Summary of Risk Factors

Investing in our Class A ordinary shares involves significant risks. You should carefully consider all of the information in this prospectus before making an investment in the Securities. Below please find a summary of the principal risks we face, organized under relevant headings. These risks are discussed more fully in the section titled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 16.

Risks Related to our Business

Risks and uncertainties related to our business include, but are not limited to, the following:

Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure

Risks and uncertainties related to our corporate structure include, but are not limited to, the following:

Risks Related to Doing Business in China

Risks and uncertainties related to doing business in China include, but are not limited to, the following:

Risks Relating to Our Class A Ordinary Shares and The Trading Market

Risks and uncertainties related to our Class A ordinary shares and the trading market include, but are not limited to, the following:

Risks Relating to This Offering

Risks and uncertainties related to this offering include, but are not limited to, the following:

Our Strengths

We believe the following competitive strengths contribute to our success and differentiate us from our competitors:

Our Challenges and Risks

We are, and expect for the foreseeable future to be, subject to all the risks and uncertainties, inherent to a development-stage business and in an industry which is in the development stage in China. As a result, we must establish many functions necessary to operate a business, including expanding our managerial and administrative structure, assessing and implementing our marketing program, implementing financial systems and controls and personnel recruitment. Accordingly, you should consider our prospects in light of the costs, uncertainties, delays and difficulties frequently encountered by companies with a limited operating history. Please read the “Risk Factors” section for the descriptions of the risks we face. These risks and challenges are, among other things:

Our Strategy

Our goal is to become a leading independent insurance broker in China and further develop our distribution network. To achieve this goal, we intend to capitalize on the growth potential of China’s insurance industry and insurance intermediary sector, leverage our competitive strengths and pursue the following elements of our strategy:

Corporate History And Structure

On January 18, 2010, our VIE, TRX ZJ (formerly named “Anbisheng”), was formed as a limited company pursuant to PRC law. We operate our insurance brokerage services through TRX ZJ and its subsidiaries in China.

On May 30, 2016, RB Wealth, a company controlled by Mr. Zhe Wang, our chairman and CEO, acquired TRX ZJ.

On September 14, 2016, WDZG Consulting was formed as a limited company pursuant to PRC law and is controlled by Mr. Zhe Wang, who is also a 64.97% beneficial owner of WDZG Consulting.

On April 20, 2017, through a reorganization, RB Wealth transferred 100% of TRX ZJ to WDZG Consulting, which became the sole shareholder of TRX ZJ.

TRX ZJ established three wholly-owned subsidiaries, NDB Technology on December 1, 2016, TYDW Technology on December 12, 2016, and HH Consulting on November 22, 2017; subsequently, TRX ZJ divested and dissolved HH Consulting on July 10, 2020.

On March 16, 2017, TRX ZJ completed the acquisition of 100% of the equity interest of Hengbang Insurance, an insurance assessment services provider, for RMB 1,600,000 (approximately $232,000). Hengbang Insurance provided various insurance assessment services to its clients in China prior to the acquisition, but has had no operations after the acquisition.

On November 7, 2017, TRX ZJ sold a 0.2% equity interest in Hengbang Insurance, for RMB3,200 (approximately $482) to two unrelated third-party individuals.

TRX ZJ established, in addition to its Hangzhou headquarter, nine branch offices in 2018, 2019, and 2020: TRX BJ Branch on May 9, 2018, TRX SD Branch on July 11, 2018, TRX SX Branch on August 1, 2018, TRX HN Branch on July 19, 2019, TRX HB Branch on September 23, 2019, TRX Shanxi Branch on September 25, 2019, and TRX CQ Branch on September 26, 2019, TRX JS Branch on November 5, 2019, and TRX Baoji Branch on July 16, 2020.  TRX JS Branch was subsequently closed on November 27, 2020. TRX Baoji was subsequently closed on April 6, 2021

On March 5, 2019, we established a holding company, TRX, under the laws of the Cayman Islands. TRX owns 100% of TRX HK, a Hong Kong Company incorporated on March 20, 2019.

On April 30, 2019, WFOE, or TRX BJ, was formed as a wholly foreign owned enterprise pursuant to PRC law. TRX HK holds 100% of the equity interests in WFOE. 

On January 27, 2021, our Class A ordinary shares commenced trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “TIRX.”  

On January 29, 2021, the Company completed its initial public offering of 3,000,000 Class A ordinary shares at $4.00 per share on a firm commitment basis. On February 4, 2021, the Company closed the sale of 75,000 Class A ordinary shares at $4.00 per share pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option. The aggregate gross proceeds of this sales were $12.3 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and other related expenses. In connection with this offering, the representative of the underwriters in our IPO has entered into an agreement with the placement agent to release the underwriters’ right to enforce the lock-up in their favor with respect to our Class A ordinary shares granted to such underwriters in connection with our IPO.

Pursuant to PRC law, each entity formed under PRC law must have a business scope as submitted to the Administration of Industry and Commerce or its local counterpart. Depending on the particular business scopes, approval by the relevant competent regulatory agencies may be required prior to commencement of business operations. WFOE’s business scope is to primarily engage in brokerage and trade consulting; software development; basic software services; application software services; computer system services; data processing, etc. Since the sole business of WFOE is to provide TRX ZJ with technical support, consulting services and other management services relating to its day-to-day business operations and management in exchange for a service fee approximately equal to TRX ZJ’s net income after the deduction of the required PRC statutory reserve, such business scope is appropriate under PRC law. TRX ZJ, on the other hand, is also able to, pursuant to its business scope, provide insurance brokerage services. TRX ZJ is approved by the CIRC to engage in insurance brokerage services. 

We control TRX ZJ through contractual arrangements, which are described under “Business — Contractual Arrangements between WFOE and TRX ZJ.” 

 The chart below summarizes our corporate structure and identifies the principal subsidiaries as of the date of this prospectus:

Controlled Company

We are a controlled company as defined under Nasdaq Listing Rules, and as long as our officers and directors, either individually or in the aggregate, own at least 50% of the voting power of our Company, we will be a controlled company. However, even if we qualify as a controlled company, we do not intend to rely on the controlled company exemptions provided under Nasdaq Listing Rules. To that end, we have established the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, all of which consist solely of independent directors as defined under Nasdaq Listing Rules and SEC rules and regulations and adopted a charter for each committee.

For so long as we are a controlled company under that definition, we are permitted however to elect to rely, and may rely, on certain exemptions from corporate governance rules, including:

As a result, you will not have the same protection afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to these corporate governance requirements.

Although we do not intend to rely on the controlled company exemption under the Nasdaq Listing Rules, we could elect to rely on this exemption in the future. If we elect to rely on the controlled company exemption, a majority of the members of our board of directors might not be independent directors and our Nominating and Corporate Governance and Compensation Committees might not consist entirely of independent directors. (See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure – As a “controlled company” under the rules of the Nasdaq Market, we may choose to exempt our company from certain corporate governance requirements that could have an adverse effect on our public shareholders.”)

Implications of Our Being an “Emerging Growth Company”

As a company with less than $1.07 billion in revenue during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. An “emerging growth company” may take advantage of reduced reporting requirements that are otherwise generally applicable to public companies. In particular, as an emerging growth company, we:

We intend to take advantage of all of these reduced reporting requirements and exemptions, including the longer phase-in periods for the adoption of new or revised financial accounting standards under §107 of the JOBS Act. Our election to use the phase-in periods may make it difficult to compare our financial statements to those of non-emerging growth companies and other emerging growth companies that have opted out of the phase-in periods under §107 of the JOBS Act.

Under the JOBS Act, we may take advantage of the above-described reduced reporting requirements and exemptions for up to five years after our initial sale of common equity pursuant to a prospectus declared effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, herein referred to as the Securities Act, or such earlier time that we no longer meet the definition of an emerging growth company. The JOBS Act provides that we would cease to be an “emerging growth company” if we have more than $1.07 billion in annual revenue, have more than $700 million in market value of our Class A ordinary shares held by non-affiliates, or issue more than $1 billion in principal amount of non-convertible debt over a three-year period. Our Class A ordinary shares have been listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market since January 27, 2021, and accordingly, we expect we will remain an emerging growth company until January 2026.

Foreign Private Issuer Status

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the “Exchange Act”. As such, we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to United States domestic public companies. For example:

Corporate Information

Our principal executive office is located at 30A Jingyuan Art Center, 3 Guangqu Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China. Our telephone number at this address is (010) 87529554 and our fax number is (010) 83050570. Our registered office in the Cayman Islands is at Harneys Fiduciary (Cayman) Limited, 4th Floor, Harbour Place, 103 South Church Street, P.O. Box 10240, Grand Cayman KY1-1002, Cayman Islands. Our legal name is TIAN RUIXIANG Holdings Ltd, and we operate our business under the commercial name “TRX Insurance Brokers”, which is included in our logo.

Investor inquiries should be directed to us at the address and telephone number of our principal executive offices set forth above. Our website address is http://www.tianrx.com/#/. The information contained on our website is not part of this prospectus or the registration statement of which it forms a part. Our agent for service of process in the United States is Cogency Global Inc., 122 East 42nd Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10168.

