What Zhangmen does

Zhangmen (掌门) is a China-based online education company operating a multi-product K-12 tutoring and quality-education platform under the legal entity Shanghai Zhangmen Education Technology Co., Ltd. (上海掌小门教育科技有限公司), headquartered in Shanghai with additional offices in Shanghai (Hongqiao and Hailun districts) and Nantong, and listed on the NYSE under ticker ZME. Its flagship offering, Zhangmen 1-on-1 (掌门1对1), delivers personalized one-on-one live tutoring sessions across K-12 academic subjects, matched with instructors passing a five-layer national selection process; the company complements this with small-class live courses (掌门优课), a quality-education (素质教育) portfolio spanning spoken-language training (掌门少儿口才), creative art (掌门少儿美术), coding (趣味编程), mathematical thinking (全能思维), and online piano practice (掌门少儿钢琴陪练), plus a proprietary Zhangmen Smart Handwriting Tablet (掌门手写板) for classroom interaction.

The underlying platform integrates real-time audio/video via Agora, Zego, and Tencent RTC SDKs, big-data behavioral analytics (Umeng U-App), AI-powered learning diagnostics and personalized study-plan generation in a Professional Growth Planning System, a dual-teacher dynamic classroom model, and a dedicated parent-monitoring mobile application that supports real-time classroom observation and post-session learning reports. Data protection posture references Chinese Cybersecurity Law and the Children's Personal Information Network Protection Regulation with parental-consent workflows and SSL encryption.

Zhangmen monetizes through subscription-based multi-year 1-on-1 tutoring packages priced per 30-minute session (quote-based, not publicly disclosed), supplemented by quality-education subscriptions and direct plus agent-channel hardware sales; go-to-market combines direct sales with course consultants, inbound hotline and online consultation, free 1-on-1 trial lessons, SEM campaigns on Baidu/360/Sogou, WeChat official accounts and mini-programs, and authorized agent/franchise partnerships operated through the wholly-owned Shanghai Baoshan Hongying Training School. The company has disclosed cumulative equity funding exceeding $900M, including a $400M SoftBank Vision Fund-led round in October 2020 and a $350M round co-led by CMC Capital and CICC Alpha in January 2019, and has begun adjacent strategic moves such as participating as an existing shareholder in a 200M RMB angel round for Futuring (dual-arm home robotics) in January 2026.

Name

Zhangmen

Legal name

Shanghai Zhangmen Education Technology Co., Ltd. (上海掌小门教育科技有限公司)

Website

https://zhangmen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Zhangmen (掌门) is a NYSE-listed Chinese online education company that delivers personalized 1-on-1 live tutoring and quality-education programs (spoken language, art, coding, math, piano) to K-12 students, monetizing through multi-year course subscriptions, proprietary smart-hardware sales, and authorized agent channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Online Tutoring

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic Tutoring Services (Subject-Specific & General) (EDAJALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

AI-Powered Tutoring & Study Assistant Platforms (EDANAGAD), Math & STEM Learning Technology (incl. Coding/Robotics Platforms) (EDAJAMAG), Live Online Language Tutoring & Small-Group Classes (EDAMAFAD)

Keywords

• Online tutoring services
• K-12 education
• Personalized learning
• Live streaming education
• Educational technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Shanghai

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. 1-on-1 Online Tutoring Courses: Zhangmen generates revenue primarily through subscription-based 1-on-1 online tutoring sessions, where students purchase course packages and are matched with elite instructors. Pricing is based on class duration (30-minute standard session), with service fees for learning optimization and customization.
2. Quality Education Courses: Additional revenue from supplemental courses including piano practice, public speaking, creative art, programming, and mathematics thinking training for K-12 students.
3. Smart Learning Hardware: Revenue from proprietary teaching hardware including the Zhangmen handwriting tablet, sold through direct channels and authorized agent partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Zhangmen provides 1-on-1 online tutoring services for K-12 students in China, connecting students with elite teachers through a real-time live streaming platform supported by AI-powered learning diagnostics and personalized study plans. The company also offers supplementary quality education courses (piano practice, public speaking, creative art, coding, mathematics thinking) and proprietary smart learning hardware (Zhangmen Handwriting Tablet).

Product overview

Zhangmen operates as a multi-product online education platform centered around its flagship 1-on-1 tutoring service (掌门1对1). The core offering provides personalized one-on-one lessons with elite teachers, while complementary products include small-group live courses through 掌门优课 for younger children, and quality education programs (素质教育) spanning spoken language, creative art, coding, and math through specialized sub-brands. The company also offers proprietary hardware in the form of the 掌门手写板 (handwriting tablet) to enhance the teaching experience. This portfolio enables Zhangmen to serve students across a wide age range from early childhood through secondary education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 掌门1对1 (Zhangmen 1-on-1): One-on-one online tutoring service for K-12 students.
• 掌门优课
• 掌门少儿
• 掌门智能手写板 (Zhangmen Smart Handwriting Board)

Products and services

• Zhangmen 1-on-1 Tutoring (掌门1对1)

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration28 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Yuanfudao: Major Chinese K-12 online tutoring platform offering 1-on-1 and small-group live courses; directly competes with Zhangmen in the same regulatory environment and target customer segment of Chinese parents and K-12 students.
• Zuoyebang: Leading Chinese K-12 online education platform offering homework help, live courses, and 1-on-1 tutoring; competes head-to-head with Zhangmen in both free tools and paid personalized tutoring.
• Koolearn (New Oriental Online): Online education arm of New Oriental offering live and recorded K-12 and university courses in China; comparable in product format (live online courses), target market (Chinese students), and regulatory exposure.
• Squirrel AI (松鼠AI): AI-powered adaptive learning platform for K-12 students in China; directly comparable to Zhangmen's AI-driven personalized tutoring approach and shares the same regulatory and target customer environment.
• VIPKid: Chinese online 1-on-1 English tutoring platform for children; comparable business model (1-on-1 online tutoring with elite instructors, premium pricing, sales-led acquisition) targeting Chinese parents of K-12 students.
• iHuman Inc. NYSE-listed Chinese children's digital education company offering interactive apps and content for ages 3-8; comparable in target customer (young Chinese children and parents) and pivot toward non-academic 'quality education' content.

Broad incumbents

• TAL Education Group (Xueersi): NYSE-listed Chinese education company and one of the largest K-12 tutoring providers; a much larger incumbent that has similarly pivoted post-Double Reduction into compliant offerings like intelligent learning hardware and quality education.
• New Oriental Education: Largest private education company in China, historically K-12 tutoring plus adult/overseas test prep; comparable as a regulatory-impacted incumbent that has had to restructure its K-12 tutoring business.
• ByteDance Education (Dali/大力教育): ByteDance's education division offering K-12 tutoring, edutainment, and learning hardware (Dali Smart Lamp); well-capitalized incumbent with overlapping K-12, AI tutoring, and smart hardware categories versus Zhangmen.
• Tencent Education (腾讯教育): Tencent's K-12 and adult education platform providing online courses and free learning tools; comparable in offering free or low-cost online learning resources to Chinese students and partnering with content providers like Zhangmen.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors12 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zhangmen