Core Viewpoint - Beijing Haixue Education Technology Co., Ltd. (Haixue) has submitted an IPO application to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, aiming to raise funds for AI research, business expansion, and acquisitions despite ongoing losses and increasing refund rates [2][6]. Financial Performance - Haixue reported revenues of 400 million yuan, 472 million yuan, 511 million yuan, and 232 million yuan for the years 2022, 2023, 2024, and the first half of 2025, respectively [3] - The net losses for the same periods were 186 million yuan, 175 million yuan, 90.7 million yuan, and 158 million yuan, with gross margins of 78.6%, 81.1%, 81.6%, and 85.8% [3] - The first half of 2025 saw a 125.7% year-on-year increase in losses, surpassing the total net loss for 2024, while revenue decreased by 5.3% year-on-year [3] Customer Acquisition and Retention - Haixue's customer acquisition costs increased, with figures of 414.8 yuan, 301.6 yuan, 428.7 yuan, and 441.2 yuan during the reporting periods [3] - The number of paid users fluctuated, with 687,400, 1,045,600, 770,400, and 333,100 users in the respective years [4] - Refund rates rose significantly, reaching 9.1%, 9.9%, 10.5%, and 15.9% during the reporting periods, indicating challenges in customer retention [4][5] Business Structure and Market Position - Haixue's revenue is heavily reliant on construction-related courses, which accounted for 68.2%, 61.5%, 59.3%, and 59.8% of total revenue during the reporting periods [6] - The company is attempting to diversify into new fields such as finance, law, and healthcare, but acknowledges that returns from these new ventures may initially be lower than from existing offerings [6] AI Technology Initiatives - In 2025, Haixue established an independent AI innovation team to develop AI applications for educational support, teaching assistance, and marketing [7] - R&D expenditures were significantly lower than marketing costs, with figures of 24.5 million yuan, 20 million yuan, 23.7 million yuan, and 9.2 million yuan during the reporting periods [7] - The company is facing negative operating cash flow, with a reported negative cash flow of 1.5 million yuan in the first half of 2025, raising concerns about its ability to sustain operations without additional financing [7]