Conventions that Apply to this Prospectus

Unless otherwise indicated or the context requires otherwise, references in this prospectus to:

Our business is conducted by TRX ZJ, our VIE entity in the PRC, and its subsidiaries and branch offices, using RMB, the currency of China. Our consolidated financial statements are presented in United States dollars. In this prospectus, we refer to assets, obligations, commitments and liabilities in our consolidated financial statements in United States dollars. These dollar references are based on the exchange rate of RMB to United States dollars, determined as of a specific date or for a specific period. Changes in the exchange rate will affect the amount of our obligations and the value of our assets in terms of United States dollars which may result in an increase or decrease in the amount of our obligations and the value of our assets, including accounts receivable.

RISK FACTORS

An investment in the Securities involves significant risks. You should carefully consider all of the information in this prospectus, including the risks and uncertainties described below, before making an investment in the Securities. Any of the following risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The trading price of our Class A ordinary shares could decline due to any of these risks and you may lose all or part of your investment. When determining whether to invest, you should also refer to the other information contained in this prospectus, including our financial statements and the related notes thereto. You should also carefully review the cautionary statements referred to under “Forward-looking Statements.” Our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated in this prospectus.

Risks Related to Our Business and Our Industry

Our limited operating history and our limited experience in distributing insurance products, may not provide an adequate basis to judge our future prospects and results of operations.

Our operating entity in China, TRX ZJ, was founded in 2010, but our current management team has a limited operating history which started in May 2016, when RB Wealth, a company controlled by Mr. Zhe Wang, our CEO, acquired TRX ZJ. Originally, our insurance brokerage business was mainly distributing life insurance, automobile and liability insurance products. In January 2017, we started expanding our offerings to other types of insurance products, including property, and casualty insurance products. Due to our limited experience in distributing insurance products, we cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain our growth in the future. In addition, our limited operating history, may not provide a meaningful basis for you to evaluate our business, financial performance and prospects.

We are subject to all the risks and uncertainties in an industry which is still in development in China

We are, and expect for the foreseeable future to be, subject to all the risks and uncertainties, inherent to a development-stage business and in a developing industry in China. As a result, we must establish many functions necessary to operate a business, including expanding our managerial and administrative structure, assessing and implementing our marketing program, implementing financial systems and controls. Accordingly, you should consider our prospects in light of the costs, uncertainties, delays and difficulties frequently encountered by companies with a limited operating history. These risks and challenges are, among other things:

Because the commission revenue we earn on the sale of insurance products is based on premiums and commissions and fee rates set by insurance companies, any decrease in these premiums, commissions or fee rates may have an adverse effect on our results of operation.

We are an insurance broker and derive revenue primarily from commissions paid by the insurance companies whose policies our customers purchase. The commissions and fee rates are set by insurance companies and are based on the premiums that the insurance companies charge. Commissions and fee rates and premiums can change based on the prevailing economic, regulatory, taxation and competitive factors that affect insurance companies. These factors, which are not within our control, include the capacity of insurance companies to place new business, underwriting and non-underwriting profits of insurance companies, consumer demand for insurance products, the availability of comparable products from other insurance companies at a lower cost, the availability of alternative insurance products, such as government benefits and self-insurance plans, to consumers and the tax deductibility of commissions. In addition, premium rates for certain insurance products, such as the mandatory automobile liability insurance that each automobile owner in the PRC is legally required to purchase, are tightly regulated by the CBIRC.

Because we do not determine, and cannot predict, the timing or extent of premium or commission and fee rate changes, we cannot predict the effect any of these changes may have on our operations. Since China’s entry into the WTO in December 2001, intense competition among insurance companies has led to a gradual decline in premium rate levels of some property and casualty insurance products. Although such decline may stimulate demand for insurance products and increase our total sales volume, it also reduces the commissions we earned on each policy sold. Any decrease in premiums or commission and fee rates may significantly affect our profitability. In addition, our budget for future acquisitions, capital expenditures, dividend payments, loan repayments and other expenditures may be disrupted by unexpected decreases in revenue caused by decreases in premiums or commission and fee rates, thereby adversely affecting our operations. 

Competition in our industry is intense and, if we are unable to compete effectively, we may lose customers and our financial results may be negatively affected.

The insurance intermediary industry in China is highly competitive, and we expect competition to persist and intensify. We face competition from insurance companies that use their in-house sales force and exclusive sales agents to distribute their products, from business entities that distribute insurance products on an ancillary basis, such as commercial banks, postal offices and automobile dealerships, and from other professional insurance intermediaries. We compete for customers on the basis of product offerings, customer services and reputation. Many of our competitors have greater financial and marketing resources than we do and may be able to offer products and services that we do not currently offer and may not offer in the future. If we are unable to compete effectively against those competitors, we may lose customers and our financial results may be negatively affected.

Quarterly and annual variations in our commission and fee revenue may have unexpected impacts on our results of operations.

Our income is subject to both quarterly and annual fluctuations as a result of the seasonality of our business, the timing of policy renewals and the net effect of new and lost business. These factors are not within our control. Specifically, consumer demand for insurance products can influence the timing of renewals, new business and lost business, which generally includes policies that are not renewed, and cancellations. As a result, you may not be able to rely on quarterly or annual comparisons of our operating results as an indication of our future performance.

If our contracts with insurance companies are terminated or changed, our business and operating results could be adversely affected.

We primarily act as agents for our customers who seek insurance coverage from insurance companies. Our relationships with the insurance companies are governed by agreements between us and the insurance companies. Most of our contracts with insurance companies are entered into at a local level between their respective provincial, city and district branches and our local branches. Generally, each branch of these insurance companies has independent authority to enter into contracts with us, and the termination of a contract with one branch has no effect on our contracts with the other branches. See “Business —Collaboration with Insurance Companies.” These contracts establish, among other things, the scope of our authority, the pricing of the insurance products we distribute and our commission rates. These contracts typically have a term of one to three year and some of them can be terminated by the insurance companies with little advance notice. Moreover, before or upon expiration of a contract, the contracting insurance company may agree to renew it only with changes in its terms, including the amount of commissions we receive, which could result in a reduction in revenue from that contract.

If our largest insurance company partners terminate or change the material terms of their contracts with us, it would be difficult for us to replace the lost commissions, which could adversely affect our business and operating results.

For the year ended October 31, 2020, our top five insurance company partners, after aggregating the business conducted between their local branches and our branch offices, accounted for 55.6% of our total commissions. For the year ended October 31, 2019, our top five insurance company partners, after aggregating the business conducted between their local branches and our branch offices, accounted for 80.3% of our total commissions. For the year ended October 31, 2018, our top five insurance company partners, after similar aggregation, accounted for 62.8% of our total commissions. The termination or any changes in the material terms of those contracts with our top insurance company partners could adversely affect our business and operating results.

Our business and prospects could be materially and adversely affected if we are not able to manage our growth successfully.

We have expanded our operations substantially since 2016. As of the date of this prospectus, our distribution network has expanded from our Hangzhou headquarter to having seven branches, and we plan to open more branches and further expand our mix of products and service offering. We anticipate significant growth in the future. Our expansion has placed, and will continue to place, substantial demands on our managerial, operational, technological and other resources. To manage and support our continued growth, we must continue to improve our operational, administrative, financial and technological systems, procedures and controls, and expand, train and manage our growing employee and agent base. Furthermore, our management will be required to maintain and expand our relationships with insurance companies, regulators and other third parties. We cannot assure you that our current and planned personnel, systems, procedures and controls will be adequate to support our future operations. Any failure to effectively and efficiently manage our expansion could materially and adversely affect our ability to capitalize on new business opportunities, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

We may not be successful in implementing important new strategic initiatives, which may have an adverse impact on our business and financial results.

There is no assurance that we will be able to implement important strategic initiatives in accordance with our expectations, which may result in an adverse impact on our business and financial results. Our strategic initiative, online insurance center, or “Needbao”, which we launched in June 2019, is designed to create growth, improve our results of operations and drive long-term shareholder value. However, our management may lack required experience, knowledge, insight, or human and capital resources to carry out the implementation of this new online insurance brokerage business. Additionally, one of our strategies for growing life insurance business is expanding our distribution networks by opening more branches throughout the PRC. In order to set up new branches, we need to (1) file and apply for insurance intermediary code with the CBIRC for the proposed new branches; (2) complete the business registration procedures with the PRC industrial and commercial registration department. If the application materials fail to meet the requirements of the “CBIRC” or the PRC industrial and commercial registration department, we will be unable to open new branches as we have planned. See “Regulations – Regulations of the Insurance Industry.” As such, we may not be able to realize our expected growth, and our business and financial results will be adversely impacted.

