Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report
on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under
Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its
audit report. ¨
PART I
CERTAIN
INFORMATION
In
this annual report on Form 20-F, unless otherwise indicated, “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company”
or similar terms refer to Skillful Craftsman Education Technology Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company, including its wholly-owned
subsidiaries and variable interest entity, unless the context otherwise indicates.
Unless
the context indicates otherwise, all references to “China” and the “PRC” refer to the People’s Republic
of China, all references to “Renminbi” or “RMB” are to the legal currency of the People’s Republic
of China and all references to “U.S. dollars,” “dollars” and “$” are to the legal currency
of the United States. This annual report contains translations of Renminbi amounts into U.S. dollars at specified rates solely
for the convenience of the reader. We make no representation that the Renminbi or U.S. dollar amounts referred to in this report
could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars or Renminbi, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all. On
March 31, 2020, the cash buying rate announced by the People’s Bank of China was RMB7.0137 to $1.00.
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
This
report contains “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that represent our beliefs, projections and predictions about future events. All statements other
than statements of historical fact are “forward-looking statements,” including any projections of earnings, revenue
or other financial items, any statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations, any statements
concerning proposed new projects or other developments, any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance, any
statements of management’s beliefs, goals, strategies, intentions and objectives, and any statements of assumptions underlying
any of the foregoing. Words such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would”,
“predicts”, “potential”, “continue”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “future”,
“intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “estimates” and similar expressions, as well as
statements in the future tense, identify forward-looking statements.
These
statements are necessarily subjective and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could
cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to differ materially from any future results, performance
or achievements described in or implied by such statements. Actual results may differ materially from expected results described
in our forward-looking statements, including with respect to correct measurement and identification of factors affecting our business
or the extent of their likely impact, and the accuracy and completeness of the publicly available information with respect to
the factors upon which our business strategy is based or the success of our business.
Forward-looking
statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications
of whether, or the times by which, our performance or results may be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information
available at the time those statements are made and management’s belief as of that time with respect to future events, and
are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed
in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited
to, those factors discussed under the headings “Risk Factors”, “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects,”
and elsewhere in this report.
ITEM
1. IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS
Not
Applicable.
ITEM
2. OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE
Not
Applicable.
ITEM
3. KEY INFORMATION
3.A.
Selected Financial Data
|
|
For the years ended March 31,
|
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
2018
|
|
Statements of Income Data
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total revenue
|
|
$
|
28,601,071
|
|
|
$
|
24,668,840
|
|
|
$
|
14,910,543
|
|
Total cost of revenue
|
|
|
(11,797,870
|
)
|
|
|
(9,458,559
|
)
|
|
|
(4,715,419
|
)
|
Total operating expenses
|
|
|
(3,559,369
|
)
|
|
|
(3,731,116
|
)
|
|
|
(2,256,655
|
)
|
Income from operations
|
|
|
13,243,832
|
|
|
|
11,479,165
|
|
|
|
7,938,469
|
|
Total other income (expenses)
|
|
|
70,279
|
|
|
|
88,393
|
|
|
|
76,210
|
|
Income before income taxes
|
|
|
13,314,111
|
|
|
|
11,567,558
|
|
|
|
8,014,679
|
|
Income tax expense
|
|
|
(3,338,886
|
)
|
|
|
(2,892,500
|
)
|
|
|
(2,004,711
|
)
|
Net income
|
|
|
9,975,225
|
|
|
|
8,675,058
|
|
|
|
6,009,968
|
|
Net income attributable to shareholders
|
|
|
9,975,225
|
|
|
|
8,675,058
|
|
|
|
6,009,968
|
|
|
|
As of
March 31,
2020
|
|
|
As of
March 31,
2019
|
|
Balance Sheet Data
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
$
|
11,931,714
|
|
|
$
|
10,362,283
|
|
Current assets
|
|
|
13,973,601
|
|
|
|
11,716,226
|
|
Total assets
|
|
|
45,689,501
|
|
|
|
43,537,673
|
|
Current liabilities
|
|
|
17,756,576
|
|
|
|
15,845,805
|
|
Total liabilities
|
|
|
17,807,453
|
|
|
|
24,518,641
|
|
Shareholders’ equity
|
|
|
27,882,048
|
|
|
|
19,019,032
|
|
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
|
|
$
|
45,689,501
|
|
|
$
|
43,537,673
|
|
3.B.
Capitalization and Indebtedness
Not
Applicable.
3.C.
Reasons For The Offer And Use Of Proceeds
Not
Applicable.
3.D.
Risk Factors
An
investment in our ordinary shares involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described
below together with all other information contained in this annual report, including the matters discussed under the headings
“Forward-Looking Statements” and “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” before you decide to invest
in our ordinary shares. We are a holding company with substantial operations in China and are subject to a legal and regulatory
environment that in many respects differs from the United States. If any of the following risks, or any other risks and uncertainties
that are not presently foreseeable to us, actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity
and our future growth prospects could be materially and adversely affected.
Risks
Related to Our Business and Industry
If
we are not able to continue to attract students to register on our training platforms or successfully convert our nonpaying registered
members to fee-paying members, our business and prospects will be materially and adversely affected.
The
success of our business depends primarily on the number of student members enrolled in our training platforms. Therefore, our
ability to continue to attract students to register on our training platform is critical to the continued success and growth of
our business. This in turn will depend on several factors, including our ability to develop new courses and enhance existing courses
to respond to changes in market trends and student demands, manage our growth while maintaining consistent and high education
quality, broaden our relationships with strategic partners and market our courses effectively to a broader base of prospective
students. Furthermore, our ability to attract students also depends on our ability to provide educational content that is perceived
as more effective than the standard curricula of universities in China in terms of practical job-oriented training. If we are
unable to continue to attract students to register on our platform, our net revenues may decline, which may have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In
addition, the majority of our revenue is derived from fees paid by our members. The conversion of our nonpaying registered members
to fee-paying members is key to our ability to generate revenue. As of March 31, 2020, only 4.5% of our total registered
members were fee-paying members. We cannot assure you that our nonpaying registered members will convert into fee-paying members
in the future. Such conversion is subject to a number of factors such as compatibility of our fee-paying programs with market
demands for vocational and other skills, changes in policies of the PRC Ministry of Education (the “MOE”) and our
ability to maintain and expand our strategic cooperation with education industry associations, vocational schools and universities.
If our nonpaying registered members do not convert into fee-paying members, our business, financial condition and results of operations
will be adversely affected.
We
may not be able to improve the content of our existing courses, develop new courses or services in a timely or cost-effective
manner.
Historically,
our core business centered on the vocational education courses offered through our platform. We have since expanded our course
offerings to target students. We constantly update and improve the content of our existing courses and develop new courses or
services to meet changing market demands. Revisions to our existing courses and our newly developed courses or services may not
be well received by existing or prospective students. If we cannot respond effectively to changes in market demands, our business
may be adversely affected. Even if we are able to develop new courses or services that are well received, we may not be able to
introduce them in a timely or cost-effective manner. If we do not respond adequately to changes in market demands, our ability
to attract and retain students may be impaired and our financial results could suffer.
The
effectiveness of our program depends on the success of our personalized learning approach to vocational education, which in turn
is determined by the efficiency of our data analytics know-how. We might not be able to continue to efficiently monitor and analyze
relevant data important for us to provide a personalized learning experience for our students, or to continue to drive our curriculum
development and other operational aspects of our platforms.
The
timing of the introduction of new courses is subject to risks and uncertainties, including our ability to attract students. Offering
new courses or services or modifying existing courses may require us to invest in content development, increase marketing efforts
and re-allocate resources away from other uses. Unexpected technical, operational, logistical or other problems could delay or
prevent the introduction of one or more new courses. Moreover, we cannot assure you that any of these courses or programs will
match the quality or popularity of those developed by our competitors, achieve widespread market acceptance or contribute the
desired level of income. We may have limited experience with the content of new courses or services and may need to adjust our
systems and strategies to incorporate new courses or services into our existing course catalogue. If we are unable to continuously
improve the content of our existing courses, or offer new courses or services in a timely or cost-effective manner, our results
of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
If
we are not able to continually tailor our curriculum to market demand and enhance our courses to adequately and promptly respond
to developments in the PRC job market, our courses may become less attractive to students.
New
trends in the global economy and rapid developments in the services industries may change the type of skills required for workers
in the marketplace. This requires us to continually develop, update and enhance our course materials to adapt to the needs of
the job market in China. We may be unable to update our courses in a timely and cost-effective manner, or at all, to keep pace
with changes in market requirements. Any inability to track and respond to these changes in a cost-effective and timely manner
or to tailor our courses to the job markets in China would render our courses less attractive to students, which may materially
and adversely affect our reputation and ability to continue to attract students and cause us to lose market share.
If
we fail to develop and introduce new courses in anticipation of market demand in a timely and cost-effective manner, our competitive
position and ability to generate revenues may be materially and adversely affected.
Since
our inception, our primary focus has been on providing vocational education services. We have since expanded our course offerings
to include college students training. We intend to continue developing new courses in anticipation of market demand. The introduction
of new courses is subject to risks and uncertainties. Unexpected technical, operational, logistical, regulatory or other problems
could delay or prevent the introduction of one or more new courses. Moreover, we cannot assure you that any of these new courses
will match the quality or popularity of those developed by our competitors, achieve widespread market acceptance or generate the
desired level of income for our students.
Offering
new courses requires us to make investments in content development, recruit and train additional qualified instructors and teaching
assistants, increase marketing efforts and re-allocate resources away from other uses. We may have limited experience with the
content of new courses and may need to modify our systems and strategies to incorporate new courses into our existing course offerings.
In offering courses in new subject areas, we may face new risks and challenges that we are not familiar with. Furthermore, we
may experience difficulties in recruiting or otherwise identifying qualified instructors to develop the content for these new
courses. If we are unable to offer new courses in a timely and cost-effective manner, our results of operations and financial
condition could be adversely affected.
Our
results of operations may fluctuate significantly and may not fully reflect the underlying performance of our business.
Our
results of operations, including our operating revenue, expenses and other key metrics, may vary significantly in the future and
period-to-period comparisons of our operating results may not be meaningful. Accordingly, the results for any one quarter are
not necessarily an indication of future performance. Our financial results may fluctuate due to a variety of factors, some of
which are outside of our control and, as a result, may not fully reflect the underlying performance of our business. Fluctuation
in our operating results may adversely affect the price of our ordinary shares. Factors that may cause fluctuations in our quarterly
results include:
|
•
|
our ability to attract new fee-paying
members and customers, maintain relationships with existing members and customers, and expand into new territories in China;
|
|
•
|
the amount and timing of operating
expenses related to the maintenance and expansion of our business, operations and infrastructure;
|
|
•
|
general economic, industry and market
conditions in China;
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
our emphasis on customer experience
instead of near-term growth; and
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
the timing of expenses related to
the development or acquisition of technologies or businesses and potential future charges for impairment of goodwill from
acquired technologies or businesses.
|
Our
new courses and services may compete with our existing courses and services.
We
are constantly developing new courses and services to meet changes in student demands, school curriculum, testing materials, government
policies, market trends and technologies. While some of the courses and services that we develop will expand our current course
catalogue and services and increase student enrollment, others may compete with or render obsolete our existing courses and services
without increasing our total student enrollment. If we are unable to increase our total student enrollment and profitability as
we expand our course catalogue and services, our business and growth may be adversely affected.
If
we are unable to control costs or implement efficient security system in connection with our cloud computing system, our business,
financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected.
While
most of our competitors in the online education market rely on cloud systems operated by third parties to operate their platforms
and online programs, we operate our own cloud computing system consisting of cloud computing software, application and hardware.
Although such systems provide an instant computer infrastructure and platform for our online training programs and content sharing
with our strategic partners, we incur expenses as a result of continuous development and maintenance of such system, which might
be higher than the expenses of using third party cloud computing systems. In addition, operating a cloud computing system requires
establishing and implementing an efficient data management and security system. If our data management system turns out to be
inefficient, our business, reputation and financial condition will be adversely affected.
We
may not be able to adopt new technologies important to our business.
Technology
standards in internet and value-added telecommunications services and products in general, and in online education in particular,
may change over time. If we fail to anticipate and adapt to technological changes, our market share and our business development
could suffer, which in turn could have a material and adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. If
we are unsuccessful in addressing any of the risks related to new courses, our reputation and business may be materially and adversely
affected.
Some
students may decide not to continue taking our courses for a number of reasons, including a perceived lack of improvement in their
performance in specific courses, a change in requirements or general dissatisfaction with our programs, which may adversely affect
our business, financial condition, results of operations and reputation.
The
success of our business depends in large part on our ability to retain our students by delivering a satisfactory learning experience
and improving their performance in the courses they have taken. If students feel that we are not providing them the experience
they are seeking, they may choose not to renew their existing packages. For example, our courses may fail to significantly improve
a student’s performance in the relevant subject area. Student satisfaction with our programs may decline for a number of
reasons, many of which may not reflect the effectiveness of our lessons and teaching methods. Students also need to be self-motivated
in order to successfully complete the courses in which they enroll. If students’ performances decline as a result of their
own study habits or inability to learn the course material, they may not renew their memberships with us or refer other students
to us, which could materially adversely affect our business.
A
student’s learning experience may also suffer if his user experience does not meet expectations. If a significant number
of students fail to significantly improve their proficiency in the applicable course subject after taking our lessons or if their
learning experiences with us are unsatisfactory, they may not renew their memberships with us or refer other students to us and
our business, financial condition, results of operations and reputation would be adversely affected.
Failure
to protect the confidential information of our teachers, students and other customers against security breaches could damage our
reputation and brand and substantially harm our business and results of operations.
A
significant challenge to the online education industry is the secure storage of confidential information and its secure transmission
over public networks. Most purchases of our membership are made through our websites. In addition, online payments for our membership
are settled through third-party online payment services. Maintaining complete security for the storage and transmission of confidential
information on our technology platform, such as student names, personal information and billing addresses, is essential to maintaining
student confidence.
We
have adopted security policies and measures to protect our proprietary data and student information. However, advances in technology,
the expertise of hackers, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or other events or developments could result in a compromise
or breach of the technology that we use to protect confidential information. We may not be able to prevent third parties, especially
hackers or other individuals or entities engaging in similar activities, from illegally obtaining such confidential or private
information we hold as a result of our users’ visits to our websites. Such individuals or entities obtaining our clients’
confidential or private information may further engage in various other illegal activities using such information. Any negative
publicity regarding our websites’ safety or privacy protection mechanisms and policies, and any claims asserted against
us or fines imposed upon us as a result of actual or perceived failures, could have a material and adverse effect on our public
image, reputation, financial condition and results of operations.
Practices
regarding the collection, use, storage, transmission and security of personal information by companies operating over the internet
platforms have recently come under increased public scrutiny. Increased regulation by the PRC government of data privacy on the
internet may occur and we may become subject to new laws and regulations applying to the solicitation, collection, processing
or use of personal or consumer information that could affect how we store and process the data of our students and clients. We
generally comply with industry standards and are subject to the terms of our own privacy policies. Compliance with any additional
laws could be expensive, and may place restrictions on the conduct of our business and the manner in which we interact with our
students and other clients. Any failure to comply with applicable regulations could also result in regulatory enforcement actions
against us.
Significant
capital and other resources may be required to protect against information security breaches or to alleviate problems caused by
such breaches or to comply with our privacy policies or privacy-related legal obligations. The resources required may increase
over time as the methods used by hackers and others engaged in online criminal activities are increasingly sophisticated and constantly
evolving. Any failure or perceived failure by us to prevent information security breaches or to comply with privacy policies or
privacy-related legal obligations, or any compromise of security that results in the unauthorized release or transfer of personally
identifiable information or other student data, could cause our students to lose trust in us and could expose us to legal claims.
Any perception by the public that online transactions or the privacy of user information are becoming increasingly unsafe or vulnerable
to attacks could inhibit the growth of online education services generally, which may negatively impact our business prospects.
Our
business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by a downturn in the global or Chinese economy.
Because
our student enrollment may depend on our students’ and potential students’ levels of disposable income, perceived
job prospects and willingness to spend, as well as the level of hiring demand of positions in the areas of our training, our business
and prospects may be affected by economic conditions in China or globally. The global financial markets experienced significant
disruptions in 2008 and the United States, Europe and other economies went into recession. The recovery from the lows of 2008
and 2009 was uneven and is continuously facing new challenges, including the escalation of the European sovereign debt crisis
since 2011 and the slowdown of the Chinese economy in 2012. Economic conditions in China are sensitive to global economic conditions,
as well as changes in domestic economic and political policies and the expected or perceived overall economic growth rate in China.
A decline in the economic prospects in the mechanics and other industries could alter current or prospective students’
spending priorities and the recruiting demand from workers in these areas. We cannot assure you that education spending in general
or with respect to our course offerings in particular will increase, or not decrease, from current levels. Therefore, a slowdown
in China’s economy or the global economy may lead to a reduction in demand for mechanics or other training covered by our
courses, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Our
business, financial condition and results of operations may be affected due to a Novel Coronavirus outbreak in China.
In
response to the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus in China, all courseware of the Company was free of charge during February 1,
2020 to February 29, 2020, and the membership period of the existing paying-members was automatically extended for one month.
The promotional activity during the epidemic caused reduced online revenue of the Company in February 2020. The number of
new registered members, however, in February 2020 reached approximately 2.2 million, an increase of over 60% to January 2020.
As of June 30, 2020, the number of registered members reached to approximately 72.66 million, representing an approximately
6% increase compared with the number as of March 31, 2020. As such, we believe that the growth of the number of our registered
members during the height of China’s epidemic period may have had an initial beneficial impact on the business development
of the Company. By July 31, 2020, our business and revenue had gradually returned to the fiscal year 2019 (pre-COVID) levels.
The COVID-19 does not appear to have had a lasting impact on our business operation. However, it is difficult to predict the long-term
impact that the epidemic may have on our business, depending on the duration and severity of COVID-19’s impact on our customers,
instructors and students.
If
labor costs in the PRC increase substantially, our business and costs of operations may be adversely affected.
In
recent years, the Chinese economy has experienced inflation and labor cost increases. Average wages are projected to continue
to increase. Further, under PRC law we are required to pay various statutory employee benefits, including pensions, housing funds,
medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance to designated government agencies
for the benefit of our employees. The relevant government agencies may examine whether an employer has made adequate payments
to the statutory employee benefits, and those employers who fail to make adequate payments may be subject to late payment fees,
fines and/or other penalties. We expect that our labor costs, including wages and employee benefits, will continue to increase.
If we are unable to control our labor costs or pass such increased labor costs on to our customers by increasing the price of
our products and services, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.
Competition
for our employees is intense, and we may not be able to attract and retain the highly skilled employees needed to support our
business.
As
we continue to experience growth, we believe our success depends on the efforts and talents of our employees, including software
developers and financial personnel. Our future success depends on our continued ability to attract, develop, motivate and retain
highly qualified and skilled employees. Competition for highly skilled personnel is extremely intense. We may not be able to hire
and retain these personnel at compensation levels consistent with our existing compensation and salary structure. Many of the
companies with which we compete for experienced employees have greater resources than we have and may be able to offer more attractive
terms of employment.
In
addition, we invest significant time and expense in training our employees, which increases their value to competitors who may
seek to recruit them. If we fail to retain our employees, we could incur significant expenses in hiring and training their replacements,
and the quality of our services and our ability to serve customers could diminish, resulting in a material adverse effect on our
business.
Allegations,
harassment or other detrimental conduct by third parties, as well as the public dissemination of negative, inaccurate or misleading
information about us, could harm our reputation and adversely affect the price of our ordinary shares.
We
may be subject to allegations by third parties or purported current or former employees, negative internet postings and other
negative, inaccurate or misleading publicity related to our business and operations. We may also become the target of harassment
or other detrimental conduct by third parties or disgruntled former or current employees. Such conduct may include complaints,
anonymous or otherwise, to our board, advisors, regulatory agencies, media or other organizations. Depending on their nature and
significance, we may need to conduct internal investigations to appropriately review any such allegations. We may also be subject
to government or regulatory inquiries or, investigations or other proceedings as a result of such third-party conduct and may
be required to spend significant time and incur substantial costs to address such conduct, and there is no assurance that we will
be able to conclusively refute each of the allegations within a reasonable period of time, or at all. Allegations may be posted
on the internet, including social media platforms, by anyone anonymously. Any negative, inaccurate or misleading publicity about
us or our management can be quickly and widely disseminated. Social media platforms and devices immediately publish the content
of their subscribers’ and participants’ posts, often without filters or checks on the accuracy of the content posted.
Information posted on the internet or otherwise publicly released, including by us or our employees, may be inaccurate or misleading,
and the information or the inaccurate or misleading nature of the information, may harm our reputation, business or prospects.
The harm may be immediate without affording us an opportunity for redress or correction. Our reputation may be negatively affected
as a result of the public dissemination of negative, inaccurate, or misleading information about our business and operations,
which in turn may cause us to lose market share or students, and adversely affect the price of our ordinary shares.
Our
business depends on the continued efforts of our senior management, particularly Mr. Xiaofeng Gao. If Mr. Gao or one
or more other of our key executives were unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, our business may be severely
disrupted.
Our
business operations depend on the continuing services of our senior management, particularly Mr. Xiaofeng Gao, our Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer, and our other executive officers named in this report. While we have provided different incentives
to our management, we cannot assure you that we can continue to retain their services. If one or more of our key executives were
unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we may not be able to replace them easily or at all, our future growth
may be constrained, our business may be severely disrupted and our financial condition and results of operations may be materially
and adversely affected, and we may incur additional expenses to recruit, train and retain qualified personnel. In addition, although
we have entered into confidentiality and non-competition agreements with our key executives of our subsidiaries in China, there
is no assurance that any member of our management team will not join our competitors or form a competing business. If any dispute
arises between us and our current or former officers, we may have to incur substantial costs and expenses in order to enforce
such agreements in China or we may be unable to enforce them at all.
Our
executive officers have no prior experience in operating a U.S. public company, and their inability to operate the public company
aspects of our business could harm us.
Our
executive officers have no experience in operating a U.S. public company, which makes our ability to comply with applicable laws,
rules and regulations uncertain. Our failure to comply with all laws, rules and regulations applicable to U.S. public
companies could subject us or our management to regulatory scrutiny or sanction, which could harm our reputation and share price.
From
time to time we may evaluate and potentially consummate acquisitions or alliances, which could require significant management
attention, disrupt our business, adversely affect our financial results, be unsuccessful or fail to achieve the desired result.
Although
not currently planned, in the future we may evaluate and consider strategic transactions, combinations, acquisitions or alliances
to enhance our existing business or develop new products and services. These transactions could be material to our financial condition
and results of operations if consummated. If we are able to identify an appropriate business opportunity, we may not be able to
successfully consummate the transaction and, even if we do consummate the transaction, we may be unable to obtain the benefits
or avoid the difficulties and risks of such a transaction.
Any
acquisition or alliance will involve risks commonly encountered in business relationships, including:
|
•
|
difficulties in assimilating and
integrating the operations, personnel, systems, data, technologies, products and services of the acquired business;
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
inability of the acquired technologies,
products or businesses to achieve expected levels of revenue, profitability, productivity or other benefits;
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
difficulties in retaining, training,
motivating and integrating key personnel;
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
diversion of management’s time
and resources from our normal daily operations;
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
difficulties in successfully incorporating
licensed or acquired technology and rights into our services;
|
|
|
|
|
•
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difficulties in retaining relationships
with customers, employees and suppliers of the acquired business;
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regulatory risks; and
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liability for activities of the acquired
business before the acquisition, including patent, copyright and trademark infringement claims, violations of laws, commercial
disputes, tax liabilities and other known and unknown liabilities.
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We
may not make any acquisitions or consummate any alliances, or any future acquisitions or alliances may not be successful. Furthermore,
we may not benefit from our business strategy, nor generate sufficient revenue to offset the associated costs or may otherwise
not result in the intended benefits. In addition, we cannot assure you that any future acquisition of, or alliance with respect
to, new businesses or technology will lead to the successful development of new or enhanced products and services or that any
new or enhanced products and services, if developed, will achieve market acceptance or prove to be profitable.
We
may need additional capital, and financing may not be available on terms acceptable to us, or at all.
Although
our current cash and cash equivalents, anticipated cash flows from operating activities will be sufficient to meet our anticipated
working capital requirements and capital expenditures in the ordinary course of business for at least 12 months following our
initial public offering, there is a risk that we may need additional cash resources in the future to fund our growth plans or
if we experience adverse changes in business conditions or other developments. We may also need additional cash resources in the
future if we find and wish to pursue opportunities for new investments, acquisitions, capital expenditures or similar actions.
If we determine that our cash requirements exceed the amount of cash and cash equivalents we have on hand at the time, we may
seek to issue equity or debt securities or obtain credit facilities. We cannot assure you that financing will be available in
amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. The issuance and sale of additional equity would result in further dilution to
our shareholders.
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default and foreclosure on our assets
if our operating revenue is insufficient to repay debt obligations;
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acceleration of obligations to repay
the indebtedness (or other outstanding indebtedness), even if we make all principal and interest payments when due, if we
breach any covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation
of that covenant;
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our inability to obtain necessary
additional financing if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt
security is outstanding;
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diverting a substantial portion of
cash flow to pay principal and interest on such debt, which would reduce the funds available for expenses, capital expenditures,
acquisitions and other general corporate purposes; and
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creating potential limitations on
our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate.
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The
occurrence of any of these risks could adversely affect our operations or financial condition.
We
are subject to changing laws, rules and regulations in the U.S. and other jurisdictions regarding regulatory matters, corporate
governance and public disclosure that will increase both our costs and the risks associated with non-compliance.
We
are subject to rules and regulations by various governing bodies, including, for example, the Securities and Exchange Commission,
which are charged with the protection of investors and the oversight of companies whose securities are publicly traded, and to
new and evolving regulatory measures under applicable law. Our efforts to comply with new and changing laws and regulations have
resulted in and are likely to continue to result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management
time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities.
Moreover,
because these laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, their application in practice may evolve
over time as new guidance becomes available. This evolution may result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters
and additional costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to our disclosure and governance practices. If we fail to address and comply
with these regulations and any subsequent changes, we may be subject to penalty and our business may be harmed.
Our
business is subject to risks related to lawsuits and other claims brought by our clients or business partners. If the outcomes
of these proceedings are adverse to us, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial
condition.
We
are subject to lawsuits and other claims in the ordinary course of our business. We are currently not involved in any lawsuits
with our customers. However, claims arising out of actual or alleged violations of law could be asserted against us by individuals,
companies, governmental or other entities in civil, administrative or criminal investigations and proceedings. These claims could
be asserted under a variety of laws and regulations, including but not limited to contract laws, consumer protection laws or regulations,
intellectual property laws, environmental laws, and labor and employment laws. These actions could expose us to adverse publicity
and to monetary damages, fines and penalties, as well as suspension or revocation of licenses or permits to conduct business.
Even if we eventually prevail in these matters, we could incur significant legal fees or suffer reputational harm, which could
have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations as well as our future growth and prospects.
Any
failure to protect our own intellectual property rights could impair our brand, negatively impact our business or both.
We
currently own 17 PRC copyright registrations. Our intellectual property rights are key to our operations and business prospects.
Our
success and ability to compete also depend in part on protecting our own intellectual property. We rely on a combination of copyrights,
trade secrets and other rights, as well as confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions to protect our proprietary technology,
processes and other intellectual property. However, the steps we take to protect our intellectual property rights may be inadequate.
Third
parties may seek to challenge, invalidate or circumvent our copyrights, trade secrets, and other rights or applications for any
of the foregoing. In order to protect our intellectual property rights, we may be required to spend significant resources. Litigation
brought to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights could be costly, time-consuming and distracting to management.
Our failure to secure, protect and enforce our intellectual property rights could adversely affect our brand and impact our business.
We
may be sued by third parties for alleged infringement of their proprietary rights, which could harm our business.
Our
competitors, as well as a number of other entities and individuals, may own or claim to own intellectual property relating to
our industry. From time to time, a third-party provider may claim that we are infringing on their intellectual property rights.
We may, however, be unaware of the intellectual property rights that others may claim over some or all of our applications, technology
or services. Any claims or litigation could cause us to incur significant expenses and, if successfully asserted against us, could
require that we pay substantial damages or ongoing royalty payments, restrict us from conducting our business or require that
we comply with other unfavorable terms. We may also be obligated to indemnify parties or pay substantial settlement costs, including
royalty payments, in connection with any such claim or litigation and to obtain licenses, modify applications or refund fees,
which could be costly. Even if we were to prevail in such a dispute, any litigation regarding our intellectual property could
be costly and time-consuming and divert the attention of our management from our business operations.
Certain
data and information in this report were obtained from third-party sources and were not independently verified by us.
This
report contains certain data and information that we obtained from various government and private entity publications including
industry information from government publications and publicly available third-party publications. Statistical data in these publications
also include projections based on a number of assumptions. The online education industries may not grow at the rate projected
by market data, or at all. Failure of these industries to grow at the projected rate may have a material adverse effect on our
business and the market price of our ordinary shares. Furthermore, if any one or more of the assumptions underlying the market
data is later found to be incorrect, actual results may differ from the projections based on these assumptions.
In
addition, we have not independently verified the data and information contained in such third-party publications and reports and
we did not commission any such third party for collecting or providing the data used in this report. Data and information contained
in such third-party publications and reports may be collected using third-party methodologies, which may differ from the data
collection methods used by us. In addition, these industry publications and reports generally indicate that the information contained
therein is believed to be reliable, but do not guarantee the accuracy and completeness of such information.
We
do not have any business insurance coverage.
Insurance
companies in China currently do not offer an extensive array of insurance products as insurance companies in more developed economies
do. Currently, we do not have any business liability, disruption insurance or product liability insurance, except auto insurance,
to cover our operations. We have determined that the costs of insuring for these risks and the difficulties associated with acquiring
such insurance on commercially reasonable terms make it impractical for us to have such insurance. Any uninsured business disruptions
may result in our incurring substantial costs and the diversion of resources, which could have an adverse effect on our results
of operations and financial condition.
We
may have exposure to greater than anticipated tax liabilities.
We
are subject to enterprise income tax, value-added tax, and other taxes in each province and city in China where we have operations.
Our tax structure is subject to review by various local tax authorities. The determination of our provision for income tax and
other tax liabilities requires significant judgment. In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations
where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Although we believe our estimates are reasonable, the ultimate decisions by
the relevant tax authorities may differ from the amounts recorded in our financial statements and may materially affect our financial
results in the period or periods for which such determination is made.
We
may be delayed in processing mail received at our registered office.
Mail
addressed to us and received at its registered office will be forwarded unopened to the forwarding address supplied by Company
to be dealt with. None of the Company, its directors, officers, advisors or service providers (including the organization that
provides registered office services in the Cayman Islands) will bear any responsibility for any delay howsoever caused in mail
reaching the forwarding address.
Risks
Related to Doing Business in China
Uncertainties
in the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to you and us.
Our
PRC subsidiary is subject to various PRC laws and regulations generally applicable to companies in China. The PRC legal system
is based on written statutes. Unlike common law systems, it is a system in which legal cases have limited value as precedents.
In the late 1970s, the PRC government began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws and regulations governing economic matters
in general. The overall effect of legislation over the past four decades has significantly increased the protections afforded
to various forms of foreign or private-sector investment in China.
As
relevant laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of
many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involve
uncertainties.
From
time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. However, since PRC administrative
and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be
more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than
in more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some
of which are not published in a timely manner or at all) that may have retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of
our violation of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such uncertainties, including uncertainty over
the scope and effect of our contractual, property (including intellectual property) and procedural rights, and any failure to
respond to changes in the regulatory environment in China could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability
to continue our operations.
Additionally,
shareholder claims that are common in the United States, including securities law class actions and fraud claims, generally are
difficult to pursue as a matter of law or practicality in China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other
obstacles to obtaining information needed for shareholder investigations or litigation outside China or otherwise with respect
to foreign entities. Although the local authorities in China may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities
regulatory authorities of another country or region to implement cross-border supervision and administration, such regulatory
cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the Unities States have not been efficient if in the absence of mutual
and practical cooperation mechanism. As per Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law which became effective on March 1
2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within the
territory of the PRC. Hence, without the consent and approval of the competent PRC securities regulators and relevant authorities,
no organization or individual may provide the documents and materials relating to securities business activities to overseas securities
regulators. Other similar expressions in existing regulations before the PRC Securities Law became effect include Article 3,
Article 4 and Article 6 of Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives Administration in Overseas Issuance
and Listing of Securities and Article 12 of Notice of the Ministry of Finance on Issuing the Provisional Rules for Accounting
Firms Engaged in Audit Services in Respect of Overseas Listing of Chinese Mainland Enterprises. Under the aforesaid existing regulations,
in the event the working papers aforesaid involve any state secrets, national security or vital interests of the China, such working
papers shall not be carried or delivered overseas, or transmitted to overseas institutions or individuals by any means such as
information technology without the approval of the relevant competent authorities.
We
may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties and changes in PRC regulation of internet-related business.
The
PRC government extensively regulates the internet industry, including foreign ownership of, and the licensing and permit requirements
pertaining to, companies in the internet industry. These internet-related laws and regulations are relatively new and evolving,
and their interpretation and enforcement involve significant uncertainties. As a result, in certain circumstances it may be difficult
to determine what actions or omissions may be deemed to be in violation of applicable laws and regulations. Issues, risks and
uncertainties relating to PRC governmental regulation of the internet industry include, but are not limited to, the following.
We
only have control over our websites through contractual arrangements. We do not own the websites in China due to the restriction
of foreign investment in businesses providing value-added telecommunication services and internet audio-visual program services
in China. This may significantly disrupt our business, subject us to sanctions, compromise enforceability of related contractual
arrangements, or have other harmful effects on us.
The
evolving PRC regulatory system for the internet industry may lead to the establishment of new regulatory agencies. For example,
in May 2011, the State Council announced the establishment of a new department, the Cyberspace Administration of China (with
the involvement of the State Council Information Office, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or “MIIT,”
and the Ministry of Public Security). The primary role of this new agency is to facilitate the policy-making and legislative development
in this field, to direct and coordinate with the relevant departments in connection with online content administration and to
deal with cross-ministry regulatory matters in relation to the internet industry.
We
are required to obtain and maintain various licenses and permits and fulfill registration and filing requirements in order to
conduct and operate our business. If new laws and regulations are promulgated, additional licenses may be required for our operations.
If our operations do not comply with these new regulations when they become effective, or if we fail to obtain any licenses required
under these new laws and regulations, we could be subject to penalties.
The
Circular on Strengthening the Administration of Foreign Investment in an Operation of Value-added Telecommunications Business,
issued by the MIIT in July 2006, prohibits domestic telecommunication service providers from leasing, transferring or selling
telecommunications business operating licenses to any foreign investor in any form, or providing any resources, sites or facilities
to any foreign investor for their illegal operation of a telecommunications business in China. According to this circular, either
the holder of a value-added telecommunication services operation permit or its shareholders must directly own the domain names
and trademarks used by such license holders in their provision of value-added telecommunication services. The circular also requires
each license holder to have the necessary facilities, including servers, for its approved business operations and to maintain
such facilities in the regions covered by its license. If an ICP license holder fails to comply with the requirements and also
fails to remediate such non-compliance within a specified period of time, the MIIT or its local counterparts have the discretion
to take administrative measures against such license holder, including revoking its ICP license. Currently, Wuxi Kingway Technology
Co., Ltd. (“Wuxi Wangdao”) holds an ICP license and operates our websites. Wuxi Wangdao owns the relevant domain
names and software copyrights and has the necessary personnel to operate such websites.
The
interpretation and application of existing PRC laws, regulations and policies and possible new laws, regulations or policies relating
to the internet industry have created substantial uncertainties regarding the legality of existing and future foreign investments
in, and the businesses and activities of, internet businesses in China, including our business. We cannot assure you that we have
obtained all the permits or licenses required for conducting our business in China or will be able to maintain our existing licenses
or obtain new ones.
New
legislation or changes in the PRC laws or policies regarding self-taught education may affect our business operations and prospects.
The
self-taught education industry in China and our business are subject to regulations and policies in various respects. Relevant
rules and regulations could be amended or updated from time to time to accommodate the development of education in China.
We may need to change our business practices in order to comply with the new rules and regulations or adapt to policy changes,
but we may not be able to do so timely and efficiently. Any such failure may subject us to administrative fines or penalties or
other negative consequences which could materially and adversely affect our brand name, reputation, business, financial condition
and results of operations.
The
enforcement of the PRC Labor Contract Law and other labor-related regulations in the PRC may adversely affect our business and
our results of operations.
The
PRC Labor Law and the Labor Contract Law require that employers must execute written employment contracts with full-time employees.
All employers must compensate their employees with wages equal to at least the local minimum wage standards. Violations of the
PRC Labor Law and the Labor Contract Law may result in the imposition of fines, compensations and other administrative sanctions,
and serious violations may constitute criminal offenses.
The
PRC Labor Contract Law became effective and was implemented on January 1, 2008, which was amended on December 28, 2012.
