Guokr

What Guokr does

Guokr (果壳) is a Beijing-based Chinese science popularization platform founded in 2009 and launched in November 2010, operating as Beijing Guokr Interactive Technology Media Co., Ltd. (北京果壳互动科技传媒有限公司). The company runs a multi-vertical content platform under the Guokr.com flagship property, covering science, technology, health, food, beauty, nature, and lifestyle topics, with the stated mission of making science accessible and combating misinformation. Content is distributed free of charge across a multi-channel ecosystem including the main website, mobile web, WeChat official accounts and mini-programs, Weibo, Douban, QQ, mobile app, and short-form video content.

The company's product architecture is organized around a core platform and a portfolio of branded sub-brands targeting distinct science verticals: Species Calendar (物种日历) for nature education, Food Lab (吃货研究所) for food science, PrettyNow (美丽也是技术活) for beauty science, Guokr Kids (果壳童学馆) for children's education, Guokr Tech (果壳硬科技) for technology industry reporting, Health Guokr (果壳病人) for health stories, DATAMUSE for data visualization, Guokr Video (果壳视频) for short-form knowledge videos, Dou Xuan (豆选) for specialty coffee, and Miaokr (妙壳) for children's science toys. The technology stack supports multi-format content delivery (articles, short videos, quizzes, interactive features), WeChat ecosystem integration including official accounts and mini-programs, e-commerce storefronts (Guokr Shop), and a content licensing infrastructure.

Guokr monetizes through four primary revenue streams: (1) advertising and sponsorship across website, WeChat accounts, and video content; (2) e-commerce and merchandise sales through Guokr Shop (果壳商店), Miaokr children's science toys, and Dou Xuan specialty coffee, sold via own storefronts and third-party platforms including Taobao; (3) science education products including branded merchandise and educational toys; and (4) branded offline events such as the annual Interesting Museum (有意思博物馆) launched in 2018. The company is led by founder and CEO Ji Xiaohua (嵇晓华, pen name Ji Shisan), a neuroscience PhD from Fudan University, and has been recognized as a National Science Education Base by the China Association for Science and Technology (2015-2019) and other governmental science communication designations. The customer base is almost entirely consumer-facing (B2C), targeting Chinese internet users with interest in science, rational lifestyle, parents seeking STEM education for children, and science enthusiasts across health, food, beauty, technology, and nature verticals.

Name

Guokr

Legal name

北京果壳互动科技传媒有限公司

Website

https://guokr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Guokr (果壳) is a Beijing-based Chinese science popularization platform founded in 2010 that delivers free multi-vertical science content (health, food, tech, beauty, nature) across website, WeChat, mobile, and video, monetizing through advertising, e-commerce merchandise, science toys, specialty coffee, and offline science events for Chinese consumers and parents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Communication and Popular Science Media

NAICS

Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (459420), Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (33993), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Flowers, Gifts & Specialty Occasion Marketplaces (CRAFABAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Educational/Children’s Learning Games & Puzzles Retail (CRALALAN), Lifestyle, Home & Garden Shows (MPAGAFAB), Food, Wine & Beverage Festivals/Expos (MPAGAFAE)

Keywords

• Science communication platform
• Popular science content
• Children's science toys
• Specialty science merchandise
• Science education media

Headquarters

HQ city

Chaoyang

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising and sponsorship: Guokr monetizes its large audience through display advertising, sponsored content, and brand partnerships on its website, WeChat accounts, and video content.
2. E-commerce and merchandise sales: Guokr operates the 果壳商店 (Guokr Store) selling science-themed merchandise, as well as 妙壳Miaokr (children's science toys) and 豆选 (specialty coffee brand). Products are sold through its own e-commerce storefronts and third-party platforms like Taobao.
3. Science education products and events: Guokr offers science education products for children through 妙壳Miaokr brand and organizes branded events like '有意思博物馆' (first held in 2018). Science education is listed as a key business vertical alongside content and merchandise.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Guokr (果壳) is a Chinese pan-science popularization cultural platform that produces, curates, and distributes science-themed content across multiple verticals including nature, food, beauty, parenting, and technology. It monetizes the Guokr brand through advertising and sponsored content on its content platform, through direct-to-consumer branded merchandise such as the Species Calendar, Dou Xuan specialty coffee, and Miaokr children's science toys, and through offline science experiences such as the Interesting Museum event series.

