About EdTech sector in China
The EdTech sector in China comprises 2.41K companies, including 869 funded companies having collectively raised $19.8B in venture capital money and private equity. Out of these, 269 are Series A+ funded, and 12 have achieved unicorn status.
EdTech sector in China has seen 20 acquisitions and 31 IPOs.
This sector includes companies providing technology-based education industry solutions to both consumers and businesses.
EdTech sector is also known as Education IT, Online Education or Digital Education.
Companies that provide technology based solutions to students(Pre-K, K-12, Higher education and Professionals) for education. Also, companies that rovide software solutions to education related businesses are included in this sector. Companies that provide offline solutions to the education industry. Also, sports and fitness related solutions to athletes are excluded.
Top EdTech Companies in China
There are 2,409 EdTech startups in China which include 51Talk, 17Zuoye, Sunlands, Italki, Squirrel Ai Learning. Out of these, 869 startups are funded, with 269 having secured Series A+ funding, and 12 achieving unicorn status.
2026 has seen the creation of 8 EdTech startups in China. Over the past 10 years, an average of 68 new companies have been launched annually. Notably, several of these startups have been founded by alumni of Tsinghua University, University of Cambridge and Stanford University.
Here is the list of top EdTech startups in China
1. 51Talk
51Talk is an online English school providing one-to-one foreign language teacher service. 51Talk offers e-learning courses at affordable prices, with teachers mainly from southeast Asian countries who speak English as their native language. 51talk is also trying to diversify its user experience by setting up offline experience centers, following a similar initiative by major competitor Hujiang. In addition to building such centers in first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai.
Key facts about 51Talk
- Founded Year: 2011
- Location: Beijing (China)
- Stage: Public
- Total Funding till date: $90M
- Investors: DCM Ventures, Shunwei Capital and 2 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series D, 2015, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 76/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 1 of 1,229 Competitors
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2. 17Zuoye
Provider of virtual classroom platform for students, teachers, and parents. It provides a virtual classroom to serve as a nexus for all three groups to facilitate the educational experience, focusing on English and Math classes. For students, one of the services it offers is an automated system that allows the students to record English sentences and get instant feedback on pronunciation. Teachers can then listen to the recordings at any time. Parents can get real-time reports on the kids via WeChat.
Key facts about 17Zuoye
- Founded Year: 2011
- Location: Beijing (China)
- Stage: Public
- Total Funding till date: $385M
- Investors: Shunwei Capital, H Capital Advance and 6 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series E, Mar 20, 2018, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 67/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 9 of 2,709 Competitors
3. Sunlands
Instructor-led live classroom training platform. It provides users with an option to choose suitable courses and subjects to learn from different instructors. It also enables users to attempt different exams.
Key facts about Sunlands
- Founded Year: 2008
- Location: Beijing (China)
- Stage: Public
- Total Funding till date: $90M
- Investors: Primavera, Overture Wealth and 2 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Aug 2017, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 61/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 11 of 8,489 Competitors
4. Italki
italki is one to one online language teaching platform. italki aims at helping users become fluent in any language by taking lessons with online teachers from around the world. The platform connects the user to the right teacher for your schedule, budget, and learning style. The company is registered in Hong Kong with a development center in Shanghai, China. italki is founded by American and Chinese entrepreneurs.
Key facts about Italki
- Founded Year: 2007
- Location: Shanghai (China)
- Stage: Series A
- Total Funding till date: $3.15M
- Investors: Hujiang, CrossPacific Capital Partners and 2 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series A, Jun 22, 2016, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 60/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 7 of 1,083 Competitors
SquirrelAI provides an AI-based tutoring platform for students. It provides tutoring platform with personalized feedbacks for students using AI-technology.
Key facts about Squirrel Ai Learning
- Founded Year: 2014
- Location: Shanghai (China)
- Stage: Series C
- Total Funding till date: $194M
- Investors: NGP Capital, Tiantu Capital and 3 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series C, Jul 03, 2021, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 59/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 11 of 1,831 Competitors
Companies founded year-on-year in the EdTech sector in China
8 new startups have been founded so far in 2026 in the EdTech sector in China. 158 EdTech startups in China were founded in 2017 - this is the most number of startups founded in any year in the last 10 years.
- Total Number of Companies
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | 8 |
2025 | 26 |
2024 | 36 |
2023 | 55 |
2022 | 48 |
2021 | 67 |
2020 | 91 |
2019 | 78 |
2018 | 115 |
2017 | 158 |
Stage-wise distribution of EdTech sector companies in China
Out of the total 2,409 EdTech companies in China, 869 have secured funding. Among them, 269 have reached Series A or higher, and 154 to Series B or beyond.
Founded - 2,409
Funded - 869
Series A+ - 269
Series B+ - 154
Series C+ - 100
Company Stage | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Founded | 2,409 |
Funded | 869 |
Series A+ | 269 |
Series B+ | 154 |
Series C+ | 100 |
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Funding Trends in the EdTech sector in China
Total funding year-on-year in the EdTech sector in China
The EdTech sector in China saw a total funding of more than $17.2B in the last 10 years. The most amount of funding was in 2020 at more than $9.23B.
