Image Source: Visual China

BEIJING, March 21 (TMTPOST) — Zhihu has recently released its first learning app for professional education Zhixuetang, according to a news report from Xinyancaijing.

The launch of Zhixuetang marks Zhihu’s entry into the online education sector. However, it remains uncertain whether Zhixuetang would be the solution to Zhihu’s struggle with growth and commercialization.

Zhixuetang is a learning platform designed for adults, according to Xinyancaijing. On the platform, users can take online courses they are interested in, such as courses for the graduate school entrance exam and professional skills.

At present, Zhixuetang’s courses are taught bt Zhihu’s own teaching teams and individual service providers. After submitting payment, users will be able to have access to livestreaming classes and recorded classes. Online assignments are also provided for students to review their learning.

Zhixuetang has a mobile version and a tablet version for iPad. The platform is still under development and might include more features upon official release.

Zhihu’s 2021 Q4 report shows that the company was losing money. In 2021, the company’s net loss reached 1.299 billion yuan. In comparison, the net loss in 2020 was 518 million yuan.

The surging net loss was caused by the increasing marketing cost, the company’s financial report shows. In 2021, Zhihu spent around 1.63 billion yuan in marketing. The marketing cost in 2020 was 734 million yuan. Zhihu said that the growing marketing cost was driven by the increasing advertisement cost associated with attracting new users and brand building.

The growing net loss has pressured Zhihu to explore new ways of commercialization.

Zhihu’s education business is an important part of the company’s plan to achieve commercialization. The company’s financial report shows its professional training and online education business generated revenue of 156 million yuan in 2021, registering year-on-year growth of 196%.

Zhihu’s education business was established in 2021. In March 2021, Zhihu’s education team rolled out a learning app dedicated to courses on product development. It is said that the app was designed for professional talents working in the Internet industry.