If our investments in our online platforms are not successful, our business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

We have devoted significant efforts to developing our online platform, Needbao (http://needbao.tianrx.com), which was launched in June 2019, to allow customers to evaluate and purchase insurance products, as well as receive customer services online. Currently, we have finalized the functionality of our online platform and are in the process of marketing and promoting Needbao to prospective customers. In the near future, we intend to continue to devote resources to maintaining and developing the technology and content of Needbao. However, our efforts to develop our online platforms may not be successful or yield the benefits that we anticipate. In addition, our expansion may depend on a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control, including but not limited to:

On July 22, 2015, the CIRC promulgated the Interim Measures for the Supervision of Internet Insurance Business, or Interim Measures, which became effective on October 1, 2015, and set forth the qualifications and procedures for insurance intermediaries to operate internet insurance businesses in China. On December 7, 2020, the CBIRC issued the Decree of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (No. 13, 2020) promulgating the Measures for The Supervision of Internet Insurance Business, which was implemented on February 1, 2021. After the Implementation of the Measures, the Interim Measures for the Supervision of Internet Insurance Business were abolished simultaneously. Compared with the Interim Measures, the regulations cancel the provision that insurance institutions conduct Internet insurance business through third-party online platforms, and the business scope of specialized insurance intermediaries shall not be limited to the province (autonomous region, municipality directly under the Central Government or city separately listed in the plan) where the business license of the head office is registered, and shall comply with the relevant provisions of the CBIRC on the classification and supervision of specialized insurance intermediaries. As advised by our PRC counsel, we have obtained the necessary approvals and licenses and our operations meet the qualification requirements of the Interim Measures. Since online insurance distribution has emerged only recently in China and is evolving rapidly, the Chinese Banking and Insurance Regulatory Committee, or CBIRC, may promulgate and implement new rules and regulations to govern this sector from time to time. The Interim Measures are aimed at regulating the operations of the internet insurance business. They provide that, in accordance with laws, regulations and relevant regulatory provisions, the CIRC and its local offices conduct daily regulation and on-site inspection of the internet insurance business activities of insurance institutions and third-party network platforms, and that insurance institutions and third-party network platforms shall cooperate with such inspections. We cannot assure you that our operations will always be consistent with the changes and further development of regulations applicable to us or we will be able to obtain necessary approvals and licenses as required on a timely basis.

Any failure to successfully identify the risks as part of our expansion into the online insurance distribution business may have a material adverse impact on our growth, business prospects and results of operations.

Any significant failure in our information technology systems could have a material adverse effect on our business and profitability.

The proper functioning of our financial control, accounting, customer database, customer service and other data processing systems, together with the communication systems of our various subsidiaries and our main offices in Hangzhou, is critical to our business and our ability to compete effectively. We cannot assure you that our business activities would not be materially disrupted in the event of a partial or complete failure of any of these primary information technology or communication systems, which could be caused by, among other things, software malfunction, computer virus attacks or conversion errors due to system upgrading. In addition, a prolonged failure of our information technology system could damage our reputation and materially and adversely affect our future prospects and profitability.

Our future success depends on the continuing efforts of our senior management team and other key personnel, and our business may be harmed if we lose their services.

Our future success depends heavily upon the continuing services of the members of our senior management team and other key personnel, in particular Zhe Wang, our chairman and CEO. In addition, because of the importance of training to our business, our team of dedicated training professionals plays a key role in our operations. If one or more of our senior executives or other key personnel, including key training personnel, are unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we may not be able to replace them easily or at all, and our business may be disrupted and our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. Competition for senior management and key personnel is intense, the pool of qualified candidates is very limited, and we may not be able to retain the services of our senior executives or key personnel, or attract and retain high-quality senior executives or key personnel in the future. As is customary in the PRC, we do not have insurance coverage for the loss of our senior management team or other key personnel.

In addition, if any member of our senior management team or any of our other key personnel joins a competitor or forms a competing company, we may lose customers, sensitive trade information and key professionals and staff members. Each of our executive officers and key employees has entered into an employment agreement with us which contains confidentiality and non-competition provisions. These agreements generally have an initial term of three years, and are automatically extended for successive one-year terms unless terminated earlier pursuant to the terms of the agreement. See “Management-—Agreements with Named Executive Officers” for a more detailed description of the key terms of these employment agreements. If any disputes arise between any of our senior executives or key personnel and us, we cannot assure you of the extent to which any of these agreements may be enforced.

Although we carry insurance intermediaries professional liability insurance, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

Although we carry insurance intermediaries professional liability insurance, successful professional liability or other claims could result in substantial damage awards that exceed the limits of our insurance coverage. In addition, professional liability insurance is expensive and insurance premiums may increase significantly in the future. As a result, adequate professional liability insurance may not be available to us in the future at acceptable costs or at all. Any claims made against us that are not fully covered by insurance could be costly to defend against, result in substantial damage awards against us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, claims against us, even if covered by insurance, may adversely affect our business, brand, or reputation.

Because our industry is highly regulated, any material changes in the regulatory environment could change the competitive landscape of our industry or require us to change the way we do business. The administration, interpretation and enforcement of the laws and regulations currently applicable to us could change rapidly. If we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we may be subject to civil and criminal penalties or lose the ability to conduct business with our clients, which could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

We operate in a highly regulated industry. The laws and regulations applicable to us are evolving and may change rapidly. We could be required to spend significant time and resources in complying with any material changes in the regulatory environment, which could change the competitive environment of our industry significantly and cause us to lose some or all of our competitive advantages. The attention of our management team could be diverted to these efforts to comply or cope with an evolving regulatory or competitive environment. For example, the PRC Insurance Law and related regulations were amended in 2002, 2009, 2014 and 2015. The 2015 amendments involved a number of significant changes to the regulatory regime, including eliminating the requirement for any insurance agent, broker or claims adjusting practitioners to obtain a qualification certificate issued by the CIRC. The elimination of the certificate requirement may result in an increase in competition for our business and in misconduct by sales or service persons, in particularly sales misrepresentation. In addition, the general increase misconduct in the industry could potentially harm the reputation of the industry and have an adverse impact on our business.

On March 13, 2018, CIRC and CBRC were merged to form the Chinese Banking and Insurance Regulatory Committee, or CBIRC. This new organization replaced the CIRC as the regulatory authority for the supervision of the Chinese insurance industry. There is uncertainty as to how the regulatory environment might change as a result of the merger. If we fail to adapt to new rules and regulations promulgated by the CBIRC, it could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

The CBIRC and its predecessor have extensive authority to supervise and regulate the insurance industry in China. In exercising its authority, the CIRC and CBIRC are given wide discretion, and the administration, interpretation and enforcement of the laws and regulations applicable to us involve uncertainties that could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations. The People’s Bank of China and other government agencies may promulgate new rules governing online financial services. In July 2015, ten government agencies including the People’s Bank of China, the Ministry of Finance and CIRC promulgated a guidance letter on how to promote the healthy growth of internet financial services, which set forth the principles of supervising based on the rule of law, appropriate level of regulation, proper categorization, cooperation among different government agencies and promoting innovation. Not only may the laws and regulations applicable to us change rapidly, but it is sometimes unclear how they apply to our business.

Additionally, errors created by our products or services may be determined or alleged to be in violation of the applicable laws and regulations. Any failure of our products or services to comply with these laws and regulations could result in substantial civil or criminal liability; could adversely affect demand for our services; could invalidate all or portions of some of our customer contracts; could require us to change or terminate some portions of our business; could cause us to be disqualified from serving customers; and could have a material and adverse effect on our business.

Although we have not had any material violations to date, we cannot assure you that our operations will always comply with the interpretation and enforcement of the laws and regulations implemented by the CBIRC. Any determination by a provincial or national government agency that our activities or those of our vendors or customers violate any of these laws could subject us to civil or criminal penalties, could require us to change or terminate some portions of our operations or business, or could disqualify us from providing services to insurance companies or other customers; and, thus could have an adverse effect on our business.

Our business could be negatively impacted if we are unable to adapt our services to regulatory changes in China.

China’s insurance regulatory regime is undergoing significant changes. Some of these changes and the further development of regulations applicable to us may result in additional restrictions on our activities or more intensive competition in this industry. For example, the Provisions on the Supervision of Insurance Brokerages were amended in October 2015. Pursuant to these amendments, an insurance brokerage firm is allowed to apply for a business permit from the CIRC and a business license from the local administration of industry and commerce, or AIC, simultaneously while previously an insurance brokerage firm had to obtain a business permit issued by the CIRC before it could apply for a business license from and register with the relevant local AIC. Prior approval by the CIRC is no longer required for an insurance brokerage firm to establish or divest a branch office or subsidiary. While these changes may enable us to expand our branches more rapidly, it may also accelerate the growth of professional insurance intermediaries in China and intensify competition among insurance agencies, insurance brokerage firms and claims adjusting firms. Our business operations and growth outlook could be materially and adversely affected if we cannot adapt our business to the regulatory and industry changes.

Agent and employee misconduct is difficult to detect and deter and could harm our reputation or lead to regulatory sanctions or litigation costs.

Agent or employee misconduct could result in violations of law by us, regulatory sanctions, litigation or serious reputational or financial harm. Misconduct could include:

We cannot always deter agent or employee misconduct, and the precautions we take to prevent and detect these activities may not be effective in all cases. We cannot assure you, therefore, that agent or employee misconduct will not lead to a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.

Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure

Because we conduct our brokerage business through TRX ZJ, a VIE entity, if we fail to comply with applicable law, we could be subject to severe penalties and our business could be materially and adversely affected.

We operate our brokerage business through TRX ZJ, a VIE entity, through a series of contractual arrangements, as a result of which, under United States generally accepted accounting principles, the assets and liabilities of TRX ZJ are treated as our assets and liabilities and the results of operations of TRX ZJ are treated in all aspects as if they were the results of our operations. There are uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws, rules and regulations, including but not limited to the laws, rules and regulations governing the validity and enforcement of the contractual arrangements between WFOE and TRX ZJ.