It has reinforced the protection of employees who, under the PRC Labor Contract Law, have the right, among others, to have written
labor contracts, to enter into labor contracts with no fixed terms under certain circumstances, to receive overtime wages and
to terminate or alter terms in labor contracts. According to the PRC Social Insurance Law, which became effective on July 1,
2011, and the Administrative Regulations on the Housing Funds, companies operating in China are required to participate in pension
insurance, work-related injury insurance, medical insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance and housing funds plans,
and the employers must pay all or a portion of the social insurance premiums and housing funds for their employees.
As
the interpretation and implementation of these laws and regulations are still evolving, our employment practice may not at all
times be deemed in compliance with the new laws and regulations. If we are subject to severe penalties or incur significant liabilities
in connection with labor disputes or investigations, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected.
Regulation
and censorship of information disseminated over the internet in China may adversely affect our business and reputation and subject
us to liability for information displayed on our websites.
The
PRC government has adopted regulations governing internet access and the distribution of news and other information over the internet.
Under these regulations, internet content providers and internet publishers are prohibited from posting or displaying over the
internet content that, among other things, violates PRC laws and regulations, impairs the national dignity of China, or is reactionary,
obscene, superstitious, fraudulent or defamatory. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the revocation of licenses
to provide internet content and other licenses, and the closure of the concerned websites. The website operator may also be held
liable for such censored information displayed on or linked to the websites. If any of our websites is found to be in violation
of any such requirements, we may be penalized by relevant authorities, and our operations or reputation could be adversely affected.
We
face risks and uncertainties with respect to the licensing requirement for Internet audio-video programs.
Under
the Provisions on the Administration of the Publication Market, or Publications Market Measures, which was jointly promulgated
by the State Administration of Press Publication Radio Film and Television (“SAPPRFT”) and MOFCOM and became effective
on June 1, 2016, any enterprise or individual who engages in publication distribution activities shall obtain permission
from SAPPRFT or its local counterpart. “Publication” is defined as “books, newspapers, periodicals, audio-video
products, and electronic publications,” and “distributing” is defined as “wholesale, retail, rental, exhibition
and other activities,” Where an entity or individual is engaged in the distribution of publications via the internet or
other information networks, it or he/she shall obtain the operation permit for publications.
On
April 1, 2010, SAPPRFT promulgated the Provisional Implementation of the Tentative Categories of Internet Audio-Visual Program
Services, or the Categories, which was modified on March 10, 2017. The Categories clarified the scope of Internet audio-video
programs services. According to the Categories, there are four categories of Internet audio-visual program services which are
further divided into seventeen sub-categories, among which the making and editing of certain specialized audio-video programs
concerning, among other things, educational content, and broadcasting such content to the general public online are covered. However,
there are still significant uncertainties relating to the interpretation and implementation of the Audio-Visual Program Provisions,
in particular, the scope of “Internet audio-video programs.”
On
our vocational education platform, we offer recorded audio-video lectures to our enrolled students only. We believe the limited
scope of our audience and the nature of the raw data we transmit distinguishes us from general providers of internet audio-visual
program services, such as the operator of online video websites, and the provision of the Audio-Visual Program Provisions are
not applicable with regard to our offering of the lessons. However, we cannot assure you that the competent PRC government authorities
will not ultimately take a view contrary to our opinion. We will also pay close attention to the development of supervision regarding
the Internet Audio-Visual Program Services and will apply for such licenses to the competent PRC authorities in case it is needed
in the future.
In
addition, as supplementary course materials, we offer certain audio-video contents on our websites for the review of all registered
members. If the governmental authorities determine that our relevant activities fall within the definition of “Internet
audio-video program service” under the Audio-Visual Program Provisions, we may be required to obtain the License for Disseminating
Audio-Video Programs through Information Network. If this occurs, we may not be able to obtain such license and we may become
subject to penalties, fines, legal sanctions or an order to suspend our use of audio-video content. We cannot assure you that
the measures we have taken will be deemed adequate by the authorities and we will not be subject to any penalties or legal sanctions
in the future for our use of audio or video contents on our websites.
We
are required to obtain various operating licenses and permits and to make registrations and filings for our business operations
in China and any failure to comply with these requirements may materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.
The
internet industry in China is highly regulated by the PRC government. We are required to obtain and maintain various licenses
and permits and fulfill registration and filing requirements in order to conduct and operate our business currently carried out,
and we may be required to obtained additional licenses and permits for our operations as the interpretation and implementation
of current PRC laws and regulations are still evolving, and new laws and regulations may also be promulgated. We currently, through
our PRC variable interest entity, Wuxi Wangdao, holds an ICP license for our websites, which is valid through December 29,
2018 to December 29, 2023 and is subject to annual review. Wuxi Wangdao, however, may be required to obtain additional licenses
or expand the authorized business scope covered under the licenses it currently holds. For example, the contents we use on our
websites, primarily including the course materials, may be deemed “Internet cultural products,” and our use of those
contents may be regarded as “Internet cultural activities,” thus we may be required to obtain an Internet Culture
Business Operating License for provision of those contents through our online platforms as currently there is no further official
or publicly-available interpretation of those definitions. Also, we may be required to obtain a Publication Business Operating
License for distribution of course books or other course materials, including electronic version, to members of our platforms.
In addition, our providing content through our online platform may be regarded as “online publishing” and may thus
subject us to the requirement of obtaining an Online Publishing License. If Wuxi Wangdao fails to obtain or maintain any of the
required licenses or approvals, its continued business operations in the Internet industry may subject it to various penalties,
such as confiscation of illegal revenues, fines and the discontinuation or restriction of its operations. Any such disruption
in the business operations of our affiliated entities will materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and
results of operations.
Changes
in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business
and operations.
Currently
all of our business operations are conducted in China and all of our sales are made in China. Accordingly, our business, financial
condition, results of operations and prospects may be influenced to a significant degree by political, economic and social conditions
in China generally and by continued economic growth in China as a whole.
China’s
economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the level of government involvement,
level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the PRC government has implemented
measures since the late 1970’s emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state
ownership of productive assets, and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, which are generally
viewed as a positive development for foreign business investment, a substantial portion of productive assets in China is still
owned by the PRC government. In addition, the PRC government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development
by imposing industrial policies. The PRC government also exercises significant control over the PRC economic growth through allocating
resources, controlling payments of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy, and providing preferential
treatment to particular industries or companies. For example, as a result of China’s current nationwide anti-corruption
campaign, public school spending has become strictly regulated. To comply with the expenditure control policies of the Chinese
government, many public universities, including our clients, temporarily reduced their self-taught education spending in 2017.
This caused the demand for our courses in 2017 to decrease. If our clients continue to reduce their demand for our services due
to the policies of the Chinese government, this could adversely impact our business, financial condition and operating results.
While
China’s economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and
among various sectors of the economy, and the rate of growth has been slowing. Some of the governmental measures may benefit the
overall Chinese economy, but may have a negative effect on us. For example, our financial condition and results of operations
may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations. Any stimulus measures
designed to boost the Chinese economy may contribute to higher inflation, which could adversely affect our results of operations
and financial condition. For example, certain operating costs and expenses, such as employee compensation and office operating
expenses, may increase as a result of higher inflation. In addition, the PRC government has implemented in the past certain measures
to control the pace of economic growth. These measures may cause decreased economic activity, which in turn could lead to a reduction
in demand for our services and consequently have a material adverse effect on our businesses, financial condition and results
of operations.
PRC
regulations relating to foreign exchange registration of overseas investment by PRC residents may subject our PRC resident beneficial
owners or our PRC subsidiary to liability or penalties, limit our ability to inject capital into these subsidiaries, limit PRC
subsidiary’s ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits to us, or may otherwise adversely affect
us.
On
July 4, 2014, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“SAFE’) promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues
Relating to Domestic Resident’s Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE
Circular 37, which replaced the former Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration for PRC Residents
to Engage in Financing and Inbound Investment via Overseas Special Purpose Vehicles (generally known as SAFE Circular 75) promulgated
by SAFE on October 21, 2005. On February 13, 2015, SAFE further promulgated the Circular on Further Simplifying and
Improving the Administration of the Foreign Exchange Concerning Direct Investment, or SAFE Circular 13, which took effect on June 1,
2015. This SAFE Circular 13 has amended SAFE Circular 37 by requiring PRC residents or entities to register with qualified banks
rather than SAFE or its local branch in connection with their direct establishment or indirect control of an offshore entity established
for the purpose of overseas investment or financing, for the purpose of overseas investment and financing, with such PRC residents’
legally owned assets or equity interests in domestic enterprises or offshore assets or interests. Qualified local banks will directly
examine and accept foreign exchange registration for overseas direct investment, including the initial foreign exchange registration
and amendment registration, under Circular 37 from June 1, 2015. Moreover, a failure to comply with the various registration
requirements described above could result in liability under PRC law for evasion of foreign exchange controls.
These
circulars further require amendment to the registration in the event of any significant changes with respect to the special purpose
vehicle, such as an increase or decrease of capital contributed by PRC residents, share transfer or exchange, merger, division
or other material events. In the event that a PRC resident holding interests in a special purpose vehicle fails to complete the
required SAFE registration, the PRC subsidiary of that special purpose vehicle may be prohibited from making profit distributions
to the offshore parent and from carrying out subsequent cross-border foreign exchange activities, and the special purpose vehicle
may be restricted in its ability to contribute additional capital into its PRC subsidiary. Furthermore, it is unclear how this
regulation, and any future regulation concerning offshore or cross-border transactions, will be interpreted, amended and implemented
by the relevant PRC government authorities, and we cannot predict how these regulations will affect our business operations or
future strategy. Failure to comply with the various SAFE registration requirements described above could result in liability under
PRC law for evasion of foreign exchange controls. This may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition
and results of operations.
According
to Circular 37 and Circular 13, our shareholders or beneficial owners who are PRC residents are subject to Circular 37 or other
foreign exchange administrative regulations in respect of their investment in our company. To the best of our knowledge, our PRC
resident shareholders who directly or indirectly hold shares in our Cayman Islands holding company and who are known to us have
initiated the application for foreign exchange registrations for their foreign investment in our company in accordance with Circular
37 and Circular 13. We have taken steps to notify significant beneficial owners of ordinary shares whom we know are PRC residents
of their filing obligations. However, we may not at all times be fully aware or informed of the identities of all our shareholders
or beneficial owners that are required to make such registrations, and we may not always be able to compel them to comply with
all relevant foreign exchange regulations. As a result, we cannot assure you that all of our shareholders or beneficial owners
who are PRC residents will at all times comply with, or in the future make or obtain any applicable registrations or approvals
required by all relevant foreign exchange regulations. The failure or inability of such individuals to comply with the registration
procedures set forth in these regulations may subject us to fines or legal sanctions, restrictions on our cross-border investment
activities or our PRC subsidiary’s ability to distribute dividends to, or obtain foreign-exchange-dominated loans from,
our company, or prevent us from making distributions or paying dividends. As a result, our business operations and our ability
to make distributions to you could be materially and adversely affected.
Furthermore,
as these foreign exchange regulations are still relatively new and their interpretation and implementation have been constantly
evolving, it is unclear how these regulations, and any future regulation concerning offshore or cross-border transactions, will
be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant government authorities. We cannot predict how these regulations will affect
our business operations or future strategy. In addition, if we decide to acquire a PRC domestic company, we cannot assure you
that we or the owners of such company, as the case may be, will be able to obtain the necessary approvals or complete the necessary
filings and registrations required by the foreign exchange regulations. This may restrict our ability to implement our acquisition
strategy and could adversely affect our business and prospects.
PRC
regulation on loans to, and direct investment in, PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control in currency
conversion may delay or prevent us from using the proceeds of our initial public offering to make loans to our PRC subsidiary
and PRC consolidated variable interest entity (the “VIE”) or make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary,
which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.
We
are an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands structure as a holding company conducting our operations in China through
our PRC subsidiary Craftsman Wuxi. As permitted under PRC laws and regulations, in utilizing the proceeds of our initial public
offering, we may make loans to our PRC subsidiary and PRC consolidated VIE subject to the approval from governmental authorities
and limitation of amount, or we may make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary. In particular, loans by us to
our PRC subsidiaries to finance their activities cannot exceed statutory limits and must be registered with the local counterpart
of the SAFE and capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries are subject to the requirement of making necessary filings in the
Foreign Investment Comprehensive Management Information System, and registration with other governmental authorities in China.
Pursuant to currently applicable PRC regulations, the statutory limit for the total amount of foreign debts of a foreign-invested
company such as our PRC subsidiary is either the difference between the amount of total investment as approved by the MOFCOM or
its local counterpart and the amount of registered capital of such foreign-invested company or twice of the net worth of the foreign-invested
company. Based on the current amount of total investment and registered capital, we anticipate that we will be able to transfer
up to $18 million of net proceeds from our initial public offering in the form of shareholder loans without increasing the registered
capital or total investment amount of our PRC subsidiary. We may also use up to $12 million (which equals the current registered
capital of our PRC subsidiary) of the net proceeds from our initial public offering to finance our PRC subsidiary by means of
capital contributions.
The
SAFE promulgated the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Reforming the Administration of Foreign Exchange
Settlement of Capital of Foreign-invested Enterprises, or Circular 19, effective on June 1, 2015, in replacement of the Circular
on the Relevant Operating Issues Concerning the Improvement of the Administration of the Payment and Settlement of Foreign Currency
Capital of Foreign-Invested Enterprises, the Notice from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Relevant Issues Concerning
Strengthening the Administration of Foreign Exchange Businesses, and the Circular on Further Clarification and Regulation of the
Issues Concerning the Administration of Certain Capital Account Foreign Exchange Businesses. According to SAFE Circular 19, the
flow and use of the RMB capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested company is
regulated such that RMB capital may not be used for the issuance of RMB entrusted loans, the repayment of inter-enterprise loans
or the repayment of bank loans that have been transferred to a third party. Although SAFE Circular 19 allows RMB capital converted
from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested enterprise to be used for equity investments within
the PRC, it also reiterates the principle that RMB converted from the foreign currency-denominated capital of a foreign-invested
company may not be directly or indirectly used for purposes beyond its business scope. Thus, it is unclear whether the SAFE will
permit such capital to be used for equity investments in the PRC in actual practice. The SAFE promulgated the Notice of the State
Administration of Foreign Exchange on Reforming and Standardizing the Foreign Exchange Settlement Management Policy of Capital
Account, or SAFE Circular 16, effective on June 9, 2016, which reiterates certain rules set forth in SAFE Circular 19,
but changes the prohibition against using RMB capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested
company to issue RMB entrusted loans to a prohibition against using such capital to grant loans to non-associated enterprises.
SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16 set forth restrictions on the purposes of using net proceeds from our initial public offering.
Violations of SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16 could result in administrative penalties. In light of such restrictions, we
intend to convert substantially all of the net proceeds from our initial public offering to RMB through our PRC subsidiaries and
further develop our business within the business scope of our PRC subsidiaries.
On
August 29, 2008, SAFE promulgated the Circular on the Relevant Operating Issues Concerning the Improvement of the Administration
of the Payment and Settlement of Foreign Currency Capital of Foreign-Invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular 142, regulating the
conversion by a foreign-invested enterprise of foreign currency registered capital into RMB by restricting how the converted RMB
may be used. SAFE Circular 142 provides that the RMB capital converted from foreign currency registered capital of a foreign-invested
enterprise may only be used for purposes within the business scope approved by the applicable governmental authority and may not
be used for equity investments within the PRC unless otherwise provided by law. In addition, SAFE strengthened its oversight of
the flow and use of the RMB capital converted from foreign currency registered capital of a foreign-invested company. The use
of such RMB capital may not be altered without SAFE approval, and such RMB capital may not in any case be used to repay RMB loans
if the proceeds of such loans have not been used. Violations of SAFE Circular 142 could result in severe monetary or other
penalties. On July 4, 2014, SAFE issued the Circular of the SAFE on Relevant Issues Concerning the Pilot Reform in Certain
Areas of the Administrative Method of the Conversion of Foreign Exchange Funds by Foreign-invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular
36, which launched the pilot reform of administration regarding conversion of foreign currency registered capitals of foreign-invested
enterprises in 16 pilot areas. According to SAFE Circular 36, some of the restrictions under SAFE Circular 142 will not apply
to the settlement of the foreign exchange capitals of an ordinary foreign-invested enterprise in the pilot areas, and such foreign-invested
enterprise is permitted to use Renminbi converted from its foreign-currency registered capital to make equity investments in the
PRC within and in accordance with the authorized business scope of such foreign-invested enterprises, subject to certain registration
and settlement procedure as set forth in SAFE Circular 36. As this circular is relatively new, there remains uncertainty as to
its interpretation and application and any other future foreign exchange related rules. On March 30, 2015, SAFE promulgated
Circular on Reforming the Management Approach regarding the Settlement of Foreign Exchange Capital of Foreign-invested Enterprises,
or SAFE Circular 19, to expand the reform nationwide. SAFE Circular 19 came into force and replaced both SAFE Circular 142
and SAFE Circular 36 on June 1, 2015. However, SAFE Circular 19 continues to prohibit a foreign-invested enterprise from,
among other things, using RMB funds converted from its foreign exchange capitals for expenditure beyond its authorized business
scope, providing entrusted loans or repaying loans between non-financial enterprises. Violations of these Circulars could result
in severe monetary or other penalties. These circulars may significantly limit our ability to use RMB converted from the net proceeds
of our initial public offering to fund the establishment of new entities in China by our PRC subsidiary, to invest in or acquire
any other PRC companies through our PRC subsidiary, or to establish new consolidated VIEs in the PRC.
In
light of the various requirements imposed by PRC regulations on loans to, and direct investment in, PRC entities by offshore holding
companies, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the necessary government registrations or obtain the necessary
government approvals on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future loans by us to our PRC subsidiary or PRC consolidated
VIE or with respect to future capital contributions by us to our PRC subsidiary. If we fail to complete such registrations or
obtain such approvals, our ability to use the proceeds from our initial public offering and to capitalize or otherwise fund our
PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and
expand our business.
Under
the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, we may be classified as a PRC “resident enterprise” for PRC enterprise income tax
purposes. Such classification would likely result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders and has a
material adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment.
Under
the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the EIT Law, that became effective in January, 2008 and was amended in February, 2017, as
well as its implementing rules, an enterprise established outside the PRC with “de facto management bodies” within
the PRC is considered a “resident enterprise” for PRC enterprise income tax purposes and is generally subject to a
uniform 25% enterprise income tax rate on its worldwide income. Under the implementation rules to the EIT Law, a “de
facto management body” is defined as a body that has material and overall management and control over the manufacturing
and business operations, personnel and human resources, finances and properties of an enterprise. In addition, a circular, known
as SAT Circular 82, issued in April 2009 by the State Administration of Taxation, or the SAT, specifies that certain offshore
incorporated enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups will be classified as PRC resident enterprises
if the following are located or resident in the PRC: senior management personnel and departments that are responsible for daily
production, operation and management; financial and personnel decision making bodies; key properties, accounting books, company
seal, and minutes of board meetings and shareholders’ meetings; and half or more of the senior management or directors having
voting rights. Further to SAT Circular 82, the SAT issued a bulletin, known as SAT Bulletin 45, which took effect in September 2011,
to provide more guidance on the implementation of SAT Circular 82 and clarify the reporting and filing obligations of such “Chinese-controlled
offshore incorporated resident enterprises.” SAT Bulletin 45 provides procedures and administrative details for the determination
of resident status and administration on post-determination matters. Although both SAT Circular 82 and SAT Bulletin 45 only apply
to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups, not those controlled by PRC individuals or foreign
individuals, the determining criteria set forth in SAT Circular 82 and SAT Bulletin 45 may reflect the SAT’s general position
on how the “de facto management body” test should be applied in determining the tax resident status of offshore enterprises,
regardless of whether they are controlled by PRC enterprises, PRC enterprise groups or by PRC or foreign individuals.
We
do not believe that the Company meets all of the conditions above thus we do not believe that the Company is a PRC resident enterprise,
though all members of our management team as well as the management team of our offshore holding company are located in China.
However, if the PRC tax authorities determine that the Company is a PRC resident enterprise for PRC enterprise income tax purposes,
a number of unfavorable PRC tax consequences could follow. First, we will be subject to the uniform 25% enterprise income tax
on our world-wide income, which could materially reduce our net income. In addition, we will also be subject to PRC enterprise
income tax reporting obligations. However, the tax resident status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC tax
authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term “de facto management body.”
Finally,
dividends payable by us to our investors and gains on the sale of our shares may become subject to PRC withholding tax, at a rate
of 10% in the case of non-PRC enterprises or 20% in the case of non-PRC individuals (in each case, subject to the provisions of
any applicable tax treaty), if such gains are deemed to be from PRC sources. It is unclear whether non-PRC shareholders of our
company would be able to claim the benefits of any tax treaties between their country of tax residence and the PRC in the event
that we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise. Any such tax may reduce the returns on your investment in the ordinary shares.
There
are significant uncertainties under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law relating to the withholding tax liabilities of our PRC subsidiaries,
and dividends payable by our PRC subsidiaries to our offshore subsidiaries may not qualify to enjoy certain treaty benefits.
Under
the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules, we, as a non-resident enterprise, that is, an enterprise lawfully
incorporated pursuant to the laws of a foreign country (region) that has an office or premises established in China with no actual
management functions performed in China, or an enterprise that has income derived from or accruing in China although it does not
have an office or premises in China, will be subject to a withholding tax rate of 10%. Pursuant to a special arrangement between
Hong Kong and China, such rate may be reduced to 5% if a Hong Kong resident enterprise owns more than 25% of the equity interest
in the PRC company. Craftsman Wuxi is wholly owned by Easy Skills Technology Limited (“Hong Kong ES”). Accordingly,
Hong Kong ES may qualify for a 5% tax rate in respect of distributions from Craftsman Wuxi. Under the Notice of the State Administration
of Taxation on Issues regarding the Administration of the Dividend Provision in Tax Treaties promulgated on February 20,
2009, the taxpayer needs to satisfy certain conditions to enjoy the benefits under a tax treaty. These conditions include: (1) the
taxpayer must be the beneficial owner of the relevant dividends, and (2) the corporate shareholder to receive dividends from
the PRC subsidiary must have continuously met the direct ownership thresholds during the 12 consecutive months preceding the receipt
of the dividends. Further, under Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues Relating to “Beneficial
Owner” in Tax Treaties, which took effect on April 1, 2018, a “Beneficial Owner” shall mean a person who
has ownership and control over the income and the rights and property from which the income is derived. To determine the “beneficial
owner” status of a resident of the treaty counterparty who needs to enjoy the tax treaty benefits, a comprehensive analysis
shall be carried out, taking into account actual conditions of the specific case.
Entitlement
to a lower tax rate on dividends according to tax treaties or arrangements between the PRC central government and governments
of other countries or regions is subject to State Administration of Taxation Circular 60 (“Circular 60”). Circular
60 provides that non-resident enterprises are not required to obtain pre-approval from the relevant tax authority in order to
enjoy the reduced withholding tax. Instead, non-resident enterprises and their withholding agents may, by self-assessment and
on confirmation that the prescribed criteria to enjoy the tax treaty benefits are met, directly apply the reduced withholding
tax rate, and file necessary forms and supporting documents when performing tax filings, which will be subject to post-tax filing
examinations by the relevant tax authorities. As a result, we cannot assure you that we will be entitled to any preferential withholding
tax rate under tax treaties for dividends received from Craftsman Wuxi. In October 2019, the State Administration of Taxation
published new rules on administrative measures for non-resident taxpayers to enjoy treatments under tax treaties, or Circular
35, which became effective on January 1, 2020 .Circular 35 simplified the procedures to claim treaty benefits from “filing
documents for record” to “retaining documents for follow-up”.
Enhanced
scrutiny over acquisition transactions by the PRC tax authorities may have a negative impact on potential acquisitions we may
pursue in the future.
Pursuant
to the Notice on Strengthening Administration of Enterprise Income Tax for Share Transfers by Non-PRC Resident Enterprises, or
SAT Circular 698, issued by the SAT on December 10, 2009, where a foreign investor transfers the equity interests of a resident
enterprise indirectly via disposition of the equity interests of an overseas holding company, or an “indirect transfer,”
and such overseas holding company is located in a tax jurisdiction that (i) has an effective tax rate less than 12.5% or
(ii) does not tax foreign income of its residents, the foreign investor shall report the indirect transfer to the competent
tax authority. The PRC tax authority will examine the true nature of the indirect transfer, and if the tax authority considers
that the foreign investor has adopted an “abusive arrangement” in order to avoid PRC tax, it may disregard the existence
of the overseas holding company and re-characterize the indirect transfer and as a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer
may be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of up to 10%.
On
February 3, 2015, the SAT issued the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Several Issues Concerning the
Enterprise Income Tax on Indirect Property Transfer by Non-Resident Enterprises, or SAT Bulletin 7, to supersede existing
provisions in relation to the “indirect transfer” as set forth in Circular 698, while the other provisions of Circular
698 remain in force. Pursuant to SAT Bulletin 7, where a non-resident enterprise indirectly transfers properties such as
equity in PRC resident enterprises without any justifiable business purposes and aiming to avoid the payment of enterprise income
tax, such indirect transfer must be reclassified as a direct transfer of equity in PRC resident enterprise. To assess whether
an indirect transfer of PRC taxable properties has reasonable commercial purposes, all arrangements related to the indirect transfer
must be considered comprehensively and factors set forth in SAT Bulletin 7 must be comprehensively analyzed in light of the
actual circumstances. SAT Bulletin 7 also provides that, where a non-PRC resident enterprise transfers its equity interests
in a resident enterprise to its related parties at a price lower than the fair market value, the competent tax authority has the
power to make a reasonable adjustment to the taxable income of the transaction.
On
October 17, 2017, the SAT issued the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Matters Concerning Withholding
of Income Tax of Non-resident Enterprises as Source, or SAT Bulletin 37, which repealed the entire Circular 698 and the provision
in relation to the time limit for the withholding agent to declare to the competent tax authority for payment of such tax of SAT
Bulletin 7. Pursuant to SAT Bulletin 37, the income from a property transfer, as stipulated in the second item under Article 19
of the Law on Enterprise Income Tax, shall include the income derived from transferring such equity investment assets as stock
equity. The balance of deducting the equity’s net value from the total income from equity transfer shall be taxable income
from equity transfer. Where a withholding agent enters into a business contract, involving the income specified in the third paragraph
of Article 3 in the Law on Enterprise Income Tax, with a non-resident enterprise, the tax-excluding income of the non-resident
enterprise will be treated as the tax-including income, based on which the tax payment will be calculated and remitted, if it
is agreed in the contract that the withholding agent shall assume the tax payable.
There
has been very limited application of SAT Bulletin 7 and SAT Bulletin 37 because these regulations were newly issued and came
into force in February 2015 and in December 2017 respectively. During the effective period of SAT Circular 698, some
intermediary holding companies were actually looked through by the PRC tax authorities, and consequently the non-PRC resident
investors were deemed to have transferred the PRC subsidiary and PRC corporate taxes were assessed accordingly. It is possible
that we or our non-PRC resident investors may become at risk of being taxed under SAT Bulletin 7 and SAT Bulletin 37 and
may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with SAT Bulletin 7 and SAT Bulletin 37 or to establish that we or
our non-PRC resident investors should not be taxed under SAT Bulletin 7 and SAT Bulletin 37, which may have an adverse effect
on our financial condition and results of operations or such non-PRC resident investors’ investment in us.
Our
PRC subsidiary is subject to restrictions on paying dividends or making other payments to us, which may restrict our ability to
satisfy our liquidity requirements.
We
are an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands structured as a holding company. We may need dividends and other distributions
on equity from our PRC subsidiary to satisfy our liquidity requirements. Current PRC regulations permit our PRC subsidiary to
pay dividends to us only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and
regulations. In addition, our PRC subsidiary is required to set aside at least 10% of their respective accumulated profits each
year, if any, to fund certain reserve funds until the total amount set aside reaches 50% of their respective registered capital.
Our PRC subsidiary may also allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to employee welfare
and bonus funds at their discretion. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends. Furthermore, if our PRC subsidiary
incurs debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends
or make other payments to us. In addition, the PRC tax authorities may require us to adjust our taxable income under the contractual
arrangements we currently have in place in a manner that would materially and adversely affect our PRC subsidiary’s ability
to pay dividends and other distributions to us. Any limitation on the ability of our subsidiary to distribute dividends to us
or on the ability of our PRC consolidated VIE to make payments to us may restrict our ability to satisfy our liquidity requirements.
In
addition, the EIT Law, and its implementation rules provide that a withholding tax rate of up to 10% will be applicable to
dividends payable by Chinese companies to non-PRC-resident enterprises unless otherwise exempted or reduced according to treaties
or arrangements between the PRC central government and governments of other countries or regions where the non-PRC-resident enterprises
are incorporated.
Governmental
control of currency conversion may affect the value of your investment.
The
PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance
of currency out of China. We receive substantially all of our revenues in RMB. Under our current corporate structure, our company
in the Cayman Islands may rely on dividend payments from our PRC subsidiary to fund any cash and financing requirements we may
have. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, such as profit distributions and trade
and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from SAFE by complying
with certain procedural requirements. Therefore, our PRC subsidiary is able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to us without
prior approval from SAFE, subject to the condition that the remittance of such dividends outside of the PRC complies with certain
procedures under PRC foreign exchange regulations, such as the overseas investment registrations by our shareholders or the ultimate
shareholders of our corporate shareholders who are PRC residents. But approval from or registration with appropriate government
authorities is required where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such
as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. The PRC government may also at its discretion restrict access in
the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining
sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy our foreign currency demands, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies
to our shareholders, including holders of our ordinary shares.
The
approval of the China Securities Regulatory Commission may be required in connection with our initial public offering under a
regulation adopted in August 2006, and, if required, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain such approval.
The
Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory
agencies in 2006 and amended in 2009, requires an overseas special purpose vehicle formed for listing purposes through acquisitions
of PRC domestic companies and controlled by PRC companies or individuals to obtain the approval of the China Securities Regulatory
Commission, or the CSRC, prior to the listing and trading of such special purpose vehicle’s securities on an overseas stock
exchange. In September 2006, the CSRC published a notice on its official website specifying documents and materials required
to be submitted to it by a special purpose vehicle seeking CSRC approval of its overseas listings. However, substantial uncertainty
remains regarding the scope and applicability of the M&A Rules to offshore special purpose vehicles. Currently, there
is no consensus among leading PRC law firms regarding the scope and applicability of the CSRC approval requirement.
Our
PRC counsel, V&T Law firm, has advised us based on their understanding of the current PRC law, rules and regulations
that the CSRC’s approval is not required for the listing and trading of our ordinary shares on NASDAQ in the context of
our initial public offering, given that:
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the CSRC currently has not issued
any definitive rule or interpretation concerning whether our initial public offerings like ours completed in July 2020
are subject to this regulation;
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Craftsman Wuxi was established by
means of direct investment rather than by a merger with or an acquisition of any PRC domestic companies as defined under the
M&A Rules and;
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no provision in this regulation clearly
classifies contractual arrangements as a type of transaction subject to its regulation.
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However,
our PRC legal counsel has further advised us that there remains some uncertainty as to how the M&A Rules will be interpreted
or implemented in the context of an overseas offering and its opinions summarized above are subject to any new laws, rules and
regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations in any form relating to the M&A Rules. We cannot assure you that
relevant PRC governmental agencies, including the CSRC, would reach the same conclusion as we do. If it is determined that CSRC
approval is required for our initial public offering, we may face sanctions by the CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies for failure
to seek CSRC approval for our initial public offering. These sanctions may include fines and penalties on our operations in the
PRC, limitations on our operating privileges in the PRC, delays in or restrictions on the repatriation of the proceeds from our
initial public offering into the PRC, restrictions on or prohibition of the payments or remittance of dividends by our China subsidiary,
or other actions that could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, reputation
and prospects, as well as the trading price of our ordinary shares. Consequently, if you engage in market trading or other activities
in anticipation of and prior to the settlement and delivery of the ordinary shares we are offering, you would be doing so at the
risk that the settlement and delivery may not occur.
The
M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by
foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.
The
M&A Rules discussed in the preceding risk factor and related regulations and rules concerning mergers and acquisitions
established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more
time-consuming and complex. For example, the M&A Rules require that MOFCOM be notified in advance of any change-of-control
transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise, if (i) any important industry is concerned,
(ii) such transaction involves factors that have or may have impact on the national economic security, or (iii) such
transaction will lead to a change in control of a domestic enterprise which holds a famous trademark or PRC time-honored brand,
(iv) or in circumstances where overseas companies established or controlled by PRC enterprises or residents acquire affiliated
domestic companies. Mergers, acquisitions or contractual arrangements that allow one market player to take control of or to exert
decisive impact on another market player must also be notified in advance to the MOFCOM when the threshold under the Provisions
on Thresholds for Prior Notification of Concentrations of Undertakings, or the Prior Notification Rules, issued by the State Council
in August 2008 is triggered.
In
addition, the security review rules issued by the MOFCOM that became effective in September 2011 specify that mergers
and acquisitions by foreign investors that raise “national defense and security” concerns and mergers and acquisitions
through which foreign investors may acquire de facto control over domestic enterprises that raise “national security”
concerns are subject to strict review by the MOFCOM, and the rules prohibit any activities attempting to bypass a security
review, including by structuring the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement.
In
the future, we may grow our business by acquiring complementary businesses. Complying with the requirements of the above-mentioned
regulations and other relevant rules to complete such transactions could be time-consuming, and any required approval processes,
including obtaining approval from the MOFCOM or its local counterparts may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions.
It is unclear whether our business would be deemed to be in an industry that raises “national defense and security”
or “national security” concerns. However, the MOFCOM or other government agencies may publish explanations in the
future determining that our business is in an industry subject to the security review, in which case our future acquisitions in
the PRC, including those by way of entering into contractual control arrangements with target entities, may be closely scrutinized
or prohibited. Our ability to expand our business or maintain or expand our market share through future acquisitions would as
such be materially and adversely affected.
If
we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, such classification could result in unfavorable
tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders.
Under
the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules, an enterprise established outside of the PRC with its “de
facto management body” within the PRC is considered a “resident enterprise” and will be subject to
the enterprise income tax on its global income at the rate of 25%. The implementation rules define the term “de
facto management body” as the body that exercises full and substantial control and overall management over the
business, productions, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise. In 2009, the State Administration of Taxation, or
SAT, issued a circular, known as SAT Circular 82, partially abolished on December 29, 2017, which provides certain specific
criteria for determining whether the “de facto management body” of a PRC-controlled enterprise that is
incorporated offshore is located in China. Although this circular applies only to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises
or PRC enterprise groups, not those controlled by PRC individuals or foreigners, the criteria set forth in the circular may reflect
the SAT’s general position on how the “de facto management body” text should be applied in determining
the tax resident status of all offshore enterprises. According to SAT Circular 82, an offshore incorporated enterprise controlled
by a PRC enterprise or a PRC enterprise group will be regarded as a PRC tax resident by virtue of having its “de facto management
body” in China, and will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax on its global income only if all of the following conditions
are met: (i) the primary location of the day-to-day operational management is in the PRC; (ii) decisions relating to
the enterprise’s financial and human resource matters are made or are subject to approval by organizations or personnel
in the PRC; (iii) the enterprise’s primary assets, accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholder
resolutions are located or maintained in the PRC; and (iv) at least 50% of voting board members or senior executives habitually
reside in the PRC.
We
believe that, as a Cayman Islands exempted company, our company is not a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes. However,
the tax resident status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with
respect to the interpretation of the term “de facto management body.” If the PRC tax authorities determine
that our company is a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes, we would be subject to PRC enterprise income
on our worldwide income at the rate of 25%. Furthermore, we would be required to withhold a 10% tax from dividends we pay to our
shareholders that are non-resident enterprises, including the holders of our ordinary shares. In addition, non-resident enterprise
shareholders may be subject to PRC tax on gains realized on the sale or other disposition of the ordinary shares, if such income
is treated as sourced from within the PRC. Furthermore, if we are deemed a PRC resident enterprise, dividends paid to our non-PRC
individual shareholders and any gain realized on the transfer of the ordinary shares by such shareholders may be subject to PRC
tax at a rate of 20% (which, in the case of dividends, may be withheld at source by us). These rates may be reduced by an applicable
tax treaty, but it is unclear whether non-PRC shareholders of our company would be able to claim the benefits of any tax treaties
between their country of tax residence and the PRC in the event that we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise. Any such tax
may reduce the returns on your investment in our ordinary shares.
Risks
Related to Our Corporate Structure
If
the PRC government finds that the contractual arrangements that establish the structure for holding our Internet Content Provider
(“ICP”) license do not comply with applicable PRC laws and regulations, we could be subject to severe penalties or
be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations.
Foreign
ownership in entities that provide value-added telecommunication services, is subject to restrictions under current PRC laws and
regulations. For example, in accordance with the Guidance Catalog of Industries for Foreign Investment, as amended in June 2017,
and other applicable laws and regulations, foreign investors are not allowed to own more than 50% of the equity interests in a
value-added telecommunication service provider (except for e-commerce) and any such foreign investor must have experience in providing
value-added telecommunications services overseas and maintain a good track record.
