Tanzhou EDU

About Tanzhou EDU

Tanzhou EDU, operated by Hunan Tanzhou Education Network Technology Co., Ltd., is an online education company established in 2007. The company was founded by Zhou Yougui, who also serves as the CEO. Zhou, a known SEO specialist in China, started his career in the field in 2004 and leveraged his technical background to build the company. His journey into education began by hosting live online sessions to answer technical questions for netizens, which revealed a market for systematic, online learning. This led him to establish Tanzhou EDU, initially balancing educational content with his SEO work before fully committing to the online education sector in 2013.

The company provides a wide range of vocational and interest-based courses for adult learners. Its curriculum is extensive, covering six main categories: IT and internet, design and creation, practical foreign languages, academic qualifications, arts and interests, and agricultural production, with over 200 specific courses. The business operates primarily through its online platform, "Tanzhou Classroom," a live-streaming service launched in 2016. The revenue model is based on fees for these online courses. By 2021, the platform had amassed over 20 million registered users globally.

Tanzhou EDU has secured multiple rounds of funding, including an A round of 63 million RMB in 2018, a B round in 2019, and a B+ round in 2021. However, the company has faced significant operational challenges. As of late 2023, its primary website and app were no longer accessible, with services reportedly moved to a different platform named "Yixue Classroom," which is operated by a related entity. The company has also been the subject of a high volume of customer complaints regarding issues like false advertising and difficulty in obtaining refunds, and has faced legal actions, including a consumption restriction order against the company and its founder in September 2023.