr. Chen:

Mr. Qu Chen (陳曲), aged 40, was appointed as our non-executive Director on June 3, 2026 and is responsible for providing strategic advice and making recommendations on our operation and management. Mr. Chen has over 13 years of experience in strategic investment, capital markets and business analysis. He joined Kuaishou Technology (a company listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange with stock code of 1024) in April 2018 and currently serves as Head of Business Analytics, responsible for Kuaishou Group’s strategy, investment and operational analysis. Before joining Kuaishou Group, he served as the founder and chief executive officer of Beijing Nebulium Games Technology Co., Ltd. (北京星雲互娛科技有限公司) from June 2013 to September 2017. Mr. Chen received his Master of Business Administration from Stanford University (officially the Leland Stanford Junior University) in the USA in June 2013.

Mr. Chen has entered into a service agreement in respect of his appointment as a non-executive Director with the Company for a term of three years commencing from June 3, 2026, subject to re-election at the next annual general meeting of the Company in accordance with its articles of association. According to the terms of the said service agreement, Mr. Chen will not receive any emoluments from the Company as a non-executive Director.

1

Save as disclosed above, Mr. Chen (i) does not hold any other positions with the Company or any members of the Group; (ii) does not have any relationship with any Directors, senior management or substantial shareholders or the controlling shareholders (has the meaning as defined under the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on the Stock Exchange (the “Listing Rules”)) of the Company; (iii) does not have any interest in the shares of the Company within the meaning of Part XV of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Chapter 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong); and (iv) has not held any other directorships in any other listed public companies the securities of which are listed on any securities market in Hong Kong or overseas in the last three years as of the date of this announcement.

Save as disclosed above, as of the date of this announcement, there was no other information required to be disclosed pursuant to any of the requirements of Rules 13.51(2)(h) to (v) of the Listing Rules and there are no other matters relating to the proposed appointment of Mr. Chen as a non-executive Director that need to be brought to the attention of the shareholders of the Company.

The Board would like to express its warmest welcome to Mr. Chen on his appointment.

By order of the<br> Board
Zhihu Inc.
Yuan Zhou
Chairman

Hong Kong, June 3, 2026

As of the dateof this announcement, the board of directors of the Company comprises Mr. Yuan Zhou as an executive director, Mr. Dahai Li,Mr. Zhaohui Li and Mr. Qu Chen as non-executive directors and Ms. Hope Ni, Mr. Derek Chen and Dr. Li-Lan Chengas independent non-executive directors.

2