Zhihu is the go-to place for Chinese seeking expert opinions and insights in various fields
2016 was a crucial transition for Zhihu: they were able to monetize through the launch of new services, including institutional accounts, ads, cooperation with book stores, and Zhihu Live, a service which allows users to join live one-on-one sessions with topic experts for a fee.
However, the company is facing fierce competition in the knowledge-sharing sector from both old rivals like Baidu Zhidao and up comer Fenda. How to commercialize the product without hurting user and community experience remains a big challenge for the company.
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After receiving a RMB1 million (US$145,000) angel round from Sinovation Ventures (formerly known as Innovation Works) in January 2011, Zhihu raised a US$8 million Series A from Qiming Venture Partners and Sinovation Ventures in November of the same year. In June 2014, the startup booked a US$22 million Series B from SAIF Partners and Qiming Venture Partners. In November 2015, Tencent led a US$55 million Series C that valued the company at US$300 million.
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An original version of the article Zhihu crowned China’s first knowledge sharing unicorn with 100m USD series Dfirst appeared on Technode.
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