If WFOE, TRX ZJ, or their ownership structure or the contractual arrangements are determined to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws, rules or regulations, or WFOE or TRX ZJ fails to obtain or maintain any of the required governmental permits or approvals, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion in dealing with such violations, including:

We cannot assure you that the PRC courts or regulatory authorities may not determine that our corporate structure and contractual arrangements violate PRC laws, rules or regulations. If the PRC courts or regulatory authorities determine that our contractual arrangements are in violation of applicable PRC laws, rules or regulations, our contractual arrangements will become invalid or unenforceable, and TRX ZJ will not be treated as a VIE entity and we will not be entitled to treat TRX ZJ’s assets, liabilities and results of operations as our assets, liabilities and results of operations, which could effectively eliminate the assets, liabilities, revenue and net income of TRX ZJ from our balance sheet and statement of income. This would most likely require us to cease conducting our business and would result in the delisting of our Class A ordinary shares from the Nasdaq Capital Market and a significant impairment in the market value of our Class A ordinary shares.

We rely on contractual arrangements with TRX ZJ, a VIE entity, and its shareholder for our China operations, which may not be as effective in providing operational control as direct ownership.

We have relied and expect to continue to rely on contractual arrangements with TRX ZJ and its shareholder to operate our business in China. For a description of these contractual arrangements, see “Business — Contractual Arrangements between WFOE and TRX ZJ.” These contractual arrangements may not be as effective in providing us with control over TRX ZJ and its subsidiaries as direct ownership. We have no direct or indirect equity interests in TRX ZJ or any of its subsidiaries.

If we had direct ownership of TRX ZJ and its subsidiaries, we would be able to exercise our rights as a shareholder to effect changes in the board of directors of TRX ZJ and its subsidiaries, which in turn could effect changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management level. But under the current contractual arrangements, as a legal matter, if TRX ZJ or any of its subsidiaries and shareholder fails to perform their obligations under these contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and resources to enforce such arrangements and rely on legal remedies under PRC law, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief and claiming damages, which may not be effective. For example, if the shareholder of TRX ZJ were to refuse to transfer their equity interest in TRX ZJ to us or our designee when we exercise the call 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 action to compel them to fulfill their contractual obligations.

If any of our affiliated entities becomes the subject of a bankruptcy or liquidation proceeding, we may lose the ability to use and enjoy assets held by such entity, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We currently conduct our operations in China through our contractual arrangements. As part of these arrangements, substantially all of our assets that are significant to the operation of our business are held by our VIE and its subsidiaries. If any of these entities becomes bankrupt and all or part of their assets become subject to liens or rights of third-party creditors, we may be unable to continue some or all of our business activities, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, if any of our affiliated entities undergoes a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, its equity owner or unrelated third-party creditors may claim rights relating to some or all of these assets, which would hinder our ability to operate our business and could materially and adversely affect our business, our ability to generate revenue and the market price of our ordinary shares.

Our shareholders are subject to greater uncertainties because we operate through a VIE structure due to restrictions on the direct ownership of our Chinese operating entity imposed by the CIRC even though the Insurance Brokerage Industry falls within the permitted category in accordance with the Catalogue and the Negative List.

Investment in the PRC by foreign investors and foreign-invested enterprises must comply with the Catalogue for the Guidance of Foreign Investment Industries, or the “Catalogue” (2019 Revision), which was last amended and issued by MOFCOM and NDRC on June 30, 2019 and became effective since July 30, 2019, and the Special Management Measures for Foreign Investment Access (2020 version), or the Negative List, which came into effect on July 23, 2020. The Catalogue and the Negative List contain specific provisions guiding market access for foreign capital and stipulate in detail the industry sectors grouped under the categories of encouraged industries, restricted industries and prohibited industries. The VIE structure has been adopted by many PRC-based companies, to conduct business in the industries that are currently subject to foreign investment restrictions in China, or are on the Negative List, due to the fact that direct foreign ownership of these companies are prohibited. Any industry not listed in the Negative List is a permitted industry unless otherwise prohibited or restricted by other PRC laws or regulations. Currently, the insurance brokerage industry falls within the permitted category in accordance with the Catalogue and the Negative List.

However, according to the “Service Guide for the Establishment and Examination and Approval of Insurance Brokers”, published by the CBIRC in August 2019, foreign shareholders of a Chinese Insurance Broker shall be (1) a foreign insurance brokers with more than 30 years of experience in establishing commercial institutions in WTO member countries; and (2) have total assets of more than US $200 million at the end of the year preceding the application of invest in a Chinese brokerage business. We do not meet the above requirements to obtain the necessary regulatory approval in order to become a foreign shareholder of TRZ ZJ. Therefore, even though the insurance brokerage industry falls within the permitted category in accordance with the Catalogue and the Negative List, we opted for a VIE structure instead of direct ownership. As a result, our corporate structure and contractual arrangements may be subject to greater scrutiny and by various PRC government authorities, and subject our shareholders to greater uncertainty with regard to the legality of their control of TRX ZJ. 

We believe that our corporate structure and contractual arrangements comply with the current applicable PRC laws and regulations. Our PRC legal counsel, based on its understanding of the relevant laws and regulations, is of the opinion that each of the contracts among our wholly-owned PRC subsidiary, our VIE and its shareholder is valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with its terms. However, as there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that the PRC government authorities, such as the Ministry of Commerce, or the MOFCOM, or other authorities would agree that our corporate structure or any of the above contractual arrangements comply with PRC licensing, registration or other regulatory requirements, with existing policies or with requirements or policies that may be adopted in the future. PRC laws and regulations governing the validity of these contractual arrangements are uncertain and the relevant government authorities have broad discretion in interpreting these laws and regulations.

Contractual arrangements in relation to our VIE may be subject to scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities and they may determine that we or our VIE owe additional taxes, which could negatively affect our financial condition and the value of your investment.

Under applicable 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 our contractual arrangements with our VIE were not entered into on an arm’s-length basis in such a way as to result in an impermissible reduction in taxes under applicable PRC laws, rules and regulations, and adjust the income of our VIE in the form of a transfer pricing adjustment. A transfer pricing adjustment could, among other things, result in a reduction of expense deductions recorded by our VIE for PRC tax purposes, which could in turn increase its tax liabilities without reducing our subsidiary’s tax expenses. In addition, PRC tax authorities may impose late payment fees and other penalties on our VIE for the adjusted but unpaid taxes according to the applicable regulations. Our financial position could be materially and adversely affected if our VIE’s tax liabilities increase or if it is required to pay late payment fees and other penalties.

Any failure by our consolidated VIE or its shareholder to perform their obligations under our contractual arrangements with them would have a material adverse effect on our business.

We, through our wholly foreign-owned enterprise in the PRC, have entered into a series of contractual arrangements with our consolidated VIE and its shareholder. For a description of these contractual arrangements, see “Business — Contractual Arrangements between WFOE and TRX ZJ.” If our consolidated VIE or its shareholder fails to perform their respective obligations under these contractual arrangements, we may incur substantial costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements. We may also have to rely on legal remedies under PRC laws, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages, which we cannot assure you will be effective under PRC laws. For example, if the shareholder of our consolidated VIE were to refuse to transfer its equity interests in the consolidated VIE to us or our designee when we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these contractual arrangements, or if it were otherwise to act in bad faith toward us, then we may have to take legal actions to compel it to perform its contractual obligations.

All our contractual arrangements are governed by PRC laws and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in China. Accordingly, these contracts would be interpreted in accordance with PRC laws 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 U.S. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. Meanwhile, there are very few precedents and formal guidelines as to how contractual arrangements in the context of a VIE should be interpreted or enforced under PRC laws. There remain significant uncertainties regarding the ultimate outcome of such arbitration should legal action become necessary. In addition, under PRC laws, rulings by arbitrators are final and parties cannot appeal arbitration results in court unless such rulings are revoked or determined unenforceable by a competent court. 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 that we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, or if we suffer significant delay or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exert effective control over our consolidated VIE and relevant rights and licenses held by it which we require in order to operate our business, and our ability to conduct our business may be negatively affected. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in China – PRC laws and regulations governing our current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain and any changes in such laws and regulations may impair our ability to operate profitably.”

Our dual class share structure concentrates a majority of voting power in our Chief Executive Officer, who is the only owner of our Class B ordinary shares.

Our Class B ordinary shares have 18 votes per share, and our Class A ordinary shares have one vote per share on all matters subject to vote at general meetings of the Company. Our directors, executive officers, and their affiliates, beneficially hold in the aggregate 85.33% of the total votes for our total issued and outstanding share capital. Because of the eighteen-to-one voting ratio between our Class B ordinary shares and Class A ordinary shares, the holder of our Class B ordinary shares could continue to control a majority of the aggregate voting power of our issued ordinary shares and therefore be able to control all matters submitted to our shareholders for approval. The sole owner of our Class B ordinary shares, Mr. Zhe Wang, owns 1,250,000 Class B ordinary shares, in addition to 592,500 Class A ordinary shares held through Wang Investor Co. Ltd. Mr. Wang has voting control over 78.75% of the total votes for our total issued and outstanding share capital, and this concentrated control may limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters for the foreseeable future, including the election of directors, amendments of our organizational documents, and any merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of our assets, or other major corporate actions requiring shareholder approval. In addition, this may prevent or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our share capital that you may feel are in your best interest as one of our shareholders. Such concentration of voting power could also have the effect of delaying, deterring, or preventing a change of control or other business combination, which could, in turn, have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares or prevent our shareholders from realizing a premium over the then-prevailing market price for their Class A ordinary shares.

