倍乐生商贸（中国）有限公司

What 倍乐生商贸（中国）有限公司 does

Benesse Commerce (China) Co., Ltd. is a Shanghai-headquartered, privately held subsidiary of Japan's Benesse Holdings, Inc. (TSE: 9783) and operates the Qiaohu (巧虎) early-childhood education franchise in mainland China, where it has been present since 2006. Its flagship product is the 乐智小天地 (Learning World) subscription series — age-graded, monthly-delivered multimedia learning kits covering children aged 0–8 across books, toys, DVDs, apps, and parent guides, developed in collaboration with early-childhood education experts, psychologists, and pediatricians. As of March 2018 the company reported more than 1.14 million active subscribers and over 12 million sets sold annually; cumulative subscriber households reached 5.5 million between 2006 and 2022.

The company's go-to-market is omnichannel and recurring-revenue driven: direct-to-consumer subscriptions are sold through a 200-person in-house call center (handling roughly 120,000 inbound calls per month), the qiaohu.com website, a WeChat service account, and a Tmall flagship store (with JD.com and WeChat Mall added by end of 2018); physical experience and sales are delivered through 526 Qiaohu mall counters in 29 provinces and 145 cities (January 2023), 244 authorized regional partner stores across 18 provinces, and 13 regional distributors operating under Benesse authorization. Supporting infrastructure includes an in-house logistics center in Shanghai's Qingpu district dispatching over one million items per month. Beyond the core subscription, the company has built an IP-licensing and ecosystem business — including QiaohuKIDS early-childhood centers (~100 locations across 12 cities by April 2020), Qiaohu Happy Island indoor play parks, the Qiaohu Red Box IPTV set-top box partnership with BestTV (May 2018), animated series distributed on Tencent/iQIYI/Mango/Youku/BestTV/Xiaomi/MIGU/Huawei Video, 1,000+ cumulative stage-show performances since 2010, and a feature film released June 1, 2019. Content is co-published through the 2011 joint venture Shanghai Children's Times Benesse Cultural Development Co., Ltd. with China Welfare Society Publishing (中国中福会出版社).

Name

倍乐生商贸（中国）有限公司

Legal name

倍乐生商贸（中国）有限公司

Website

https://benesse.com.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Benesse Commerce (China) operates the Qiaohu (巧虎) early-childhood education subscription franchise in mainland China, delivering monthly multimedia learning kits for children aged 0–8 through 526 mall counters, 244 partner stores, call-center sales, and e-commerce, serving over 5.5 million cumulative subscriber households since 2006.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120), Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (33993)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDACAJAK

Digital/Interactive Curriculum Content (Apps, Games, Multimedia Lessons)

Education/Early Childhood Education/ECE Curriculum, Assessment & Learning Materials

SECONDARYEDAGALAC

Early Childhood Educational Media (Songs, Stories, Interactive)

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Educational Media & Multimedia (Video, Audio, Interactive)

SECONDARYCRALAFAB

Educational & Learning Toys Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Toy Stores & Games Retail

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Subscription learning kits
• Children's educational toys
• Family learning services
• Children's content IP

Headquarters

HQ city

Shanghai

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. 乐智小天地 subscription products: The core revenue stream is from recurring subscription sales of the 乐智小天地 (Happy Learning World) educational product series for children aged 0-8. Products are delivered monthly to subscribers' homes. In March 2018, the subscriber base exceeded 1.14 million, with annual sales exceeding 12 million sets. The Plus series provides supplementary themed learning toys and materials.
2. Physical retail and counter sales: Revenue from 526 巧虎 mall counters and 244 regional partner stores where customers can experience products in-person, participate in DIY activities, and purchase items. Regional distributors operate under authorization from Benesse China.
3. IP licensing and brand authorization: Since 2017, Benesse has licensed the 巧虎 IP to external businesses for product co-development, including 巧虎KIDS early childhood centers (nearly 100 centers nationwide as of April 2020) and 巧虎欢乐岛 indoor children's play parks. Licensing fees and franchise fees generate additional revenue.
4. Cultural productions and stage shows: Revenue from large-scale stage shows (over 1,000 performances cumulatively, 85+ million attendees since 2010), animated series distribution across platforms, and film releases including '巧虎大飞船历险记' (2019).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Benesse Commerce (China) sells monthly-delivered subscription-based early childhood educational materials featuring the Qiaohu (巧虎) character mascot for children aged 0-8 in China. Each monthly kit combines age-appropriate books, toys, DVDs, and digital content developed with early childhood education experts to reinforce learning across cognitive, social, language, and motor skill dimensions. The company also operates the Qiaohu KIDS early childhood centers, Qiaohu Happy Island indoor play parks, and produces animated series, stage shows, and feature films.