We
are a Cayman Islands company and our PRC subsidiary, Craftsman Wuxi, is considered a foreign-invested enterprise. To comply with
PRC laws and regulations, we operate our website, www.kingwayup.com, through our PRC consolidated VIE, Wuxi Wangdao, which
holds our ICP License for www.kingwayup.com. Wuxi Wangdao is 60% owned by Xiaofeng Gao and 40% owned by Lugang Hua. All
shareholders of Wuxi Wangdao are PRC citizens. We entered into a series of contractual arrangements with Wuxi Wangdao and its
shareholders, which enable us to:
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exercise effective control over Wuxi
Wangdao;
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receive substantially all of the
economic benefits; and
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have an exclusive option to purchase
all or part of the equity interests in Wuxi Wangdao when and to the extent permitted by PRC law.
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Because
of these contractual arrangements, we are the primary beneficiary of Wuxi Wangdao and treat it as our PRC consolidated VIE under
U.S. GAAP. We consolidate the financial results of Wuxi Wangdao in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with
U.S. GAAP.
V&T
Law Firm, our PRC legal counsel, has advised us that (i) the ownership structure of Craftsman Wuxi will not result in any
violation of PRC laws or regulations currently in effect; and (ii) the contractual arrangements among Craftsman Wuxi and
Wuxi Wangdao and its shareholders governed by PRC law are valid, binding and enforceable, and will not result in any violation
of PRC laws or regulations currently in effect. Our PRC legal counsel was also of the opinion that there are, however, substantial
uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current or future PRC laws and regulations concerning foreign investment
in the PRC, and their application to and effect on the legality, binding effect and enforceability of the contractual arrangements.
In particular, we cannot rule out the possibility that PRC regulatory authorities, courts or arbitral tribunals may in the
future adopt a different or contrary interpretation or take a view that is inconsistent with the opinion of our PRC legal counsel.
It
is uncertain whether any new PRC laws, rules or regulations relating to VIE structures will be adopted or if adopted, what
effect they may have on our corporate structure. In particular, in January 2015, the Ministry of Commerce of the PRC,
or MOFCOM, published a discussion draft of the proposed Foreign Investment Law, or the Draft Foreign Investment Law, for public
review and comments. Among other things, the Draft Foreign Investment Law expands the definition of foreign investment and introduces
the principle of “actual control” in determining whether a company is considered a foreign-invested enterprise, or
an FIE. Under the Draft Foreign Investment Law, VIEs would be deemed as FIEs, if they are ultimately “controlled”
by foreign investors, and would thus be subject to restrictions on foreign investments. However, the draft law has not taken a
position on what actions will be taken with respect to existing companies with a “variable interest entity” structure,
whether or not these companies are controlled by Chinese parties. On December 26, 2018, National People’s Congress
Standing Committee, or NPCSC, published the Draft Foreign Investment Law, or the 2018 Draft Foreign Investment Law, deliberated
by the 7th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Thirteenth National People’s Congress, to seek public comments. The
2018 Draft Foreign Investment Law came into effect on January 1, 2020, does not mention concepts including “de facto
control” and “controlling through contractual arrangements,” nor does it specify the regulation on controlling
through contractual arrangements.
If,
as a result of such contractual arrangement, we or Wuxi Wangdao is found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws
or regulations, or such contractual arrangement is determined as illegal and invalid by the PRC court, arbitral tribunal or regulatory
authorities, or we fail to obtain, maintain or renew any of the required permits or approvals, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities
would have broad discretion to take action in dealing with such violations or failures, including:
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revoking the business licenses and/or
operating licenses of Craftsman Wuxi and/or Wuxi Wangdao;
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discontinuing or restricting the
conduct of any transactions between Craftsman Wuxi and Wuxi Wangdao;
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limiting our business expansion in
China by way of entering into contractual arrangements;
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imposing fines, confiscating the
income from Wuxi Wangdao, or imposing other requirements with which we or Wuxi Wangdao may not be able to comply with;
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shutting down our servers or blocking
our websites;
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requiring us to restructure our ownership
structure or operations, including terminating the contractual arrangements with Wuxi Wangdao and deregistering the equity
pledges of Wuxi Wangdao;
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restricting or prohibiting our use
of the proceeds of our initial public offering to finance our business and operations in China;
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imposing additional conditions or
requirements with which we may not be able to comply with; or
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take other regulatory or enforcement
actions against us that could be harmful to our business.
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The
imposition of any of these penalties could result in a material and adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business and
on our results of operations. If any of these penalties results in our inability to direct the activities of Wuxi Wangdao that
most significantly impact its economic performance, and/or our failure to receive the economic benefits from Wuxi Wangdao, we
may not be able to consolidate Wuxi Wangdao in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
We
rely on contractual arrangements with Wuxi Wangdao and its shareholders for a portion of our business operations, which may not
be as effective as direct ownership in providing operational control.
We
have relied and expect to continue to rely on contractual arrangements with Wuxi Wangdao, as well as its respective shareholders,
to operate our business in China. These contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with
control over Wuxi Wangdao. For example, Wuxi Wangdao and its shareholders could breach their contractual arrangements with us
by, among other things, failing to conduct their operations, including maintaining our websites and using the domain names and
software copyrights, in an acceptable manner or taking other actions that are detrimental to our interests.
If
we had direct ownership of Wuxi Wangdao, we would be able to exercise our rights as a shareholder to change the executive director
of Wuxi Wangdao, which in turn could affect changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management level.
However, under the current contractual arrangements, we rely on the performance by Wuxi Wangdao and its shareholders of their
obligations under the contracts to exercise control over Wuxi Wangdao. However, the shareholders of Wuxi Wangdao may not act in
the best interests of the Company or may not perform their obligations under these contracts. Such risks exist throughout the
period in which we intend to operate our business through the contractual arrangements with Wuxi Wangdao. We may replace the shareholders
of Wuxi Wangdao at any time pursuant to our contractual arrangements with it and its shareholders. However, if any dispute relating
to these contracts remains unresolved, we will have to enforce our rights under these contracts through the operations of PRC
law and by means of arbitration, litigation and other legal proceedings and therefore will be subject to uncertainties in the
PRC legal system. Therefore, our contractual arrangements with Wuxi Wangdao may not be as effective in ensuring our control over
the relevant portion of our business operations as direct ownership would be.
Substantial
uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of draft PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact
the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.
The
MOFCOM published a discussion draft of the proposed Foreign Investment Law in January 2015 aiming to, upon its enactment,
replace the trio of existing laws regulating foreign investment in China, namely, the Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise
Law, the Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprise Law and the Wholly Foreign-invested Enterprise Law.
On
March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress approved the Foreign Investment Law, which will come into effect on
January 1, 2020 and replace the trio of existing laws regulating foreign investment in China, namely, the Sino-foreign
Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law, the Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprise Law and the Wholly Foreign-invested
Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. The Foreign Investment Law embodies an
expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice
and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic investments. However, since
it is relatively new, uncertainties still exist in relation to its interpretation and implementation. For instance, under the
Foreign Investment Law, “foreign investment” refers to the investment activities directly or indirectly conducted
by foreign individuals, enterprises or other entities in China. However, it does not explicitly classify contractual arrangements
as a form of foreign investment. As such, there is no assurance that foreign investment via contractual arrangement would not
be interpreted as a type of indirect foreign investment activities under the definition in the future. In addition, the definition
contains a catch-all provision which includes investments made by foreign investors through means stipulated in laws or administrative
regulations or other methods prescribed by the State Council. Therefore, it still leaves leeway for future laws, administrative
regulations or provisions promulgated by the State Council to provide for contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment.
In any of these cases, it will be uncertain whether our contractual arrangements will be deemed to be in violation of the market
access requirements for foreign investment under the PRC laws and regulations. Furthermore, if future laws, administrative regulations
or provisions prescribed by the State Council mandate further actions to be taken by companies with respect to existing contractual
arrangements, we may face substantial uncertainties as to whether we can complete such actions in a timely manner, or at all.
Any failure to take timely and appropriate measures to cope with any of these or similar regulatory compliance challenges could
materially and adversely affect our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.
Any
failure by Wuxi Wangdao or its shareholders to perform their obligations under our contractual arrangements with them would have
a material and adverse effect on our business.
If
Wuxi Wangdao or its shareholders fail to perform their obligations under the contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial
costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements. We may also have to rely on legal remedies under PRC law,
including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages, which we cannot assure you will be effective.
For example, if the shareholders of Wuxi Wangdao, were to refuse to transfer their equity interest in Wuxi Wangdao to us or our
designee if we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these contractual arrangements, or if they were otherwise to act in bad
faith toward us, then we may have to take legal actions to compel them to perform their contractual obligations.
All
the agreements under our contractual arrangements with Wuxi Wangdao are governed by PRC law and provide for the resolution of
disputes through arbitration in China. Accordingly, these contracts would be interpreted in accordance with PRC law and any disputes
would be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures. The legal system in the PRC is not as developed as in some other jurisdictions,
such as the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual
arrangements. In addition, there are very few precedents and little formal guidance as to how contractual arrangements in the
context of a consolidated affiliated entity should be interpreted or enforced under PRC law. There remain significant uncertainties
regarding the ultimate outcome of such arbitration should any legal action become necessary. In addition, under PRC law, rulings
by arbitrators are final and parties cannot appeal the arbitration results in courts. If the losing parties fail to carry out
the arbitration awards within a prescribed time limit, the prevailing parties may only enforce the arbitration awards in PRC courts
through arbitration award recognition proceedings, which would require additional expenses and delay. In the event we are unable
to enforce these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exert effective control over Wuxi Wangdao, and our ability to
conduct our business may be negatively affected.
If
the custodians or authorized users of our controlling non-tangible assets, including chops and seals, fail to fulfill their responsibilities,
or misappropriate or misuse these assets, our business and operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Under
PRC law, legal documents for corporate transactions, including agreements and contracts such as the leases and sales contracts
that our business relies on, are executed using the chop or seal of the signing entity or with the signature of a legal representative
whose designation is registered and filed with the relevant local branch of the SAIC. We generally execute legal documents by
affixing chops or seals, rather than having the designated legal representatives sign the documents.
We
have three major types of chops—corporate chops, contract chops and finance chops. We use corporate chops generally for
documents to be submitted to government agencies, such as applications for changing the business scope, directors or company name,
and for legal letters. We use contract chops for executing leases and commercial contracts. We use finance chops generally for
making and collecting payments, including, but not limited to issuing invoices. Use of corporate chops and contract chops must
be approved by our legal department and administrative department, and use of finance chops must be approved by our finance department.
The chops of our PRC subsidiary and our PRC consolidated VIE are generally held by the relevant entities so that documents can
be executed locally. Although we usually utilize chops to execute contracts, the registered legal representatives of our PRC subsidiary
and our PRC consolidated VIE have the apparent authority to enter into contracts on behalf of such entities without chops, unless
such contracts set forth otherwise. All designated legal representatives of our PRC subsidiary and our PRC consolidated VIE have
signed employment agreements with us under which they agree to abide by duties they owe to us.
In
order to maintain the physical security of our chops, we generally have them stored in secured locations accessible only to the
department heads of the legal, administrative or finance departments. Our designated legal representatives generally do not have
access to the chops. Although we monitor our employees, including the designated legal representatives of our PRC subsidiary and
our consolidated VIE, the procedures may not be sufficient to prevent all instances of abuse or negligence. There is a risk that
our employees or designated legal representatives could abuse their authority, for example, by binding the relevant subsidiary
or consolidated VIE with contracts against our interests, as we would be obligated to honor these contracts if the other contracting
party acts in good faith in reliance on the apparent authority of our chops or signatures of our legal representatives. If any
designated legal representative obtains control of the chop in an effort to obtain control over the relevant entity, we would
need to have a shareholder or board resolution to designate a new legal representative and to take legal action to seek the for
a new chop with the relevant authorities, or otherwise seek legal remedies for the legal representative’s misconduct. If
any of the designated legal representatives obtains and misuses or misappropriates our chops and seals or other controlling intangible
assets for whatever reason, we could experience disruption to our normal business operations. We may have to take corporate or
legal action, which could involve significant time and resources to resolve while distracting management from our operations.
The
shareholders of Wuxi Wangdao may have potential conflicts of interest with us, which may materially and adversely affect our business
and financial condition.
We
have designated individuals who are PRC nationals to be the shareholders of Wuxi Wangdao. Wuxi Wangdao is owned by Xiaofeng Gao
and Lugang Hua. The interests of these individuals as the shareholders of Wuxi Wangdao may differ from the interests of the Company
as a whole. These shareholders may breach, or cause our PRC consolidated VIE to breach, or refuse to renew, the existing contractual
arrangements we have with them and Wuxi Wangdao, which would have a material and adverse effect on our ability to effectively
control Wuxi Wangdao. We cannot assure you that when conflicts of interest arise, any or all of these shareholders will act in
the best interests of our company or such conflicts will be resolved in our favor.
Currently,
we do not have any arrangements to address potential conflicts of interest between these shareholders and the Company, except
that we could exercise our purchase option under the exclusive purchasing right agreement with these shareholders to request them
to transfer all of their equity ownership in Wuxi Wangdao to Craftsman Wuxi or one or more individuals designated by us. We rely
on Xiaofeng Gao and Lugang Hua, who are the shareholders of Wuxi Wangdao and also our directors and officers, to abide by PRC
law, which provides that directors owe a fiduciary duty to the company. Such fiduciary duty requires directors to act in good
faith and in the best interests of the company and not to use their positions for personal gains. If we cannot resolve any conflict
of interest or dispute between us and the shareholders of Wuxi Wangdao, we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could
result in disruption of our business and subject us to substantial uncertainty as to the outcome of any such legal proceedings.
We
may rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiary to fund any cash and financing requirements
we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiary to make payments to us could have a material and adverse
effect on our ability to conduct our business.
We
are an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands structured as a holding company, and we may rely on dividends and other
distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiary, Craftsman Wuxi, for our cash and financing requirements, including the funds
necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders and service any debt we may incur. If our PRC subsidiary
incurs debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make
other distributions to us. In addition, the PRC tax authorities may require Craftsman Wuxi to adjust its taxable income under
the contractual arrangements it currently has in place with our PRC consolidated VIE in a manner that would materially and adversely
affect its ability to pay dividends and other distributions to us.
Under
PRC laws and regulations, our PRC subsidiary, which is a wholly foreign-owned enterprise may pay dividends only out of its respective
accumulated profits as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, a wholly foreign-owned
enterprise is required to set aside at least 10% of its accumulated after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a certain statutory
reserve fund, until the aggregate amount of such fund reaches 50% of its registered capital. At its discretion, a wholly foreign-owned
enterprise may allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to an enterprise expansion fund,
or a staff welfare and bonus fund. The statutory reserve funds, enterprise expansion funds and staff welfare and bonus funds are
not distributable as cash dividends.
Any
limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiary to pay dividends or make other distributions to us could materially and adversely
limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise
fund and conduct our business. We may be classified as a PRC “resident enterprise” for PRC enterprise income tax purposes.
Such classification would likely result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders and has a material
adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment.”
Our
contractual arrangements may be subject to scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities, and a finding that we owe additional taxes could
substantially reduce our consolidated net income and the value of your investment.
Under
PRC laws and regulations, arrangements and transactions among related parties may be subject to audit or challenge by the PRC
tax authorities within ten years after the taxable year when the transactions are conducted. We could face material and adverse
tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities determine that the contractual arrangements among our PRC subsidiary and our PRC consolidated
VIE do not represent an arm’s length price and adjust our PRC consolidated VIEs income in the form of a transfer pricing
adjustment. A transfer pricing adjustment could, among other things, result in a reduction, for PRC tax purposes, of expense deductions
recorded by our PRC consolidated VIE, which could in turn increase their tax liabilities without reducing our WOFE’s tax
expenses. In addition, the PRC tax authorities may impose late payment fees and other penalties to our PRC consolidated VIE for
under-paid taxes. Our consolidated net income may be materially and adversely affected if our tax liabilities increase or if we
are found to be subject to late payment fees or other penalties.
If
Wuxi Wangdao becomes the subject of a bankruptcy or liquidation proceeding, we may lose the ability to use and enjoy its assets,
which could reduce the size of our operations and materially and adversely affect our business, ability to generate revenues and
the market price of our ordinary shares.
To
comply with PRC laws and regulations relating to foreign ownership restrictions in the online value-added telecommunications business,
we hold our ICP license through contractual arrangements with Wuxi Wangdao, our PRC consolidated VIE, as well as its shareholders.
As part of these arrangements, Wuxi Wangdao holds assets that are important to the operation of our business.
We
do not have priority pledges and liens against Wuxi Wangdao’s assets. As a contractual and property right matter, this lack
of priority pledges and liens has remote risks. If Wuxi Wangdao undergoes an involuntary liquidation proceeding, third-party creditors
may claim rights to some or all of its assets and we may not have priority against such third-party creditors on Wuxi Wangdao’s
assets. If Wuxi Wangdao liquidates, we may take part in the liquidation procedures as a general creditor under the PRC Enterprise
Bankruptcy Law and recover any outstanding liabilities owed by Wuxi Wangdao to Craftsman Wuxi under the applicable service agreements.
To ameliorate the risks of an involuntary liquidation proceeding initiated by a third-party creditor, we closely monitor the operations
and finances of Wuxi Wangdao through carefully designed budgetary and internal controls to ensure that Wuxi Wangdao is well capitalized
and is highly unlikely to trigger any third-party monetary claims in excess of its assets and cash resources. Furthermore, Craftsman
Wuxi has the ability, if necessary, to provide finance support to Wuxi Wangdao to prevent such an involuntary liquidation.
If
the shareholders of Wuxi Wangdao were to attempt to voluntarily liquidate Wuxi Wangdao without obtaining our prior consent, we
could effectively prevent such unauthorized voluntary liquidation by exercising our right to request Wuxi Wangdao’s shareholders
to transfer all of their equity ownership interest to Craftsman Wuxi or one or more individuals designated by us in accordance
with the purchasing right agreements with the shareholders of Wuxi Wangdao. In the event that the shareholders of Wuxi Wangdao
initiates a voluntary liquidation proceeding without our authorization or attempts to distribute the retained earnings or assets
of Wuxi Wangdao without our prior consent, we may need to resort to legal of the contractual agreements. Any such litigation may
be costly and may divert our management’s time and attention away from the operation of our business, and the outcome of
such litigation would be uncertain.
Risks
Related to Our Ordinary Shares
The
trading price of our ordinary shares may be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors.
The
trading price of our ordinary shares may be volatile and could fluctuate widely due to factors beyond our control. This may happen
because of the broad market and industry factors, like the performance and fluctuation of the market prices of other companies
with business operations located mainly in China that have listed their securities in the United States. A number of Chinese companies
have listed or are in the process of listing their securities on U.S. stock markets. The securities of some of these companies
have experienced significant volatility, including price declines in connection with their initial public offerings. The trading
performances of these Chinese companies’ securities after their offerings may affect the attitudes of investors toward Chinese
companies listed in the United States in general and consequently may impact the trading performance of our ordinary shares, regardless
of our actual operating performance.
In
addition to market and industry factors, the price and trading volume for our ordinary shares may be highly volatile for factors
specific to our own operations, including the following:
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variations in our revenues, earnings,
cash flow and data related to our user base or user engagement;
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announcements of new investments,
acquisitions, strategic partnerships or joint ventures by us or our competitors;
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announcements of new services and
expansions by us or our competitors;
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changes in financial estimates by
securities analysts;
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detrimental adverse publicity about
us, our services or our industry;
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additions or departures of key personnel;
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release of lock-up or other transfer
restrictions on our outstanding equity securities or sales of additional equity securities; and
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potential litigation or regulatory
investigations.
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Any
of these factors may result in large and sudden changes in the volume and price at which our ordinary shares will trade.
In
the past, shareholders of public companies have often brought securities class action suits against those companies following
periods of instability in the market price of their securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a
significant amount of our management’s attention and other resources from our business and operations and require us to
incur significant expenses to defend the suit, which could harm our results of operations. Any such class action suit, whether
or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim
is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on
our financial condition and results of operations.
Our
ordinary shares may trade under $5.00 per share in the future and thus could be penny stock. Trading in penny stocks has certain
restrictions and these restrictions could negatively affect the price and liquidity of our ordinary shares.
Our
ordinary may trade below $5.00 per share in the future. As a result, our ordinary shares would be known as a “penny stock,”
which is subject to various regulations involving disclosures to be given to you prior to the purchase of any penny stock. The
SEC has adopted regulations which generally define a “penny stock” to be any equity security that has a market price
of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. Depending on market fluctuations, our ordinary shares could be considered
to be a “penny stock,” A penny stock is subject to rules that impose additional sales practice requirements on
broker/dealers who sell these securities to persons other than established members and accredited investors. For transactions
covered by these rules, the broker/dealer must make a special suitability determination for the purchase of these securities.
In addition, a broker/dealer must receive the purchaser’s written consent to the transaction prior to the purchase and must
also provide certain written disclosures to the purchaser. Consequently, the “penny stock” rules may restrict
the ability of broker/dealers to sell our ordinary shares, and may negatively affect the ability of holders of our ordinary shares
to resell them. These disclosures require you to acknowledge that you understand the risks associated with buying penny stocks
and that you can absorb the loss of your entire investment. Penny stocks generally do not have a very high trading volume. Consequently,
the price of the stock is often volatile and you may not be able to buy or sell the stock when you want to.
If
securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they adversely change their recommendations
regarding our ordinary shares, the market price for our ordinary shares and trading volume could decline.
The
trading market for our ordinary shares will be influenced by research or reports that industry or securities analysts publish
about our business. If one or more analysts who cover us downgrade our ordinary shares, the market price for our ordinary shares
would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease to cover us or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could
lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the market price or trading volume for our ordinary shares
to decline.
The
sale or availability for sale of substantial amounts of our ordinary shares could adversely affect their market price.
Sales
of substantial amounts of our ordinary shares in the public market in the future, or the perception that these sales could occur,
could adversely affect the market price of our ordinary shares and could materially impair our ability to raise capital through
equity offerings in the future. Our ordinary shares are freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the
Securities Act, and shares held by our existing shareholders may also be sold in the public market in the future subject to the
restrictions in Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act and the applicable lock-up agreements. In connection
with our initial public offering, we and each of our directors and officers, and certain shareholders have agreed not to sell
any ordinary shares for 12 months from July 22, 2020 without the prior written consent of the underwriter, subject to certain
exceptions. However, the underwriters may release these securities from these restrictions at any time, subject to applicable
regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). We cannot predict what effect, if
any, market sales of securities held by our significant shareholders or any other shareholder or the availability of these securities
for future sale will have on the market price of our ordinary shares.
Because
we do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future, you must rely on price appreciation of our ordinary shares for return
on your investment.
We
currently intend to retain all of our available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business.
As a result, we do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Therefore, you should not rely on an investment
in our ordinary shares as a source for any future dividend income.
Our
board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends. Even if our board of directors decides to declare
and pay dividends, the timing, amount and form of future dividends, if any, will depend on, among other things, our future results
of operations and cash flow, our capital requirements and surplus, the amount of distributions, if any, received by us from our
subsidiaries, our financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. Accordingly,
the return on your investment in our ordinary shares will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of our ordinary
shares. There is no guarantee that our ordinary shares will appreciate in value in the future or even maintain the price at which
you purchased our ordinary shares. You may not realize a return on your investment in our ordinary shares and you may even lose
your entire investment.
If
we are classified as a passive foreign investment company, United States taxpayers who own our ordinary shares may have adverse
United States federal income tax consequences.
A
non-U.S. corporation such as ourselves will be classified as a passive foreign investment company, which is known as a PFIC, for
any taxable year if, for such year, either
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At least 75% of our gross income
for the year is passive income; or
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The average percentage of our assets
(determined at the end of each quarter) during the taxable year which produces passive income or which are held for the production
of passive income is at least 50%.
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Passive
income generally includes dividends, interest, rents, royalties (other than rents or royalties derived from the active conduct
of a trade or business) and gains from the disposition of passive assets.
If
we are determined to be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. taxpayer
who holds our ordinary shares, the U.S. taxpayer may be subject to increased U.S. federal income tax liability and may be subject
to additional reporting requirements.
Depending
on the amount of cash we raised in our initial public offering, together with any other assets held for the production of passive
income, it is possible that, for our current taxable year or for any subsequent year, more than 50% of our assets may be assets
which produce passive income. We will make this determination following the end of any particular tax year. Although the law in
this regard is unclear, we treat our consolidated affiliated entities as being owned by us for United States federal income tax
purposes, not only because we exercise effective control over the operation of such entities but also because we are entitled
to substantially all of their economic benefits, and, as a result, we consolidate their operating results in our consolidated
financial statements. For purposes of the PFIC analysis, in general, a non-U.S. corporation is deemed to own its pro rata share
of the gross income and assets of any entity in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the equity by value.
The
amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that we have adopted contain anti-takeover provisions that could have
a material adverse effect on the rights of holders of our ordinary shares.
We
have adopted an amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles
of association contain provisions to limit the ability of others to acquire control of our company or cause us to engage in change-of-control
transactions. These provisions could have the effect of depriving our shareholders of an opportunity to sell their shares at a
premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain control of our company in a tender
offer or similar transaction. In addition, our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our shareholders,
to issue preferred shares in one or more series and to fix their designations, powers, preferences, privileges, and relative participating,
optional or special rights and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions, including dividend rights, conversion rights,
voting rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the rights associated
with our ordinary shares. Preferred shares could be issued quickly with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change in control
of our company or make removal of management more difficult. If our board of directors decides to issue preferred shares, the
price of our ordinary shares may fall and the voting and other rights of the holders of our ordinary shares underlying the ordinary
shares may be materially and adversely affected.
Our
principal shareholders have substantial influence over our company. Their interests may not be aligned with the interests of our
other shareholders, and they could prevent or cause a change of control or other transactions.
As
of the date of this report, our executive officers and directors, together with our existing shareholders, beneficially own approximately
9,000,000 ordinary shares, or approximately 75% of our outstanding ordinary shares.
Accordingly,
our executive officers and directors, together with our existing shareholders, could have a significant influence in determining
the outcome of any corporate transaction or other matter submitted to the shareholders for approval, including mergers, consolidations,
the election of directors and other significant corporate actions. In cases where their interests are aligned and they vote together,
these shareholders will also have the power to prevent or cause a change in control. Without the consent of some or all of these
shareholders, we may be prevented from entering into transactions that could be beneficial to us or our minority shareholders.
In addition, our directors and officers could violate their fiduciary duties by diverting business opportunities from us to themselves
or others. The interests of our largest shareholders may differ from the interests of our other shareholders. The concentration
in the ownership of our ordinary shares may cause a material decline in the value of our ordinary shares.
As
a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, we are permitted to adopt certain home country practices in relation to corporate
governance matters that differ significantly from Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. These practices may afford less
protection to shareholders than they would enjoy if we complied fully with Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards.
As
an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands that is expected to be listed on Nasdaq, we are subject to Nasdaq corporate
governance listing standards. However, Nasdaq rules permit a foreign private issuer like us to follow the corporate governance
practices of its home country. Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, may differ
significantly from Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. Currently, we do not plan to rely on the home country practice
with respect to our corporate governance. However, if we choose to follow home country practice in the future, our shareholders
may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would enjoy under Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards applicable
to U.S. domestic issuers.
You
may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through U.S. courts may be limited,
because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law.
We
are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands with limited liability. Our corporate affairs are governed
by our memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Law (2020 Revision) of the Cayman Islands and the common law of the
Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary
duties of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands.
The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as
well as from the common law of England, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding, on a court
in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not
as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular,
the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws than the United States. Some U.S. states, such as Delaware, have
more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law than the Cayman Islands. In addition, Cayman Islands companies
may not have the standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States.
Shareholders
of Cayman Islands exempted companies like us have no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate records or to
obtain copies of the register of members of these companies. Our directors have discretion under our articles of association to
determine whether or not, and under what conditions, our corporate records may be inspected by our shareholders, but are not obliged
to make them available to our shareholders. This may make it more difficult for you to obtain the information needed to establish
any facts necessary for a shareholder motion or to solicit proxies from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest.
Certain
corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, differ significantly from requirements for companies
incorporated in other jurisdictions such as the U.S. Currently, we do not plan to rely on home country practice with respect to
any corporate governance matter. However, if we choose to follow our home country practice in the future, our shareholders may
be afforded less protection than they otherwise would under rules and regulations applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.
As
a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions
taken by our management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders
of a company incorporated in the United States.
Certain
judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable.
We
are a Cayman Islands exempted company and substantially all of our assets are located outside of the United States. All of our
current operations are conducted in China. In addition, all of our current directors and officers are nationals and residents
of countries other than the United States. Substantially all of the assets of these persons are located outside the United States.
As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the United
States in the event that you believe that your rights have been infringed under the U.S. federal securities laws or otherwise.
Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of China may render you unable
to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers.
We
are an emerging growth company within the meaning of the Securities Act and may take advantage of certain reduced reporting requirements.
We
are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from
requirements applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, most significantly, not being
required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 for so long as we are an emerging growth company.
The
JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company does not need to comply with any new or revised financial accounting standards
until such date that a private company is otherwise required to comply with such new or revised accounting standards. In other
words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would
otherwise apply to private companies. We are electing to take advantage of the extended transition period, although we have early
adopted certain new and revised accounting standards based on transition guidance permitted under such standards. As a result
of this election, our future financial statements may not be comparable to other public companies that comply with the public
company effective dates for these new or revised accounting standards.
We
are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act, and as such we are exempt from certain
provisions applicable to United States domestic public companies.
Because
we are a foreign private issuer under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), we
are exempt from certain provisions of the securities rules and regulations in the United States that are applicable to U.S.
domestic issuers, including:
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the rules under the Exchange
Act requiring the filing of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K with the SEC;
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the sections of the Exchange Act
regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents, or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange
Act;
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the sections of the Exchange Act
requiring insiders to file public reports of their stock ownership and trading activities and liability for insiders who profit
from trades made in a short period of time; and
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the selective disclosure rules by
issuers of material non-public information under Regulation FD.
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We
will be required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the end of each fiscal year. In addition, we
intend to publish our results on a quarterly basis through press releases, distributed pursuant to the rules and regulations
of the Nasdaq Capital Market. Press releases relating to financial results and material events will also be furnished to the SEC
on Form 6-K. However, the information we are required to file with or furnish to the SEC will be less extensive and less
timely compared to that required to be filed with the SEC by U.S. domestic issuers. As a result, you may not be afforded the same
protections or information, which would be made available to you, were you investing in a U.S. domestic issuer.
We
have incurred significantly increased costs and devoted substantial management time as a result of the listing of our ordinary
shares.
We
have incurred and will continue incurring additional legal, accounting and other expenses as a public reporting company, particularly
after we cease to qualify as an emerging growth company. For example, we are required to comply with the additional requirements
of the rules and regulations of the SEC and the Nasdaq rules, including applicable corporate governance practices. We expect
that compliance with these requirements will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more
time-consuming and costly. In addition, we expect that our management and other personnel will need to divert attention from operational
and other business matters to devote substantial time to these public company requirements. We cannot predict or estimate the
number of additional costs we may incur as a result of becoming a public company or the timing of such costs.
In
addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty
for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time-consuming. These laws,
regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result,
their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidelines are provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could
result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure
and governance practices. We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment
may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management’s time and attention from revenue-generating
activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities
intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to their application and practice, regulatory authorities
may also initiate legal proceedings against us and our business may be adversely affected.
ITEM
4. INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY
4A.
History and Development of the Company
Skillful
Craftsman Education Technology Limited was incorporated on June 14, 2019 as an exempted company structured as a holding company
incorporated under the laws of Cayman Islands. We began our operations in China in 2013 and currently conduct our business through
our subsidiaries and variable interest entity.
We
currently have three wholly-owned subsidiaries, including Easy Skills Technology Limited, a limited liability company formed under
the laws of Hong Kong and Skillful Craftsman Network Technology (Wuxi) Co., Limited, a limited liability company formed under
the laws of the PRC (“WOFE” or “Craftsman Wuxi”). In 2013, we formed Wuxi Wangdao under the laws of the
PRC to primarily engage in the business of online education and technology services. WOFE controls Wuxi Wangdao through a series
of contractual arrangements (the “VIE Agreements”). Due to restrictions imposed by PRC law on foreign ownership of
companies engaged in online value-added telecommunications business, we do not own equity interest in our PRC operations. Instead,
WOFE controls Wuxi Wangdao, our operating entity in the PRC, through VIE Agreements and we rely on dividends and other distributions
paid to us by WOFE, which in turn depends on the service fees paid to WOFE from Wuxi Wangdao. If Wuxi Wangdao and its shareholders
fail to perform their obligations under the contractual arrangements, we could be limited in our ability to enforce the contractual
arrangements that give us effective control, and if we are unable to maintain effective control, we would not be able to continue
to consolidate Wuxi Wangdao’s financial results with our financial results. For fiscal years ended 2020 and 2019, 100% of
our consolidated financial statements was derived from Wuxi Wangdao, our variable interest entity. We do not have unfettered access
to revenue of our PRC subsidiary and variable interest entity due to PRC legal restrictions on the payment of dividends by PRC
companies, foreign exchange control restrictions, and the restrictions on foreign investment.
The
following diagram illustrates our corporate structure as of the date of this report.
Ownership
and Organization Chart
Due
to PRC legal restrictions on foreign ownership in internet-based businesses, including online education services, neither
we nor our subsidiaries own any equity interest in Wuxi Wangdao. Instead, we control and receive the economic benefits of Wuxi
Wangdao’s business operations through the VIE Agreements. WOFE, Wuxi Wangdao and its shareholders entered into the VIE Agreements,
on July 17, 2019. The VIE Agreements are designed to provide WOFE with the power, rights, and obligations equivalent in all
material respects to those it would possess as the equity holders of Wuxi Wangdao, including absolute control rights and the rights
to the assets, property and revenue of Wuxi Wangdao.
Each
of the VIE Agreements is described in detail below and each of which is currently in full force and effect:
(1) Exclusive
Business Cooperation Agreement
According
to the Exclusive Business Cooperation Agreement signed by Craftsman Wuxi and Wuxi Wangdao on July 17, 2019, Craftsman Wuxi
shall have the exclusive right to provide or designate any third party to provide to Wuxi Wangdao any service that is determined
by Craftsman Wuxi from time to time, including without limitation to the following: technical services, network support, business
consulting, intellectual property licensing, equipment or office space leasing, market consulting, system integration, product
development, system maintenance, etc. Wuxi Wangdao shall not accept any advice and/or service provided by any third party
without the prior written consent of Craftsman Wuxi, or cooperate with any third party. Craftsman Wuxi shall maintain all the
rights, ownerships, benefits and intellectual property rights generated from or created by the Exclusive Business Cooperation
Agreement. Wuxi Wangdao agrees to pay the service fee to Craftsman Wuxi according to the Exclusive Business Cooperation Agreement.
Pursuant to the Exclusive Business Cooperation Agreement, the profits generated by the operation of Wuxi Wangdao shall be transmitted
to Craftsman Wuxi by means of payment of the service fees, and such service fees shall not be lower than 90% of the income of
Wuxi Wangdao while the remaining part (which will not exceed 10% of the income of Wuxi Wangdao) shall be reserved as management
cost expenditures.
(2) Exclusive
Purchasing Right Agreement
According
to the Exclusive Purchasing Right Agreement signed by Craftsman Wuxi, Xiaofeng Gao, Lugang Hua and Wuxi Wangdao on July 17,
2019, Xiaofeng Gao and Lugang Hua irrevocably grant Craftsman Wuxi or its designated third party an irrevocable exclusive right
to purchase from Xiaofeng Gao and/or LuGang Hua all or part of the equity interest of Wuxi Wangdao held by them at the lowest
price permitted by the applicable PRC laws. Craftsman Wuxi shall have the right to decide whether to exercise the exclusive purchasing
right based on the cancellation of China’s prohibitions or restrictions of foreign investment on value-added telecommunications
services.
(3) Equity
Interest Pledge Agreement
Pursuant
to the Equity Interest Pledge Agreement signed by Craftsman Wuxi, Xiaofeng Gao, Lugang Hua and Wuxi Wangdao on July 17, 2019,
Xiaofeng Gao and Lugang Hua pledged the shares of Wuxi Wangdao held by them to Craftsman Wuxi as guarantees for the timely and
complete payment of any or all payments due (whether on the specified due date, by means of an earlier payment or otherwise) to
Wuxi Wangdao (including but not limited to service fees payable to Craftsman Wuxi under the Exclusive Business Cooperation Agreement)
.
According
to the Equity Interest Pledge Agreement, Xiaofeng Gao and Lugang Hua agree that they will not transfer the equity, set or allow
the existence of any security interest or encumbrance that may affect Craftsman Wuxi’s rights and benefits regarding the
equity interest they hold without the prior written consent of Craftsman Wuxi. The pledge period is 10 years and if the Exclusive
Business Cooperation Agreement guaranteed by the pledge is postponed, the pledge period under the Equity Interest Pledge Agreement
shall be extended accordingly.
Equity
Interest Pledge Agreement has been properly registered with the relevant Chinese statutory bodies in accordance with the PRC laws.
