K
Knowbox
Education mobile app start-up focused on helping students manage their homework
About Knowbox
Knowbox, registered as Beijing Zhishi Yinxiang Co., Ltd., operates as a significant player in China's K-12 EdTech sector. Founded in July 2014 by Liu Ye, Wang Ke, and Jia Xiaoming, the Beijing-based company initially launched under the name Zuoye Hezi (作业盒子), which translates to 'homework box'. The firm has since rebranded its Chinese name to Xiaohe Keji (小盒科技), or 'small box technology', to reflect a broader scope beyond homework assistance. The company has secured substantial financial backing from prominent investors, including Alibaba Group, Yunfeng Capital, and TAL Education Group, raising over $306 million across several funding rounds, achieving a valuation of $1 billion.
Read full description
The core of Knowbox's business is an online education platform designed to connect students and teachers, serving as a virtual classroom. It operates on a B2B and B2C SaaS model, primarily targeting the K-12 market. The platform provides tools for teachers to create assignments, manage, and correct homework, while students can complete their work online. A key operational aspect is the use of big data analytics, which empowers educators to design personalized lesson plans tailored to the specific needs and learning pace of each student. This is complemented by AI-driven tutoring systems that offer adaptive learning experiences. The company introduced an 'AR teacher' feature, a notable application of augmented reality in its online classes, to create more interactive and engaging classroom experiences.
Knowbox offers a suite of products under the 'Xiaohe' brand, including 'Xiaohe Student' and 'Xiaohe Teacher' apps. The main product, 'Xiaohe Classroom' (小盒课堂), delivers online courses in subjects such as Math, Chinese, and English for primary and middle school students. These services are designed to supplement school education, helping students address knowledge gaps and strengthen their understanding. The platform features various course formats like live interactive classes, video lessons, and quizzes to keep students engaged. Revenue is generated through subscription-based models, providing access to its educational content and premium features. By 2019, the company reported having over 40 million users across 100,000 schools in nearly 400 cities in China.
At a glance
- Founded
- 2014
- Headquarters
- Chaoyang District, China
- Sector
- Edtech
- Power Law
- Unicorn$1–10B valuation tier
Latest news
Press, funding announcements and product moves mentioning Knowbox.
Investors
From Dealroom's funding and investor records, grouped by the round each investor first entered.
Seed1 investor entered at this stage
Legend Star
Series A3 investors entered at this stage
TAL Education Group
BAI CapitalBaidu Ventures
Series B and later3 investors entered at this stage
YunFeng Capital
Alibaba
C Ventures
Source: Dealroom Talent Intelligence.
Global footprint
team presence
across markets
Patents
39 active patent families included in this estimate.
A patent family groups patent filings for the same invention. Source: Dealroom · PatSnap.
Market sentiment
An AI-synthesised read of the highest-engagement posts about Knowbox on X, ranked by likes and reposts, corporate channels excluded.
Reading the room on X — pulling top posts and synthesizing themes…
Source: X recent search ranked by engagement (likes + retweets) · Synthesis by Claude · Cached for 1 hour
See Knowbox on the full Dealroom platform
Live deal flow, founder pedigree, hiring signals, revenue trajectory, and the full cap table.