Product overview

Benesse Commerce (China) operates a comprehensive early childhood education ecosystem centered on the Qiaohu (巧虎) character brand. The core product is the 乐智小天地 learning series, a monthly delivered educational materials package for children ages 0-8 featuring books, toys, and multimedia content. This is complemented by 乐智小天地Plus standalone themed products, 巧虎开心成长学习系列, and physical experiences including 巧虎KIDS centers and 巧虎欢乐岛 indoor play centers. The company also produces cultural products including stage shows, animated series (可爱巧虎岛), and movies. Distribution occurs through direct sales, Qiaohu counters, regional dealers, and e-commerce channels including Tmall flagship store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 巧虎 (Qiaohu): The company's flagship cartoon character and early childhood education brand, serving as a companion for children's learning and development. 巧虎 is an equal-height character that grows alongside the child, facilitating emotional investment and motivation to learn.
• 乐智小天地 (Le Zhi Xiao Tian Di / Learning World)
• 乐智小天地Plus
• 巧虎KIDS
• 巧虎欢乐岛
• IP授权事业

Products and services

• Le Zhi Xiao Tian Di Learning Series (乐智小天地学习系列) Age-appropriate monthly-delivered educational materials for children 0-8 years old, combining books, toys, DVDs, and digital content designed to develop cognitive, language, motor, and social skills. Sold as a recurring subscription to individual families across China.
• Le Zhi Xiao Tian Di Plus Series (乐智小天地Plus系列商品) Standalone themed learning toys and materials designed for targeted skill development, complementing the core Le Zhi Xiao Tian Di subscription with specialized exploration and creativity-focused content. Purchased by individual families.
• Qiaohu Happy Growth Learning Series (巧虎开心成长学习系列) Early cognitive development series co-published with China Welfare Society Publishing, covering cognitive启蒙 (enlightenment), story-based crafts, educational toys, and progressive learning content for Chinese children.
• Qiaohu KIDS Early Childhood Education Centers (巧虎KIDS) Physical early childhood education centers providing interactive, experiential in-center learning activities that complement the home subscription learning program. Operated by franchisees and partners. Services individual families with young children.
• Qiaohu Happy Island Indoor Play Center (巧虎欢乐岛) Large indoor play-and-learn amusement park for children under 130cm, integrating artistic development, scientific discovery, physical activity, cognitive启蒙 (enlightenment), social skills, and language interaction with scheduled Qiaohu mini shows and themed events.
• Qiaohu Red Box Smart TV Set-Top Box (巧虎小红盒) Smart TV set-top box co-developed with BestTV that delivers Qiaohu animated content and monthly subscription learning content directly to family televisions across millions of households.
• Qiaohu Feature Film - Big Airship Adventure (巧虎大飞船历险记) First Qiaohu theatrical feature film, distributed to cinemas for family audiences.
• Qiaohu Character IP Licensing Business (巧虎IP授权事业) Character IP licensing program started in 2017, partnering with external companies across different industries for product co-development using the Qiaohu character brand. Generates licensing fees and franchise royalties from partners.
• Cute Qiaohu Island Animated Series (可爱巧虎岛卡通) Animated cartoon series featuring Qiaohu and family/friends facing various challenges, distributed across major Chinese video streaming platforms for family audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1.14 million active subscribers as of March 2018
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• 中国中福会出版社 (China Welfare Society Publishing)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBenesse China partnered with China Welfare Society Publishing (中国中福会出版社) to research child development and learning needs across age groups. In 2011, the two parties jointly established Shanghai Children's Times Benesse Cultural Development Co., Ltd. (上海儿童时代倍乐生文化发展有限公司), which develops and publishes family learning products suitable for Chinese children, including 乐智小天地 and 巧虎开心成长学习系列. Benesse also supports the 宋庆龄幼儿教育奖 (Soong Ching-ling Early Childhood Education Award), sponsoring frontline educators and rural teachers in early childhood education.
• 上海多雷米营销策划有限公司 (Shanghai Duolaimi Marketing Planning Co., Ltd.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShanghai Duolaimi Marketing Planning Co., Ltd. is the authorized general operations management company for 巧虎欢乐岛 (Qiaohu Happy Island), a large-scale indoor children's 'play and learn' park. The first location opened at Shanghai World Expo Source in February 2015. The company combines diverse play facilities with the 巧虎 sing-and-dance Mini Show to integrate early childhood development goals in art, science, physical activity, cognition, social skills, and language into play experiences.
• 百视通网络电视技术发展有限责任公司 (BestTV Network Television Technology Development Co., Ltd.)secondaryTechnology or IntegrationSince May 2018, Benesse partnered with BestTV to create the 巧虎小红盒 (Qiaohu Red Box), a dedicated TV set-top box providing families with easy access to 巧虎 animated programs and monthly learning content from their subscription. The partnership serves millions of households through the BestTV platform.
• Regional authorized dealers (13 major provinces/cities)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBenesse China authorizes regional distributors in 13 cities/provinces (Zhejiang, Tianjin/Tangshan, Hubei, Anhui, Inner Mongolia, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Jilin, Xuzhou, Hainan, Kunming, Zhanjiang, Guizhou) to operate local 巧虎 brand promotion and member services. These partners provide consistent services with headquarters and cover specific cities with retail presence.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• 叽里呱啦: 叽里呱啦 is a Chinese children's English and early learning app offering age-graded content for preschool children. It competes with Benesse China's 0-8 learning product portfolio by offering subscription-based multimedia learning at lower price points via mobile platforms.
• 小伴龙 (Xiaobanlong): 小伴龙 is a popular Chinese children's educational app featuring an animated dragon character that delivers age-appropriate learning content and games. Its character-driven, app-based early childhood learning model directly competes with Benesse China's 巧虎 character-based subscription learning system.
• 凯叔讲故事 (Kaizhu Storytelling): 凯叔讲故事 is a leading Chinese children's audio content platform producing original storytelling and educational audio content for young children. It competes with Benesse China's multimedia learning approach via a digital-first, app-based content delivery model targeting Chinese families.