(4) Authorization
Agreement
According
to the Authorization Agreement signed by Craftsman Wuxi, Xiaofeng Gao and LuGang Hua on July 17, 2019, Xiaofeng Gao and Lugang
Hua irrevocably authorized Craftsman Wuxi to exercise the following rights: (i) Craftsman Wuxi is authorized as the sole
agent and the authorized person of both Xiaofeng Gao and Lugang Hua and shall act on behalf of them on all matters concerning
the equity, including but not limited to attending the shareholders' meeting, exercising all shareholder rights and shareholder
voting right, exercising rights on designation and appointment of the legal representative, executive director, supervisor, general
manager and other senior management personnel of Wuxi Wangdao; (ii) Craftsman Wuxi shall have the right to transfer or delegate
the aforesaid rights to any other party at its discretion without notifying Xiaofeng Gao and Lugang Hua or obtaining any consent
of them; and (iii) Xiaofeng Gao and Lugang Hua hereby irrevocably waive all rights which are related to their holding of
equity interest of Wuxi Wangdao and have been authorized to Craftsman Wuxi under this Agreement. Xiaofeng Gao and Lugang Hua shall
not exercise such rights on their own.
(5) Letters
of Consent
Pursuant
to the Letters of Consent signed by the spouse of each of Xiaofeng Gao and Lugang Hua on July 17, 2019, the spouses of Xiaofeng
Gao and Lugang Hua irrevocably agreed to the control agreements signed by Xiaofeng Gao and Lugang Hua, and the dispose of the
shares of Wuxi Wangdao which are held by Xiaofeng Gao and Lugang Hua and registered under their names in accordance with the control
agreements; (ii) Xiaofeng Gao and Lugang Hua’s spouses admit that they do not have any interest in the equity of Wuxi
Wangdao and promise that they will not make any claim towards the equity of Wuxi Wangdao; and (iii) if the spouse(s) of
Xiaofeng Gao and/or LuGang Hua obtains any equity of Wuxi Wangdao for any reason, they shall be bound by the VIE agreements and
shall abide by the obligations that they undertake as the shareholders of Wuxi Wangdao under the VIE agreements.
4B.
Business Overview
We
are a provider of online education and technology services in China. While our education services cover a wide range of subjects,
including vocational education, continuing education, basic education and higher education, we have been focusing on vocational
education since our inception in 2013. We currently provide approximately 407 vocational training courses that cover a wide range
of subjects such as mechanics, electronics, auto repair and construction. We also provide technology services including software
development as well as comprehensive cloud services for private companies, academic institutions and government agencies in the
PRC. Revenue from our online education services accounts for 99.3%, 98.6% and 98.7%, respectively, of our revenue for the fiscal
years ended March 31, 2020, March 31, 2019 and 2018 and revenue from technology services accounts for the balance.
Our
Services
Our
online education services primarily comprise of two aspects: online vocational training and virtual simulation experimental training.
Students that sign up for our online vocational training can log into our platform and access pre-recorded courses in the areas
of their professional development. Through our platform, virtual simulation technology training offers college students the opportunity
to conduct experiments in a virtual environment as part of their curricula. In response to the recently announced “1+X”
policy of the PRC Ministry of Education that requires students of certain selected universities and colleges to obtain vocational
training certification in six areas, we plan to expand our services to address subjects required by such policy in the near future.
We
currently operate three education platforms, including the Lifelong Education Public Service Platform that is freely accessible
to students, teachers and members of our strategic partners, and the Vocational Training Platform and Virtual Simulation Experimental
Training Platform to our fee-paying members. There are currently over 200 courses available on the Lifelong Education Public Service
Platform covering a wide range of subjects. We also offer 407 vocational training courses on our Vocational Training Platform
and 9 experimental programs on our Virtual Simulation Experimental Training Platform. We believe that our courses provide college
and vocational school students with practical education to prepare them for jobs in industries with strong hiring demand and also
help workers in rural and urban areas and reemployment groups with operational skill development. Compared to traditional classroom-based
teaching, which requires hiring and training of instructors in local sites, we are able to expand our geographic footprint to
our users nationwide without impacting the quality of our course offerings and provide students and other groups across China
with equal access to course materials given by experienced instructors.
The
bulk of our revenue is generated from fees paid by registered members of our education platforms. We also generate revenue from
technology services to private companies and government agencies. Since we launched our first online education platform in 2014,
we have grown substantially. The number of registered members of our platforms has increased from 0.69 million as of December 31,
2014 to 26.3 million as of March 31, 2018, 50.8 million as of March 31, 2019 and 68.5 million as of March 31, 2020.
The number of fee-paying members, including registered members of our vocational training platform and our virtual simulation
experimental programs, increased from 49,936 as of December 31, 2014 to 1.3 million as of March 31, 2018, 2.3 million
as of March 31, 2019 and 3.1 million as of March 31, 2020. Our revenue reached $14.9 million in fiscal year 2018, $24.7
million in fiscal year 2019 and 28.6 million in fiscal year 2020.
Our
education platforms are built upon cloud computing technologies. By leveraging a combination of cloud computing software, application
and hardware owned by us, we provide an instant computer infrastructure and platform for our online training programs and content
sharing for our strategic partners. We believe that, by capitalizing on our innovative cloud-based platform, we have built a highly
scalable business that we can expand and replicate rapidly with consistent quality.
Our
goal is to position ourselves as a leading provider of online vocational education in the PRC while expanding our education and
technology services based on evolving industry trends and government policies. We aim to accomplish our objective by implementing
a number of growth strategies as described under "Our Strategies" below.
Our
Strategies
We
believe the following competitive strengths are essential for our success and differentiate us from our competitors:
Broad
Scope of Education Materials Covering Lifelong Education
Despite
our focus on vocational education, our platforms offer materials that cover education at different life stages, including basic
education, higher education, vocational training and continuing education. The broad coverage of our education services distinguishes
ourselves from many of our competitors in the PRC, who offer online courses of one or more specific subjects such as information
technology, language learning and K-12 education. Our ability to offer a wide range of online education services provides the
convenience of one-stop shopping to our target customers. In addition, existing customers for one type of online education will
likely become customers for other types of online training as they continue to grow. We believe that, given the possibility of
such conversion, the broad scope of our course materials facilitates efficient customer acquisition.
Expertise
in Online Vocational Training
Since
our inception, we have been focusing on developing and improving online vocational training. As of the date of this report, we
are the only online platform in the PRC that specializes in lifelong vocational training. Although certain other online education
companies also cover vocational training related subjects, we believe that the number of categories of courses we offer, the depth
of our experience and existing customer relationships set us apart from the other service providers in this market.
Innovative
Cloud Computing Based System
We
operate an innovative education platform based on cloud computing technologies while most of our competitors in the online education
market rely on cloud systems operated by third parties to operate their platforms and online programs. Our cloud-based system
provides the technological infrastructure for us to expand the scope of our online trading materials in response to evolving market
demands and government policies. With such infrastructure, we can easily develop additional platforms or add additional features
to our existing platforms without spending a significant amount of additional time and resources. It also facilities the connection
between our platforms and that of our partner universities. Compared to our competitors that are using third party cloud system,
the data of our members and their activities on our platforms are not available to third party cloud computing service providers,
which increases data security. In addition, we own the hardware and software components of our cloud system and our ability to
integrate these components enables us to provide cloud computing as services or infrastructure to our customers in the technology
services market.
Experienced
Management Team
We
have a strong management team with extensive experience in and passion for the online education and technology services industry.
Mr. Xiaofeng Gao, our founder, chairman and chief executive officer, has over 20 years of experience in the technology industry.
We have a seasoned team of senior officers with significant prior experience in online education and technology industries. Mr. Lugang
Hua, our Chief Technology Officer, has 20 years of experience in technology and system management. Over the past five years, our
management team has organically built an online education and technology service business that has grown significantly under its
leadership.
Our
Strategies
We
are dedicated to improving careers by delivering high quality vocational education services. Our goal is to become a leading provider
of online vocational education in the PRC while expanding our services in other areas based on evolving industry trends and government
policies. We intend to achieve our goal by pursuing the following strategies:
Expand
Course Offering based on Industry Trends and Government Policies
Based
on evolving industry trends and government policies, we plan to continue expanding the scope of our course materials corresponding
to such developments. In particular, the MOE recently announced its 1+X policy that requires students of certain selected universities
and schools to obtain vocational training certification in one or more of the six areas selected by the MOE. In order to capitalize
on the market demand for training services in these five areas, we plan to develop online training courses in four of these six
vocational training subjects, including front end web development, Building Information Model, auto repair and application and
logistics management.
Integrate
Online and Offline Resources for Our Virtual Simulation Experimental Training
In
order to attract more college students to our virtual simulation experimental platform, we are developing virtual experimental
programs for other majors, including electrical engineering, software engineering, satellite navigation, and surveying and mapping.
Another development strategy for our virtual simulation experimental training business is to integrate online and offline resources
for such training through strategic relationships. In particular, we plan to negotiate and enter into cooperation with universities
or expand our existing strategic relationships with education industry associations so that our members can access laboratories
close to their locations. We believe that such arrangements will offer our platform users the opportunity to conduct experiments
in both online and offline settings, which further increase the attractiveness of our virtual experimental training.
Offer
Professional Development Related Services by Leveraging Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Technologies
By
leveraging the experience of our research & development team in big data and artificial intelligence and the data we
have collected through operating our cloud computing system, we are dedicated to expanding our services to areas related to online
training. Such services include career advice, industry hiring demands analysis, interview history tracking and recommendations
of potential employers for individual users. We believe that these additional services will increase the value of our services
as a whole and also expand sources of our service revenue.
Develop
Mobile Applications and Wechat Interface for Our Online Education Services
Another
aspect of our growth strategy is to build mobile applications and Wechat interface for our online education services. These features
will allow our users to access training materials through their mobile devices regardless of their locations and accordingly improve
the loyalty of our existing users. Considering the increasing use of mobile applications in the PRC, we believe that we will be
able to attract additional users who are more comfortable using mobile devices for online training or simply prefer having more
options than taking classes via the web.
Our
Education Platforms
We
currently operate three online education platforms: lifelong education public service platform, online vocational training platform
and virtual simulation experimental platform. Among these platforms, the lifelong education public service platform is a platform
we operate pursuant to our existing strategic cooperation and the other two are paid platforms that are only available to their
respective registered members. Each platform is built upon cloud computing technology.
Lifelong
Education Public Service Platform
Lifelong
education public service platform is a platform we have developed pursuant to our existing strategic partnership agreements with
Higher Education Press and China Adult Education Association. The platform offers free online classes to students and teachers
of our partnership schools as well as workers and reemployment population that are members of our strategic partners. Registered
members of our vocational training platform and virtual simulation experimental platform have access to the lifelong education
public service platform as part of their subscription package.
Our
lifelong education public service platform is further divided into four sub platforms: iCourse, Intelligent Vocational Education,
Quality Couse and China Rural Distance Education Network. Each of these platforms was developed pursuant to our existing strategic
partnership agreements. See Item 10,C – “Material Contracts.” iCourse provides online course materials to undergraduate
students and teachers relating to their college coursework. Intelligent Vocational Education platform provides online course materials
to students and teachers of vocational schools relating to their vocational training coursework. Quality Course platform provides
students and teachers of universities and other higher education institutions trainings relating to their curricula.
The
course materials on the Lifelong Education Public Service Platform are provided by our strategic partners while we provide the
technical infrastructure for members of this platform to access these course materials.
Vocational
Training Platform
We
launched our vocational training platforms in April 2014. Through this platform, we provide online vocational training to
workers in urban and rural areas as well as reemployment groups. Registered members of our vocational training platform can access
pre-recorded training materials by paying an annual fee. There are currently 407 courses available on this platform that are designed
to help platform users develop and improve their vocational skills in industries with strong hiring demand. See “–
Our Couse Offerings.”
Virtual
Simulation Experimental Training Platform
We
launched our virtual simulation experimental training platform in 2018 to offer online virtual simulation experimental training
to college students. Registered members of our virtual simulation experimental training platform can access virtual experimental
centers by paying an annual fee. The platform currently hosts virtual centers for conducting nine types of experiments. See “–
Our Course Offerings.”
We
believe that the combination of these three platforms allows us to address online education demands of different groups of our
target customers, ranging from college students to workers and reemployment groups in both rural and urban areas of the PRC. Additionally,
our free lifelong education public service platform gives us access to target user groups for our fee charging platforms by offering
such users the opportunity to initially experience our training materials and services without paying a fee, which gives them
the opportunity to become a fee-paying member of our vocational training and virtual simulation experimental training platforms
by paying flat-rate annual fees for more systematic and sophisticated online training services. As of March 31, 2020 and
2019, approximately 8.91% and 9.37% of users of our life long public service platform became fee-paying users of our vocational
training and virtual simulation experimental training platforms. The decrease of the proportion was due to the higher growth rate
of the user numbers of our life long public service platform than that of the fee-paying user numbers of our vocational training
and virtual simulation experimental training platforms.
The
diagram below illustrates our existing platforms, their respective users and our integration of these platforms as of the date
of this report:
Our
Course Offerings
Our
courses provide students with practical education to prepare them for jobs in industries or fulfill the requirements of college
curricula. We generally offer the following two types of classes: vocational training courses and virtual simulation experiments.
Vocational
Training Courses
Vocational
training courses are pre-recorded video classes that cover major areas of vocational training such as electronics, computer, construction
and mechanical. We currently provide 407 courses covering a wide range of disciplines such as welding, electronics, carpentering
and metal materials. For each subject, there are basic, mid-level and high-level training courses available on our platform. Our
vocational training courses have been recognized as recommended community vocational education multimedia teaching materials by
the PRC Ministry of Education.
Vocational
training courses are offered to vocational training students as well as other groups that are interested in vocational training
such as workers in rural and urban areas of the PRC. Registered members of our platform can access pre-recorded training materials
by paying an annual fee. We currently have approximately 3.1 million registered members using our vocational training platform,
each of whom pays an annual fee of RMB 100 (approximately $14.85).
Virtual
Simulation Experimental Training
Starting
2018, we have been offering online virtual simulation experimental training to college students. Students that have registered
with our virtual simulation experimental training platform can access our virtual experiment software and conduct experiments
in a virtual environment. We currently host nine virtual experiment centers, including but not limited to, diesel engine disassembly,
flower management, flower planting, and Beidou satellite navigation.
Vocational
training course materials and virtual simulation experimental training materials are currently developed through our cooperation
with Jimei University pursuant to the cooperation agreement between the parties. See Item 10,C - “Material Contracts —
Cooperation Agreement with Jimei University.” In particular, faculties of Jimei University give lectures and other employees
of the university are responsible for recording the session. Once these steps are taken, our technical team uploads the recorded
lessons to our platform and works on subsequent technical maintenance to ensure our members’ access to these programs. We
may directly engage teachers in the future to provide teaching sessions in addition to relying upon cooperation with universities
and other academic institutions for content development. We currently have approximately 47,595 registered members using our virtual
simulation experimental training programs, each of whom pays a quarterly fee of RMB 300 (approximately $44.56).
Our
Platform Users
Users
of our platforms primarily include: college students and graduates that are studying towards, or already held, a post-secondary
degree, professionals, reemployment groups and rural migrant workers. Our online training materials are designed to provide supplemental
course materials and practical training opportunities to college students and graduates. We are also dedicated to helping professionals,
reemployment groups and rural migrant workers further develop skills that benefit their professional development and competitiveness
on the job market.
Based
on the amount of fees we charge and the types of services we provide, our users are divided into three categories: regular members,
VIP members and SVIP members. Regular members are not required to pay a fee and only have access to materials on our lifelong
education public service platform. VIP members have access to materials on our lifelong education public service platform and
vocational training platform by paying a flat-rate annual fee and SVIP members have access to all our platforms by paying a quarterly
fee at a higher rate. See “—Fees and Payments.”
We
have experienced significant growth in the number of fee-paying users in recent years. The number of fee-paying members increased
from 49,936 as of December 31, 2014 to 1.3 million as of March 31, 2018 and 2.3 million as of March 31, 2019. As
of March 31, 2020, we have 3.1 million fee-paying members.
Our
Technology Services
In
addition to online education services, we also provide technology services to our clients, comprising government agencies, academic
institutions and private clients such as education service companies. The services we provide include software development and
maintenance, hardware installation and testing and related consulting and training services. For fiscal year ended March 31,
2020, 2019 and 2018, we generated revenue of $190,359, $342,118 and $192, 934, respectively, from technology services.
Fees
and Payments
For
our VIP members, we charge a flat annual fee of RMB 100 (approximately $14.85) per member for access to our life long education
platform and our vocational training platform. For our SVIP members who have access to all platforms, including the virtual simulation
experimental training, we charge a flat fee of RMB 300 (approximately $44.56) per member per quarter. The initial payment of such
fees is due upon registration and subsequent payments are due at the beginning of each year or month within the membership period.
We also review and adjust our fee structure based on market demands for our services and industry trends.
Our
members can log into their accounts on our platforms and pay annual fees via online banking. Our members cannot request a refund
of their annual and quarterly membership fees.
For
our technology services, our service fees are determined through negotiation between us and our customers and memorialized in
our service agreements with such customers.
Technology;
Research & Development
Our
education platform is built upon cloud computing technology. The cloud-based education platform integrates telecommunication network,
broadcast network and Internet into a unified network and enables a higher amount of data sharing compared to other types of platforms.
By leveraging a combination of software, application and hardware, we provide an instant computer infrastructure and platform
for our online training programs and content sharing between us and our strategic partners such as universities and vocational
schools. Such infrastructure lays the foundation for developing any additional platforms required for our business expansions
in the future. With such infrastructure, we can easily develop additional platforms or add additional features to our existing
platforms without spending a significant amount of additional time and resources. It also facilities the connection between our
platforms and that of our partner universities. Compared to our competitors that are using third party cloud system, the data
of our members and their activities on our platforms are not available to third party cloud computing service providers, which
increases data security. In addition, we own the hardware and software components of our cloud system and our ability to integrate
these components enables us to provide cloud computing as services or infrastructure to our customers in the technology services
market. Our cloud computing technology enables us to collect and analyze a significant amount of data within a relatively short
period of time and also accumulate algorithmic models, which facilitate the application of big data and artificially intelligence
technologies in our business expansions.
We
operate an Internet technology center at our headquarters in Wuxi, Jiangsu, where we host hardware facilities for our cloud computing
programs. Our technology center has well equipped computer rooms and provides 24 hours operation services with nationally certified
security protections.
We
currently have a technology team consisting of 16 members led by our Chief Technology Officer. Our technology team dedicates its
time to our research and development efforts. Our technology team has experience in the development, design, operation and maintenance
of online platforms and services as well as application of big data and artificial intelligence technologies into improvement
and expansion of our online education services. Most of our team members have 10 years or more of experience, 10% of our team
members have master’s or doctor’s degree and certain team members have work experience at reputable laboratories.
Our research and development efforts are closely tied to the market. We adjust our development efforts based on market conditions
and government policies. The focuses of our research and development efforts include improving our online training data collection,
programs focused on intelligent study, education resource integration and cloud technology application. In addition to internal
development efforts, we also engage third parties for certain aspects of the development and maintenance of our platforms and
online programs to the extent that such arrangements can help us save development costs. For instance, our current online vocational
training courses are developed by Jimei University. See Item 10,C - “Material Contracts - Cooperation Agreement with Jimei
University.” Such cooperation allows our internal technical team to focus on other aspects of our research & development
efforts while keeping course development costs at a relatively low level.
Marketing
Since
our inception, we have been relying upon strategic cooperation with education industry associations, vocational schools and universities
to develop and expand our user base. Members and students of our strategic partners are oftentimes the target users of our platforms.
In particular, we provide the members, students and teachers of our partners free access to our lifelong education public service
platform. If these potential users are satisfied with the quality of our free course materials and services, they will register
with our fee charging platforms. We also publish articles on vocational training and online education industry trends and government
policies on publications of our strategic partners and organize seminars on these topics. Based on our experience, our current
marketing strategy is cost-effective compared to traditional brand promotion strategies such as television and newspaper advertising.
By implementing such strategy, we have been able to significantly increase our user base.
To
enhance our brand awareness, we plan to engage in other brand promotion activities such as attending high profile industry events
and advertising through social media such as Wechat and Toutiao.
Intellectual
Property
Our
intellectual property rights distinguish our courses and services from those of our competitors and contribute to our ability
to compete in our target markets. We rely on a combination of copyright law, trade secret protection and employment and confidentiality
agreements with executive officers and most other employees, to protect our intellectual property rights. Our employment agreements
with our executive officers contain confidentiality and non-disclosure clauses that impose confidentiality obligations on the
executive officers at all times during and after their employment with us. Furthermore, the executive officers acknowledge, pursuant
to the employment agreements, that copyrightable works prepared by them within the scope of and during the period of their employment
with us are “works for hire” and that we will be considered the author thereof. In addition, we require certain key
employees to enter into separate confidentiality agreements with us under which they acknowledge that all inventions, utility
models, designs, know-how, copyrights and other forms of intellectual property made by them within the scope of their employment
with us, pursuant to job assignments or using our materials and technology, or during the one year after their employment that
relates to their employment with us, are our property and they should assign the same to us if we so require. We also regularly
monitor any infringement or misappropriation of our intellectual property rights.
We
have registered 17 software copyrights in relating to our platforms with the National Copyright Administration of the PRC. We
have also registered 3 domain names relating to our business, including our www.kingwayup.com, www.kingwayedu.cn
and kingwayedu.net websites, with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers and China Internet Network Information
Center.
Employees
We
are currently headquartered in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, where all of our employees are based. We had a total of 42 employees as
of the date of this report. All of our current employees are employed on a full-time basis. The following table sets forth the
number of our employees, categorized by function:
Function
|
|
Number of Employees
|
|
Research and Development
|
|
|
16
|
|
Marketing
|
|
|
11
|
|
Finance and Accounting
|
|
|
6
|
|
General and administration
|
|
|
9
|
|
Total
|
|
|
42
|
|
We
enter into employment contracts with all of our employees. We also enter into separate confidentiality agreements with certain
key employees that impose confidentiality obligations until the relevant information becomes public or is no longer considered
confidential by us. In addition to salaries and benefits, we provide performance-based bonuses for our employees.
As
required by regulations in China, we participate in various employee social security plans that are organized by municipal and
provincial governments, including pension, unemployment insurance, childbirth insurance, work-related injury insurance, medical
insurance and housing insurance. We are required under PRC law to make contributions from time to time to employee benefit plans
at specified percentages of the salaries, bonuses and certain allowances of our employees, up to a maximum amount specified by
the local government.
We
believe that we maintain a good working relationship with our employees, and we have not experienced any significant labor disputes.
As of the date of this report, none of our employees belongs to any union.
Seasonality
Given
the constant demands for vocational education services throughout the year, our current operations have not demonstrated seasonality.
Competition
The
vocational education services market in China is fragmented, rapidly evolving and highly competitive. We face competition for
student enrollment from existing large online and offline providers of vocational education services, as well as smaller regional
vocational education services providers in China. We may also face competition from providers that offer specialized programs
targeting certain markets such as IT and accounting. In the future, we may also face competition from new entrants into the Chinese
vocational education market.
We
believe that the principal competitive factors in our markets include the following:
|
•
|
scope and quality of course offerings
and services;
|
|
•
|
ability to independently operate
our own cloud platform that integrates a wide range of online resources;
|
|
•
|
access to experienced teachers through
strategic partnership; and
|
|
•
|
ability to align course offerings
and services to specific needs of students.
|
We
believe that we are well-positioned to effectively compete in markets in which we operate on the basis of our innovative education
platform, broad scope of course offering, expertise in vocational training and experienced management team. However, some of our
current or future competitors may have longer operating histories, greater brand recognition, or greater financial, technical
or marketing resources than we do. For a discussion of risks relating to competition, see “Risk Factors— Risks Related
to Our Business and Industry— If we fail to develop and introduce new courses in anticipation of market demand in a timely
and cost-effective manner, our competitive position and ability to generate revenues may be materially and adversely affected.”
Facilities
Our
current principal executive offices are located at our headquarters in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, comprising 1,219 square meters,
at Floor 4, Building 1, No. 311, Yanxin Road, Huishan District, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, PRC. This facility currently accommodates
our management headquarters, research and development and general and administrative activities. We rent this facility from an
unaffiliated third party for an annual rent of RMB 526,660 (approximately $78,215). The lease will expire on December 31,
2020 and we do not anticipate any issue renewing such lease or finding alternative space.
We
believe that the facilities that we currently lease are adequate to meet our needs for the foreseeable future, and we believe
that we will be able to obtain adequate facilities, principally through leasing of additional properties, to accommodate our future
expansion plans.
Insurance
and Social Security Matters
We
do not maintain any liability insurance or property insurance policies covering equipment and facilities for losses due to fire,
earthquake, flood or any other disaster. Consistent with customary industry practice in China, we do not maintain business interruption
insurance, nor do we maintain key-man life insurance. We participate in various government statutory social security plans, including
a pension contribution plan, a medical insurance plan, an unemployment insurance plan, a work-related injury insurance plan, a
maternity insurance plan and a housing provident fund.
Legal
Proceedings
We
are currently not a party to, and are not aware of any threat of, any legal, arbitration or administrative proceedings that, in
the opinion of our management, are likely to have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results
of operations. From time to time, we have become, and may in the future become, a party to various legal or administrative proceedings
or claims arising in the ordinary course of our business. Regardless of the outcome, legal or administrative proceedings or claims
may have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management attention and other factors.
Regulations
This
section sets forth a summary of the most significant laws, rules and regulations that affect our business and operations.
Regulations
on Value-added Telecommunication Services
On
September 25, 2000, the State Council promulgated the Telecommunications Regulations of the People’s Republic of China,
or the Telecom Regulations, which was amended on July 29, 2014 and February 6, 2016. The Telecom Regulations is the
primary PRC law governing telecommunication services and sets out the general regulatory framework for telecommunication services
provided by PRC companies. The Telecom Regulations distinguishes between “basic telecommunication services” and “value-added
telecommunication services.” The Telecom Regulations defines value-added telecommunications services as telecommunications
and information services provided through public networks. Pursuant to the Telecom Regulations, commercial operators of value-added
telecommunications services must first obtain an operating license from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or
the MIIT, or its provincial counterparts.
On
July 3, 2017, the MIIT issued the Measures on the Administration of Telecommunications Business Operating Permits, or the
Telecom License Measures, which became effective on September 1, 2017, to supplement the Telecom Regulations. The Telecom
License Measures sets forth the types of licenses required to operate value-added telecommunications services and the qualifications
and procedures for obtaining such licenses. The Telecom License Measures also provides that an operator providing value-added
telecommunication services in multiple provinces is required to obtain an inter-regional license, whereas an operator providing
value-added telecommunication services in one province is required to obtain an intra-provincial license. Any telecommunication
services operator must conduct its business in accordance with the specifications in its license.
We
engage in business activities that are value-added telecommunication services as defined in the Telecom Regulations and Catalogue
of Industries for Guiding Foreign Investment (2017 Revision) (“the Catalogue”). To comply with the relevant laws and
regulations, Wuxi Wangdao, our VIE, has obtained a Value-Added Telecommunications Services Operating License for providing
information services via the internet, or the ICP License, which will remain effective until December 29, 2023.
Regulations
on Foreign Investment in the Value-added Telecommunications Industry
Foreign
direct investment in telecommunications companies in China is governed by the Provisions on the Administration of Foreign-Invested
Telecommunications Enterprises, or the FITE Regulations, which was promulgated by the State Council on December 11, 2001
and amended on September 10, 2008 and February 6, 2016. These regulations require that foreign-invested value-added
telecommunications enterprises in China must be established as Sino-foreign equity joint ventures and that foreign investors may
not hold a majority equity interest in such joint ventures. In addition, foreign investors must demonstrate significant experience
in a value-added telecommunications business as well as a good business track record. Moreover, foreign investors that meet these
requirements must obtain approvals from the MIIT and the MOFCOM to provide value-added telecommunication services in China, and
the MIIT and the MOFCOM retain considerable discretion in granting such approvals.
On
July 13, 2006, the Ministry of Information Industry (the predecessor of the MIIT) issued the Circular on Strengthening the
Administration of Foreign Investment in and Operation of Value-added Telecommunications Business, pursuant to which a PRC company
that holds an ICP License is prohibited from leasing, transferring or selling the ICP License to foreign investors in any form,
and from providing any assistance, including resources, sites or facilities, to foreign investors that conduct value-added telecommunications
business illegally in China. Moreover, the domain names and registered trademarks used by an operating company providing value-added
telecommunications services shall be legally owned by such company and/or its shareholders. In addition, such company’s
operation premises and equipment must comply with its approved ICP License, and such company must improve its internal internet
and information security standards and emergency management procedures.
In
view of these restrictions on foreign direct investment in value-added telecommunications services under which our business may
fall, including internet audio-visual program services and radio/television programs production and operation businesses, due
to the lack of interpretative guidance from the relevant PRC governmental authorities, there are uncertainties regarding whether
PRC governmental authorities would consider our corporate structure and contractual arrangements to constitute foreign ownership
of a value-added telecommunications business. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure— If
the PRC government finds that the contractual arrangements that establish the structure for holding our ICP license do not comply
with applicable PRC laws and regulations, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in
those operations.” If our current ownership structure is found to be in violation of current or future PRC laws, rules or
regulations regarding the legality of foreign investment in value-added telecommunications services and other types of businesses
in which foreign investment is restricted or prohibited, we could be subject to severe penalties.
Regulations
on Foreign Investment
Catalogue
of Industries for Guiding Foreign Investment (2017 Revision)
The
Catalogue, was promulgated by the National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”) and the MOFCOM on June 28,
1995, and most recently amended on June 28, 2017. The Foreign Investment Catalog lays out the basic framework for foreign
investment in China, classifying businesses into three categories with regard to foreign investment: “encourage,”
“restricted” and “prohibited.” Industries not listed in the catalogue are generally deemed as falling
into a fourth category, “permitted,” unless specifically restricted by other PRC laws. Our business falls under value-added
telecommunications services, which are under the “restricted” category in the Catalogue. In addition, in June 2018,
the MOFCOM and the NDRC promulgated the Special Management Measures (Negative List) for the Access of Foreign Investment (2019)
(“Negative List”), which will become effective on July 30, 2019. On June 30, 2019, NDRC and MOFCOM issued
Catalogue of Encouraged Industries for Foreign Investment (2019), which will also come into effect on July 30, 2019. The
aforesaid two regulations have updated their counterparts in the Catalogue. Foreign investment in value-added telecommunications
services (except for e-commerce) falls within the Negative List. As a result, foreign investors can only conduct investment
activities through equity or contractual joint ventures with certain shareholding requirements and approvals from competent authorities.
PRC partners are required to hold the majority interests in the joint ventures and approvals from the MOFCOM and the MIIT for
the incorporation of the joint ventures and the business operations.
Company
Law of the People’s Republic of China (2018 Amendment), Law of the People’s Republic of China on Wholly Foreign-Owned
Enterprises
The
establishment, operation and management of corporate entities in the PRC is governed by the Company Law of the People’s
Republic of China (2018 Amendment) (“PRC Company Law”), which was initially promulgated by the NPCSC, on December 29,
1993, came into effect on July 1, 1994, and was subsequently amended on December 25, 1999, August 28, 2004, October 27,
2005, December 28, 2013 and October 26, 2018. The latest amended PRC Company Law became effective on October 26,
2018. The PRC Company Law generally governs two types of companies—limited liability companies and joint stock limited companies.
The PRC Company Law also applies to foreign-invested companies. Where laws on foreign investment have other stipulations, such
stipulations shall prevail. The establishment procedures, approval or record-filing procedures, registered capital requirements,
foreign exchange matters, accounting practices, taxation matters and labor matters of a wholly foreign-owned enterprise are regulated
by Law of the People’s Republic of China on Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprises, (“WFOE Law”), promulgated on April 12,
1986 and amended on October 31, 2000 and September 3, 2016, and the Rules for the Implementation of the WFOE Law,
promulgated on December 12, 1990 and amended on April 12, 2001 and February 19, 2014. According to the amendments
to the WFOE law in 2016, for any wholly foreign-owned enterprise that the special entry management system does not apply to, its
establishment, operation duration and extension, separation, merger or other major changes shall be reported for record.
On
October 8, 2016, the MOFCOM promulgated the Provisional Measures on Administration of Filing for Establishment and Change
of Foreign Investment Enterprises (“FIE Provisional Administrative Measures”), and was subsequently amended on July 30,
2017 and on June 30, 2018. Under the FIE Provisional Administrative Measures, the incorporation and change of FIEs are subject
to record-filing procedures, instead of prior approval requirements, provided that the incorporation or change does not trigger
any special entry administrative measures required by the government. If the incorporation or change of FIE matters is subject
to the special entry administration measures, the approval of the MOFCOM or its local counterparts is still required.
Foreign
Investment Law of the People's Republic of China
On
March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress approved Foreign Investment Law of the People's Republic of China (“the
Foreign Investment Law”), which will come into effect on January 1, 2020 and replace the trio of existing laws regulating
foreign investment in China, namely, the Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law, the Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint
Venture Enterprise Law and the Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary
regulations. The organization form, organization and activities of foreign-invested enterprises shall be governed, among others,
by the PRC Company Law and the PRC Partnership Enterprise Law. Foreign-invested enterprises established before the implementation
of the Foreign Investment Law may retain the original business organization and so on within five years after the implementation
of this Law.
The
Foreign Investment Law is formulated to further expand opening-up, vigorously promote foreign investment and protect the legitimate
rights and interests of foreign investors. According to the Foreign Investment Law, foreign investments are entitled to pre-entry
national treatment and are subject to a negative list management system. The pre-entry national treatment means that the treatment
given to foreign investors and their investments at the stage of investment access shall not be less favorable than that of domestic
investors and their investments. The negative list management system means that the state implements special administrative measures
for access of foreign investment in specific fields. The Foreign Investment Law does not mention the relevant concept and regulatory
regime of VIE structures. However, since it is relatively new, uncertainties still exist in relation to its interpretation and
implementation. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure— Substantial uncertainties exist
with respect to interpretation and implementation of draft PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact the viability of our
current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.”
Foreign
investors’ investment, earnings and other legitimate rights and interests within the territory of China shall be protected
in accordance with the law, and all national policies on supporting the development of enterprises shall equally apply to foreign-invested
enterprises. Among others, the state guarantees that foreign-invested enterprises participate in the formulation of standards
in an equal manner and that foreign-invested enterprises participate in government procurement activities through fair competition
in accordance with the law. Further, the state shall not expropriate any foreign investment except under special circumstances.
In special circumstances, the state may levy or expropriate the investment of foreign investors in accordance with the law for
the needs of the public interest. The expropriation and requisition shall be conducted in accordance with legal procedures and
timely and reasonable compensation shall be given. In carrying out business activities, foreign-invested enterprises
shall comply with relevant provisions on labor protection.
Regulations
on Internet Content Providers
The
Administrative Measures on Internet Information Services, or the Internet Content Measures, which was promulgated by the State
Council on September 25, 2000 and amended on January 8, 2011, sets out guidelines on the provision of internet information
services. The Internet Content Measures specifies that internet information services regarding news, publications, education,
medical and health care, pharmacy and medical appliances, among other things, are required to be examined, approved and regulated
by the relevant authorities.
Internet
information providers are prohibited from providing services beyond those included in the scope of their licenses or filings.
Furthermore, the Internet Content Measures specifies a list of prohibited content. Internet information providers are prohibited
from producing, copying, publishing or distributing information that is humiliating or defamatory to others or that infringes
the legal rights of others. Internet information providers that violate such prohibition may face criminal charges or administrative
sanctions. Internet information providers must monitor and control the information posted on their websites. If any prohibited
content is found, they must remove the content immediately, keep a record of such content and report to the relevant authorities.
The
Internet Content Measures classifies internet information services into commercial internet information services and non-commercial internet
information services. Commercial internet information services refer to services that provide information or services to internet
users with charge. A provider of commercial internet information services must obtain an ICP License.
Regulations
on Online and Distance Education
Pursuant
to the Administrative Regulations on Educational Websites and Online and Distance Education Schools issued by the Ministry
of Education on July 5, 2000, educational websites and online education schools may provide educational services in relation
to higher education, elementary education, pre-school education, teaching education, occupational education, adult education,
other education and public educational information services. “Educational websites” refer to organizations providing
education or education-related information services to website visitors by means of a database or online education platform connected
via the Internet or an educational television station through an Internet Service Provider, or ISP. “Online education schools”
refer to education websites providing academic education services or training services with the issuance of various certificates.
Setting
up an education website and online education school is subject to approvals from relevant education authorities, depending on
the specific types of education. Any education website and online education school shall, upon the receipt of approval, indicate
on its website such approval information as well as the approval date and file number.
On
June 29, 2004, the State Council promulgated the Decision on Setting Down Administrative Licenses for the Administrative
Examination and Approval Items Really Necessary to be Retained, pursuant to which the administrative license for “online
education schools” was maintained, while the administrative license for “educational websites” was not retained.
Accordingly, Craftsman Wuxi, which holds ICP license for kingwayup.com website is not required to obtain approval
to operate “educational websites” from the Ministry of Education. On January 28, 2014, the State Council promulgated
the Decision on Abolishing and Delegating Certain Administrative Examination and Approval Items, pursuant to which the administrative
approval for “online education schools” of higher education was abolished. Craftsman Wuxi and Wuxi Wangdao are not
required to obtain a license to operate “online education schools,” as it does not directly offer government accredited
degrees or certifications.