Product overview

Guokr is a comprehensive science popularization and cultural platform operated by 北京果壳互动科技传媒有限公司. The platform uses engaging, diverse methods to deliver responsible science-themed content. The core offering is 果壳网 (Guokr.com), a pan-science platform spanning media, education, health, cultural products, and consumption. The product portfolio includes sub-brands across distinct verticals: 物种日历 (Species Calendar) for nature education content launched in 2015; 吃货研究所 (Food Lab) for food science; 美丽也是技术活 (PrettyNow) for beauty content; 果壳童学馆 for children's science education; 果壳商店 (Guokr Shop) for science-themed merchandise; 果壳硬科技 for tech industry reporting; 果壳病人 for health stories; DATAMUSE for data visualization; 豆选 for specialty coffee; 妙壳Miaokr for children's science toys; and 果壳视频 for short video content. The company also organizes branded events like 有意思博物馆.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guokr.com content platform (果壳) Core multi-vertical popular science content platform publishing articles, videos, and editorial content on nature, food, beauty, parenting, and technology for Chinese general consumers.
• Species Calendar (物种日历) Annual science-themed desk calendar featuring a different species per day, sold as a branded Guokr consumer product to science enthusiasts.
• Food Lab (吃货研究所) Guokr sub-brand focused on food science content, recipes, and food-related popular science for Chinese consumers.
• PrettyNow (美丽也是技术活) Guokr sub-brand covering evidence-based beauty and skincare science content for Chinese consumers.
• Guokr Kids (果壳童学馆) Guokr sub-brand producing children's science education content and parenting-facing science material.
• Guokr Tech (果壳硬科技) Guokr sub-brand covering frontier technology, engineering, and hard-tech popular science content.
• Guokr Shop (果壳商店) Guokr's direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront selling branded science merchandise including the Species Calendar, Dou Xuan coffee, and Miaokr children's science toys.
• DATAMUSE / Health Guokr (果壳病人) Guokr's data visualization and health-medicine science sub-brand producing infographics and evidence-based health content.
• Dou Xuan (豆选) specialty coffee Guokr-branded specialty coffee brand launched in 2019, sold through Guokr Shop and other retail channels.
• Miaokr (妙壳) children's science toys Guokr-branded line of science-themed children's toys and STEM education products sold to urban Chinese parents.
• Guokr Video (果壳视频) Guokr's short-form video channel publishing science explainers and branded video content across Chinese video platforms.
• Interesting Museum (有意思博物馆) Offline science event and exhibition series launched in 2018 under the Guokr brand, combining popular science content with branded consumer experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• WeChat public account ranked #1 in encyclopedia category on 新榜 in 2015
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Zhihu (知乎): China's largest knowledge Q&A and content community. Like Guokr, Zhihu monetizes through advertising, e-commerce, and content verticals, and operates a multi-topic community around expert-driven content. Both target educated Chinese consumers seeking authoritative information.
• 36Kr (36氪): Major Chinese tech and startup media platform with a community-led GTM model, sub-brands, and event series. Compares directly to Guokr Tech (果壳硬科技) and shares the playbook of building a niche content brand and expanding into events and enterprise services.

Emerging players

• Bilibili (哔哩哔哩): Video-first community with a large science and knowledge content vertical (知识区) hosting creators that overlap with Guokr's audience. While broader in scope, Bilibili competes for the same science-curious Chinese youth demographic that drives Guokr Video (果壳视频).

Others

• Xiaohongshu (小红书): Lifestyle community with integrated e-commerce. Not a science peer directly, but its community + commerce model is the reference point for how Guokr Shop, PrettyNow, and Food Lab could scale consumer monetization if Guokr converts audience into transactions.

Broad incumbents

• Tencent News / Tencent Science (腾讯新闻 / 腾讯科学): Broad incumbent Chinese media platform operated by Tencent, the parent of WeChat. While not specialized in science, Tencent News competes for science-news advertising budgets and sits on the same WeChat distribution rails Guokr depends on.
• NetEase (网易): Major Chinese internet company running news, education (NetEase Youdao / 网易有道), and lifestyle verticals. NetEase's education and media businesses overlap with Guokr Kids and the broader science-communication competitive set.
• Sina (新浪): Long-standing Chinese internet portal with science and tech content verticals. Competes with Guokr for science news advertising and audience attention at a broader, less specialized level.
• Caixin (财新): Premium Chinese investigative and business media brand. Comparable to Guokr in operating a high-trust content brand with subscription, advertising, and event revenue, though focused on business and economics rather than science.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/guokrrss
• Facebookfacebook.com/456769234347872

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors3 records

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

M&A

Investments2 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Guokr