As a “controlled company” under the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, we may choose to exempt our company from certain corporate governance requirements that could have an adverse effect on our public shareholders.

Our chief executive officer, Mr. Zhe Wang, owns a majority of the voting power of our outstanding ordinary shares. Under the Nasdaq Listing Rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including the requirement that a majority of our directors be independent, as defined in the Nasdaq Listing Rules, and the requirement that our Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees consist entirely of independent directors. Although we do not intend to rely on the “controlled company” exemption under the Nasdaq Listing Rules, we could elect to rely on this exemption in the future. If we elect to rely on the “controlled company” exemption, a majority of the members of our board of directors might not be independent directors and our Nominating and Corporate Governance and Compensation Committees might not consist entirely of independent directors. Accordingly, during any time while we remain a controlled company relying on the exemption and during any transition period following a time when we are no longer a controlled company, you would not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the Nasdaq Listing Rule corporate governance requirements. Our status as a controlled company could cause our Class A ordinary shares to look less attractive to certain investors or otherwise harm our trading price.

The shareholder of our VIE may have actual or potential conflicts of interest with us, which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.

Although the sole shareholder of our VIE, TRX HK, is a wholly owned subsidiary of our Company, it may have actual or potential conflicts of interest with us. The sole shareholder may refuse to sign or breach, or cause our VIE to breach, or refuse to renew, the existing contractual arrangements we have with our VIE, which would have a material and adverse effect on our ability to effectively control our VIE and receive economic benefits from it. For example, the shareholder may be able to cause our agreements with our VIE to be performed in a manner adverse to us by, among other things, failing to remit payments due under the contractual arrangements to us on a timely basis. 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 this shareholder and our company. If we cannot resolve any conflict of interest or dispute between us and this shareholder, 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.

PRC regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control of currency conversion may delay or prevent us from making loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary and VIE, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.

Any funds we transfer to WFOE, our PRC subsidiary, or VIE, either as a shareholder loan or as an increase in registered capital, are subject to approval by or registration with relevant governmental authorities in China. According to the relevant PRC regulations on foreign-invested enterprises, or FIEs, the combined amount of offshore capital contributions and loans cannot exceed the FIE’s approved total investment amount. Any capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary must be filed with MOFCOM or its local counterparts, and registered with a local bank authorized by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE. In addition, (a) any loan provided by us to WFOE, which is a FIE, cannot exceed the difference between its total investment amount and registered capital, and must be registered with SAFE or its local counterparts, and (b) any loan provided by us to our VIE which is a domestic PRC entity, over a certain threshold, must be approved by the relevant government authorities and must be registered with SAFE or its local counterparts. Given that the registered capital and total investment amount of WFOE are currently the same, if we seek to make a capital contribution to WFOE we must first apply to increase both its registered capital and total investment amount, while if we seek to provide a loan to WFOE, we must first increase its total investment amount. Although we currently do not have any immediate plans to make capital contribution into WFOE or provide any loan to WFOE or to our VIE, if we seek to do so in the future, we may not be able to obtain the required government approvals or complete the required registrations on a timely basis, if at all. If we fail to receive such approvals or complete such registrations, our ability to capitalize our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.

On March 30, 2015, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Reforming the Management Approach Regarding the Foreign Exchange Capital Settlement of Foreign-Invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular 19. SAFE Circular 19 launched a nationwide reform of the administration of the settlement of the foreign exchange capitals of FIEs and allows FIEs to settle their foreign exchange capital at their discretion, but continues to prohibit FIEs from using the RMB fund converted from their foreign exchange capitals for expenditure beyond their business scopes, providing entrusted loans or repaying loans between non-financial enterprises. Violations of SAFE Circular 19 could result in severe monetary or other penalties. SAFE Circular 19 and relevant foreign exchange regulatory rules may significantly limit our ability to invest in or acquire any other PRC companies through our PRC subsidiaries or consolidated affiliates or to establish new consolidated affiliates in the PRC, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Because we are a Cayman Islands exempted company and all of our business is conducted in the PRC, you may be unable to bring an action against us or our officers and directors or to enforce any judgment you may obtain, and the U.S. regulatory bodies may be limited in their ability to conduct investigations or inspections of our operations in China.

We are an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands and conduct our operations primarily in China. Substantially all of our assets are located outside of the United States. In addition, the majority of our directors and officers reside outside of 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 we have violated your rights, either under United States federal or state securities laws or otherwise, or if you have a claim against us. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of China may not allow you to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers.

The SEC, the U.S. Department of Justice and other U.S. authorities may also have difficulties in bringing and enforcing actions against us or our directors or executive officers in the PRC. The SEC has stated that there are significant legal and other obstacles to obtaining information needed for investigations or litigation in China. China has recently adopted a revised securities law that became effective on March 1, 2020, Article 177 of which provides, among other things, that no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within the territory of the PRC. Accordingly, without governmental approval in China, no entity or individual in China may provide documents and information relating to securities business activities to overseas regulators when it is under direct investigation or evidence discovery conducted by overseas regulators, which could present significant legal and other obstacles to obtaining information needed for investigations and litigation conducted in China.

We have identified several control deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting. If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud.

The Securities and Exchange Commission, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, adopted rules requiring every public company to include a management report on such company’s internal controls over financial reporting in its annual report, which contains management’s assessment of the effectiveness of the company’s internal controls over financial reporting. In addition, an independent registered public accounting firm must attest to and report on management’s assessment of the effectiveness of the company’s internal controls over financial reporting when the Company no longer qualifies as an emerging company. Our reporting obligations as a public company will place a significant strain on our management, operational and financial resources and systems for the foreseeable future.

During the course of preparing our consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended October 31, 2018, 2019, and 2020, we identified a number of control deficiencies, which include material weaknesses and significant deficiencies, in our internal control over financial reporting. Many of the deficiencies noted below were communicated to us from our independent registered public accounting firm as observations, which stemmed from their audit. However, as noted in their report, their audit included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing the audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. The material weaknesses identified include: (1) a lack of formal disclosure controls and procedures to ensure timely filing of the Company’s reports; and (2) a lack of accounting personnel with knowledge of U.S. GAAP and SEC financial reporting requirements. The significant deficiencies identified include: (1) a lack of formal internal controls over financial closing and reporting processes; (2) a lack of a formal risk assessment process; and (3) a lack of accounting policies and procedures manual that covers U.S. GAAP and SEC financial reporting requirements. It is important to note that we did not undertake a comprehensive assessment of our internal controls for purposes of identifying and reporting control deficiencies as we will be required to do after we are a public company. Had we undertaken such an assessment, additional significant deficiencies and/or material weaknesses may have been identified. As a result of the above, we did not timely file our annual report on our Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2020, and were not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1), which requires timely filing of all required periodic financial reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. On April 26, 2021 we filed our annual report on Form 20-F and regained compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1). See “Risk Factors - Risks Relating Our Class A ordinary shares and the Trading Market - The Nasdaq Capital Market imposes listing standards on our Class A ordinary shares that we may not be able to fulfill, thereby leading to a possible delisting of our ordinary shares. We are currently facing such risk.”

We are taking a number of measures to tackle the control deficiencies identified, including: (1) preparing a comprehensive accounting policies and procedures manual that covers U.S. GAAP and SEC financial reporting requirements, and ensuring that accounting personnel are familiar with and follow the manual; (2) establishing a risk assessment process that complies with the framework set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, a private sector organization dedicated to improving the quality of financial reporting; (3) hiring additional accounting personnel with external reporting experience, including knowledge of the SEC reporting requirements and U.S. GAAP, and investor relations personnel; and (4) working more closely with our outsourced U.S. financial reporting consultant and our newly formed audit committee.

Effective internal controls over financial reporting are necessary for us to produce reliable financial reports and are important to help prevent fraud. As a result, our failure to achieve and maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting could result in the loss of investor confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, which in turn could harm our business and negatively impact the trading price of our Class A Ordinary Shares. Furthermore, we anticipate that we will incur considerable costs and devote significant management time and efforts and other resources to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

Risks Related to Doing Business in China

A severe or prolonged downturn in the global or Chinese economy could materially and adversely affect our business and our financial condition.

