Zhihu invests $1.5 billion to establish an AI subsidiary, marking a shift from product trials to an independent business entity in its AI strategy.

动察 Beating AI Flash News: Zhihu recently established Beijing Zhizhe Exploration Technology Co., Ltd. with a registered capital of RMB 1.5 billion, with Zhihu founder Zhou Yuan serving as the legal representative. The new company is wholly owned by Beijing Zhizhe Tianxia Technology Co., Ltd., Zhihu's core domestic operating entity, with its business scope covering big data services, internet data services, artificial intelligence foundational software, and application software development.

Notably, the RMB 1.5 billion represents subscribed registered capital from shareholders and does not equate to Zhihu having actually injected RMB 1.5 billion in cash. The paid-in capital, contribution method, and specific business plans of Zhizhe Exploration have yet to be disclosed.

The establishment of the new company comes as Zhihu accelerates its AI commercialization efforts. Zhihu has expanded its AI business into areas such as AI search, branded content assets, expert data solutions, and developer tools, but management has previously stated that these AI initiatives remain in the commercial validation phase and have yet to generate stable, scalable revenue.