On
September 19, 2019, the MoE, jointly with certain other PRC government authorities, issued the Guidance Opinions on Promoting
the Healthy Development of Online Education, which provides, among others, that (i) social forces are encouraged to establish
online education institutions, develop online education resources, and provide high quality education services; and (ii) an online
education negative list shall be promulgated and industries not included in the negative list are open for all types of entities
to enter into.
Regulations
on Internet Audio-Visual Program Services
Audio-Visual
License
On
December 20, 2007, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, or the SARFT (the predecessor of NRTA) and the
MIII jointly promulgated the Administrative Provisions on Internet Audio-Visual Program Services, or the Audio-Visual Program
Provisions, which became effective as of January 31, 2008 and were subsequently amended on August 28, 2015. Providers
of internet audio-visual program services are required to obtain the license for online transmission of audio-visual programs,
or the Audio-Visual License issued by SARFT, or complete record-filing procedures with SARFT. In general, providers of internet
audio-visual program services must be either state-owned or state-controlled entities, and their businesses must satisfy the overall
planning and guidance catalog for internet audio-visual program service determined by SARFT.
On
May 21, 2008, SARFT issued a Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning Application and Approval of License for the Online Transmission
of Audio-Visual Programs, which was amended on August 28, 2015. Such regulation further sets out detailed provisions concerning
the application and approval process regarding the Audio-Visual License. The notice also stipulates that internet audio-visual
program services providers that have engaged in such services prior to the promulgation of the Audio-Visual Program Provisions
are able to apply for the license so long as (i) the violation of the laws and regulations is minor in scope and can be rectified
in a timely manner, and (ii) the providers had no violations of laws during the last three months prior to the promulgation
of the Audio-Visual Program Provisions.
On
March 30, 2009, SARFT promulgated the Notice on Strengthening the Administration of the Content of Internet Audio-Visual
Programs, which prohibits internet audio-visual programs containing violence, pornography, gambling, terrorism, superstition or
other similarly prohibited elements.
Regulations
on Publication and Distribution of Audio-Visual Programs through the Internet or Other Information Network
Under
the Provisions on the Administration of the Publication Market, or Publications Market Measures, which was jointly promulgated
by SAPPRFT and MOFCOM and became effective on June 1, 2016, any enterprise or individual who engages in publication distribution
activities shall obtain permission from SAPPRFT or its local counterpart. “Publication” is defined as “books,
newspapers, periodicals, audio-video products, and electronic publications,” and “distributing” is defined as
“wholesale, retail, rental, exhibition and other activities,” respectively, under the Publication Market Measures.
Any enterprise or individual that engages in retail of publications shall obtain a Publication Business Operating License issued
by the local counterpart of SAPPRFT at the county level. In addition, any enterprise or individual that holds a Publication Business
Operating License shall file with the relevant local counterpart of SAPPRFT that granted such license to it within 15 days since
it begins to carry out any online publication distribution business. Where an entity or individual is engaged in the distribution
of publications via the internet or other information networks, it or he/she shall obtain the operation permit for publications.
The
SAPPRFT and the MIIT jointly promulgated the Administrative Provisions on Internet Audio-Visual Program Service, or the Audio-Visual
Program Provisions, on December 20, 2007, which came into effect on January 31, 2008 and was amended and effective on
August 8, 2015. Under the Audio-Visual Program Provisions, “internet audio-visual program services” is defined
as activities of producing, redacting and integrating audio-visual programs, providing them to the general public via the internet,
and providing service for other people to upload and transmits audio-visual programs.
On
April 1, 2010, SAPPRFT promulgated the Provisional Implementation of the Tentative Categories of Internet Audio-Visual Program
Services, or the Categories, which was modified on March 10, 2017. The Categories clarified the scope of Internet audio-video
programs services. According to the Categories, there are four categories of Internet audio-visual program services which are
further divided into seventeen sub-categories. The third sub-category to the second category covers the making and editing of
certain specialized audio-video programs concerning, among other things, educational content, and broadcasting such content to
the general public online. However, there are still significant uncertainties relating to the interpretation and implementation
of the Audio-Visual Program Provisions, in particular, the scope of “internet audio-video programs.”
Regulations
on Internet Publishing
On
February 4, 2016, the SAPPRFT and the MIIT jointly issued the Rules for the Administration for Internet Publishing Services,
or the Internet Publishing Rules, which became effective on March 10, 2016, to replace the Provisional Rules for the
Administration for Internet Publishing that had been jointly issued by the SAPPRFT and the MIIT on June 27, 2002. The Internet
Publishing Rules defines “internet publications” as digital works that are edited, produced, or processed to
be published and provided to the public through the internet, including (a) original digital works, such as pictures, maps,
games, and comics; (b) digital works with content that is consistent with the type of content that, prior to the internet
age, typically was published in media such as books, newspapers, periodicals, audio-visual products, and electronic publications;
(c) digital works in the form of online databases compiled by selecting, arranging, and compiling other types of digital
works; and (d) other types of digital works identified by the SAPPRFT. Under the Internet Publishing Rules, internet operators
distributing such publications via the internet are required to apply for an internet publishing license with the relevant governmental
authorities and for SAPPRFT approval before distributing internet publications.
Regulations
on Internet Security
Internet
information in China is regulated and restricted from a national security standpoint. The SCNPC, has enacted the Decisions on
Maintaining Internet Security on December 28, 2000, amended on August 27, 2009, which may subject violators to criminal
punishment in China for any effort to: (i) gain improper entry into a computer or system of strategic importance; (ii) disseminate
politically disruptive information; (iii) leak state secrets; (iv) spread false commercial information; or (v) infringe
intellectual property rights. In 1997, the Ministry of Public Security promulgated measures that prohibit the use of the internet
in ways which, among other things, result in a leakage of state secrets or a spread of socially destabilizing content. If an internet
information service provider violates these measures, the Ministry of Public Security and the local security bureaus may revoke
its operating license and shut down its websites.
On
November 7, 2016, the SCNPC promulgated the Network Security Law of the PRC, or the Network Security Law, which became effective
on June 1, 2017. The Network Security Law requires network operators, including online lending information intermediaries,
to comply with laws and regulations and fulfill their obligations to safeguard the security of the network when conducting business
and to provide services. The Network Security Law further requires network operators to take all necessary measures in accordance
with applicable laws, regulations and compulsory national requirements to safeguard the safe and stable operation of the networks,
respond to network security incidents effectively, prevent illegal and criminal activities, and maintain the integrity, confidentiality
and usability of network data.
Regulations
on Intellectual Property
Regulations
on Copyright
The
Copyright Law of the PRC, or the Copyright Law, which took effect on June 1, 1991 and was amended in 2001 and in 2010, provides
that Chinese citizens, legal persons, or other organizations shall, whether published or not, own copyright in their copyrightable
works, which include, among others, works of literature, art, natural science, social science, engineering technology and computer
software. Copyright owners enjoy certain legal rights, including the right of publication, right of authorship and right of reproduction.
The Copyright Law as revised in 2010 extends copyright protection to Internet activities, products disseminated over the Internet
and software products. In addition, the Copyright Law provides for a voluntary registration system administered by the China Copyright
Protection Center, or the CPCC. According to the Copyright Law, an infringer of the copyrights shall be subject to various
civil liabilities, which include ceasing infringement activities, apologizing to the copyright owners and compensating the loss
of copyright owner. Infringers of copyright may also be subject to fines and/or administrative or criminal liabilities in severe
situations.
Pursuant
to the Computer Software Copyright Protection Regulations promulgated by the State Council on December 20, 2001 and last
amended on January 30, 2013, the software copyright owner may go through the registration formalities with a software registration
authority recognized by the State Council’s copyright administrative department. The software copyright owner may authorize
others to exercise that copyright, and is entitled to receive remuneration.
On May 28, 2020 the
National People's Congress promulgated the Civil Code, which will take effect on January 1, 2021. Under the Civil Code, if an offender
intentionally infringes upon the intellectual property rights of others and the circumstance is severe, the infringed party shall
have the right to request for the corresponding punitive compensation.
Regulations
on Domain Names
The
MIIT promulgated the Measures on Administration of Internet Domain Names, or the Domain Name Measures, on August 24, 2017,
which took effect on November 1, 2017 and replaced the Administrative Measures on China Internet Domain Name first promulgated
by the MIIT on August 1, 2002. According to the Domain Name Measures, the MIIT is in charge of the administration of PRC
internet domain names. The domain name registration follows a first-to-file principle. Applicants for registration of
domain names must provide the true, accurate and complete information of their identities to domain name registration service
institutions. The applicants will become the holder of such domain names upon the completion of the registration procedure.
Regulations
on Foreign Exchange
General
Administration of Foreign Exchange
Under
the Regulation of the People’s Republic of China on Foreign Exchange Administration (2008 Revision)(“Foreign Exchange
Administration Rules”) promulgated on January 29, 1996 and most recently amended on August 5, 2008 and various
regulations issued by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the PRC, or the SAFE and other relevant PRC government authorities,
Renminbi is convertible into other currencies for current account items, such as trade-related receipts and payments
and payment of interest and dividends. The conversion of Renminbi into other currencies and remittance of the converted foreign
currency outside the PRC for capital account items, such as direct equity investments, loans and repatriation of investment, requires
the prior approval from the SAFE or its local office.
Payments
for transactions that take place within the PRC must be made in Renminbi. Unless otherwise approved, PRC companies may not repatriate
foreign currency payments received from abroad or retain the same abroad. Foreign-invested enterprises may retain foreign exchange
in accounts with designated foreign exchange banks under the current account items subject to a cap set by the SAFE or its local
office. Foreign exchange proceeds under the current accounts may be either retained or sold to a financial institution engaged
in settlement and sale of foreign exchange pursuant to relevant SAFE rules and regulations. For foreign exchange proceeds
under the capital accounts, approval from the SAFE is generally required for the retention or sale of such proceeds to a financial
institution engaged in settlement and sale of foreign exchange.
Pursuant
to the Circular of the SAFE on Further Improving and Adjusting Foreign Exchange Administration Policies for Direct Investment,
or the SAFE Circular 59, promulgated by SAFE on November 19, 2012, which became effective on December 17, 2012 and was
further amended on May 4, 2015, approval by SAFE is not required for opening a foreign exchange account and depositing foreign
exchange into the accounts relating to the direct investments. The SAFE Circular 59 also simplified foreign exchange-related registration
required for the foreign investors to acquire the equity interests of Chinese companies and further improve the administration
on foreign exchange settlement for foreign-invested enterprises.
The
Circular on Further Simplifying and Improving the Foreign Currency Management Policy on Direct Investment, or the SAFE Circular
13, effective from June 1, 2015, cancels the administrative approvals of foreign exchange registration of direct domestic
investment and direct overseas investment and simplifies the procedure of foreign exchange-related registration. Pursuant to the
SAFE Circular 13, the investors shall register with banks for direct domestic investment and direct overseas investment.
The
Circular on Reforming the Management Approach regarding the Settlement of Foreign Capital of Foreign-invested Enterprise, or the
SAFE Circular 19, which was promulgated by the SAFE on March 30, 2015 and became effective on June 1, 2015, provides
that a foreign-invested enterprise may, according to its actual business needs, settle with a bank the portion of the foreign
exchange capital in its capital account for which the relevant foreign exchange administration has confirmed monetary capital
contribution rights and interests (or for which the bank has registered the injection of the monetary capital contribution into
the account). Pursuant to the SAFE Circular No. 19, for the time being, foreign-invested enterprises are allowed to
settle 100% of their foreign exchange capitals on a discretionary basis; a foreign-invested enterprise shall truthfully use its
capital for its own operational purposes within the scope of business; where an ordinary foreign-invested enterprise makes domestic
equity investment with the amount of foreign exchanges settled, the invested enterprise must first go through domestic re-investment registration
and open a corresponding account for foreign exchange settlement pending payment with the foreign exchange administration or the
bank at the place where it is registered.
The
Circular on Reforming and Regulating Policies on the Control over Foreign Exchange Settlement of Capital Accounts, or the SAFE
Circular 16, which was promulgated by the SAFE and became effective on June 9, 2016, provides that enterprises registered
in the PRC may also convert their foreign debts from foreign currency into Renminbi on self-discretionary basis. The SAFE Circular
16 also provides an integrated standard for conversion of foreign exchange under capital account items (including but not limited
to foreign currency capital and foreign debts) on a self-discretionary basis, which applies to all enterprises registered in the
PRC. Domestic institutions may, at their discretion, settle up to 100% of their foreign exchange receipts under the capital
account for the time being, while the RMB funds obtained from discretionary settlement under the capital account shall be included
in the account pending for foreign exchange settlement and payment. Our PRC subsidiary and VIE entity may only use the RMB funds
obtained from foreign exchange settlement for expenditures under the current account within the business scope or the expenditure
under the capital account permitted by laws and regulations. In addition, our PRC subsidiary and VIE entity are required to comply
with the following provisions in using their foreign exchange receipts under the capital account and RMB funds obtained from foreign
exchange settlement: (1) such receipts and funds shall not, directly or indirectly, be used for the expenditures beyond the
business scope of domestic institutions or the expenditures prohibited by laws and regulations of the State; (2) unless otherwise
provided, such receipts and funds shall not, directly or indirectly, be used for investment in securities or other investments
than banks' principal-secured products; (3) such receipts and funds shall not be used for the granting of loans to non-affiliated
enterprises, with the exception that such granting is expressly permitted in the business license; and (4) such receipts
and funds shall not be used for construction or purchase of real estate for purpose other than self-use (exception applies for
real estate enterprises). Where there is any agreement on the use scope of receipt under the capital account between a domestic
institution and other parties involved, the domestic institution shall not use such receipts and funds beyond the scope of such
agreement and the contractual agreement shall not conflict with this Circular 16.
Under SAFE Circular
16, only FIEs with registered business scope include investment activities are allowed to make domestic equity investment with
their capital funds. In October 23, 2019, SAFE promulgated the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Further
Promoting the Facilitation of Cross-border Trade and Investment, or Circular 28, which cancels such restriction. According to Circular
28, FIEs are allowed to make domestic equity investment with their capital funds subject to Negative List even though investment
activities are not included in their registered business scope, with the condition that the projects invested thereby in China
are true and compliant.
According
to the Provisional Measures, the Administrative Rules on the Company Registration, which was promulgated by the State Council
on June 24, 1994, became effective on July 1, 1994 and was last amended on February 6, 2016, and other laws and
regulations governing the foreign-invested enterprises and company registrations, the establishment of a foreign-invested enterprise
and any capital increase and other major changes in a foreign-invested enterprise shall be registered with the SAMR or its local
counterparts, and shall be filed via the foreign investment comprehensive administrative system, or the FICMIS, if such foreign-invested
enterprise does not involve special access administrative measures prescribed by the PRC government.
Pursuant
to the SAFE Circular No. 13 and other laws and regulations relating to foreign exchange, when setting up a new foreign-invested
enterprise, the foreign-invested enterprise shall register with the bank located at its registered place after obtaining the business
license, and if there is any change in capital or other changes relating to the basic information of the foreign-invested enterprise,
including without limitation any increase in its registered capital or total investment, the foreign-invested enterprise must
register such changes with the bank located at its registered place after obtaining the approval from or completing the filing
with competent authorities. Pursuant to the relevant foreign exchange laws and regulations, the above-mentioned foreign exchange
registration with the banks will typically take less than four weeks upon the acceptance of the registration application.
Loans
by the Foreign Companies to their PRC Subsidiaries
A
loan made by foreign investors as shareholders in a foreign-invested enterprise is considered to be foreign debt in China and
is regulated by various laws and regulations, including the Regulation of the People’s Republic of China on Foreign Exchange
Administration, the Interim Provisions on the Management of Foreign Debts, the Statistical Monitoring of Foreign Debts Tentative
Provisions, the Detailed Rules for the Implementation of Provisional Regulations on Statistics and Supervision of External
Debt, and the Administrative Measures for Registration of Foreign Debts. Under these rules and regulations, a shareholder
loan in the form of foreign debt made to a PRC entity does not require the prior approval of SAFE. However, such foreign debt
must be registered with and recorded by SAFE or its local branches within fifteen business days after entering into the foreign
debt contract. Pursuant to these rules and regulations, the balance of the foreign debts of a foreign-invested enterprise
shall not exceed the difference between the total investment and the registered capital of the foreign-invested enterprise, or
Total Investment and Registered Capital Balance.
On
January 11, 2017, the People’s Bank of China, or the PBOC, promulgated the Notice of the People’s Bank of China
on Matters concerning the Macro-Prudential Management of Full-Covered Cross-Border Financing, or the PBOC Notice No. 9. Pursuant
to the PBOC Notice No. 9, within a transition period of one year from January 11, 2017, the foreign-invested enterprises
may adopt the currently valid foreign debt management mechanism, or Current Foreign Debt Mechanism, or the mechanism as provided
in the PBOC Notice No. 9, or Notice No. 9 Foreign Debt Mechanism, at their own discretion. The PBOC Notice No. 9
provides that enterprises may conduct independent cross-border financing in RMB or foreign currencies as required. Pursuant to
the PBOC Notice No. 9, the outstanding cross-border financing of an enterprise (the outstanding balance drawn, here and below)
shall be calculated using a risk-weighted approach, or Risk-Weighted Approach, and shall not exceed the specified upper limit,
namely: risk-weighted outstanding cross-border financing≤ the upper limit of risk-weighted outstanding cross-border financing.
Risk-weighted outstanding cross-border financing is calculated based on a formula set forth under such regulation. The PBOC Notice
No. 9 further provides that the upper limit of risk-weighted outstanding cross-border financing for enterprises shall be
200% of its net assets, or Net Asset Limits. Enterprises shall file with SAFE in its capital item information system after entering
into the relevant cross-border financing contracts and at least three business day before drawing any money from the foreign
debts.
Based
on the foregoing, if we provide funding to our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries through shareholder loans, the balance of such
loans shall not exceed the Total Investment and Registered Capital Balance and we will need to register such loans with SAFE or
its local branches in the event that the Current Foreign Debt Mechanism applies, or the balance of such loans shall be subject
to the Risk-Weighted Approach and the Net Asset Limits. According to the PBOC Notice No. 9, after a transition period of
one year from January 11, 2017, the PBOC and SAFE will determine the cross-border financing administration mechanism for
the foreign-invested enterprises after evaluating the overall implementation of the PBOC Notice No. 9. As of the date hereof,
neither PBOC nor SAFE has promulgated and made public any further rules, regulations, notices or circulars in this regard. It
is uncertain which mechanism will be adopted by PBOC and SAFE in the future and what statutory limits will be imposed on us when
providing loans to our PRC subsidiaries. We will need to file the loans with SAFE in its information system in the event
that the Notice No. 9 Mechanism applies.
Offshore
Investment
Under
the Circular of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Issues Concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration over the
Overseas Investment and Financing and Round-trip Investment by Domestic Residents via Special Purpose Vehicles, or the SAFE Circular
37, issued by the SAFE and effective on July 4, 2014, PRC residents are required to register with the local SAFE branch prior
to the establishment or control of an offshore special purpose vehicle, or SPV, which is defined as offshore enterprises directly
established or indirectly controlled by PRC residents for offshore equity financing of the enterprise assets or interests they
hold in China. An amendment to registration or subsequent filing with the local SAFE branch by such PRC resident is also required
if there is any change in basic information of the offshore company or any material change with respect to the capital of the
offshore company. At the same time, the SAFE has issued the Operation Guidance for the Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration
over Round-trip Investment regarding the procedures for SAFE registration under the SAFE Circular 37, which became effective on
July 4, 2014 as an attachment of Circular 37.
SAFE
Notice Circular No. 13 has amended SAFE Circular 37 requiring PRC residents or entities to register with qualified banks
rather than SAFE or its local branches in connection with their establishment or control of an offshore entity established for
the purpose of seeking offshore investment or making offshore financing.
Under
the relevant rules, a failure to comply with the registration procedures set forth in the SAFE Circular 37 may result in bans
on the foreign exchange activities of the relevant onshore company, including the payment of dividends and other distributions
to its offshore parent or affiliates, and may also subject relevant PRC residents to penalties under PRC foreign exchange administration
regulations.
Regulations
on Dividend Distribution
The
principal laws and regulations regulating the dividend distribution of dividends by foreign-invested enterprises in the PRC include
the Company Law and the forthcoming Foreign Investment Law. Under the current regulatory regime in the PRC, foreign-invested enterprises
in the PRC may pay dividends only out of their retained earnings, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards
and regulations. A PRC company is required to set aside as statutory reserve funds at least 10% of its after-tax profit,
until the cumulative amount of such reserve funds reaches 50% of its registered capital unless laws regarding foreign investment
provide otherwise. A PRC company shall not distribute any profits until any losses from prior fiscal years have been offset. Profits
retained from prior fiscal years may be distributed together with distributable profits from the current fiscal year.
Regulations
on Tax
Enterprise
Income Tax
On
March 16, 2007, the SCNPC promulgated the Law of the PRC on Enterprise Income Tax which was amended on February 24,
2017 and on December 6, 2007, the State Council enacted the Regulations for the Implementation of the Law on Enterprise Income
Tax, or collectively, the EIT Law. The EIT Law came into effect on January 1, 2008. Under the EIT Law, both resident enterprises
and non-resident enterprises are subject to tax in the PRC. Resident enterprises are defined as enterprises that are established
in China in accordance with PRC laws, or that are established in accordance with the laws of foreign countries but are actually
or in effect controlled from within the PRC. Non-resident enterprises are defined as enterprises that are organized
under the laws of foreign countries and whose actual management is conducted outside the PRC, but have established institutions
or premises in the PRC, or have no such established institutions or premises but have income generated from inside the PRC. Under
the EIT Law and relevant implementing regulations, a uniform corporate income tax rate of 25% is applied. However, if non-resident enterprises
have not formed permanent establishments or premises in the PRC, or if they have formed permanent establishment or premises in
the PRC but there is no actual relationship between the relevant income derived in the PRC and the established institutions or
premises set up by them, enterprise income tax is set at the rate of 10% with respect to their income sourced from inside the
PRC.
Value-added
Tax
In
November 2011, the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation promulgated the Pilot Plan for Imposition
of Value-Added Tax to Replace Business Tax. In March 2016, the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation
further promulgated the Notice on Fully Promoting the Pilot Plan for Replacing Business Tax by Value-Added Tax. On March 20,
2019, the Ministry of Finance, the State Administration of Taxation, General Administration of Customs issued Announcement on
Policies for Deepening the VAT Reform jointly, under which the VAT rates under the basic mechanism is 13% for the sectors such
as operating and financial leases of equipment, 9% for sectors such as transportation, postal, basic telecommunication, and construction
services as well as sales and leases of real property and real property rights, 0% for exported services and 6% for all remaining
services, including financial services. Unlike business tax, a taxpayer is allowed to offset the qualified input VAT paid on taxable
purchases against the output VAT chargeable on the modern services provided. Furthermore, according to Announcement of the State
Taxation Administration on Matters relating to Expanding the Scope of the Pilot Scheme for Issuance of Special VAT Invoices by
Small-Scale Taxpayers issued by State Administration on February 3, 2019, the basic mechanism may not apply to small-scale
taxpayers who may pay the VAT taxes at the levy rates of 3% and 5% on the basis of their sales amount.
Dividend
Withholding Tax
The
EIT Law provides that since January 1, 2008, an income tax rate of 10% will normally be applicable to dividends declared
to non-PRC resident investors who do not have an establishment or place of business in the PRC, or who have such establishment
or place of business but the relevant income is not effectively connected with the establishment or place of business, to the
extent such dividends are derived from sources within the PRC.
Pursuant
to an Arrangement Between the Mainland of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation
and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Incomes, or the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement, and other applicable
PRC laws, if a Hong Kong resident enterprise is determined by the competent PRC tax authority to have satisfied the relevant conditions
and requirements under such Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement and other applicable laws, the 10% withholding tax on the dividends
the Hong Kong resident enterprise receives from a PRC resident enterprise may be reduced to 5%. However, based on the Circular
on Certain Issues with Respect to the Enforcement of Dividend Provisions in Tax Treaties, or the SAT Circular 81, issued on February 20,
2009 by the SAT, if the relevant PRC tax authorities determine, in their discretion, that a company benefits from such reduced
income tax rate due to a structure or arrangement that is primarily tax-driven, such PRC tax authorities may adjust
the preferential tax treatment. According to the Circular on Several Questions regarding the “beneficial owner” in
Tax Treaties, which was issued on February 3, 2018 by the SAT and will take effect on April 1, 2018, when determining
the applicant’s status of the “beneficial owner” regarding tax treatment in connection with dividends, interests
or royalties in the tax treaties, several factors, including without limitation, whether the applicant is obligated to pay more
than 50% of his or her income in twelve months to residents in third country or region, whether the business operated by the applicant
constitutes the actual business activities, and whether the counterparty country or region to the tax treaties does not levy any
tax or grant tax exemption on relevant incomes or levy tax at an extremely low rate, will be taken into account, and it will be
analyzed according to the actual circumstances of the specific cases. This circular further provides that applicants who intend
to prove his or her status of the “beneficial owner” shall submit the relevant documents to the relevant tax bureau
according to the Announcement on Issuing the Measures for the Administration of Non-Resident Taxpayers’ Enjoyment
of the Treatment under Tax Agreements.
Tax
on Indirect Transfer
On
February 3, 2015, the SAT issued the Circular on Issues of Enterprise Income Tax on Indirect Transfers of Assets by Non-PRC
Resident Enterprises, or Circular 7. Pursuant to Circular 7, an “indirect transfer” of assets, including equity interests
in a PRC resident enterprise, by non-PRC resident enterprises, may be recharacterized and treated as a direct transfer
of PRC taxable assets, if such an arrangement does not have a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose
of avoiding payment of PRC enterprise income tax. As a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer may be subject to PRC
enterprise income tax. When determining whether there is a “reasonable commercial purpose” of the transaction arrangement,
features to be taken into consideration include, inter alia, whether the main value of the equity interest of the relevant offshore
enterprise derives directly or indirectly from PRC taxable assets; whether the assets of the relevant offshore enterprise mainly
consists of direct or indirect investment in China or if its income is mainly derived from China; and whether the offshore enterprise
and its subsidiaries directly or indirectly holding PRC taxable assets have real commercial nature which is evidenced by their
actual function and risk exposure. According to Circular 7, where the payer fails to withhold any or sufficient tax, the transferor
shall declare and pay such tax to the tax authority by itself within the statutory time limit. Late payment of applicable tax
will subject the transferor to default interest. Circular 7 does not apply to transactions of sale of shares by investors through
a public stock exchange where such shares were acquired on a public stock exchange. On October 17, 2017, the SAT issued the
Circular on Issues of Tax Withholding regarding Non-PRC Resident Enterprise Income Tax, or SAT Circular 37, which further
elaborates the relevant implemental rules regarding the calculation, reporting and payment obligations of the withholding
tax by the non-resident enterprises. Nonetheless, there remain uncertainties as to the interpretation and application
of Circular 7. Circular 7 may be determined by the tax authorities to be applicable to our offshore transactions or sale
of our shares or those of our offshore subsidiaries where non-resident enterprises, being the transferors, were involved.
Regulations
on M&A Regulations and Overseas Listings
On
August 8, 2006, six PRC governmental and regulatory agencies, including the MOFCOM and the China Securities Regulatory Commission,
or the CSRC, promulgated the Rules on Acquisition of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, governing
the mergers and acquisitions of domestic enterprises by foreign investors that became effective on September 8, 2006 and
was revised on June 22, 2009. The M&A Rules, among other things, requires that if an overseas company established or
controlled by PRC companies or individuals, or PRC Citizens, intends to acquire equity interests or assets of any other PRC domestic
company affiliated with the PRC Citizens, such acquisition must be submitted to the MOFCOM for approval. The M&A Rules also
requires that an offshore special vehicle, or a special purpose vehicle formed for overseas listing purposes and controlled directly
or indirectly by the PRC companies or individuals, shall obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to overseas listing and trading
of such special purpose vehicle’s securities on an overseas stock exchange.
4C.
Organizational Structure
The
following chart reflects our organizational structure as of the date of this report. For descriptions of our subsidiaries and
variable interest entity, please see “4A. History and Development of the Company.”
4D.
Property, Plants and Equipment
Under
PRC law, land is owned by the state. “Land use rights” are granted to an individual or entity after payment of a land
use right fee is made to the applicable state or rural collective economic organization. Land use rights allow the holder the
right to use the land for a specified long-term period. We do not currently own any real estate or land use rights. For descriptions
of our leased properties, please see “Item 4B. Business Overview – Facilities.”
ITEM
4A. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Not
Applicable
ITEM
5. OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS
The
following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements, the notes to those
financial statements and other financial data that appear elsewhere in this annual report. In addition to historical information,
the following discussion contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties.
Actual results and the timing of certain events may differ significantly from those projected in such forward-looking statements
due to a number of factors, including those set forth in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this report. Our consolidated
financial statements are prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP.
5A.
Operating Results
Business
Overview
We are a provider of online education and technology services
in China. While our education services cover a wide range of subjects, including vocational education, continuing education, basic
education and higher education, we have been focusing on vocational education and continuing education since our inception in 2013.
We also provide technology services including software development as well as comprehensive cloud service for private companies,
academic institutions and government agencies. Revenue from our online education services accounts for 99.3%, 98.6%, and 99.5%
of our revenue for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 respectively, while revenue from technology services accounts
for the balance.
China
has a relatively large online education market and such market has experienced fast growth in the past two decades. With the growth
of Internet use and improvements in online payment systems in China, we believe online education represents an attractive market
opportunity. According to the 2019 iResearch Report, the size of China’s online education market was valued at approximately
RMB313.6 billion ($44.9 billion) in 2019 and is expected to grow to RMB 543.4 billion ($80.7 billion) by 2022. According to the
2019 China Online Vocational Education Market Report issued by Tencent Research Institution and Ipsos Group S.A., the online vocational
education market in China grew from RMB36.8 billion ($5.5 billion) in 2015 to RMB76.8 billion ($11.4 billion) in 2018, representing
an increase of 32%, and is expected to reach RMB113.6 billion ($16.9 billion) in 2020. The vocational education services market
in China is fragmented, rapidly evolving and highly competitive. Market participants include existing large online and offline
providers of vocational education services, as well as smaller regional vocational education services providers. We believe that
we are well-positioned to effectively compete in markets in which we operate on the basis of our innovative education platform,
broad scope of course offering, expertise in vocational training and experienced management team.
Our
online education services currently comprise of two aspects: online vocational training and virtual simulation experimental training.
Students that sign up for our online vocational training can log into our platform and access pre-recorded courses in the areas
of their professional development. Virtual simulation technology training offers college students the opportunity to conduct experiments
in a virtual environment as part of their curricula. We currently offer over 400 vocational training courses that cover a wide
range of subjects, most of which are subjects of vocational education in areas of strong hiring demand. Our courses provide students
with practical education to prepare them for jobs in high demand industries and also help workers in rural and urban areas and
reemployment groups with operational skill development.
The bulk of our revenue is generated from fees paid by registered
members of our education platforms. We also generate revenue from technology services we provide to private companies and government
agencies. Since we launched our first online education platform in 2014, we have grown substantially. The number of registered
members of our platforms has increased from 0.69 million as of December 31, 2014 to 50.8 million as of March 31, 2019,
68.5 million as of March 31, 2020. The number of fee-paying members, including registered members of our vocational training
platform and our virtual simulation experimental programs, increased from 49,936 as of December 31, 2014 to 1.3 million as
of March 31, 2018, 2.3 million as of March 31, 2019, 3.09 million as of March 31, 2020. Our revenue reached $14.9 million
in fiscal year 2018, $24.7 million in fiscal year 2019 and $28.6 million in fiscal year 2020.
Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Update
Many
enterprises in China shut down offices and business facilities and asked their employees work at home during the height of China’s
COVID-19 epidemic period. Our employees worked from home during the entire month of February 2020 and returned to office
the week of March 2, 2020. Unlike other enterprises in other industries, we believe that the COVID-19 epidemic may generate
business opportunities for us, such as:
(1) Universities,
colleges and schools in China postponed the start of spring semester till approximately May 2020. In the meantime, students
have been required to study their curriculums online in order to comply with certain COVID-19 related requirements promulgated
by the Ministry of Education.
(2) As
a result of the aforementioned policies and the general “stay-at-home” environment generated by the epidemic, we believe
that the remote learning and online education have become more widely accepted.
We
promoted a “One Month For Free” activity during the peak of China’s epidemic period that (a) all the courseware
and contents were accessible to non-paying registered members for free during the entire month of February 2020, and (b) all
existing fee-paying members as of February 1st received one month for free. The promotion was aimed at university/college
students who may start as a non-paying registered member and then possibly become fee -paying members in the future. Primarily
as a result of this promotional activity, the number of new non-paying registered members increased by more than 60% in February 2020
compared with that of the previous month (i.e. January). The “One Month For Free” promotional did temporarily decrease
our revenue in February 2020. However, the number of new paying registered members increased 0.12 million in March 2020
primarily as a result of the promotional activity. February’s promotional activity resulted in the slight decrease of revenue
growth in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2020 while the registered members increased sharply in the same period.
Given
the decrease in the number of newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases in China recently, the business activities and the economy in China
had resumed. The COVID-19 appears to only have a short-term impact on our online education operations. Although the “One
Month For Free” promotional activity temporarily decreased revenue in February 2020, we met our targeted revenue performance
for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. At the same time, the growth of the number of our registered members and fee-paying
members during the recent several months was stable. It is not expected to have long-term impact on our performance for the fiscal
year 2021. As of June 30, 2020, the number of registered members reached to approximately 72.66 million, representing an
approximately 6% increase compared with the number as of March 31, 2020. As such, we believe that the growth of the number
of our registered members during the height of China’s epidemic period may have had an initial beneficial impact on the
business development of the Company. By July 31, 2020, our business and revenue had gradually returned to the fiscal year
2019 (pre-COVID) levels. The COVID-19 does not appear to have had a lasting impact on our business operation. However, it is difficult
to predict the long-term impact that the epidemic may have on our business, depending on the duration and severity of COVID-19’s
impact on our customers, instructors and students.
Initial
Public Offering
On
July 27, 2020, the Company closed its initial public offering of 3,000,000 ordinary shares, US$0.0002 par value per share
at an offering price of $5.00 per share, for a total of $15,000,000 in gross proceeds. The Company raised total net proceeds of
$13,357,409 after deducting underwriting discounts and commission, offering expenses and other related costs.
Key
Factors Affecting Our Results of Operation
Our
results of operations and financial condition are affected by the general factors driving China’s online education industry.
We have benefited from China’s overall economic growth, significant urbanization rate, and higher per capita disposable
income of urban households in China, which has allowed many households in China to spend more on education. We have also benefited
from the increasing internet penetration in China.
At
the same time, our results are subject to changes in the regulatory regime governing China’s education industry, particularly
uncertainties relating to online education services. The PRC government regulates various aspects of our business and operations,
including the qualification, licensing or filing requirements for entities that provide online education services and limitations
on foreign investments in the online education industry. See ‘‘Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business
in China—We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties and changes in PRC regulation of internet-related
business.” ; “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China— New legislation or changes in the
PRC laws or policies regarding self-taught education may affect our business operations and prospects.”; “Risk Factors
— Risks Related to Doing Business in China— Regulation and censorship of information disseminated over the internet
in China may adversely affect our business and reputation and subject us to liability for information displayed on our website.”;
“Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China— We face risks and uncertainties with respect to the
licensing requirement for Internet audio-video programs.”; and “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business
in China—PRC regulations relating to foreign exchange registration of overseas investment by PRC residents may subject our
PRC resident beneficial owners or our PRC subsidiary to liability or penalties, limit our ability to inject capital into these
subsidiaries, limit PRC subsidiary’s ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits to us, or may otherwise
adversely affect us.”
In
particular, we have benefited and expect to continue to benefit from the following recent trends in the China educational services
market:
|
¨
|
Increasing Internet and broadband penetration rates in
China
|
China
has one of the largest number of Internet users in the world. According to the China Internet Network Information Center, the
number of Internet users in China has reached 904 million by March 2020 and the overall Internet penetration rate reached
64.5%. We believe the existing large size and growth potential of China’s Internet user base has contributed to the growth
of online vocational education and continues to represent a significant market opportunity for the online education industry.
We have benefited from the rapid improvement of internet and broadband connectivity in China, which have increased the accessibility
of online education courses as an effective and convenient way for people to meet their educational and career development needs.
|
¨
|
Increasing demand for online vocational education services
driven by favorable government policies
|
The
PRC government has issued a number of guiding policies to support the development of online education, including vocational education.
In its Education Informationization Ten Year Development Plan (2011-2020), the MOE emphasized the application of information technology
into education and listed education informationization as one of the important strategies of nationwide education reform and development.