Although the Chinese economy has grown steadily in the past decade, there is considerable uncertainty over the long-term effects of the expansionary monetary and fiscal policies adopted by the People’s Bank of China and financial authorities of some of the world’s leading economies, including the United States and China. The proposed tariffs by the U.S. government and the potential of a trade war between the U.S. and China could dampen the growth prospects of the Chinese and global economy. There have been concerns over unrest and terrorist threats in the Middle East, Europe and Africa, which have resulted in volatility in oil and other markets. There have also been concerns on the relationship among China and other Asian countries, which may result in or intensify potential conflicts in relation to territorial disputes. 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. Any severe or prolonged slowdown in the global or Chinese economy may materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We face risks related to health epidemics such as the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak originated in Wuhan city at the end of 2019, and other outbreaks, which could disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business could be materially and adversely affected by health epidemics such as the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak originated in Wuhan city at the end of 2019 and other outbreaks affecting the PRC. Health epidemics may give rise to severe interruptions to construction, tourism and leisure industries, which are closely related to the urban-rural design and development market. Our business operations depend on China’s overall economy and demand for insurance products, which could be disrupted by health epidemics. A prolonged outbreak of the coronavirus or other adverse public health developments in China would likely have a material adverse effect on our business operations as such outbreak or other development could significantly impact the Chinese economy and insurance industries, disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak negatively affected our business due to various government restrictions put in place to attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19 including: (i) only 60% of our employees were able to return to work on and around March 1, 2020, which was one month later than usual after the Spring Festival holiday. The remaining 40% of our employees returned to work by the end of March, 2020; (ii) our ability to sign on new customers was hindered for the first half of fiscal year 2020 because it was difficult for our sales personnel to communicate with prospective customers by telephone and finalize sales without in-person meetings; and (iii) our plan to open additional branches nationwide was delayed because up until May 2020, the relevant authorities stopped issuing approvals for new insurance branches due to the restrictions on completing interviews and on-site inspections, which are required procedures for such approvals. As of the date of this prospectus, the COVID-19 outbreak is generally considered under control in China and we have been able to resume our normal business activities since May 2020. In light of the current circumstances, based on available information, we estimate the negative impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak on our business to be temporary and mainly contained in the first half of fiscal year 2020. However, the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic may impact the Company’s business, operations and financial results from this point forward will depend on numerous evolving factors that the Company cannot accurately predict at this time.

Our current corporate structure and business operations may be affected by the newly enacted Foreign Investment Law.

On March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress approved the Foreign Investment Law, which became effective on January 1, 2020. The Foreign Investment Law does not explicitly classify whether variable interest entities that are controlled through contractual arrangements would be deemed as foreign-invested enterprises if they are ultimately “controlled” by foreign investors. However, it has a catch-all provision under definition of “foreign investment” that includes investments made by foreign investors in China through other means as provided by laws, administrative regulations or the State Council. Therefore, it still leaves leeway for future laws, administrative regulations or provisions of the State Council to provide for contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment. Therefore, there can be no assurance that our control over our consolidated VIE through contractual arrangements will not be deemed as foreign investment in the future.

The Foreign Investment Law grants national treatment to foreign-invested entities, except for those foreign-invested entities that operate in industries specified as either “restricted” or “prohibited” from foreign investment in a “negative list”. The Special Administrative Measures for Access to Foreign Investment (Negative List) (2020 Edition) (Order No. 32 of the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce), came into effect on July 23, 2020, further reduced the “negative list” for access to foreign investment compared to the 2019 edition, increasing the level of openness in services, manufacturing and agriculture.

The Foreign Investment Law provides that foreign-invested entities operating in “restricted” or “prohibited” industries will require market entry clearance and other approvals from relevant PRC government authorities. If our control over our consolidated VIE through contractual arrangements is deemed as foreign investment in the future, and any business of our consolidated VIE is “restricted” or “prohibited” from foreign investment under the “negative list” effective at the time, we may be deemed to be in violation of the Foreign Investment Law, the contractual arrangements that allow us to have control over our consolidated VIE may be deemed invalid and/or illegal, and we may be required to unwind such contractual arrangements and/or restructure our business operations, any of which may have a material adverse effect on our business operation. 

Furthermore, if future laws, administrative regulations or provisions 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. 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 and business operations.

Changes in the policies of the PRC government could have a significant impact upon our ability to operate profitably in the PRC.

Currently, we conduct all of our operations and all of our revenue is generated, in the PRC. Accordingly, economic, political and legal developments in the PRC will significantly affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Policies of the PRC government can have significant effects on economic conditions in the PRC and the ability of businesses to operate profitably. Our ability to operate profitably in the PRC may be adversely affected by changes in policies by the PRC government, including changes in laws, regulations or their interpretation that may affect our ability to operate as currently contemplated.

Because our business is dependent upon government policies that encourage a market-based economy, change in the political or economic climate in the PRC may impair our ability to operate profitably, if at all.

Although the PRC government has been pursuing a number of economic reform policies for more than two decades, the PRC government continues to exercise significant control over economic growth in the PRC. Because of the nature of our business, we are dependent upon the PRC government pursuing policies that encourage private ownership of businesses. Restrictions on private ownership of businesses would affect the securities business in general and businesses using real estate service in particular. We cannot assure you that the PRC government will pursue policies favoring a market-oriented economy or that existing policies will not be significantly altered, especially in the event of a change in leadership, social or political disruption, or other circumstances affecting political, economic and social life in the PRC.

PRC laws and regulations governing our current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain and any changes in such laws and regulations may impair our ability to operate profitably.

There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations including, but not limited to, the laws and regulations governing our business and the enforcement and performance of our arrangements with customers in certain circumstances. The laws and regulations are sometimes vague and may be subject to future changes, and their official interpretation and enforcement may involve substantial uncertainty. The effectiveness and interpretation of newly enacted laws or regulations, including amendments to existing laws and regulations, may be delayed, and our business may be affected if we rely on laws and regulations which are subsequently adopted or interpreted in a manner different from our understanding of these laws and regulations. New laws and regulations that affect existing and proposed future businesses may also be applied retroactively. We cannot predict what effect the interpretation of existing or new PRC laws or regulations may have on our business.

Because our business is conducted in RMB and the price of our Class A ordinary shares is quoted in United States dollars, changes in currency conversion rates may affect the value of your investments.

Our business is conducted in the PRC, our books and records are maintained in RMB, which is the currency of the PRC, and the financial statements that we file with the SEC and provide to our shareholders are presented in United States dollars. Changes in the exchange rate between the RMB and dollar affect the value of our assets and the results of our operations in United States dollars. The value of the RMB against the United States dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in the PRC’s political and economic conditions and perceived changes in the economy of the PRC and the United States. Any significant revaluation of the RMB may materially and adversely affect our cash flows, revenue and financial condition. Further, our Class A ordinary shares offered by this prospectus are denominated in United States dollars, we will need to convert the net proceeds we receive into RMB in order to use the funds for our business. Changes in the conversion rate between the United States dollar and the RMB will affect that amount of proceeds we will have available for our business.

Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the EIT Law, we may be classified as a “resident enterprise” of China, which could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders.

The EIT Law and its implementing rules provide that enterprises established outside of China whose “de facto management bodies” are located in China are considered “resident enterprises” under PRC tax laws. The implementing rules promulgated under the EIT Law define the term “de facto management bodies” as a management body which substantially manages, or has control over the business, personnel, finance and assets of an enterprise. In April 2009, the State Administration of Taxation, or SAT, issued a circular, known as Circular 82, which provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de facto management bodies” of a PRC-controlled enterprise that is incorporated offshore is located in China. However, there are no further detailed rules or precedents governing the procedures and specific criteria for determining “de facto management body.” Although the majority of our board of directors and management are located in the PRC, it is unclear if the PRC tax authorities would determine that we should be classified as a PRC “resident enterprise.”

If we are deemed as a PRC “resident enterprise,” we will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax on our worldwide income at a uniform tax rate of 25%, although dividends distributed to us from our existing PRC subsidiary and any other PRC subsidiaries which we may establish from time to time could be exempt from the PRC dividend withholding tax due to our PRC “resident recipient” status. This could have a material and adverse effect on our overall effective tax rate, our income tax expenses and our net income. Furthermore, dividends, if any, paid to our shareholders may be decreased as a result of the decrease in distributable profits. In addition, if we were considered a PRC “resident enterprise”, any dividends we pay to our non-PRC investors, and the gains realized from the transfer of our Class A ordinary shares may be considered income derived from sources within the PRC and be subject to PRC 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). It is unclear whether holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares 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. This could have a material and adverse effect on the value of your investment in us and the price of our Class A ordinary shares.

We may rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a material and adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business.

We are a Cayman Islands holding company and we rely principally on dividends and other distributions on equity from our PRC subsidiaries for our cash requirements, including for services of any debt we may incur.

Our PRC subsidiary’s ability to distribute dividends is based upon its distributable earnings. Current PRC regulations permit our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to its respective shareholders 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 its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a statutory reserve until such reserve reaches 50% of its registered capital. Each of our PRC subsidiaries as a Foreign Invested Enterprise, or FIE, is also required to further set aside a portion of its after-tax profits to fund the employee welfare fund, although the amount to be set aside, if any, is determined at its discretion. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends. If our PRC operating subsidiary incur 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. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to distribute dividends or other payments to their respective shareholders could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our businesses, pay dividends or otherwise fund and conduct our business.

In addition, the Enterprise Income Tax 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.

There are significant uncertainties under the EIT Law relating to the withholding tax liabilities of our PRC subsidiary, and dividends payable by our PRC subsidiary to our offshore subsidiaries may not qualify for certain treaty benefits.

Under the EIT Law and its implementation rules, the profits of a foreign invested enterprise generated through operations, which are distributed to its immediate holding company outside the PRC, will be subject to a withholding tax rate of 10%. 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 Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement, a withholding tax rate of 10% may be lowered to 5% if the PRC enterprise is at least 25% held by a Hong Kong enterprise for at least 12 consecutive months prior to distribution of the dividends and is determined by the relevant PRC tax authority to have satisfied other conditions and requirements under the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement and other applicable PRC laws.