- Total Funding
Year | Total Funding |
|---|---|
2026 | - |
2024 | $44M |
2023 | $50M |
2022 | $45.8M |
2021 | $1.1B |
2020 | $9.23B |
2019 | $1.66B |
2018 | $2.78B |
2017 | $1.34B |
Recent Funding Rounds in EdTech in China
In the year 2026, till March 2026, EdTech companies in China have raised equity funding across 1 round.
Here are some recent, important funding rounds in EdTech companies in China:
Company | Round Raised | Amount Raised | Funding Date | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Series A | 7943 | Mar 25, 2026 | and 1 more | |
Series A | 3158 | Nov 17, 2024 | ||
Series B | 3870 | May 29, 2024 | ||
Series A | 6818 | Apr 19, 2024 | - | |
Series C | 4331 | Apr 16, 2024 | - |
Top Investors in EdTech in China
Zhen Fund is the top investor in EdTech companies in China based on number of companies invested.
Here are some top investors in EdTech companies in China:
Investor | Location | Top Portfolio Companies |
|---|---|---|
Beijing (China) | ||
Shenzhen (China) | ||
Hong Kong (China) | ||
New York City (United States) | ||
Beijing (China) |
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M&A activity in EdTech sector in China
In the year 2023, till September 2023, 2 acquisitions happened in EdTech sector in China. Last year, in 2022, a total of 3 acquisitions happened in EdTech sector in China.
Here are some recent, important acquisitions in EdTech sector in China:
Company | Acquisition Type | Acquisition Date | Acquirers |
|---|---|---|---|
Business Acquisition | Sep 18, 2023 | ||
Business Acquisition | Jun 12, 2023 | ||
Business Acquisition | Sep 2022 | ||
Acqui-Hired | Apr 11, 2022 | ||
Business Acquisition | Jan 25, 2022 |
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Acquisition trends in EdTech sector in China
Here are the acquisition trends in EdTech sector in China:
- Total Number of Acquisitions
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | - |
2025 | - |
2024 | - |
2023 | 2 |
2022 | 3 |
2021 | 2 |
2020 | 2 |
2019 | 1 |
2018 | 2 |
2017 | - |
IPOs in EdTech in China
In the year 2024, till December 2024, 2 IPOs happened in EdTech sector in China.
Here are some recent, important IPOs in EdTech sector in China:
Company | IPO Date | Exchange Symbol |
|---|---|---|
Dec 06, 2024 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) | |
Jul 10, 2024 | Hong Kong Exchanges (HKG) | |
Jan 25, 2023 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) | |
Jan 24, 2023 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) | |
Jan 09, 2023 | Hong Kong Exchanges (HKG) |
Colleges which produce the most EdTech companies in China
Companies founded by alumni from top colleges in the EdTech in China
Most number of EdTech startups in China have been founded by alumni from Tsinghua University, University of Cambridge and Stanford University.
College | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Tsinghua University | 9 |
University of Cambridge | 9 |
Stanford University | 6 |
Harvard University | 5 |
University of California (Los Angeles) | 5 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 4 |
University of California (Berkeley) | 4 |
National University of Singapore (NUS) | 3 |
University of Pennsylvania | 3 |
Yale University | 3 |
Total funding in EdTech companies founded by alumni from top colleges in China
In the last 10 years, Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduates' EdTech companies in China have raised the most funding among top colleges. University of Cambridge alumni are second, and Aalto University alumni are third.
College | Total Funding |
|---|---|
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $432M |
University of Cambridge | $417M |
Aalto University | $359M |
Harvard University | $315M |
University of California (Los Angeles) | $315M |
Tsinghua University | $189M |
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) | $52.8M |
The University of Hong Kong | $41.8M |
University of California (Berkeley) | $5.52M |
National University of Singapore (NUS) | $2.95M |
Top News in EdTech in China
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Promethean and MAXHUB Launch Microsoft Teams-Certified Meeting RoomsUC Today•Dec 16, 2025•Promethean World, Maxhub
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TutorABC Group Accelerates Global Expansion to Redefine Online Education APACPR Newswire•Dec 12, 2025•TutorABC
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TutorABC Launches ChatAI 1.0 for AI-Driven Speaking PracticeVietnam Investment Review•Jul 05, 2025•TutorABC
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MAXHUB Commercial Displays Earn Crestron Connected® CertificationPR Newswire•Jun 13, 2025•Maxhub, Crestron Electronics
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SP government is a new partner of Startse in a free course of IAFinsidersbrasil•Feb 10, 2025•StartSe
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Beacon Education Expands Partnership with Hawaii Pacific UniversityPR Newswire•Jan 06, 2025•Beacon Education, Hawaii Pacific University
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Baijiayun Upgrades BRTC HarmonyOS SDK to Promote the Development of HarmonyOS EcosystemPR Newswire•Dec 11, 2024•Baijiayun