In January 2019, the MOE published its “College Diploma + Vocational Skills Certification Policy” or “1+X
Policy.” The policy requires college students to obtain vocational skill certifications in addition to college diploma prior
to graduation. According to the MOE, the primary purpose of implementing such a policy is to encourage the development of vocational
skills and improve employment prospects of college students. We believe that the implementation of the 1+X policy will create
additional market demand for online vocational education services and plan to develop online training courses in vocational training
subjects covered by MOE’s requirements.
|
¨
|
Increasing awareness of the importance of vocational skills
|
We
believe workers in rural and urban areas of China are increasingly willing to invest in vocational skills development to improve
their career prospects and increase earning power. The demand from workers who wish to further achieve their career and salary
advancement potential will offer us the opportunity to expand our user base and increase our revenue.
While
our business is influenced by general factors affecting the online education industry in China, our results of operations are
also directly affected by certain company-specific factors, including the following major factors:
|
¨
|
Our ability to continuously increase
paid course enrollments
|
Our net revenues primarily
consist of fees paid by registered members of our education platforms. Our growth in net revenues is primarily driven by the increase
in our paid course enrollments. The number of fee-paying members increased from 49,936 as of December 31, 2014 to 1.3 million
as of March 31, 2018, 2.3 million as of March 31, 2019, 3.09 million as of March 31, 2020. Our revenue reached $14.9
million in fiscal year 2018, $24.7 million in fiscal year 2019 and $28.6 million in fiscal year 2020. We believe providing an effective
learning experience is critical to attract new students and increase our paid course enrollments. We are committed to providing
high quality course offerings to our students and will continue to enhance our students’ learning experience through enriching
our course offerings, enhancing our brand reputation and refining our technology. We will continue to improve our ability to convert
sales leads into paid course enrollments cost-effectively.
|
¨
|
Our ability to manage our costs
and operating expenses effectively
|
Our
operating margins depend on our ability to control our costs and realize additional operating leverage as we expand. A substantial
majority of our cost of revenues consists of costs paid for online course development. Historically, we have been able to maintain
such costs at a relatively low level.
We
offer all of our courses online. Our future success depends on the development and application of relevant technologies to meet
our demand for sufficient network capacity and to continue to enhance our proprietary technology, all in a cost-effective manner.
While we continue to focus on our technology development, we plan to devote more resources to the development of our technology
infrastructure, software upgrades to increase our operational efficiency.
Our
revenue is also affected by the amount of fees we charge for our courses, which depends on the overall demand, the prices and
availability of competing courses, and the perception of the quality and effectiveness of our courses. We are expanding our virtual
experimental training programs, for which we charge a higher fee than the other programs. We anticipate that our revenue will
likely increase as a result of this change to our course offerings.
|
¨
|
Our ability to expand the range
of courses and other services
|
Our
ability to address market needs by expanding the range of our course offerings and other services has a direct impact on our ability
to maintain growth in our course enrollments. Diversifying our sources of revenues also helps protect us from potential reduced
course enrollment due to down-turns in certain industries or professions. To date, we have provided diversified online vocational
and other courses to our members. In the future, we will continue to expand our course offerings in other areas to diversify and
further grow our revenues.
|
¨
|
Our
ability to efficiently manage costs and operating expenses in connection with our expansion of our services
|
Our
planned expansion of virtual experimental training program offerings may result in substantial demands on our management, operational,
technological, financial and other resources and increase our operating expenses, primarily expenses to be incurred in order to
access additional training programs. Our current virtual experimental training materials are provided by Jimei University pursuant
to our existing cooperation agreement. In order to efficiently manage cost in connection with the expansion of our virtual experimental
training program, we have been negotiating cooperation with academic institutions such as Jiangsu Education Management Information
Center and Jiangsu Audio-visual Education Center in order to access additional virtual experimental training programs developed
by these institutions at the cost within our controllable range. If we fail to enter into cooperation with these intuitions or
otherwise obtain training materials at relatively low costs, our ability to manage cost and expenses will be adversely affected.
|
¨
|
Our ability to maintain and expand
cooperation with strategic partners
|
Since
our inception, we have been relying upon strategic cooperation with education industry associations, vocational schools and universities
to develop and expand our user base. Members and students of our strategic partners are oftentimes the target users of our platforms.
If we fail to maintain or further strengthen our relationships with our strategic partners, we may not be able to maintain or
further expand our customer base and our results of operations will be adversely affected.
|
¨
|
The impact of the Novel Coronavirus
to our business
|
Because
of the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), schools at all levels in China have postponed their starting date for 2020.
In January 2020, the Ministry of Education published an administrative order of “Closing school without stopping classes”,
which encourages the online teaching and promotes the online education market. Our management took the following two measures
to respond to the epidemic: (1) all registered members can learn courseware without paying the fee during the period between
February 1, 2020 to February 29, 2020 and the membership period of existing paying-members will be automatically extended
for another month; (2) we have cooperated with China Adult Education Association and Higher Education Press Ltd. to promote
the Company's online education platforms. In addition to the free courseware, the Company’s paid courseware were offered
for free in February 2020 for universities which have provided the online teaching courses. With these measures, the number
of new registered members in February 2020 reached approximately 2.2 million, an increase of over 60% to January 2020.
As of June 30, 2020, the number of registered members reached to approximately 72.66 million, representing an approximately
6% increase compared with the number as of March 31, 2020. As such, we believe that the growth of the number of our registered
members during the height of China’s epidemic period may have had an initial beneficial impact on the business development
of the Company. By July 31, 2020, our business and revenue had gradually returned to the fiscal year 2019 (pre-COVID) levels.
The COVID-19 does not appear to have had a lasting impact on our business operation. However, it is difficult to predict the long-term
impact that the epidemic may have on our business, depending on the duration and severity of COVID-19’s impact on our customers,
instructors and students.
Key
Performance Indicators
Our
management uses a number of financial and nonfinancial key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure its performance and manage
our growth. The number of fee-paying members, revenue and net profit are three key indicators used by our management. These KPIs
are the results of the efforts of all divisions rather than a single division, thus they are used to measure the performance of
overall management. These KPIs are measured by comparing to pre-set percentage, which are discussed among board and managements
on a quarterly basis or ad hoc as required in an effective manner.
The
KPIs we consider and the results for each of fiscal years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 are set forth in the table below.
|
|
For the
fiscal
year ended
March 31,
2020
|
|
|
For the
fiscal
year ended
March 31,
2019
|
|
|
Actual
growth
rate
|
|
|
Target
growth
rate
|
|
Number of Fee-Paying Members (1)
|
|
|
3,090,149
|
|
|
|
2,282,297
|
|
|
|
35
|
%
|
|
|
32
|
%
|
Revenue
|
|
$
|
28,601,071
|
|
|
$
|
24,668,840
|
|
|
|
16
|
%
|
|
|
19
|
%
|
Net Profit
|
|
$
|
9,975,225
|
|
|
$
|
8,675,058
|
|
|
|
15
|
%
|
|
|
12
|
%
|
|
(1)
|
Number of fee-paying members is defined
as the total number of members that are paying fees for accessing our platforms as of the end of the applicable period.
|
After
considering market trend and shareholders’ expectation, we set target growth percentages for KPIs including fee-paying members,
revenue and net profit, which had further increased after we entered into the co-operations with Higher Education Press Ltd. and
China Adult Education Association in June 2018. We experienced a slight growth in fee-paying members (35%), revenue (16%)
and net profit (15%) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 compared with fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, all of
which exceeded the pre-set expectations.
Starting
in June 2018, we expanded our fee paying member base from workers in rural and urban areas to college students. Through our
“pay one year get two years” promotion program, we reached a high peak of our short term fee-paying numbers increase
during our fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 and accordingly set a relatively conservative target growth rate for each of
our KPIs for fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. The actual growth rate slightly exceeded our target.
The KPIs we consider and the results for
each of fiscal years ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 are set forth in the table below.
|
|
For the fiscal
year ended
March 31, 2019
|
|
|
For the fiscal
year ended
March 31, 2018
|
|
|
Actual
growth
rate
|
|
|
Target
growth
rate
|
|
Number of Fee-Paying Members (1)
|
|
|
2,282,297
|
|
|
|
1,286,035
|
|
|
|
77
|
%
|
|
|
60
|
%
|
Revenue
|
|
$
|
24,668,840
|
|
|
$
|
14,910,543
|
|
|
|
65
|
%
|
|
|
50
|
%
|
Net Profit
|
|
$
|
8,675,058
|
|
|
$
|
6,009,968
|
|
|
|
44
|
%
|
|
|
30
|
%
|
|
(1)
|
Number of fee-paying members is defined as the total number of members that are paying fees for accessing our platforms as of the end of the applicable period.
|
After considering market trend and shareholders’
expectation, we set target growth percentages for KPIs including fee-paying members, revenue and net profit, which had further
increased after we entered into the co-operations with Higher Education Press Ltd. and China Adult Education Association in June
2018. We experienced significant growth in fee-paying members (77%), revenue (65%) and net profit (44%) in the fiscal year ended
March 31, 2019 compared with fiscal year ended March 31, 2018, all of which exceeded the pre-set expectations.
Starting in June 2018, we expanded our fee paying member base
from workers in rural and urban areas to college students. Through our “pay one year get two years” promotion program,
we expected we would reach a high peak of our short term fee-paying numbers increase during our fiscal year ended March 31, 2019
and accordingly set a relatively high target growth rate for each of our KPIs. The actual growth rate exceeded the target vote.
Results
of Operations
Year
Ended March 31, 2020 as Compared to Year Ended March 31, 2019
|
|
For
the Years Ended
March 31,
|
|
|
Change
|
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
Amount
|
|
|
%
|
|
Revenue
|
|
$
|
28,601,071
|
|
|
$
|
24,668,840
|
|
|
$
|
3,932,231
|
|
|
|
16
|
%
|
Cost of revenue
|
|
|
(11,797,870
|
)
|
|
|
(9,458,559
|
)
|
|
|
(2,339,311
|
)
|
|
|
25
|
%
|
Gross
profit
|
|
|
16,803,201
|
|
|
|
15,210,281
|
|
|
|
1,592,920
|
|
|
|
10
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sales and marketing expenses
|
|
|
(1,520,801
|
)
|
|
|
(1,832,006
|
)
|
|
|
311,205
|
|
|
|
-17
|
%
|
General and administrative expenses
|
|
|
(2,038,568
|
)
|
|
|
(1,899,110
|
)
|
|
|
(139,458
|
)
|
|
|
7
|
%
|
Total operating expense
|
|
|
(3,559,369
|
)
|
|
|
(3,731,116
|
)
|
|
|
171,747
|
|
|
|
-5
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other income (expenses)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest income
|
|
|
73,737
|
|
|
|
88,588
|
|
|
|
(14,851)
|
|
|
|
-17
|
%
|
Others, net
|
|
|
(3,458
|
)
|
|
|
(195
|
)
|
|
|
(3,263
|
)
|
|
|
>100
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income before tax
|
|
|
13,314,111
|
|
|
|
11,567,558
|
|
|
|
1,746,553
|
|
|
|
15
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income tax expense
|
|
|
(3,338,886
|
)
|
|
|
(2,892,500
|
)
|
|
|
(446,386
|
)
|
|
|
15
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net profit
|
|
$
|
9,975,225
|
|
|
|
8,675,058
|
|
|
|
1,300,167
|
|
|
|
15
|
%
|
Revenue
Revenue
increased from $24.7 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 to $28.6 million for the fiscal year ended March 31,
2020, representing an increase of $3.93 million, or 16%. We executed a Cloud Computing Service Agreement with Higher Education
Press Ltd. in June 2018, pursuant to which we provided technology services to facilitate data sharing and interconnection
among colleges and universities personalized education services for teachers and students in colleges and vocational colleges.
We also entered into the Promotion Agreement with the China Adult Education Association in June 2018, to offer online learning
resources in urban and rural communities, and carried out research and development cooperation with universities to achieve resource
sharing, and added online training videos, etc. As a result of the execution and performance of these cooperation agreements,
our access to target member group increased. We paid more attention on the development of the on-line business for the fiscal
year ended March 31, 2020, as a result, approximately 99.3% of our total revenues were generated from online education services
in fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, as compared to 98.6% in fiscal year ended March 31, 2019.Among the revenues generated
from online education services, approximately 78.6% were generated from online VIP membership revenue and 21.4% from online SVIP
membership revenue in fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, as compared to 79.2% and 20.8%, respectively, in fiscal year ended
March 31, 2019. We believe that the increase of the revenues generated from our online education services is primarily attributable
to our continuous promotional activities and efforts on the virtual simulation experiment platform development during the fiscal
year ended March 31, 2020, which attracted more fee-paying members to register. The number of fee-paying members increased
from approximately 2.3 million as of March 31, 2019 to approximately 3.1 million as of March 31, 2020.
Cost
of revenues
Cost
of revenue increased from $9.5 million in the year ended March 31, 2019 to $11.8 million in the year ended March 31,
2020, representing an increase of $2.3 million, or 25%. The increase of cost of revenue was mainly caused by the increase of depreciation
expenses of server hardware by $1.8 million, and the increase of virtual simulation fee by $0.8 million. The Company finalized
the construction of website in July, 2019, which resulted in the increase of depreciation expenses of it in the year ended March 31,
2020. In addition, the Virtual simulation fee was newly incurred in July 2019, which was paid to Jiangsu Audiovisual Center for
the use of virtual simulation software, aiming to provide better services to SVIP members.
Operating
Expenses
Operating
expenses decreased from $3.7 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 to $3.6 million for the fiscal year ended
March 31, 2020, representing a decrease of $0.17 million, or 5%. Operating expenses primarily consisted of sales and marketing
expenses and general and administrative expenses.
Sales
and marketing expenses decreased by $0.3 million, or 17%, and general and administrative expenses increased by $0.14 million,
or 7%. The decrease of sales and marketing expenses was mainly due to Union pay service charges, and promotion expenses, which
decreased by $0.2 million and $0.4 million, respectively, inconsistent with the increase of members of the Company’s
platforms.
The
increase of general and administrative expenses was primarily caused by the rental fee, and the consulting fee for the human resources
which increased by $0.1 million.
Income
before tax
Income
before tax increased from $11.6 million for the year ended March 31, 2019 to $13.3 million for the year ended March 31,
2020, representing an increase of $1.7 million, or 15%.
Net
income
As a result of the foregoing, net income
for the year ended March 31, 2020 was $9.98 million representing a change of $1.3 million from net income of $8.7 million
for the year ended March 31, 2019.
Year Ended March 31, 2019 as Compared to Year Ended March
31, 2018
|
|
For the Years Ended
March 31,
|
|
|
Change
|
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
2018
|
|
|
Amount
|
|
|
%
|
|
Revenue
|
|
$
|
24,668,840
|
|
|
$
|
14,910,543
|
|
|
$
|
9,758,297
|
|
|
|
65.4
|
%
|
Cost of revenue
|
|
|
(9,458,559
|
)
|
|
|
(4,715,419
|
)
|
|
|
(4,743,140
|
)
|
|
|
>100
|
%
|
Gross profit
|
|
|
15,210,281
|
|
|
|
10,195,124
|
|
|
|
5,015,157
|
|
|
|
49.2
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sales and marketing expenses
|
|
|
(1,832,006
|
)
|
|
|
(1,148,375
|
)
|
|
|
(683,631
|
)
|
|
|
59.5
|
%
|
General and administrative expenses
|
|
|
(1,899,110
|
)
|
|
|
(1,108,280
|
)
|
|
|
(790,830
|
)
|
|
|
71.4
|
%
|
Total operating expense
|
|
|
(3,731,116
|
)
|
|
|
(2,256,655
|
)
|
|
|
(1,474,461
|
)
|
|
|
65.3
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other income (expenses)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest income
|
|
|
88,588
|
|
|
|
76,324
|
|
|
|
12,264
|
|
|
|
16.1
|
%
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
(195
|
)
|
|
|
(114
|
)
|
|
|
(81
|
)
|
|
|
71.1
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income before tax
|
|
|
11,567,558
|
|
|
|
8,014,679
|
|
|
|
3,552,879
|
|
|
|
44.3
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income tax expense
|
|
|
(2,892,500
|
)
|
|
|
(2,004,711
|
)
|
|
|
(887,789
|
)
|
|
|
44.3
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net profit
|
|
$
|
8,675,058
|
|
|
|
6,009,968
|
|
|
|
2,665,090
|
|
|
|
44.3
|
%
|
Revenue
Revenue increased from
$14.9 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018 to $24.7 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, representing
an increase of $9.8 million, or 65.4%. We executed a Cloud Computing Service Agreement with Higher Education Press Ltd. in June
2018, pursuant to which we provided technology services to facilitate data sharing and interconnection among colleges and universities
personalized education services for teachers and students in colleges and vocational colleges. We also entered into the Promotion
Agreement with the China Adult Education Association in June 2018, to offer online learning resources in urban and rural communities,
and carried out research and development cooperation with universities to achieve resource sharing, and added online training videos,
etc. As a result of the execution and performance of these cooperation agreements, our access to target member group increased.
As a result, the number of fee-paying member of college students increased from zero to 943,732 as of March 31, 2019, which contributed
to an increase of VIP revenue in the amount of $1.9 million and an increase of SVIP revenue in the amount of $5.1 million in such
fiscal year. In particular, the increase of SVIP revenue was a result of our development efforts of the virtual simulation experiment
platform. The remaining increase of revenue in the amount of $2.8 million was due to an increase of fee-paying member who were
workers in rural and urban areas.
Cost of revenues
Cost of revenue increased
from $4.7 million in the year ended March 31, 2018 to $9.5 million in the year ended March 31, 2019, representing an increase of
$4.8 million, or over 100%. The increase of cost of revenue was mainly caused by the increase of amortization expenses of courseware
by $2.1 million, and the increase of resource usage fee by $1.6 million. The Company bought online training materials at a purchase
price of $14.4 million at the end of fiscal year 2018 which resulted in the increase of amortization expenses of courseware in
the year ended March 31, 2019. In addition, since November 2018, the Company started to pay resource usage fee to colleges and
universities in order to access the online course resources of these institutions.
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses
increased from $2.3 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018 to $3.8 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019,
representing an increase of $1.5 million, or 65.3%. Operating expenses primarily consisted of sales and marketing expenses and
general and administrative expenses.
Sales and marketing
expenses increased by $0.7 million, or 59.5%, and general and administrative expenses increased by $0.8 million, or 71.4%. The
increase of sales and marketing expenses was mainly due to Union pay service charges, and promotion expenses, which increased by
$0.2 million and $0.5 million, respectively, inconsistent with the increase of members of the Company’s platforms.
The increase of general
and administrative expenses was primarily caused by higher employee compensation and welfare for the technical department which
increased by $0.5 million. We also recorded research and development expenses in general and administrative expenses of $1.3 million
and $0.8 million for the year ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Research and development expenses, which consist of
compensation and benefit expenses to our technology development personnel, are expensed as incurred.
Income before tax
Income before tax increased
from $8.0 million for the year ended March 31, 2018 to $11.6 million for the year ended March 31, 2019, representing an increase
of $3.6 million, or 44.3%.
Net income
As a result of the foregoing, net income for the year ended
March 31, 2019 was $8.7 million representing a change of $2.7 million from net income of $6.0 million for the year ended March
31, 2018.
5B.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of March 31, 2020, March 31, 2019 and March 31,
2018, we had cash and cash equivalents of $11.9 million, $10.4 million and $4.90 million, respectively. To date, we have financed
our operations primarily through net cash flow from operations and shareholder contributions. We expect to finance our operations
and working capital needs in the near future from part of our net proceeds of our initial public offering and cash generated through
operations.
We
currently conduct our operations through Wuxi Wangdao, our variable interest entity. All our cash balances are located in the
PRC. Our access to cash balances or future earnings of Wuxi Wangdao is only through our contractual arrangements with Wuxi Wangdao,
our PRC subsidiary and Wuxi Wangdao’s shareholders.
In
addition to limitations of the contractual arrangements, our liquidity and capital resources are also affected by a number of
restrictions set forth under current PRC laws and regulations. Under our current corporate structure, we rely on dividend payments
from our PRC subsidiary to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have. Current PRC regulations permit our PRC subsidiary
to pay dividends to us only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and
regulations. In addition, our PRC subsidiary is required to set aside at least 10% of their respective accumulated profits each
year, if any, to fund certain reserve funds until the total amount set aside reaches 50% of their respective registered capital.
These restrictions may limit our ability to satisfy our liquidity requirements.
Additionally,
our operating entity receives substantially all of our revenues in RMB and the PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility
of the RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. Under existing PRC foreign
exchange regulations, payments of current account items, such as profit distributions and trade and service-related foreign exchange
transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements.
Dividends payments to us by our PRC subsidiary in foreign currencies are subject to the condition that the remittance of such
dividends outside of the PRC complies with certain procedures under PRC foreign exchange regulations, such as the overseas investment
registrations by our shareholders or the ultimate shareholders of our corporate shareholders who are PRC residents. Approvals
by or registration with appropriate government authorities is required where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and
remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. The PRC government
may also at its discretion restrict access in the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions. If the foreign
exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy our foreign currency demands, our
PRC subsidiary may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to us and our access to cash generated from its operations
will be restricted.
In assessing our liquidity, we monitor and analyze our cash
on hand, our ability to generate sufficient revenue sources in the future and our operating and capital expenditure commitments.
For the years ended March 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, our operating activities generated positive cash flows. We have historically
funded our working capital needs from operations and advances from shareholders. There had been no material impact of COVID-19
to our liquidity as of March 31, 2020. We do not expect any material effect of COVID-19 to our liquidity in the future. However,
this assessment may change, depending on the duration and severity of the coronavirus’ impact on the Company’s customers,
instructors and students.
We
believe that our current levels of cash and cash flow from operations will be sufficient to meet our anticipated cash needs for
our operations and expansion plans for at least the next 12 months. We may, however, in the future require additional cash resources
due to changing business conditions, implementation of our strategies to expand our business, or other investments or acquisitions
we may decide to pursue. If our own financial resources are insufficient to satisfy our capital requirements, we may seek additional
equity or debt financing or obtain credit facilities. The sale of additional equity securities could result in dilution to our
shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could require us to agree
to operating and financial covenants that would restrict our operations. Financing may not be available in amounts or on terms
acceptable to us, if at all. Any failure by us to raise additional funds on terms favorable to us, or at all, could limit our
ability to expand our business operations and could harm our overall business prospects.
Statement
of Cash Flows
Year
Ended March 31, 2020 as Compared to Year Ended March 31, 2019
|
|
For the year ended
March 31,
|
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
Net cash provided by operating activities
|
|
$
|
11,480,117
|
|
|
$
|
20,292,760
|
|
Net cash used in investing activities
|
|
|
(10,401,263
|
)
|
|
|
(15,746,284
|
)
|
Net cash provided by financing activities
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Effects of exchange rate changes on cash
|
|
|
490,577
|
|
|
|
919,740
|
|
Net cash inflow
|
|
$
|
1,569,431
|
|
|
$
|
5,466,216
|
|
Net
Cash Provided by Operating Activities
|
|
For the year ended
March 31,
|
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
Net cash provided by operating activities
|
|
$
|
11,480,117
|
|
|
$
|
20,292,760
|
|
Cash received of membership fees with service period within one-year
|
|
|
22,303,224
|
|
|
|
11,259,033
|
|
Cash received of membership fees with two-year service period
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
26,554,013
|
|
Cash received from other operating activities
|
|
|
77,661
|
|
|
|
88,588
|
|
Cash paid for goods and services
|
|
|
(2,684,812
|
)
|
|
|
(8,120,851
|
)
|
Cash paid for employees
|
|
|
(1,792,809
|
)
|
|
|
(1,927,999
|
)
|
Cash paid for income tax
|
|
|
(3,063,628
|
)
|
|
|
(3,257,505
|
)
|
Cash paid for other operating activities
|
|
|
(3,359,519
|
)
|
|
|
(4,302,519
|
)
|
For
the year ended March 31, 2020, we had a cash inflow from operating activities of $11.48 million, a decrease of $8.8 million
from a cash inflow of $20.3 million for the year ended March 31, 2019.
The
decrease was primarily due to the following reasons:
|
(1)
|
When starting its online training business to university students
in 2018, the Company launched a promotion program “pay one year get two years” in the period from July 2018
to March 2019, which significantly increased membership fees received during the promotion period. With the expiration
of the promotional program, the number of newly registered fee-paying members returned to a level prior to the launching of
such program. However, the membership fees received during the promotion period were amortized over two years as revenue according
to the US GAAP.
|
|
(2)
|
Since November 2018, the company started to pay resource usage fee to colleges and universities in order to access the online course resources of these institutions with a period of validity of 5 years. $1.5 million resource usage fee and $0.85 million virtual simulation fee was paid for the year ended March 31, 2020.
|
|
(3)
|
Income taxes were paid one quarter
after the applicable tax period. The income taxes paid during the year ended March 31, 2020 slightly decreased by $0.19
million compared to the same period in fiscal year 2019.
|
Net
Cash Used in Investing Activities
|
|
For the year ended
March 31,
|
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
Net cash used in investing activities
|
|
$
|
(10,401,263
|
)
|
|
$
|
(15,746,284
|
)
|
Cash paid for purchases of property and equipment
|
|
|
(1,672,529
|
)
|
|
|
(13,963,669
|
)
|
Cash paid for purchases of intangible assets
|
|
|
(8,728,734
|
)
|
|
|
(1,782,615
|
)
|
For
the year ended March 31, 2020, we had a cash outflow from investing activities of $10.4 million, a decrease of $5.3 million
from a cash outflow of $15.7 million in the year ended March 31, 2019. The decrease was the combined impact of a decreased
cash paid ($12.3 million) for property and equipment purchases and an increased cash paid ($6.9 million) for intangible assets
(software) purchases.
Statement of Cash Flows
Year Ended March 31, 2019 as Compared to Year Ended
March 31, 2018
|
|
For the year ended
March 31,
|
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
2018
|
|
Net cash provided by operating activities
|
|
$
|
20,292,760
|
|
|
$
|
16,952,108
|
|
Net cash used in investing activities
|
|
|
(15,746,284
|
)
|
|
|
(15,073,518
|
)
|
Net cash provided by financing activities
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Effects of exchange rate changes on cash
|
|
|
919,740
|
|
|
|
(1,030,294
|
)
|
Net cash inflow
|
|
$
|
5,466,216
|
|
|
$
|
848,296
|
|
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities
|
|
For the year ended
March 31,
|
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
2018
|
|
Net cash provided by operating activities
|
|
$
|
20,292,760
|
|
|
$
|
16,952,108
|
|
Cash received of membership fees with service period within one-year
|
|
|
11,259,033
|
|
|
|
23,565,756
|
|
Cash received of membership fees with two-year service period
|
|
|
26,554,013
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Cash received from other operating activities
|
|
|
88,588
|
|
|
|
76,324
|
|
Cash paid for resource usage fee
|
|
|
(8,120,851
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
Cash paid for employees
|
|
|
(1,927,999
|
)
|
|
|
(1,176,866
|
)
|
Cash paid for income tax
|
|
|
(3,257,505
|
)
|
|
|
(1,658,830
|
)
|
Cash paid for other operating activities
|
|
|
(4,302,519
|
)
|
|
|
(3,854,276
|
)
|
For the year ended March 31, 2019,
we had a cash inflow from operating activities of $20.3 million, an increase of $3.3 million from a cash inflow of $17.0 million
for the year ended March 31, 2019.
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities
|
|
For the year ended
March 31,
|
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
2018
|
|
Net cash used in investing activities
|
|
$
|
(15,746,284
|
)
|
|
$
|
(15,073,518
|
)
|
Cash paid for purchases of property and equipment
|
|
|
(13,963,669
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
Cash paid for purchases of intangible assets
|
|
|
(1,782,615
|
)
|
|
|
(15,073,518
|
)
|
For the year ended March 31, 2019,
we had a cash outflow from investing activities of $15.7 million, a increase of $0.6 million from a cash outflow of $15.1 million
in the year ended March 31, 2018.
Critical
Accounting Policies
Please
refer to Note 2 of the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form 20-F for details of our critical accounting
policies.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
Please
refer to Note 2(aa) of the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Form 20-F for details of our recently issued accounting
standards.
5C.
Research and Development, Patents and Licenses, etc.
See
the discussion under the headings “Research and Development”, “Intellectual Property” and “Patents”
in Item 4 above.
5D.
Trend Information
We
have noted the existence of the following trends, all of which are likely to affect our business to the extent they continue in
the future:
Individualization
of Online Vocational Education Industry
With
the increased use of technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data analysis, online vocational education services
tend to become more individualized. In particular, online education service providers have or will be able to develop the capacity
of analyzing the study habits, comprehension ability and degree of interest in specific subjects of each individual student and
accordingly develop and update various aspects of education services that are tailored for each student.
Increased
Application of Technologies in Service Management
According
to the Vocational Education Report, in addition to the application of technologies in individualizing educational services, service
providers will likely apply technologies to improve management of their operations. For example, cloud computing technologies
make it feasible for instant data sharing and application connecting. By utilizing cloud computing technologies, online education
institutions can integrate the different aspects.
With
a higher demand of diverse curriculums and better user experiences, we have prepared to strengthen the research and development
activities in virtual simulation, which can be applied to high-end manufacturing (CNC machining center operation application,
industrial Internet of Things multi-directional application), automotive maintenance engineering, and new life entertainment (including
cooking, beauty, horticulture, and pet industries). In addition, we are planning to purchase new courseware from some higher institutions
to meet the needs of the customers.
5.E.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
There
were no off-balance sheet arrangements for the year March 31, 2020 and 2019, that have or that in the opinion of management
are likely to have, a current or future material effect on our financial condition or results of operations. We have not entered
into any financial guarantees or other commitments to guarantee the payment obligations of any third parties. In addition, we
have not entered into any derivative contracts that are indexed to our shares and classified as shareholder’s equity or
that are not reflected in our consolidated financial statements. Furthermore, we do not have any retained or contingent interest
in assets transferred to an unconsolidated entity that serves as credit, liquidity or market risk support to such entity. We do
not have any variable interest in any unconsolidated entity that provides financing, liquidity, market risk or credit support
to us or engages in leasing, hedging or research and development services with us.
5.F.
Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations
The
Company leases premises under operating leases, which is within one year. As of March 31, 2020 and March 31, 2019, the
Company had no obligation under long-term operating leases requiring minimum rentals and off balance sheet arrangement.
There
have been no material changes to our contractual obligations since March 31, 2020.
ITEM
6. DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES
6.A.
Directors, Executive Officers and Key Employees
The
following table sets forth the name, age, positions and a brief description of the business experience of each of our directors,
executive officers and key employees as of the date hereof.
Name
|
|
Age
|
|
Position
with our company
|
Xiaofeng Gao
|
|
48
|
|
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer
|
Jun Liu
|
|
43
|
|
Chief Financial Officer
|
Lugang Hua
|
|
47
|
|
Chief Technology Officer
|
Huiqing Ye
|
|
67
|
|
Director
|
Limin Huang
|
|
38
|
|
Director
|
Teoh Chun Hiah
|
|
35
|
|
Director
|
H. David Sherman
|
|
72
|
|
Director
|
There
are no family relationships among our directors and officers. There are no arrangements or understandings with major shareholders,
customers, suppliers or others, pursuant to which any person referred to above was selected as a director or member of senior
management. The address of each of our directors and executive officers is c/o Skillful Craftsman Education Technology Limited,
Floor 4, Building 1, No. 311, Yanxin Road, Huishan District, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, PRC 214000.
Executive
Officers and Directors
Xiaofeng
Gao, founder of our company, has been serving as the Chairman of our board of directors and Chief Executive Officer since
June 2019 and has also been serving as the Executive Director and the Chief Executive Officer of our VIE, Wuxi Wangdao, since
June 2013. He has more than 10 years of experience in company management. From March 2005 to December 2015, Mr. Gao
served as Business General Manager of Wuxi Gaoda Environmental Technology Co., Ltd., a technology company in China. Mr. Gao
served as a project manager and an engineer of China Metallurgical Equipment Corporation, a company specializes in manufacturing
metallurgical equipment in China from July 1997 to February 2005. Mr. Gao received a bachelor’s degree in
automation from Beijing Technology University in 1994 and a master’s degree in automation from Beijing Technology University
in 1997.
Jun
Liu has served as our Chief Financial Officer since June 2019 and has also served as Financial Director of our VIE,
Wuxi Wangdao, since June 2017. From September 2008 to May 2017, Mr. Liu served as Financial Manager of Wuxi
Aiwen Mengte Technology Co., Ltd., a technology company in China. Previously, Mr. Liu served as a teacher in Xiamen
Huaxia Vocational Technology College from February 2008 to July 2008. From February 2006 to February 2008,
Mr. Liu served as a teacher of Xiamen Huatian Foreign-Related Vocational Technology College. From April 2005 to February 2006,
Mr. Liu served as an accountant of Xiamen Dongfang Dragon Metal Material Co., Ltd., a company that specializes in metal
processing in China. Mr. Liu also served as an accountant in Amoi Technology Co., Ltd., a mobile service provider which
integrates manufacturing, research and development and sales of mobile communication devices, from July 1998 to March 2015.
Mr. Liu received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Xiamen University in China in 1998 and a master’s degree
in accounting from Xiamen University and Xiamen National Accounting Institute in China in 2007.
Lugang
Hua has been serving as our Chief Technology Officer since June 2019, and has also been serving as Chief Technology
Officer and General Manager of our VIE, Wuxi Wangdao, since June 2013. Mr. Hua has been serving as General Manager,
Client Director, Sale Director and CMS Business Director of Wuxi Langqi Software Technology Co., Ltd., a computer software
company in China, from July 2008 to May 2013. Mr. Hua also served as a financial system engineer in Changzhou Qianhong
Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a company focusing on biopharmaceutical research in China. Previously, Mr. Hua served as
a trade specialist at Changzhou Qianhong Bio-pharma Co., Ltd., a pharmaceutical company in China. He has more than 10 years
of experience in the internet and mobile internet industry and other businesses focusing on product development, operation and
promotion. He received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Naval Engineering University of China in 1997.
Huiqing
Ye has been serving as one of our directors since June 2020. Mr. Ye served as an executive director of Suqian Zeda
Vocational & Technical College from September 2014 to January 2016. From September 2012 to August 2014,
Mr. Ye served as a Vice President and the Secretary-general of Xishan Education Society. Mr. Ye also served as a Vice
President of Jiangsu College of Information Technology from April 2003 to August 2012. Mr. Ye received a Bachelor
of Arts degree from Jiangsu Education College in 1989. Due to his considerable experience in the education industry, we believe
Mr. Ye is well qualified to serve as a Director.
Limin
Huang has been serving as one of our directors since June 2020 and has also been serving as a Senior Accounting
Manager of Covestro Polymers (China) Co., Ltd. since June 2015. From May 2011 to May 2015, Ms. Huang
served as a SAP Project Manager of Bayer (China) Co., Ltd. From April 2006 to April 2011, Ms. Huang
served as a Senior SAP consultant and a SAP Project Manager of Shanghai Keyenabler Management Consulting Co., Ltd., a
management consulting company in China. Ms. Huang also served as a Senior SAP consultant of Hand Enterprise Solutions
Co., Ltd., a technology consulting firm in China, from March 2004 to March 2006. Ms. Huang received dual
Bachelor of Arts degrees in Law and Accounting from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics in 2004. Due to his broad
operational experience, we believe Ms. Huang is well qualified to serve as a Director.
Teoh
Chun Hiah has been serving as one of our directors since June 2020 and has also been serving as an Audit Senior Manager
of Robin Chia PAC, an auditing firm in Singapore, since April 2019. She has also been serving as a Senior Accounting Manager
of Covestro Polymers (China) Co., Ltd. From July 2016 to March 2019, Ms. Teoh served as Chief Finance Officer
of Teambest International Limited, a construction consulting firm in China. From July 2014 to June 2016, Ms. Teoh
served as a Senior Accountant of Renoidea Sdn Bhd, a construction and renovation company in Malaysia company in Malaysia. Ms. Teoh
also served as a Senior Accountant of MUI Properties Berhad, a Malaysia-listed construction and renovation company in Malaysia,
from April 2014 to June 2014. From April 2013 to April 2014, Ms. Teoh served as an accountant of Averis
Sdn Bhd, a global business solution company in Malaysia. In addition, Ms. Teoh served as an accountant of Banyan Tree Investments
Pte Ltd, a Singapore-listed hotel development company in Singapore, from April 2012 to November 2012. Previously, Ms. Teoh
served as an audit associate of Foo Kon Tan Grant Thornton LLP from August 2007 to April 2012. Ms. Teoh received
a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from University Tunku Abdul Rahman in 2006. Due to her extensive management and investment
experience, we believe Ms. Teoh is well qualified to serve as a Director.
H.
David Sherman has been serving as one of our directors since June 2020 and has also been serving as a professor at Northeastern
University since September 1984. He has also been serving as Treasurer and chair of the finance committee at American Academy
of Dramatic Arts since January 2014 and serving as Treasurer and board member at D-Tree International since July 2010.
From January 2018 to August 2019, Mr. Sherman served as chair of the audit committee of Dunxin Financial Holding
Ltd. (Amex: DXF), a financing service company in China. From January 6, 2010 – August 21, 2012 Mr. Sherman
served as chair of the audit committee of China HGS Real Estate Inc. (Nasdaq: HGSH), a residential apartment construction company
in Hanzhong, China. From January 2012 to November 2014, Mr. Sherman served as chair the audit committee and compensation
committee of Agfeed Corporation (OTC: FEED), a hog production business. From February 2011 to May 2016, Mr. Sherman
served as chair of the audit committee of Kingold Jewelry Inc. (Nasdaq: KGJI), a manufacturer of 24K gold jewelry in Wuhan, China.