However, based on the Circular on Certain Issues with Respect to the Enforcement of Dividend Provisions in Tax Treaties, or the SAT Circular 81, which became effective on February 20, 2009, 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 Circular on Several Issues regarding the “Beneficial Owner” in Tax Treaties, which became effective as of April 1, 2018, when determining an applicant’s status as the “beneficial owner” regarding tax treatments in connection with dividends, interests, or royalties in the tax treaties, several factors will be taken into account. Such factors include whether the business operated by the applicant constitutes actual business activities, and whether the counterparty country or region to the tax treaties does not levy any tax, grant tax exemption on relevant incomes, or levy tax at an extremely low rate. This circular further requires any applicant who intends to be proved of being the “beneficial owner” to file relevant documents with the relevant tax authorities. Our PRC subsidiary is wholly owned by our Hong Kong subsidiary, TRX HK. However, we cannot assure you that our determination regarding our qualification to enjoy the preferential tax treatment will not be challenged by the relevant PRC tax authority or we will be able to complete the necessary filings with the relevant PRC tax authority and enjoy the preferential withholding tax rate of 5% under the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement with respect to dividends to be paid by our PRC subsidiary to TRX HK, in which case, we would be subject to the higher withdrawing tax rate of 10% on dividends received.

If we become directly subject to the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity involving U.S.-listed Chinese companies, we may have to expend significant resources to investigate and resolve the matter which could harm our business operations, stock price and reputation.

U.S. public companies that have substantially all of their operations in China have been the subject of intense scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity by investors, financial commentators and regulatory agencies, such as the SEC. Much of the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity has centered on financial and accounting irregularities and mistakes, a lack of effective internal controls over financial accounting, inadequate corporate governance policies or a lack of adherence thereto and, in many cases, allegations of fraud. As a result of the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity, the publicly traded stock of many U.S. listed Chinese companies sharply decreased in value and, in some cases, has become virtually worthless. Many of these companies are now subject to shareholder lawsuits and SEC enforcement actions and are conducting internal and external investigations into the allegations. It is not clear what effect this sector-wide scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity will have on us, our business and our stock price. If we become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we will have to expend significant resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend our company. This situation will be costly and time consuming and distract our management from growing our business. If such allegations are not proven to be groundless, we and our business operations will be severely affected and you could sustain a significant decline in the value of our stock.

The disclosures in our reports and other filings with the SEC and our other public pronouncements are not subject to the scrutiny of any regulatory bodies in the PRC.

We are regulated by the SEC and our reports and other filings with the SEC are subject to SEC review in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act. Our SEC reports and other disclosures and public announcements are not subject to the review or scrutiny of any PRC regulatory authority. For example, the disclosure in our SEC reports and other filings are not subject to the review by the China Securities Regulatory Commission, a PRC regulator that is responsible for oversight of the capital markets in China. Accordingly, you should review our SEC reports, filings and our other public announcements with the understanding that no local regulator has done any review of our company, our SEC reports, other filings or any of our other public announcements.

A recent joint statement by the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or the “PCAOB,” proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and the newly enacted “Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act” all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. These developments could add uncertainties to our continued listing or future offerings of our securities in the U.S.

On April 21, 2020, the SEC and the PCAOB released a joint statement highlighting the risks associated with investing in companies based in or having substantial operations in emerging markets including China. The joint statement emphasized the risks associated with lack of access for the PCAOB to inspect auditors and audit work papers in China and higher risks of fraud in emerging markets.

On May 18, 2020, Nasdaq filed three proposals with the SEC to (i) apply a minimum offering size requirement for companies primarily operating in a “Restrictive Market,” (ii) adopt a new requirement relating to the qualification of management or the board of directors for Restrictive Market companies, and (iii) apply additional and more stringent criteria to an applicant or listed company based on the qualifications of the company’s auditor.

On December 18, 2020, the “Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act” was signed by President Donald Trump and became law. This legislation requires certain issuers of securities to establish that they are not owned or controlled by a foreign government. Specifically, an issuer must make this certification if the PCAOB is unable to audit specified reports because the issuer has retained a foreign public accounting firm not subject to inspection by the PCAOB. Furthermore, if the PCAOB is unable to inspect the issuer’s public accounting firm for three consecutive years, the issuer’s securities are banned from trade on a national exchange or through other methods. 

The lack of access to the PCAOB inspection in China prevents the PCAOB from fully evaluating audits and quality control procedures of the auditors based in China. As a result, investors may be deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of these accounting firm’s audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of China that are subject to the PCAOB inspections, which could cause investors and potential investors in our Ordinary Shares to lose confidence in our audit procedures and reported financial information and the quality of our financial statements.

Our auditor, RBSM LLP, is an independent registered public accounting firm with the PCAOB, and as an auditor of publicly traded companies in the U.S., is subject to laws in the U.S. pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. Our auditor is headquartered in New York, NY, and has been inspected by the PCAOB on a regular basis. The PCAOB currently has access to inspect the working papers of our auditor. However, the above recent developments may have added uncertainties to our listing and we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us since we are an emerging growth company and substantial all of our operations are conducting in China.

The failure to comply with PRC regulations relating to mergers and acquisitions of domestic entities by offshore special purpose vehicles may subject us to severe fines or penalties and create other regulatory uncertainties regarding our corporate structure.

On August 8, 2006, MOFCOM, joined by the CSRC, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the SAT, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (the “SAIC”), and SAFE, jointly promulgated regulations entitled the Provisions Regarding Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Entities by Foreign Investors (the “M&A Rules”), which took effect as of September 8, 2006, and as amended on June 22, 2009. These regulations, among other things, have certain provisions that require offshore special purpose vehicles formed for the purpose of acquiring PRC domestic companies and controlled directly or indirectly by PRC individuals and companies, to obtain the approval of MOFCOM prior to engaging in such acquisitions and to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to publicly listing their securities on an overseas stock market. On September 21, 2006, the CSRC published on its official website a notice specifying the documents and materials that are required to be submitted for obtaining CSRC approval.

The application of the M&A Rules with respect to our corporate structure remains unclear, with no current consensus existing among leading PRC law firms regarding the scope and applicability of the M&A Rules. Thus, it is possible that the appropriate PRC government agencies, including MOFCOM, would deem that the M&A Rules required us or our entities in China to obtain approval from MOFCOM or other PRC regulatory agencies in connection with WFOE’s control of TRX ZJ through contractual arrangements. If the CSRC, MOFCOM, or another PRC regulatory agency determines that government approval was required for the VIE arrangement between WFOE and TRX ZJ, or if prior CSRC approval for overseas financings is required and not obtained, we may face severe regulatory actions or other sanctions from MOFCOM, the CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies. In such event, these regulatory agencies may impose fines or other penalties on our operations in the PRC, limit our operating privileges in the PRC, delay or restrict the repatriation of the proceeds from overseas financings into the PRC, restrict or prohibit payment or remittance of dividends to us or take other actions that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, reputation and prospects, as well as the trading price of our Class A Ordinary Shares. The CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies may also take actions requiring us, or making it advisable for us, to delay or cancel overseas financings, to restructure our current corporate structure, or to seek regulatory approvals that may be difficult or costly to obtain.

The M&A Rules, along with certain foreign exchange regulations discussed below, will be interpreted or implemented by the relevant government authorities in connection with our future offshore financings or acquisitions, and we cannot predict how they will affect our acquisition strategy. For example, TRX ZJ’s ability to remit its profits to us or to engage in foreign-currency-denominated borrowings, may be conditioned upon compliance with the SAFE registration requirements by the principal shareholders of the Registrant and, over whom we may have no control.

We must remit the offering proceeds to China before they may be used to benefit our business in China, and we cannot assure that we can finish all necessary governmental registration processes in a timely manner.

The proceeds of this offering must be sent back to China, and the process for sending such proceeds back to China may take several months after the closing of this offering. In utilizing the proceeds of this offering in the manner described in “Use of Proceeds,” as an offshore holding company of our PRC subsidiary, we may make loans to our PRC subsidiary, or we may make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary. Any shareholder loan or additional capital contribution are subject to PRC regulations. For example, loans by us or making additional capital contribution to our subsidiaries in China, which are FIEs, to finance their activities cannot exceed statutory limits, while the shareholder loan must be also registered with the SAFE. The statutory limit for the total amount of foreign debts of a foreign-invested company is the difference between the amount of total investment as approved by MOFCOM or its local counterpart and the amount of registered capital of such foreign-invested company.

To remit the proceeds of the offering, we must take the steps legally required under the PRC laws.

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 this offering and to capitalize or otherwise fund our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity, our ability to fund and expand our business and our ordinary shares.

Increases in labor costs in the PRC may adversely affect our business and our profitability.