Direct peers

• VTech Holdings: VTech is a global leader in electronic and educational learning toys for children, including tablets, e-readers, and age-graded learning systems. It is directly comparable to Benesse China in combining educational content with physical learning products for preschool children worldwide.
• Hongen Education (洪恩教育): Hongen Education is a Chinese early childhood education company offering multimedia learning apps, content, and educational toys for young children. It overlaps directly with Benesse China's age-graded learning product strategy and competes for the same 0-8 age group across both digital and physical channels.
• LeapFrog (owned by VTech): LeapFrog is a major educational toy and learning platform brand offering age-graded interactive learning systems, tablets, and apps for children. Its curriculum-driven, multi-format learning product model closely parallels Benesse China's 乐智小天地 subscription approach.
• BabyBus (宝宝巴士): BabyBus is a leading Chinese digital early childhood education content company producing animated videos, apps, and songs for children aged 0-8. It directly competes with Benesse China's multimedia learning content via mobile and tablet platforms, targeting the same Chinese parent demographic with a low-cost digital model.

Broad incumbents

• TAL Education Group (好未来): TAL Education is one of China's largest K-12 and early childhood education companies, offering tutoring, learning products, and content across age groups. While it operates across broader age segments, its early childhood learning products and Chinese parent-targeted content strategy overlap with Benesse China's market.
• Mattel China: Mattel's China operations distribute global toy and character brands (including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price) through Chinese retail and e-commerce channels. It overlaps with Benesse China's toy retail and character-IP licensing businesses but as a multinational incumbent with broader product breadth.
• Fisher-Price (Mattel): Fisher-Price, a Mattel subsidiary, is a global incumbent in infant and preschool toys and learning products. It overlaps with Benesse China's early childhood learning toy and play product categories but operates at much broader scale across global markets rather than a focused curriculum subscription model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/%E5%80%8D%E4%B9%90%E7%94%9F%E5%95%86%E8%B4%B8%EF%BC%88%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%EF%BC%89%E6%9C%89%E9%99%90%E5%85%AC%E5%8F%B8

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 倍乐生商贸（中国）有限公司