From 2007–2008, Mr. Sherman served as chair of the audit committee of China Growth Alliance, Ltd., a special purpose
acquisition company (SPAC). Mr. Sherman received a Bachelor of Economics degree from Brandeis University in 1969 and an MBA
degree from Harvard University in 1971. Mr. Sherman also received a Doctorate degree from Harvard University in 1981. Due
to his extensive experience with the US-listed companies, we believe Mr. Sherman is well qualified to serve as a Director.
Each
of our directors will serve as a director until our next annual general meeting and until their successors are duly elected and
qualified.
6.B.
Compensation
For
the fiscal years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, we paid an aggregate of RMB2.79 million (approximately $0.4 million) and
RMB3.73 million (approximately $0.5 million), respectively, in cash and benefits in-kind granted to or accrued on behalf of all
of our directors and members of senior management for their services, in all capacities, and we did not pay any additional compensation
to our directors and members of senior management. We have not set aside or accrued any amount to provide pension, retirement
or other similar benefits to our executive officers and directors. There are no service contracts between us and any of our directors,
except for those directors who are also our executive officers. Our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated variable interest entity
are required by law to make contributions equal to certain percentages of each employee’s salary for his or her pension
insurance, medical insurance, unemployment insurance and other statutory benefits and a housing provident fund.
Employment
Agreements
We
have entered into employment agreements with each of our executive officers. Under these agreements, each of our executive officers
is employed for an initial term of one year and is subject to successive, automatic one-year extensions unless either party gives
notice of non-extension to the other party at least 30 days prior to the end of the applicable term.
The
executive officers are entitled to a fixed salary and to participate in our equity incentive plans, if any and other company benefits,
each as determined by the Board from time to time.
We
may terminate the executive officer’s employment for cause, at any time, without notice or remuneration, for certain acts,
such as conviction or plea of guilty to a felony or grossly negligent or dishonest acts to our detriment, or misconduct or a failure
to perform agreed duties. In such case, the executive officer will not be entitled to receive payment of any severance benefits
or other amounts by reason of the termination, and his right to all other benefits will terminate, except as required by any applicable
law. We may also terminate his employment without cause upon 30 days’ advance written notice. In such case of termination
by us, we are required to provide the following severance payments and benefits to the executive officer: a cash payment of one
month of base salary as of the date of such termination for each year (which is any period longer than six months but no more
than one year) and a cash payment of half month of base salary as of the date of such termination for any period of employment
no more than six months, provided that the total severance payments shall not exceed twelve months of base salary.
The
executive officer may terminate his employment at any time with 30 days’ advance written notice if there is any significant
change in his duties and responsibilities or a material reduction in his annual salary. In such a case, the executive officer
will be entitled to receive compensation equivalent to 3 months of his base salary. In addition, if we or our successor terminates
the employment agreements upon a merger, consolidation, or transfer or sale of all or substantially all of our assets with or
to any other individual(s) or entity, the executive officer shall be entitled to the following severance payments and benefits
upon such termination: (1) a lump sum cash payment equal to 3 months of base salary at a rate equal to the greater of his
annual salary in effect immediately prior to the termination, or his then current annua1 salary as of the date of such termination;
(2) a lump sum cash payment equal to a pro-rated amount of target annual bonus for the year immediately preceding the termination;
(3) payment of premiums for continued health benefits under our health plans for 3 months fo1lowing the termination; and
(4) immediate vesting of 100% of the then-unvested portion of any outstanding equity awards held by the executive officer.
The employment agreements also contain customary restrictive covenants relating to confidentiality, non-competition and non-solicitation,
as well as indemnification of the executive officer against certain liabilities and expenses incurred by him in connection with
claims made by reason of him being an officer of our company.
6.C.
Board Practices
Terms
of Directors and Officers
Expiration
of Term of Directors
Our
officers are appointed by and serve at the discretion of our board of directors and the shareholders voting by ordinary resolution
as a matter of Cayman Islands law (which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at
a general meeting of the company). Our directors are not subject to a set term of office and hold office until the next general
meeting called for the election of directors and until their successor is duly appointed or such time as they die, resign or are
removed from office by an ordinary resolution as a matter of Cayman Islands law (which requires the affirmative vote of a majority
of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company). The office of a director will be vacated automatically
if, among other things, the directors resign in writing, becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his/her
creditors generally or is found to be or becomes of unsound mind.
Director
Remuneration Upon Termination
The
directors may receive such remuneration as our board of directors may determine from time to time. The compensation committee
will assist the directors in reviewing and approving the compensation structure for the directors. Currently, our directors are
not entitled to receive any remuneration upon termination of employment.
Audit
Committee
Our
board of directors consists of five directors, including two executive directors and three independent directors. We have also
established an Audit Committee, a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and a Compensation Committee. We have adopted
a charter for each of the three committees. Each of the committees of our board of directors has the composition and responsibilities
described below.
Limin
Huang, Teoh Chun Hiah and H. David Sherman serve as members of our Audit Committee. Mr. Sherman serves as the chairman of
the Audit Committee. Each of our Audit Committee members satisfies the “independence” requirements of the Nasdaq listing
rules and meet the independence standards under Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. We have determined that David H.
Sherman possesses accounting or related financial management experience that qualifies him as an “audit committee financial
expert” as defined by the rules and regulations of the SEC. Our Audit Committee oversees our accounting and financial
reporting processes and the audits of our financial statements. Our Audit Committee performs several functions, including:
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evaluating the independence and performance
of, and assesses the qualifications of, our independent auditor, and engages such independent auditor;
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approving the plan and fees for the
annual audit, quarterly reviews, tax and other audit-related services, and approves in advance any non-audit service to be
provided by the independent auditor;
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monitoring the independence of the
independent auditor and the rotation of partners of the independent auditor on our engagement team as required by law;
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reviewing the financial statements
to be included in our Annual Report on Form 20-F and Current Reports on Form 6-K and reviews with management and
the independent auditors the results of the annual audit and reviews of our quarterly financial statements;
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overseeing all aspects of our systems
of internal accounting control and corporate governance functions on behalf of the board;
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reviewing and approving in advance
any proposed related-party transactions and report to the full Board on any approved transactions; and
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providing oversight assistance in
connection with legal, ethical and risk management compliance programs established by management and our board of directors,
including Sarbanes-Oxley Act implementation, and makes recommendations to our board of directors regarding corporate governance
issues and policy decisions.
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Compensation
Committee
Limin
Huang, H. David Sherman and Huiqing Ye serve as members of our Compensation Committee. Ms. Huang serves as the chair of the
Compensation Committee. All of our Compensation Committee members satisfy the “independence” requirements of the Nasdaq
listing rules and meet the independence standards under Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. Our Compensation Committee
is responsible for overseeing and making recommendations to our board of our directors regarding the salaries and other compensation
of our executive officers and general employees and providing assistance and recommendations with respect to our compensation
policies and practices.
Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee
Huiqing
Ye, Teoh Chun Hiah and Limin Huang serve as members of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Ms. Teoh
serves as the chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. All of our Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee members satisfy the “independence” requirements of the Nasdaq listing rules and meet the
independence standards under Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is
responsible for identifying and proposing new potential director nominees to the board of directors for consideration and
reviewing our corporate governance policies.
6.D.
Employees
See
the section entitled “Employees” in Item 4.B above.
6.E.
Share Ownership
As
of August 14, 2020, 12,000,000 of our ordinary shares were outstanding. Holders of our ordinary shares are entitled to vote
together as a single class on all matters submitted to shareholders for approval. No holder of ordinary shares has different voting
rights from any other holders of ordinary shares. We are not aware of any arrangement that may, at a subsequent date, result in
a change of control of our company.
Beneficial
ownership is determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. The percentages of shares beneficially owned
in the table below are based on 12,000,000 ordinary shares outstanding as of August 14, 2020.
The
following table sets forth information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our common shares as of August 14, 2020
by:
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each of our
directors and executive officers; and
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each person
known to us to beneficially own more than 5% of our outstanding ordinary shares.
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Unless
otherwise noted below, the address for each listed shareholder, director or executive officer is Floor 4, Building 1, No. 311,
Yanxin Road, Huishan District, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, PRC.
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Ordinary shares
beneficially owned
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Name
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Number
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%
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Directors and Executive Officers(1):
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Xiaofeng Gao
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3,870,000
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32.3
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%
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Lugang Hua
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900,000
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7.5
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%
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Jun Liu
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180,000
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1.5
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%
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H. David Sherman
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-
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-
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Limin Huang
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-
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-
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Huiqing Ye
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-
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-
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Teoh Chun Hiah
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-
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All directors and executive officers as a group (seven persons)
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4,950,000
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41.3
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%
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Principal Shareholders:
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Xiaofeng Gao
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3,870,000
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32.3
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%
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Lugang Hua
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900,000
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7.5
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%
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(1)
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Unless otherwise noted, the business
address of each of the following entities or individuals is Floor 4, Building 1, No. 311, Yanxin Road, Huishan District,
Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, PRC.
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None
of our major shareholders have differing voting rights, and as of the date of this report, none of our outstanding ordinary shares
are held by record holders in the United States. We are not aware of any arrangement that may, at a subsequent date, result in
a change of control of our company.
ITEM
7. MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
7.A.
Major Shareholders
See
Item 6.E., “Share Ownership,” for a description of our major shareholders.
7.B.
Related Party Transactions
Set
forth below are the related party transactions of our company that occurred since the beginning of the last fiscal year up to
the date of this report. The transactions are identified in accordance with the rules prescribed under Form 20-F and
may not be considered as related party transactions under PRC law.
Share
Issuances
In
June 2019, we issued, in a private placement, an aggregate of 18,000,000 ordinary shares to certain individuals and entities,
including 9,900,000 shares to three officers of our company, for a total purchase price of $1,800 (or $0.0001 per share). In April 2020,
our initial shareholders approved a consolidation and increase of share capital such that the authorized share capital of the
company consists of $75,000 divided into 500,000,000 ordinary shares of $0.00015 par value each, resulting in an aggregate of
12,000,000 ordinary shares outstanding. In May 2020, our shareholders approved a consolidation and increase of share capital
such that the authorized share capital of the company consists of $100,000 divided into 500,000,000 ordinary shares of $0.0002
par value each, resulting in an aggregate of 9,000,000 ordinary shares outstanding before our initial public offering.
As
of March 31, 2020, the Company had no balances due from or due to related parties. During the fiscal years ended March 31,
2020, the Company did not enter into any significant related party transactions.
As
of August 11, 2020, the Company had no balances due from or due to related parties and during the period from March 31,
2020 to August 5, 2020, the Company did not enter into any significant related party transactions.
Contractual
Arrangements with Our Variable Interest Entity and Its Shareholders
PRC
laws and regulations currently restrict foreign ownership and investment in value-added telecommunications services in China.
As a result, we operates our relevant business through contractual arrangements among Craftsman Wuxi, our PRC subsidiary, Wuxi
Wangdao, our variable interest entity, and the shareholders of Wuxi Wangdao. For a description of these contractual arrangements,
see Item 4.A - “History and Development of the Company.”
7.C.
Interests of Experts and Counsel
Not
applicable.
ITEM
8. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Consolidated
Statements and Other Financial Information
The
financial statements required by this item may be found at the end of this report on 20-F, beginning on page F-1.
Legal
Proceedings
We
are not currently, and have not recently been, a party to any material legal or administrative proceedings. We are not aware of
any material legal or administrative proceedings threatened against us. From time to time, we are subject to various legal or
administrative proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business.
Dividends
We
have never declared or paid any dividend on our ordinary shares and we do not anticipate paying any dividends on our ordinary
shares in the future. We currently intend to retain all future earnings to finance our operations and to expand our business.
No
Significant Changes
No
significant changes to our financial condition have occurred since the date of the annual financial statements contained herein.
ITEM
9. THE OFFER AND LISTING
9.A.
Offer and Listing Details
Our ordinary shares are listed for trading
on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “EDTK.” The shares began trading on July 23, 2020 on the NASDAQ
Capital Market. The closing price for the ordinary shares was $4.47 on August 14, 2020.
9.B.
Plan of Distribution
Not
Applicable.
9.C.
Markets
Our
ordinary shares are currently traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market.
9.D.
Selling Shareholders
Not
Applicable.
9.E.
Dilution
Not
Applicable.
9.F.
Expenses of the Issuer
Not
Applicable.
ITEM
10. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
10.A.
Share Capital
Not
Applicable.
10.B.
Memorandum and Articles of Association
We
are a Cayman Islands company and our affairs are governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and
the Companies Law (2020 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, which we refer to as the Companies Law below.
Our
authorized share capital consists of 500,000,000 ordinary shares, par value $0.0002 per share, and 1,000,000 preferred shares,
par value $0.0002 per share. As of the date of this report, 12,000,000 ordinary shares were issued and outstanding and no preferred
shares were issued and outstanding.
Ordinary
Shares
Dividends. Subject
to any rights and restrictions of any other class or series of shares, our board of directors may, from time to time, declare
dividends on the shares issued and authorize payment of the dividends out of our lawfully available funds. No dividends shall
be declared by the board out of our company except the following:
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profits; or
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“share premium account,”
which represents the excess of the price paid to our company on the issue of its shares over the par or “nominal”
value of those shares, which is similar to the U.S. concept of additional paid in capital.
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However,
no dividend shall bear interest against our company.
Voting
Rights. Holders of our ordinary shares vote as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of
our shareholders, except as may otherwise be required by law. At any general meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting
shall be decided by a poll.
As
a matter of Cayman Islands law, (i) an ordinary resolution requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders
who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company; and (ii) a special resolution requires the affirmative vote of a
majority of at least two-thirds of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company.
Under
Cayman Islands law, some matters, such as amending the memorandum and articles of association, changing the name or resolving
to be registered by way of continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands, require the approval of shareholders by
a special resolution.
There
are no limitations on non-residents or foreign shareholders to hold or exercise voting rights on the ordinary shares imposed by
foreign law or by the charter or other constituent documents of our company. However, no person will be entitled to vote at any
general meeting or at any separate meeting of the holders of the ordinary shares unless the person is registered as of the record
date for such meeting and unless all calls or other sums presently payable by the person in respect of our ordinary shares have
been paid.
Winding
Up; Liquidation. Upon the winding up of our company, after the full amount that holders of any issued
shares ranking senior to the ordinary shares as to distribution on liquidation or winding up are entitled to receive has been
paid or set aside for payment, the holders of our ordinary shares are entitled to receive any remaining assets of our company
available for distribution as determined by the liquidator. The assets received by the holders of our ordinary shares in a liquidation
may consist in whole or in part of a property, which is not required to be of the same kind for all shareholders.
Calls
on Ordinary Shares and Forfeiture of Ordinary Shares. Our board of directors may from time to time
make calls upon shareholders for any amounts unpaid on their ordinary shares in a notice served to such shareholders at least
14 days prior to the specified time and place of payment. Any ordinary shares that have been called upon and remain unpaid are
subject to forfeiture.
Redemption
of Ordinary Shares. We may issue shares that are, or at our option or at the option of the holders
are, subject to redemption on such terms and in such manner as it may, before the issue of the shares, determine. Under the Companies
Law, shares of a Cayman Islands company may be redeemed or repurchased out of profits of the company, out of the proceeds of a
fresh issue of shares made for that purpose or out of capital, provided the memorandum and articles of association authorize this
and it has the ability to pay its debts as they come due in the ordinary course of business.
No
Preemptive Rights. Holders of ordinary shares will have no preemptive or preferential right to purchase
any securities of our company.
Variation
of Rights Attaching to Shares. If at any time the share capital is divided into different classes of
shares, the rights attaching to any class (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class) may, subject
to the memorandum and articles of association, be varied or abrogated with the consent in writing of the holders of three-fourths
of the issued shares of that class or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a general meeting of the holders of
the shares of that class.
Anti-Takeover
Provisions. Some provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may
discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company or management that shareholders may consider favorable, including
provisions that authorize our board of directors to issue preferred shares in one or more series and to designate the price, rights,
preferences, privileges and restrictions of such preferred shares without any further vote or action by our shareholders.
Exempted
Company. The requirements for an exempted company are essentially the same as for an ordinary company
except that:
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annual reporting requirements are
minimal and consist mainly of a statement that the company has conducted its operations mainly outside of the Cayman Islands
and has complied with the provisions of the Companies Law;
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an exempted company’s register of members is not open to inspection;
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an exempted company does not have
to hold an annual general meeting;
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an exempted company may issue negotiable
or bearer shares or shares with no par value;
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an exempted company may obtain an
undertaking against the imposition of any future taxation (such undertakings are usually given for 20 years in the first instance);
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an exempted company may register
by way of continuation in another jurisdiction and be deregistered in the Cayman Islands;
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an exempted company may register
as a limited duration company; and
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an exempted company may register
as a segregated portfolio company.
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“Limited
liability” means that the liability of each shareholder is limited to the amount unpaid by the shareholder on the shares
of the company.
Preferred
Shares
The
board of directors is empowered to designate and issue from time to time one or more classes or series of preferred shares and
to fix and determine the relative rights, preferences, designations, qualifications, privileges, options, conversion rights, limitations
and other special or relative rights of each such class or series so authorized. Such action could adversely affect the voting
power and other rights of the holders of our ordinary shares or could have the effect of discouraging any attempt by a person
or group to obtain control of us.
Comparison
of Cayman Islands Corporate Law and U.S. Corporate Law
Cayman
Islands companies are governed by the Companies Law. The Companies Law is modeled on English Law but does not follow recent English
Law statutory enactments, and differs from laws applicable to United States corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below
is a summary of the material differences between the provisions of the Companies Law applicable to us and the laws applicable
to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders.
Mergers
and Similar Arrangements
In
certain circumstances, the Companies Law allows for mergers or consolidations between two Cayman Islands companies, or between
a Cayman Islands exempted company and a company incorporated in another jurisdiction (provided that is facilitated by the laws
of that other jurisdiction).
Where
the merger or consolidation is between two Cayman Islands companies, the directors of each company must approve a written plan
of merger or consolidation containing certain prescribed information. That plan of merger or consolidation must then be authorized
by either (a) a special resolution (usually a majority of 66 2∕3% in value who attend and vote
at a general meeting) of the shareholders of each company; or (b) such other authorization, if any, as may be specified in
such constituent company’s articles of association. No shareholder resolution is required for a merger between a parent
company (i.e., a company that owns at least 90% of the issued shares of each class in a subsidiary company) and its subsidiary
company. The consent of each holder of a fixed or floating security interest of a constituent company must be obtained, unless
the court waives such requirement. If the Cayman Islands Registrar of Companies is satisfied that the requirements of the Companies
Law (which includes certain other formalities) have been complied with, the Registrar of Companies will register the plan of merger
or consolidation.
Where
the merger or consolidation involves a foreign company, the procedure is similar, save that with respect to the foreign company,
the directors of the Cayman Islands exempted company are required to make a declaration to the effect that, having made due enquiry,
they are of the opinion that the requirements set out below have been met: (1) that the merger or consolidation is permitted
or not prohibited by the constitutional documents of the foreign company and by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the foreign
company is incorporated, and that those laws and any requirements of those constitutional documents have been or will be complied
with; (2) that no petition or other similar proceeding has been filed and remains outstanding or order made or resolution
adopted to wind up or liquidate the foreign company in any jurisdictions; (3) that no receiver, trustee, administrator or
other similar person has been appointed in any jurisdiction and is acting in respect of the foreign company, its affairs or its
property or any part thereof; and (4) that no scheme, order, compromise or other similar arrangement has been entered into
or made in any jurisdiction whereby the rights of creditors of the foreign company are and continue to be suspended or restricted.
Where
the surviving company is the Cayman Islands exempted company, the directors of the Cayman Islands exempted company are further
required to make a declaration to the effect that, having made due enquiry, they are of the opinion that the requirements set
out below have been met: (1) that the foreign company is able to pay its debts as they fall due and that the merger or consolidated
is bona fide and not intended to defraud unsecured creditors of the foreign company; (2) that in respect of the transfer
of any security interest granted by the foreign company to the surviving or consolidated company (a) consent or approval
to the transfer has been obtained, released or waived; (b) the transfer is permitted by and has been approved in accordance
with the constitutional documents of the foreign company; and (c) the laws of the jurisdiction of the foreign company with
respect to the transfer have been or will be complied with; (3) that the foreign company will, upon the merger or consolidation
becoming effective, cease to be incorporated, registered or exist under the laws of the relevant foreign jurisdiction; and (4) that
there is no other reason why it would be against the public interest to permit the merger or consolidation.
Where
the above procedures are adopted, the Companies Law provides for a right of dissenting shareholders to be paid a payment of the
fair value of his or her shares upon their dissenting to the merger or consolidation if they follow a prescribed procedure. In
essence, that procedure is as follows: (a) the shareholder must give his or her written objection to the merger or consolidation
to the constituent company before the vote on the merger or consolidation, including a statement that the shareholder proposes
to demand payment for his or her shares if the merger or consolidation is authorized by the vote; (b) within 20 days following
the date on which the merger or consolidation is approved by the shareholders, the constituent company must give written notice
to each shareholder who made a written objection; (c) a shareholder must within 20 days following receipt of such notice
from the constituent company, give the constituent company a written notice of his or her intention to dissent including, among
other details, a demand for payment of the fair value of his or her shares; (d) within seven days following the date of the
expiration of the period set out in paragraph (b) above or seven days following the date on which the plan of merger or consolidation
is filed, whichever is later, the constituent company, the surviving company or the consolidated company must make a written offer
to each dissenting shareholder to purchase his or her shares at a price that the company determines is the fair value and if the
company and the shareholder agrees to the price within 30 days following the date on which the offer was made, the company must
pay the shareholder such amount; and (e) if the company and the shareholder fails to agree to a price within such 30-day
period, within 20 days following the date on which such 30-day period expires, the company (and any dissenting shareholder) must
file a petition with the Cayman Islands Grand Court to determine the fair value and such petition must be accompanied by a list
of the names and addresses of the dissenting shareholders with whom agreements as to the fair value of their shares have not been
reached by the company. At the hearing of that petition, the court has the power to determine the fair value of the shares together
with a fair rate of interest, if any, to be paid by the company upon the amount determined to be the fair value. Any dissenting
shareholder whose name appears on the list filed by the company may participate fully in all proceedings until the determination
of fair value is reached. These rights of a dissenting shareholder are not to be available in certain circumstances, for example,
to dissenters holding shares of any class in respect of which an open market exists on a recognized stock exchange or recognized
interdealer quotation system at the relevant date or where the consideration for such shares to be contributed are shares of any
company listed on a national securities exchange or shares of the surviving or consolidated company.
Moreover,
Cayman Islands law also has separate statutory provisions that facilitate the reconstruction or amalgamation of companies in certain
circumstances, such schemes of arrangement will generally be more suited for complex mergers or other transactions involving widely
held companies, commonly referred to in the Cayman Islands as a “scheme of arrangement” which may be tantamount to
a merger. In the event that a merger was sought pursuant to a scheme of arrangement (the procedures of which are more rigorous
and take longer to complete than the procedures typically required to consummate a merger in the United States), the arrangement
in question must be approved by a majority in number of each class of shareholders and creditors with whom the arrangement is
to be made and who must in addition represent three-fourths in value of each such class of shareholders or creditors, as the case
may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a general meeting summoned for that purpose. The convening
of the meetings and subsequently the terms of the arrangement must be sanctioned by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. While
a dissenting shareholder would have the right to express to the court the view that the transaction should not be approved, the
court can be expected to approve the arrangement if it is satisfied that:
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we
are not proposing to act illegally or beyond the scope of our corporate authority and
we have complied with the statutory provisions as to majority vote;
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the
shareholders have been fairly represented at the meeting in question;
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the
arrangement is such as a business-person would reasonably approve; and
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the
arrangement is not one that would more properly be sanctioned under some other provision
of the Companies Law or that would amount to a “fraud on the minority.”
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If
a scheme of arrangement or takeover offer (as described below) is approved, any dissenting shareholder would have no rights comparable
to appraisal rights, which would otherwise ordinarily be available to dissenting shareholders of U.S. corporations, providing
rights to receive payment in cash for the judicially determined value of the shares.
Squeeze-out
Provisions. When a takeover offer is made and accepted by holders of 90% of the shares to whom the offer relates within four
months, the offeror may, within a two-month period, require the holders of the remaining shares to transfer such shares on the
terms of the offer. An objection can be made to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, but this is unlikely to succeed unless
there is evidence of fraud, bad faith, collusion or inequitable treatment of the shareholders.
Further,
transactions similar to a merger, reconstruction and/or an amalgamation may in some circumstances be achieved through other means
to these statutory provisions, such as a share capital exchange, asset acquisition or control, through contractual arrangements,
of an operating business.
Shareholders’
Suits. Maples and Calder, our Cayman Islands legal counsel, is not aware of any reported class action having been brought
in a Cayman Islands court. Derivative actions have been brought in the Cayman Islands courts, and the Cayman Islands courts have
confirmed the availability of such actions. In most cases, we will be the proper plaintiff in any claim based on a breach of duty
owed to us, and a claim against (for example) our directors or officers usually may not be brought by a shareholder. However,
based both on Cayman Islands authorities and on English authorities, which would in all likelihood be of persuasive authority
and applied by a court in the Cayman Islands, exceptions to the foregoing principle apply in circumstances in which:
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a
company is acting, or proposing to act, illegally or beyond the scope of its authority;
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the
act complained of, although not beyond the scope of the authority, could be effected
if duly authorized by more than the number of votes that have actually been obtained;
or
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•
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those
who control the company are perpetrating a “fraud on the minority.”
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A
shareholder may have a direct right of action against us where the individual rights of that shareholder have been infringed or
are about to be infringed.
Enforcement
of Civil Liabilities. The Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States and provides
less protection to investors. Additionally, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to sue before the federal courts of
the United States.
We
have been advised by Maples and Calder, our Cayman Islands legal counsel, that the courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (1) to
recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the
federal securities laws of the United States or any state and (2) in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose
liabilities against us predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any
state, so far as the liabilities imposed by those provisions are penal in nature. In those circumstances, although there is no
statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, the courts of the Cayman Islands will
recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits based
on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the sum for
which judgment has been given provided certain conditions are met. For a foreign judgment to be enforced in the Cayman Islands,
such judgment must be final and conclusive and for a liquidated sum, and must not be in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty,
inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect of the same matter, impeachable on the grounds of fraud or obtained in
a manner, and or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands
(awards of punitive or multiple damages may well be held to be contrary to public policy). A Cayman Islands Court may stay enforcement
proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.
Special
Considerations for Exempted Companies. We are an exempted company with limited liability (meaning our public shareholders
have no liability, as members of the company, for liabilities of the company over and above the amount paid for their shares)
under the Companies Law. The Companies Law distinguishes between ordinary resident companies and exempted companies. Any company
that is registered in the Cayman Islands but conducts business mainly outside of the Cayman Islands may apply to be registered
as an exempted company. The requirements for an exempted company are essentially the same as for an ordinary company except for
the exemptions and privileges listed below:
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•
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annual
reporting requirements are minimal and consist mainly of a statement that the company
has conducted its operations mainly outside of the Cayman Islands and has complied with
the provisions of the Companies Law;
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•
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an
exempted company’s register of members is not open to inspection;
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•
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an
exempted company does not have to hold an annual general meeting;
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•
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an
exempted company may issue negotiable or bearer shares or shares with no par value;
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•
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an
exempted company may obtain an undertaking against the imposition of any future taxation
(such undertakings are usually given for 20 years in the first instance);
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•
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an
exempted company may register by way of continuation in another jurisdiction and be deregistered
in the Cayman Islands;
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•
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an
exempted company may register as a limited duration company; and
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•
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an
exempted company may register as a segregated portfolio company.
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Anti-Money
Laundering — Cayman Islands
In
order to comply with legislation or regulations aimed at the prevention of money laundering, we are required to adopt and maintain
anti-money laundering procedures, and may require subscribers to provide evidence to verify their identity and source of funds.
Where permitted, and subject to certain conditions, we may also delegate the maintenance of our anti-money laundering procedures
(including the acquisition of due diligence information) to a suitable person.
We
reserve the right to request such information as is necessary to verify the identity of a subscriber. In some cases the directors
may be satisfied that no further information is required since an exemption applies under the Anti-Money Laundering Regulations
(2020 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, as amended and revised from time to time (the “Regulations”). Depending on
the circumstances of each application, a detailed verification of identity might not be required where:
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(a)
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the
subscriber makes the payment for their investment from an account held in the subscriber’s
name at a recognized financial institution; or
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(b)
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the
subscriber is regulated by a recognized regulatory authority and is based or incorporated
in, or formed under the law of, a recognized jurisdiction; or
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(c)
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the
application is made through an intermediary which is regulated by a recognized regulatory
authority and is based in or incorporated in, or formed under the law of a recognized
jurisdiction and an assurance is provided in relation to the procedures undertaken on
the underlying investors.
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For
the purposes of these exceptions, recognition of a financial institution, regulatory authority or jurisdiction will be determined
in accordance with the Regulations by reference to those jurisdictions recognized by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority as
having equivalent anti-money laundering regulations.
In
the event of delay or failure on the part of the subscriber in producing any information required for verification purposes, we
may refuse to accept the application, in which case any funds received will be returned without interest to the account from which
they were originally debited.
We
also reserve the right to refuse to make any payment to a shareholder if our directors or officers suspect or are advised that
the payment to such shareholder might result in a breach of applicable anti-money laundering or other laws or regulations by any
person in any relevant jurisdiction, or if such refusal is considered necessary or appropriate to ensure our compliance with any
such laws or regulations in any applicable jurisdiction.
If
any person resident in the Cayman Islands knows or suspects or has reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting that another person
is engaged in criminal conduct or is involved with terrorism or terrorist property and the information for that knowledge or suspicion
came to their attention in the course of business in the regulated sector, or other trade, profession, business or employment,
the person will be required to report such knowledge or suspicion to (1) the Financial Reporting Authority of the Cayman
Islands, pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Law (2020 Revision) of the Cayman Islands if the disclosure relates to criminal conduct
or money laundering or (2) a police officer of the rank of constable or higher, or the Financial Reporting Authority, pursuant
to the Terrorism Law (2018 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, if the disclosure relates to involvement with terrorism or terrorist
financing and property. Such a report shall not be treated as a breach of confidence or of any restriction upon the disclosure
of information imposed by any enactment or otherwise.
Data
Protection — Cayman Islands
We
have certain duties under the Data Protection Law, 2017 of the Cayman Islands (the “DPL”) based on internationally
accepted principles of data privacy.
In
this subsection, “we”, “us,” “our” and the “Company” refers to Accomplished Acquisition
Corp. or our affiliates and/or delegates, except where the context requires otherwise.
Privacy
Notice
Introduction
This
privacy notice puts our shareholders on notice that through your investment in the Company you will provide us with certain personal
information which constitutes personal data within the meaning of the DPL (“personal data”).
Investor
Data
We
will collect, use, disclose, retain and secure personal data to the extent reasonably required only and within the parameters
that could be reasonably expected during the normal course of business. We will only process, disclose, transfer or retain personal
data to the extent legitimately required to conduct our activities of on an ongoing basis or to comply with legal and regulatory
obligations to which we are subject. We will only transfer personal data in accordance with the requirements of the DPL, and will
apply appropriate technical and organizational information security measures designed to protect against unauthorized or unlawful
processing of the personal data and against the accidental loss, destruction or damage to the personal data.
In
our use of this personal data, we will be characterized as a “data controller” for the purposes of the DPL, while
our affiliates and service providers who may receive this personal data from us in the conduct of our activities may either act
as our “data processors” for the purposes of the DPL or may process personal information for their own lawful purposes
in connection with services provided to us.
We
may also obtain personal data from other public sources. Personal data includes, without limitation, the following information
relating to a shareholder and/or any individuals connected with a shareholder as an investor: name, residential address, email
address, contact details, corporate contact information, signature, nationality, place of birth, date of birth, tax identification,
credit history, correspondence records, passport number, bank account details, source of funds details and details relating to
the shareholder’s investment activity.
Who
this Affects
If
you are a natural person, this will affect you directly. If you are a corporate investor (including, for these purposes, legal
arrangements such as trusts or exempted limited partnerships) that provides us with personal data on individuals connected to
you for any reason in relation your investment in the Company, this will be relevant for those individuals and you should transmit
the content of this Privacy Notice to such individuals or otherwise advise them of its content.
How
the Company May Use a Shareholder’s Personal Data
The
Company, as the data controller, may collect, store and use personal data for lawful purposes, including, in particular:
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(a)
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where
this is necessary for the performance of our rights and obligations under any purchase
agreements;
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(b)
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where
this is necessary for compliance with a legal and regulatory obligation to which we are
subject (such as compliance with anti-money laundering and FATCA/CRS requirements); and/or
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(c)
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where
this is necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests and such interests are
not overridden by your interests, fundamental rights or freedoms.
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Should
we wish to use personal data for other specific purposes (including, if applicable, any purpose that requires your consent), we
will contact you.
Why
We May Transfer Your Personal Data
In
certain circumstances we may be legally obliged to share personal data and other information with respect to your shareholding
with the relevant regulatory authorities such as the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority or the Tax Information Authority. They,
in turn, may exchange this information with foreign authorities, including tax authorities.
We
anticipate disclosing personal data to persons who provide services to us and their respective affiliates (which may include certain
entities located outside the US, the Cayman Islands or the European Economic Area), who will process your personal data on our
behalf.
The
Data Protection Measures We Take
Any
transfer of personal data by us or our duly authorized affiliates and/or delegates outside of the Cayman Islands shall be in accordance
with the requirements of the DPL.
We
and our duly authorized affiliates and/or delegates shall apply appropriate technical and organizational information security
measures designed to protect against unauthorized or unlawful processing of personal data, and against accidental loss or destruction
of, or damage to, personal data.
We
shall notify you of any personal data breach that is reasonably likely to result in a risk to your interests, fundamental rights
or freedoms or those data subjects to whom the relevant personal data relates.
Indemnification
of Directors and Executive Officers and Limitation of Liability. Cayman Islands law does not limit
the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors,
except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide
indemnification against civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles
of association permit indemnification of officers and directors for losses, damages, costs and expenses incurred in their capacities
as such unless such losses or damages arise from dishonesty or fraud of such directors or officers. This standard of conduct is
generally the same as permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law for a Delaware corporation. In addition, our offer
letters to our independent directors and our employment agreements with our executive officers provide such persons with additional
indemnification beyond that provided in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
Insofar
as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers or persons controlling
us under the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Directors’
Fiduciary Duties. Under Delaware General Corporation Law, a director of a Delaware corporation
has a fiduciary duty to the corporation and its shareholders. This duty has two components: the duty of care and the duty of loyalty.
The duty of care requires that a director act in good faith, with the care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise under
similar circumstances. Under this duty, a director must inform himself of, and disclose to shareholders, all material information
reasonably available regarding a significant transaction. The duty of loyalty requires that a director acts in a manner he reasonably
believes to be in the best interests of the corporation. He must not use his corporate position for personal gain or advantage.
This duty prohibits self-dealing by a director and mandates that the best interest of the corporation and its shareholders take
precedence over any interest possessed by a director, officer or controlling shareholder and not shared by the shareholders generally.
In general, actions of a director are presumed to have been made on an informed basis, in good faith and in the honest belief
that the action taken was in the best interests of the corporation. However, this presumption may be rebutted by evidence of a
breach of one of the fiduciary duties. Should such evidence be presented concerning a transaction by a director, the director
must prove the procedural fairness of the transaction, and that the transaction was of fair value to the corporation.
As
a matter of Cayman Islands law, a director of a Cayman Islands company is in the position of a fiduciary with respect to the company
and therefore it is considered that he or she owes the following duties to the company: a duty to act bona fide in the best interests
of the company, a duty not to make a profit based on his or her position as director (unless the company permits him or her to
do so), and a duty not to put himself or herself in a position where the interests of the company conflict with his or her personal
interest or his or her duty to a third party. A director of a Cayman Islands company owes to the company a duty to act with skill
and care. It was previously considered that a director need not exhibit in the performance of his or her duties a greater degree
of skill than may reasonably be expected from a person of his or her knowledge and experience. However, English and Commonwealth
courts have moved towards an objective standard with regard to the required skill and care and these authorities are likely to
be followed in the Cayman Islands.
Shareholder
Action by Written Consent. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation may eliminate
the right of shareholders to act by written consent in its certificate of incorporation. Our amended and restated articles of
association provide that shareholders may not approve corporate matters by way of a unanimous written resolution signed by or
on behalf of each shareholder who would have been entitled to vote on such matter at a general meeting without a meeting being
held.
Shareholder
Proposals. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a shareholder has the right to put any proposal
before the annual general meeting, provided it complies with the notice provisions in the governing documents. An extraordinary
general meeting may be called by the board of directors or any other person authorized to do so in the governing documents, but
shareholders may be precluded from calling special meetings.
Cayman
Islands law does not provide shareholders any right to put proposals before a general meeting or requisition a general meeting.
However, these rights may be provided in articles of association. Our amended and restated articles of association allow our shareholders
holding not less than one-third of all voting power of our share capital in issue to requisition a general meeting. Other than
this right to requisition a general meeting, our current articles of association do not provide our shareholders other rights
to put a proposal before a meeting. As an exempted Cayman Islands company, we are not obliged by law to call annual general meetings.
Cumulative
Voting. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, cumulative voting for elections of directors
is not permitted unless the corporation’s certificate of incorporation specifically provides for it. Cumulative voting potentially
facilitates the representation of minority shareholders on a board of directors since it permits the minority shareholder to cast
all the votes to which the shareholder is entitled on a single director, which increases the shareholder’s voting power
with respect to electing such director. There are no prohibitions in relation to cumulative voting under the laws of the Cayman
Islands but our amended and restated articles of association do not provide for cumulative voting. As a result, our shareholders
are not afforded any fewer protections or rights on this issue than shareholders of a Delaware corporation.
Removal
of Directors. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a director of a corporation with a classified
board may be removed only for cause with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate
of incorporation provides otherwise. Under our amended and restated articles of association, directors may be removed with or
without cause, by an ordinary resolution as a matter of Cayman Islands law (which requires the affirmative vote of a majority
of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company).
Transactions
with Interested Shareholders. The Delaware General Corporation Law contains a business combination
statute applicable to Delaware corporations whereby, unless the corporation has specifically elected not to be governed by such
statute in its certificate of incorporation, it is prohibited from engaging in certain business combinations with an “interested
shareholder” for three years following the date that such person becomes an interested shareholder. An interested shareholder
generally is a person or a group who or which owns or owned 15% or more of the target’s outstanding voting share within
the past three years. This has the effect of limiting the ability of a potential acquirer to make a two-tiered bid for the target
in which all shareholders would not be treated equally. The statute does not apply if, among other things, prior to the date on
which such shareholder becomes an interested shareholder, the board of directors approves either the business combination or the
transaction which resulted in the person becoming an interested shareholder. This encourages any potential acquirer of a Delaware
corporation to negotiate the terms of any acquisition transaction with the target’s board of directors.
Cayman
Islands law has no comparable statute. As a result, we cannot avail ourselves of the types of protections afforded by the Delaware
business combination statute. However, although Cayman Islands law does not regulate transactions between a company and its significant
shareholders, it does provide that such transactions must be entered into bona fide in the best interests of the company and not
with the effect of constituting a fraud on the minority shareholders.
Dissolution;
Winding up. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, unless the board of directors approves
the proposal to dissolve, dissolution must be approved by shareholders holding 100% of the total voting power of the corporation.
Only if the dissolution is initiated by the board of directors may it be approved by a simple majority of the corporation’s
outstanding shares. Delaware law allows a Delaware corporation to include in its certificate of incorporation a supermajority
voting requirement in connection with dissolutions initiated by the board. Under Cayman Islands law, a company may be wound up
by either an order of the courts of the Cayman Islands or by a special resolution of its members or, if the company is unable
to pay its debts as they fall due, by an ordinary resolution of its members. The court has authority to order winding up in a
number of specified circumstances including where it is, in the opinion of the court, just and equitable to do so. Under the Companies
Law and our amended and restated articles of association, our company may be wound up, liquidated or dissolved by a special resolution
of our shareholders.
Variation
of Rights of Shares. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation may vary the rights
of a class of shares with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares of such class, unless the certificate of incorporation
provides otherwise. Under Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated articles of association, if our share capital is divided
into more than one class of shares, we may vary the rights attached to any class with the written consent of the holders of three-fourths
of the issued shares of that class or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a general meeting of the holders of
the shares of that class.
Amendment
of Governing Documents. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation’s governing
documents may be amended with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of
incorporation provides otherwise. As permitted by Cayman Islands law, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association
may only be amended with a special resolution of our shareholders.
Rights
of Non-resident or Foreign Shareholders. There are no limitations imposed by our post-offering
amended and restated memorandum and articles of association on the rights of non-resident or foreign shareholders to hold or exercise
voting rights on our shares. In addition, there are no provisions in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association
governing the ownership threshold above which shareholder ownership must be disclosed.
10.C.
Material Contracts
Below
is a summary of all material contracts to which we are a party dated within the preceding two years from the date hereof:
Service
Agreement with China Adult Education Association
The
Company and China Adult Education Association (“CAEA”) entered a data cloud service agreement (the “Service
Agreement”) on December 12, 2014. The Service Agreement provides that CAEA has engaged the Company to provide cloud
services to Central Agricultural Radio and Television University (“CARTU”), a member university of CAEA. The Company
shall not charge for service fee for such cloud service to CARTU, and CARTU shall guide its students to become subscription members
of the Company. The Company shall also gradually complete the cloud service of data integration for higher vocational colleges
and secondary vocational colleges within 5 years. CAEA shall play its role of supervision, guidance and coordination and provide
convenient green channels for the Company to perform its services under the Service Agreement.
Cloud
Computing Service Agreement with Higher Education Press Ltd.
The
Company and Higher Education Press Ltd. (“HEP”) entered a cloud computing service agreement (the “Cloud Agreement”)
on June 1, 2018. The Cloud Agreement provides that HEP has engaged the Company to provide cloud computing services to HEP’s
three websites: quality courses (www.jingpinke.com) website, intelligent vocational education platform (www.icve.com.cn) and iCourses
website (www.icourses.cn). The Company will provide data sharing and interconnection service among colleges and universities,
and to enable “elite courses,” “intelligent vocational education platform” and “favorite courses”
to offer personalized services for teachers and students in Colleges and vocational colleges. HEP also agreed to engage the Company
to provide related operational and maintenance work. There is no service fee charged by the Company. The Company shall own the
basic software technology used by themselves to build the platform. The instrumental software used by HEP for secondary development
shall be owned by HEP. The service term of the Cloud Agreement is 50 years.
Cooperation
Agreement with China Adult Education Association
The
Company and CAEA entered a promotion cooperation agreement (the “Cooperation Agreement”) on February 19, 2014.
The Cooperation Agreement provides that the Company and CAEA shall cooperate to promote online learning in urban and rural communities,
especially to establish communication and collaboration mechanism and service platform for urban and rural communities. The Company
shall provide high-quality digital learning products and resources, design and develop online learning management model and promote
advanced technology in accordance with the needs of community education, adult education and lifelong education. CAEA will collaborate
with other course providers and encourage them to upload their courses to the Company’s website, and promote the Company’s
online products to CAEA’s users. The Company shall pay 5% of its income generated from members referred by CAEA to CAEA
as a promotion fee. The term of the Cooperation Agreement is 5 years and such Cooperation Agreement can be automatically renewed
at the end of the 5th year. An amendment of the Cooperation Agreement was entered on November 2, 2016, which changed the
percentage of a promotion fee from 5% to 4%.
Promotion
Agreement by and among the Company, China Adult Education Association and Higher Education Press Ltd.
The
Company, CAEA and HEP entered a promotion agreement (the “Promotion Agreement”) on June 6, 2018. The Promotion
Agreement provides that the Company offers online learning resources for college students and other groups, especially to establish
communication and collaboration mechanism and service platform for college students’ communities and other communities.
CAEA and HEP agreed to promote the Company’s website by using their advantages and resources. The Company shall provide
high-quality digital learning products and resources, design and develop online learning management model and promote advanced
technology based on the needs of community education, adult education and lifelong education. CAEA and HEP will collaborate with
other course providers and encourage them to upload their courses to the Company’s website, and promote the Company’s
online products to the users of CAEA and HEP. The Company shall pay 4% of its income generated from members referred by CAEA and
HEP to them as a promotion fee. The term of the Promotion Agreement is 5 years and such Promotion Agreement can be automatically
renewed at the end of the 5-year period.
Cooperation
Agreement with Jimei University
The
Company and Jimei University entered a cooperation contract (the “Cooperation Contract”) on January 7, 2014.
The Cooperation Contract provides that Jimei University shall produce high-quality video course materials in areas such as Mechanical
Engineering, Marine Engineering, Information and other subjects for the Company, provide related technology services and
provide trainings to employees of the Company. Jimei University shall provide no less than 50 video course materials to the Company
in 2014 and the price for each is RMB500, 000 (approximately $72,741). The Intellectual Property right of each course material
produced by Jimei University belongs to the Company.
The
parties entered into an Amendment to the Cooperation Agreement on November 12, 2014, pursuant to which Jimei University shall
provide an additional 300 video course materials by December 31, 2017.
10.D.
Exchange Controls
Cayman
Islands
There
are currently no exchange control regulations in the Cayman Islands applicable to us or our shareholders.
The
PRC
China
regulates foreign currency exchanges primarily through the following rules and regulations:
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Foreign Currency
Administration Rules of 1996, as amended; and
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Administrative
Rules of the Settlement, Sale and Payment of Foreign Exchange of 1996.
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As
we disclosed in the risk factors above, Renminbi is not a freely convertible currency at present. Under the current PRC regulations,
conversion of Renminbi is permitted in China for routine current-account foreign exchange transactions, including trade and service
related foreign exchange transactions, payment of dividends and service of foreign debts. Conversion of Renminbi for most capital-account
items, such as direct investments, investments in PRC securities markets and repatriation of investments, however, is still subject
to the approval of SAFE.
Pursuant
to the above-mentioned administrative rules, foreign-invested enterprises may buy, sell and/or remit foreign currencies for current
account transactions at banks in China with authority to conduct foreign exchange business by complying with certain procedural
requirements, such as presentment of valid commercial documents. For capital-account transactions involving foreign direct investment,
foreign debts and outbound investment in securities and derivatives, approval from SAFE is a pre-condition. Capital investments
by foreign-invested enterprises outside China are subject to limitations and requirements in China, such as prior approvals from
the PRC Ministry of Commerce or SAFE.
10.E.
Taxation
The
following discussion of material Cayman Islands, PRC and United States federal income tax consequences of an investment in our
ordinary shares is based upon laws and relevant interpretations thereof in effect as of the date of this report, all of which
are subject to change. This discussion does not deal with all possible tax consequences relating to an investment in our ordinary
shares, such as the tax consequences under state, local and other tax laws.
Cayman
Islands Taxation
The
following is a discussion on certain Cayman Islands income tax consequences of an investment in the Shares. The discussion is
a general summary of the present law, which is subject to prospective and retroactive change. It is not intended as tax advice,
does not consider any investor’s particular circumstances, and does not consider tax consequences other than those arising
under Cayman Islands law.
Under
Existing Cayman Islands Laws:
Payments
of dividends and capital in respect of the Shares will not be subject to taxation in the Cayman Islands and no withholding will
be required on the payment of interest and principal or a dividend or capital to any holder of the Shares, as the case may be,
nor will gains derived from the disposal of the Shares be subject to Cayman Islands income or corporation tax. The Cayman Islands
currently have no income, corporation or capital gains tax and no estate duty, inheritance tax or gift tax.
No
stamp duty is payable in respect of the issue of the Shares or on an instrument of transfer in respect of a Share.
We
have been incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability and, as such, has applied
for and received an undertaking from the Financial Secretary of the Cayman Islands in the following form:
The
Tax Concessions Law
(2018
Revision)
Undertaking
as to Tax Concessions
In
accordance with Section 6 of the Tax Concessions Law (2018 Revision) the Financial Secretary undertakes with Skillful Craftsman
Education Technology Limited (Cayman Islands).
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(a)
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that no Law which is hereafter enacted
in the Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations shall apply to us or our operations;
and
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(b)
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in addition, that no tax to be levied
on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax shall be payable:
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(i)
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on or in respect of the shares, debentures
or other obligations of our company; or
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(ii)
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by way of the withholding in whole
or part, of any relevant payment as defined in Section 6(3) of the Tax Concessions Law (2018 Revision).
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These
concessions shall be for a period of 20 years from the date of the undertaking.
People’s
Republic of China Taxation
Enterprise
Income Tax and Value Added Tax
Under
the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules, an enterprise established outside the PRC with a “de facto
management body” within the PRC is considered a PRC resident enterprise for PRC enterprise income tax purposes and is generally
subject to a uniform 25% enterprise income tax rate on its worldwide income as well as tax reporting obligations. Under the Implementation
Rules to the EIT Law, a “de facto management body” is defined as a body that has material and overall management
and control over the manufacturing and business operations, personnel and human resources, finances and properties of an enterprise.
Our
PRC subsidiary and PRC consolidated VIE are companies incorporated under PRC law and, as such, are subject to PRC enterprise income
tax on their taxable income in accordance with the relevant PRC income tax laws. Pursuant to the EIT Law, which became effective
on January 1, 2008 and was amended on February 24, 2017, a uniform 25% enterprise income tax rate is generally applicable
to both foreign-invested enterprises and domestic enterprises, except where a special preferential rate applies. The enterprise
income tax is calculated based on the entity’s global income as determined under PRC tax laws and accounting standards.
Our PRC subsidiary and PRC consolidated VIE are subject to VAT at a rate of 6% on the services we provide, VAT at a rate of 3%
on the online training services we provide, VAT at a rate of 13% on the goods we sell, less any deductible VAT our PRC entities
have already paid or borne. Our PRC entities are also subject to surcharges on VAT payments in accordance with PRC law.
In
addition, State Administration of Taxation (“SAT”) Circular 82 issued in April 2009 specifies that certain offshore-incorporated
enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups will be classified as PRC resident enterprises if all of the
following conditions are met: (a) senior management personnel and core management departments in charge of the daily operations
of the enterprises have their presence mainly in the PRC; (b) their financial and human resources decisions are subject to
determination or approval by persons or bodies in the PRC; (c) major assets, accounting books and company seals of the enterprises,
and minutes and files of their board’s and shareholders’ meetings are located or kept in the PRC; and (d) half
or more of the enterprises’ directors or senior management personnel with voting rights habitually reside in the PRC. Further
to SAT Circular 82, the SAT issued Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Printing and Distributing the Administrative
Measures for Income Tax on Chinese-controlled Resident Enterprises Incorporated Overseas (Trial Implementation) (the “SAT
Bulletin 45”) on July 27, 2011, which took effect on September 1, 2011, to provide more guidance on the implementation
of SAT Circular 82. SAT Bulletin 45 provides for procedures and administration details of determination on PRC resident enterprise
status and administration on post-determination matters. If the PRC tax authorities determine that Skillful Craftsman Education
Technology Limited (Cayman Islands) is a PRC resident enterprise for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, a number of unfavorable
PRC tax consequences could follow. For example, Skillful Craftsman Education Technology Limited (Cayman Islands) may be subject
to enterprise income tax at a rate of 25% with respect to its worldwide taxable income. Also, a 10% withholding tax would be imposed
on dividends we pay to our non-PRC enterprise shareholders and with respect to gains derived by our non-PRC enterprise shareholders
from transferring our shares or ordinary shares and potentially a 20% of withholding tax would be imposed on dividends we pay
to our non-PRC individual shareholders and with respect to gains derived by our non-PRC individual shareholders from transferring
our shares or ordinary shares.
We
believe that Skillful Craftsman Education Technology Limited is not a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes. It is not
controlled by a PRC enterprise or PRC enterprise group and we do not believe that Skillful Craftsman Education Technology Limited
meets all of the conditions above. Skillful Craftsman Education Technology Limited is a company incorporated outside China. As
a holding company, its key assets are its ownership interests in its subsidiaries, and its key assets are located, and its records
(including the resolutions of its board of directors and the resolutions of its shareholders) are maintained, outside China. In
addition, we are not aware of any offshore holding companies with a similar corporate structure as ours ever having been deemed
a PRC “resident enterprise” by the PRC tax authorities. However, the tax resident status of an enterprise is subject
to determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term “de
facto management body.” There can be no assurance that the PRC government will ultimately take a view that is consistent
with ours. It is unclear whether, if we are considered a PRC resident enterprise, holders of our shares or ordinary shares would
be able to claim the benefit of income tax treaties or agreements entered into between China and other countries or areas.
Tax
on Transferring Equity Interests
The
SAT and the Ministry of Finance issued the Notice of Ministry of Finance and State Administration of Taxation on Several Issues
relating to Treatment of Corporate Income Tax Pertaining to Restructured Business Operations of Enterprises (the “SAT Circular
59”) in April 2009, which became effective on January 1, 2008. On October 17, 2017, the SAT issued the Announcement
of the State Administration of Matters Concerning Withholding of Income Tax of Non-resident Enterprises as Source, which became
effective on December 1, 2017 and was amended on June 15, 2018 (the “SAT Circular 37”). Pursuant to SAT
Bulletin 37, the income from property transfer, as stipulated in the second item under Article 19 of the Law on Enterprise
Income Tax, shall include the income derived from transferring such equity investment assets as stock equity. The balance of deducting
the equity’s net value from the total income from equity transfer shall be taxable income from equity transfer. Where a
withholding agent enters into a business contract, involving the income specified in the third paragraph of Article 3 in
the Law on Enterprise Income Tax, with a non-resident enterprise, the tax-excluding income of the non-resident enterprise will
be treated as the tax-including income, based on which the tax payment will be calculated and remitted, if it is agreed in the
contract that the withholding agent shall assume the tax payable. By promulgating and implementing the SAT Circular 59 and the
SAT Bulletin 37, the PRC tax authorities have enhanced their scrutiny over the direct or indirect transfer of equity interests
in a PRC resident enterprise by a non-PRC resident enterprise.
Tax
Deduction Based on Tax Treaty between Mainland China and Hong Kong
Pursuant
to the Arrangement between the Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation
and Tax Evasion on Income, or the Tax Arrangement, where a Hong Kong resident enterprise which is considered a non-PRC tax resident
enterprise directly holds at least 25% of a PRC enterprise, the withholding tax rate in respect of the payment of dividends by
such PRC enterprise to such Hong Kong resident enterprise is reduced to 5% from a standard rate of 10%, subject to approval of
the PRC local tax authority.
Pursuant
to the Circular of the State Administration of Taxation on the Issues concerning the Application of the Dividend Clauses of Tax
Agreements (“Circular 81”), a resident enterprise of the counter-party to such Tax Arrangement should meet the following
conditions, among others, in order to enjoy the reduced withholding tax under the Tax Arrangement: (i) it must directly own
the required percentage of equity interests and voting rights in such PRC resident enterprise; and (ii) it should directly
own such percentage in the PRC resident enterprise anytime in the 12 months prior to receiving the dividends. Furthermore, the
Administrative Measures for Non-Resident Enterprises to Enjoy Treatments under Tax Treaties (For Trial Implementation), or the
Administrative Measures, which became effective in October 2009, requires that the non-resident enterprises must obtain the
approval from the relevant tax authority in order to enjoy the reduced withholding tax rate under the tax treaties. There are
also other conditions to qualify for such a reduced withholding tax rate according to other relevant tax rules and regulations.
Accordingly, Hong Kong ES may be able to enjoy the 5% withholding tax rate for the dividends it receives from the WOFE, if it
satisfies the conditions prescribed under Circular 81 and other relevant tax rules and regulations, and obtains the approvals
as required under the Administrative Measures. However, according to Circular 81, if the relevant tax authorities consider the
transactions or arrangements we have are for the primary purpose of enjoying a favorable tax treatment, the relevant tax authorities
may adjust the favorable withholding tax in the future.
Urban
Maintenance and Construction Tax
According
to Interim Regulations on Urban Maintenance and Construction Tax of the People's Republic of China (Amended in 2011) issued
by the State Council on January 8, 2011, the rates of urban maintenance and construction tax shall be as follows: 7% for
a taxpayer in a city, 5% for a taxpayer in a county town or town, 1% for a taxpayer living in a place other than a city, county-level
town or town. The rate of urban maintenance and construction tax of Wuxi Wangdao is 7%; the rate of urban maintenance and construction
tax Craftsman Wuxi is 7%.
Education
Surcharge Tax
According
to Provisional Regulations on the Collection of Education Surcharges (Amended in 2011) by the State Council on January 8,
2011, Computation and collection of education surcharges are based on the amount of value-added tax, business tax and consumption
tax actually paid by entities and individuals. The rate of education surcharges is 3%, which shall be paid together with value-added
tax, business tax or consumption tax respectively. The rate of education surcharge tax of Wuxi Wangdao is 3% and the rate of local
education surcharge tax of Craftsman Wuxi is 3%.
As
per The Notice on relevant Issues on the unification of local education surcharge tax policy issued on November 7,
2010, the rate of local education surcharge tax of Wuxi Wangdao is 2% and the rate of local education surcharge tax of Craftsman
Wuxi is 2%.
Material
United States Federal Income Tax Considerations
The
following is a discussion of certain material United States federal income tax considerations relating to the acquisition, ownership,
and disposition of our ordinary shares by a U.S. Holder, as defined below, that acquires our ordinary shares in our initial public
offering and holds our ordinary shares as “capital assets” (generally, property held for investment) under the United
States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). This discussion is based on existing United States
federal income tax law, which is subject to differing interpretations or change, possibly with retroactive effect. No ruling has
been sought from the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) with respect to any United States federal income tax consequences
described below, and there can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will not take a contrary position. This discussion does
not address all aspects of United States federal income taxation that may be important to particular investors in light of their
individual circumstances, including investors subject to special tax rules (such as, for example, certain financial institutions,
insurance companies, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, broker-dealers, traders in securities that
elect mark-to-market treatment, partnerships (or other entities treated as partnerships for United States federal income tax purposes)
and their partners, tax-exempt organizations (including private foundations)), investors who are not U.S. Holders, investors that
own (directly, indirectly, or constructively) 5% or more of our voting shares, investors that hold their ordinary shares as part
of a straddle, hedge, conversion, constructive sale or other integrated transaction), or investors that have a functional currency
other than the U.S. dollar, all of whom may be subject to tax rules that differ significantly from those summarized below.
In addition, this discussion does not address any tax laws other than the United States federal income tax laws, including any
state, local, alternative minimum tax or non-United States tax considerations, or the Medicare tax on unearned income. Each potential
investor is urged to consult its tax advisor regarding the United States federal, state, local and non-United States income and
other tax considerations of an investment in our ordinary shares.
General
For
purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of our ordinary shares that is, for United States
federal income tax purposes, (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States, (ii) a corporation
(or other entity treated as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes) created in, or organized under the laws
of, the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia, (iii) an estate the income of which is includible
in gross income for United States federal income tax purposes regardless of its source, or (iv) a trust (A) the administration
of which is subject to the primary supervision of a United States court and which has one or more United States persons who have
the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (B) that has otherwise elected to be treated as a United
States person under the Code.
If
a partnership (or other entity treated as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes) is a beneficial owner of
our ordinary shares, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will depend upon the status of the partner and the activities
of the partnership. Partnerships and partners of a partnership holding our ordinary shares are urged to consult their tax advisors
regarding an investment in our ordinary shares.
The
discussion set forth below is addressed only to U.S. Holders that purchase ordinary shares in our initial public offering. Prospective
purchasers are urged to consult their own tax advisors about the application of U.S. federal income tax law to their particular
circumstances as well as the state, local, foreign and other tax consequences to them of the purchase, ownership and disposition
of our ordinary shares.
Taxation
of Dividends and Other Distributions on our Ordinary Shares
Subject
to the passive foreign investment company rules discussed below, distributions of cash or other property made by us to you
with respect to the ordinary shares (including the amount of any taxes withheld therefrom) will generally be includable in your
gross income as dividend income on the date of receipt by you, but only to the extent that the distribution is paid out of our
current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). With respect to corporate
U.S. Holders, the dividends will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations in respect of dividends
received from other U.S. corporations.
With
respect to non-corporate U.S. Holders, including individual U.S. Holders, dividends will be taxed at the lower capital gains rate
applicable to qualified dividend income, provided that (1) the ordinary shares are readily tradable on an established securities
market in the United States, or we are eligible for the benefits of an approved qualifying income tax treaty with the United States
that includes an exchange of information program, (2) we are not a passive foreign investment company (as discussed below)
for either our taxable year in which the dividend is paid or the preceding taxable year, and (3) certain holding period requirements
are met. You are urged to consult your tax advisors regarding the availability of the lower rate for dividends paid with respect
to our ordinary shares, including the effects of any change in law after the date of this report.
To
the extent that the amount of the distribution exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S.
federal income tax principles), it will be treated first as a tax-free return of your tax basis in your ordinary shares, and to
the extent the amount of the distribution exceeds your tax basis, the excess will be taxed as capital gain. We do not intend to
calculate our earnings and profits under U.S. federal income tax principles. Therefore, a U.S. Holder should expect that a distribution
will be treated as a dividend even if that distribution would otherwise be treated as a non-taxable return of capital or as capital
gain under the rules described above.
Taxation
of Dispositions of Ordinary Shares
Subject
to the passive foreign investment company rules discussed below, you will recognize taxable gain or loss on any sale, exchange
or other taxable disposition of a share equal to the difference between the amount realized (in U.S. dollars) for the share and
your tax basis (in U.S. dollars) in the ordinary shares. The gain or loss will be capital gain or loss. If you are a non-corporate
U.S. Holder, including an individual U.S. Holder, who has held the ordinary shares for more than one year, you may be eligible
for reduced tax rates on any such capital gains. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
Passive
Foreign Investment Company
A non-U.S.
corporation is considered a PFIC for any taxable year if either:
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at least 75% of its gross income for such taxable year is passive
income; or
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at least 50% of the value of its assets (based on an average
of the quarterly values of the assets during a taxable year) is attributable to assets that produce or are held for the production
of passive income (the “asset test”).
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Passive
income generally includes dividends, interest, rents and royalties (other than rents or royalties derived from the active conduct
of a trade or business) and gains from the disposition of passive assets. We will be treated as owning our proportionate share
of the assets and earning our proportionate share of the income of any other corporation in which we own, directly or indirectly,
at least 25% (by value) of the shares. In determining the value and composition of our assets for purposes of the PFIC asset test,
(1) the cash we raise in our initial public offering will generally be considered to be held for the production of passive
income and (2) the value of our assets must be determined based on the market value of our ordinary shares from time to time,
which could cause the value of our non-passive assets to be less than 50% of the value of all of our assets (including the cash
raised in our initial public offering) on any particular quarterly testing date for purposes of the asset test.
We
must make a separate determination each year as to whether we are a PFIC. Depending on the amount of cash we raise in our initial
public offering, together with any other assets held for the production of passive income, it is possible that, for our current
taxable year or for any subsequent taxable year, more than 50% of our assets may be assets held for the production of passive
income. We will make this determination following the end of any particular tax year. In particular, because the value of our
assets for purposes of the asset test will generally be determined based on the market price of our ordinary shares and because
cash is generally considered to be an asset held for the production of passive income, our PFIC status will depend in large part
on the market price of our ordinary shares and the amount of cash we raise in our initial public offering. Accordingly, fluctuations
in the market price of the ordinary shares may cause us to become a PFIC. In addition, the application of the PFIC rules is
subject to uncertainty in several respects and the composition of our income and assets will be affected by how, and how quickly,
we spend the cash we raise in our initial public offering. We are under no obligation to take steps to reduce the risk of our
being classified as a PFIC, and as stated above, the determination of the value of our assets will depend upon material facts
(including the market price of our ordinary shares from time to time and the amount of cash we raise in our initial public offering)
that may not be within our control. If we are a PFIC for any year during which you hold ordinary shares, we will continue to be
treated as a PFIC for all succeeding years during which you hold ordinary shares. However, if we cease to be a PFIC and you did
not previously make a timely “mark-to-market” election as described below, you may avoid some of the adverse effects
of the PFIC regime by making a “purging election” (as described below) with respect to the ordinary shares.
If
we are a PFIC for your taxable year(s) during which you hold ordinary shares, you will be subject to special tax rules with
respect to any “excess distribution” that you receive and any gain you realize from a sale or other disposition (including
a pledge) of the ordinary shares, unless you make a “mark-to-market” election as discussed below. Distributions you
receive in a taxable year that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions you received during the shorter of the
three preceding taxable years or your holding period for the ordinary shares will be treated as an excess distribution. Under
these special tax rules:
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the excess distribution or gain will be allocated ratably over
your holding period for the ordinary shares;
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the amount allocated to your current taxable year, and any amount
allocated to any of your taxable year(s) prior to the first taxable year in which we were a PFIC, will be treated as
ordinary income, and
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the amount allocated to each of your other taxable year(s) will
be subject to the highest tax rate in effect for that year and the interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of
tax will be imposed on the resulting tax attributable to each such year.
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The
tax liability for amounts allocated to years prior to the year of disposition or “excess distribution” cannot be offset
by any net operating losses for such years, and gains (but not losses) realized on the sale of the ordinary shares cannot be treated
as capital, even if you hold the ordinary shares as capital assets.
A
U.S. Holder of “marketable stock” (as defined below) in a PFIC may make a mark-to-market election for such stock to
elect out of the tax treatment discussed above. If you make a mark-to-market election for the first taxable year during which
you hold (or are deemed to hold) ordinary shares and for which we are determined to be a PFIC, you will include in your income
each year an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the ordinary shares as of the close of such taxable
year over your adjusted basis in such ordinary shares, which excess will be treated as ordinary income and not capital gain. You
are allowed an ordinary loss for the excess, if any, of the adjusted basis of the ordinary shares over their fair market value
as of the close of the taxable year. However, such ordinary loss is allowable only to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains
on the ordinary shares included in your income for prior taxable years. Amounts included in your income under a mark-to-market
election, as well as gain on the actual sale or other disposition of the ordinary shares, are treated as ordinary income. Ordinary
loss treatment also applies to any loss realized on the actual sale or disposition of the ordinary shares, to the extent that
the amount of such loss does not exceed the net mark-to-market gains previously included for such ordinary shares. Your basis
in the ordinary shares will be adjusted to reflect any such income or loss amounts. If you make a valid mark-to-market election,
the tax rules that apply to distributions by corporations which are not PFICs would apply to distributions by us, except
that the lower applicable capital gains rate for qualified dividend income discussed above under “— Taxation of Dividends
and Other Distributions on our Ordinary Shares” generally would not apply.
The
mark-to-market election is available only for “marketable stock,” which is stock that is traded in other than de minimis
quantities on at least 15 days during each calendar quarter (“regularly traded”) on a qualified exchange or other
markets (as defined in applicable U.S. Treasury regulations), including Nasdaq. If the ordinary shares are regularly traded on
Nasdaq and if you are a holder of ordinary shares, the mark-to-market election would be available to you were we to be or become
a PFIC.
Alternatively,
a U.S. Holder of stock in a PFIC may make a “qualified electing fund” election with respect to such PFIC to elect
out of the tax treatment discussed above. A U.S. Holder who makes a valid qualified electing fund election with respect to a PFIC
will generally include in gross income for a taxable year such holder’s pro rata share of the corporation’s earnings
and profits for the taxable year. However, the qualified electing fund election is available only if such PFIC provides such U.S.
Holder with certain information regarding its earnings and profits as required under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations. We
do not currently intend to prepare or provide the information that would enable you to make a qualified electing fund election.
If you hold ordinary shares in any taxable year in which we are a PFIC, you will be required to file IRS Form 8621 in each
such year and provide certain annual information regarding such ordinary shares, including regarding distributions received on
the ordinary shares and any gain realized on the disposition of the ordinary shares.
If
you do not make a timely “mark-to-market” election (as described above), and if we were a PFIC at any time during
the period you hold our ordinary shares, then such ordinary shares will continue to be treated as stock of a PFIC with respect
to you even if we cease to be a PFIC in a future year, unless you make a “purging election” for the year we cease
to be a PFIC. A “purging election” creates a deemed sale of such ordinary shares at their fair market value on the
last day of the last year in which we are treated as a PFIC. The gain recognized by the purging election will be subject to the
special tax and interest charge rules treating the gain as an excess distribution, as described above. As a result of the
purging election, you will have a new basis (equal to the fair market value of the ordinary shares on the last day of the last
year in which we are treated as a PFIC) and holding period (which new holding period will begin the day after such last day) in
your ordinary shares for tax purposes.
You
are urged to consult your tax advisors regarding the application of the PFIC rules to your investment in our ordinary shares
and the elections discussed above.
Information
Reporting and Backup Withholding
Dividend
payments with respect to our ordinary shares and proceeds from the sale, exchange or redemption of our ordinary shares may be
subject to information reporting to the IRS and possible U.S. backup withholding. Backup withholding will not apply, however,
to a U.S. Holder who furnishes a correct taxpayer identification number and makes any other required certification on IRS Form W-9
or who is otherwise exempt from backup withholding. U.S. Holders who are required to establish their exempt status generally must
provide such certification on IRS Form W-9. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application
of the U.S. information reporting and backup withholding rules.
Backup
withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as backup withholding may be credited against your U.S. federal income
tax liability, and you may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules by filing the
appropriate claim for refund with the IRS and furnishing any required information. We do not intend to withhold taxes for individual
shareholders. However, transactions effected through certain brokers or other intermediaries may be subject to withholding taxes
(including backup withholding), and such brokers or intermediaries may be required by law to withhold such taxes.
Under
the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act of 2010, certain U.S. Holders are required to report information relating to our
ordinary shares, subject to certain exceptions (including an exception for ordinary shares held in accounts maintained by certain
financial institutions), by attaching a complete IRS Form 8938, Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets, with their
tax return for each year in which they hold ordinary shares.
10.F.
Dividends and Paying Agents
Not
Applicable.
10.G.
Statement by Experts
Not
Applicable.
10.H.
Documents on Display
The
Company is subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and will file reports,
registration statements and other information with the SEC. The Company’s reports, registration statements and other information
can be inspected on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. You may also visit us on website at www.kingwayup.com. However, information
contained on our website does not constitute a part of this annual report.
10.I.
Subsidiary Information
Not
Applicable.
ITEM
11. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Foreign
Exchange Risk
Our functional currency is RMB, and our financial statements
are presented in U.S. dollars. RMB has gradually appreciated against U.S. dollars over the past few years. The average exchange
rate for U.S. dollars against RMB has changed from US$1.00 for RMB 6.6021 in the year ended March 31, 2018, US$1.00 for RMB
6.7317 in the year ended March 31, 2019 to US$1.00 for RMB 6.9655 in the year ended March 31, 2020. The change in the
value of RMB relative to the U.S. dollar may affect our financial results reported in the U.S. dollar terms without giving effect
to any underlying change in our business or results of operation. If using the average exchange rate of fiscal 2019, our revenue,
cost of revenue and total expenses, including selling expenses and general and administrative expenses, for the year ended March 31,
2020 would increase by approximately $0.99 million, $0.41 million and 0.12 million, respectively.
Currently,
our assets, liabilities, revenues and costs are denominated in RMB, our exposure to foreign exchange risk will primarily relate
to those financial assets denominated in U.S. dollars. Any significant revaluation of RMB against U.S. dollar may materially affect
our earnings and financial position, and the value of, and any dividends payable on, our ordinary shares in U.S. dollars in the
future.
Credit
Risk
As March 31, 2020, March 31, 2019 and March 31, 2018, we
had cash of $11.9 million, $10.4 million and $4.90 million, respectively. Our cash was on deposit at financial institutions in
the PRC where there currently is no rule or regulation requiring such financial institutions to maintain insurance to cover
bank deposits in the event of bank failure.
Accounts
receivable are typically unsecured and derived from revenue earned from customers, thereby exposed to credit risk. The risk is
mitigated by the Company’s assessment of its customers’ creditworthiness and its ongoing monitoring of outstanding
balances.
Inflation
Risk
Inflationary
factors such as increases in the cost of our product and overhead costs may adversely affect our operating results. Although we
do not believe that inflation has had a material effect on our financial position or results of operations to date, a high rate
of inflation in the future may have an adverse effect on our ability to maintain current levels of gross profit and selling, general
and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales if the selling prices of our services do not increase with these increased
costs.
ITEM
12. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES
None.
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been
prepared in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”).
On April 22, 2020, our initial shareholders approved a consolidation and increase of share capital such that the authorized share
capital of the company consists of $75,000 divided into 500,000,000 ordinary shares of $0.00015 par value each, resulting in an
aggregate of 12,000,000 ordinary shares outstanding. On May 29, 2020, our shareholders approved a consolidation and increase of
share capital such that the authorized share capital of the company consists of $100,000 divided into 500,000,000 ordinary shares
of $0.0002 par value each, resulting in an aggregate of 9,000,000 ordinary shares outstanding. Accordingly, unless otherwise noted,
all share and per share information has been adjusted to retroactively show the effect of the stock consolidation.
For the years ended March 31, 2020,
2019 and 2018, all of the Group’s revenues were generated in the PRC. Additionally, all of the revenues for the periods were
recognized from contracts with customers. The following table provides information about disaggregated revenue by types:
For the years ended March 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, all
of the Group’s revenues were generated in the PRC. Additionally, all of the revenues for the periods were recognized from
contracts with customers. Revenue consisted of the following categories:
The following table sets forth reconciliation between the statutory
EIT rate of 25% and the effective tax for the years ended March 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively:
Total operating lease expenses for the year ended March 31,
2020 was $138,618 and was recorded in general and administrative expense on the consolidated statements of operations. As of March 31,
2020, the Group had no future minimum payments under non-cancelable operating leases for a period greater than one year.
On July 27, 2020, the Company closed its initial public
offering of 3,000,000 ordinary shares, US$0.0002 par value per share at an offering price of $5.00 per share, for a total of $15,000,000
in gross proceeds. The Company raised total net proceeds of $13,357,409 after deducting underwriting discounts and commission,
offering expenses and other related costs.