China’s economy has experienced increases in labor costs in recent years, which is expected to continue to grow. The average wage level for our employees has also increased in recent years. We expect that our labor costs, including wages and employee benefits, will continue to increase. Unless we are able to pass on these increased labor costs to our customers by increasing prices for our products or services, our profitability and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

In addition, we have been subject to stricter regulatory requirements in terms of entering into labor contracts with our employees and paying various statutory employee benefits, including pensions, housing fund, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and childbearing insurance to designated government agencies for the benefits of our employees. Pursuant to the PRC Labor Contract Law, or the Labor Contract Law, that became effective in January 2008 and its implementing rules that became effective in September 2008 and its amendments that became effective in July 2013, employers are subject to stricter requirements in terms of signing labor contracts, minimum wages, paying remuneration, determining the term of employees’ probation and unilaterally terminating labor contracts. In the event that we decide to terminate some of our employees or otherwise change our employment or labor practices, the Labor Contract Law and its implementation rules may limit our ability to effect those changes in a desirable or cost-effective manner, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

As the interpretation and implementation of labor-related laws and regulations are still evolving, we cannot assure you that our employment practice does not and will not violate labor-related laws and regulations in China, which may subject us to labor disputes or government investigations. If we are deemed to have violated relevant labor laws and regulations, we could be required to provide additional compensation to our employees and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Failure to make adequate contributions to various employee benefits plans as required by PRC regulations may subject us to penalties.

Companies operating in China are required to participate in various government sponsored employee benefit plans, including certain social insurance, housing funds and other welfare-oriented payment obligations, and contribute to the plans in amounts equal to certain percentages of salaries, including bonuses and allowances, of employees up to a maximum amount specified by the local government from time to time at locations where they operate their businesses. Such requirement to contribute to employee benefit plans has not been implemented consistently by the local governments in China given the different levels of economic development in different locations. If we fail to make contributions to various employee benefit plans and to comply with applicable PRC labor-related laws in the future, we may be subject to late payment penalties. We may be required to make up the contributions for these plans as well as to pay late fees and fines. If we are subject to late fees or fines in relation to the underpaid employee benefits, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

Any failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding the registration requirements for employee stock incentive plans may subject the PRC plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions.

In February 2012, SAFE promulgated the Notices on Issues Concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Stock Incentive Plan of Overseas Publicly Listed Company (the “Stock Option Rules”), replacing earlier rules promulgated in 2007. Pursuant to these rules, PRC citizens and non-PRC citizens who reside in China for a continuous period of not less than one year who participate in any stock incentive plan of an overseas publicly listed company, subject to a few exceptions, are required to register with SAFE through a domestic qualified agent, which could be the PRC subsidiaries of such overseas-listed company, and complete certain other procedures. In addition, an overseas-entrusted institution must be retained to handle matters in connection with the exercise or sale of stock options and the purchase or sale of shares and interests. We have not adopted any stock incentive plan as of the date of this prospectus. However, if we adopt an employee stock incentive plan in the future, we and our executive officers and other employees who are PRC citizens or who reside in the PRC for a continuous period of not less than one year are subject to these regulations. Failure to complete the SAFE registrations may subject them to fines and legal sanctions, there may be additional restrictions on the ability of them to exercise their stock options or remit proceeds gained from the sale of their stock into the PRC. We also face regulatory uncertainties that could restrict our ability to adopt incentive plans for our directors, executive officers and employees under PRC law.

Failure to make adequate contributions to the housing fund for some of our employees could adversely affect our financial condition and we may be subject to labor disputes or complaints.

In accordance with the Regulations on Management of Housing Provident Fund (the “HPF Regulations”), which were promulgated by the PRC State Council on April 3, 1999 and last amended on March 24, 2019, employers must register at the designated administrative centers and open bank accounts for employees’ housing funds deposits. Employers and employees are also required to pay and deposit housing funds, in an amount required by law. If an enterprise fails to pay in full or in part its housing funds contributions, such enterprise will be ordered by the housing funds enforcement authorities to make such contributions, and may be compelled by the people’s court that has jurisdiction over the matter to make such contributions. As of the date of this prospectus, all of our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliates registered at the designated administrative centers and opened bank accounts for their employees’ housing funds deposits; however, some of them failed to deposit adequate contributions to the housing funds for some of their employees. In fiscal years 2018, we failed to deposit $14,130 as contributions to the housing funds for some of our employees. Although we are committed to remediate such non-compliance, and expect to use our working capital and/or related parties advance to fund the contributions in the future, there is a risk of administrative penalty being imposed by the designated administrative center to the Company. Additionally, such failure may give rise to a private cause of action (complaints) by such employee (s) against the Company. To the extent the Company may be subject to any administrative penalty or private claims arising out of its failure to deposit the housing funds in full, the shareholders Zhe Wang and Sheng Xu, who together hold 3,613,000 shares, approximately 44.74% of the Company’s outstanding ordinary shares as of the date of this prospectus, have signed consents to guarantee that they will assume the full amount of any direct and indirect liabilities. Since 2019, we have started to deposit the required contributions to the housing funds for all of our employees and are in compliance with the HPF Regulations.

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.

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 our website 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 may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties and changes in PRC regulation of internet-related businesses and companies, and any lack of requisite approvals, licenses or permits applicable to our business may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

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.

We only have contractual control over our website, http://www.tianrx.com/#/ . We do not directly own the websites, including internet information provision services. This may 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 State Internet Information Office (with the involvement of the State Council Information Office, the MITT, and the MPS). 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.

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. If the PRC government considers that we were operating without the proper approvals, licenses or permits or promulgates new laws and regulations that require additional approvals or licenses or imposes additional restrictions on the operation of any part of our business, it has the power, among other things, to levy fines, confiscate our income, revoke our business licenses, and require us to discontinue our relevant business or impose restrictions on the affected portion of our business. Any of these actions by the PRC government may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Risks Relating to Our Class A Ordinary Shares and The Trading Market

We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.

We currently intend to retain any future earnings to finance the operation and expansion of our business, and we do not expect to declare or pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. As a result, you may only receive a return on your investment in our Class A ordinary shares if the market price of our Class A ordinary shares increases.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they publish a negative report regarding our Class A ordinary shares, or if one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade us, the price of our Class A ordinary shares and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our Class A ordinary shares may depend in part on the research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have any control over these analysts. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade us, the price of our Class A ordinary shares would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause the price of our Class A ordinary shares and the trading volume to decline.

The market price of our Class A ordinary shares may be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance, and you may not be able to resell your shares at or above the public offering price.

The market price of our Class A ordinary shares may fluctuate significantly in response to numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, including:

In addition, the stock markets have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected and continue to affect the market prices of equity securities of many companies. Stock prices of many companies have fluctuated in a manner unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. In the past, shareholders have filed securities class action litigation following periods of market volatility. If we were to become involved in securities litigation, it could subject us to substantial costs, divert resources and the attention of management from our business, and adversely affect our business.

Because we are an “emerging growth company,” we may not be subject to requirements that other public companies are subject to, which could affect investor confidence in us and our Class A ordinary shares.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and we have elected to take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure and other 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 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for so long as we are an emerging growth company. As a result, our investors may not have access to certain information they may deem important.  See “Prospectus Summary -Implications of Our Being an Emerging Growth Company.”

As a foreign private issuer, we are not subject to certain U.S. securities law disclosure requirements that apply to a domestic U.S. issuer, and are exempt from certain Nasdaq corporate governance standards applicable to U.S. issuers, which may limit the information publicly available to our investors and afford you less protection than if we were a U.S issuer.

Nasdaq listing rules require listed companies to have, among other things, a majority of its board members be independent. As a foreign private issuer, however, we are permitted to, and we may follow home country practice in lieu of the above requirements, or we may choose to comply with the above requirement within one year of listing. The corporate governance practice in our home country, the Cayman Islands, does not require a majority of our board to consist of independent directors. Thus, although a director must act in the best interests of the Company, it is possible that fewer board members will be exercising independent judgment and the level of board oversight on the management of our company may decrease as a result. In addition, Nasdaq Listing Rules also require U.S. domestic issuers to have an audit committee and a compensation committee, and a nominating/corporate governance committee composed entirely of independent directors, and an audit committee with a minimum of three members.

Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635 generally provides that shareholder approval is required of U.S. domestic companies listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market prior to issuance (or potential issuance) of securities (i) equaling 20% or more of the company’s common stock or voting power for less than the greater of market or book value, (ii) resulting in a change of control of the company and (iii) which is being issued pursuant to a stock option or purchase plan to be established or materially amended or other equity compensation arrangement made or materially amended.

Notwithstanding this general requirement, Nasdaq Listing Rule 5615(a)(3)(A) permits foreign private issuers to follow their home country practice rather than these shareholder approval requirements. The Cayman Islands do not require shareholder approval prior to any of the foregoing types of issuances. The Company, therefore, is not required to obtain such shareholder approval prior to entering into a transaction with the potential to issue securities as described above. The board of directors of the Company has elected to follow the Company’s home country rules as to such issuances and will not be required to seek shareholder approval prior to entering into such a transaction.

As a foreign private issuer we are not required to comply with all of the periodic disclosure and current reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and therefore there may be less publicly available information about us than if we were a U.S. domestic issuer. 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:

We are required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the end of each fiscal year. 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 that would be made available to you were you investing in a U.S. domestic issuer. 

Anti-takeover provisions in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control.

Some provisions in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company or management that shareholders may consider favorable, including, among other things, the following:

Economic substance legislation of the Cayman Islands may adversely impact us or our operations.

The Cayman Islands have introduced legislation aimed at addressing concerns raised by the Council of the European Union in relation to offshore structures engaged in certain geographically mobile activities which attract profits without real economic activity in the jurisdiction in which they are incorporated. With effect from January 1, 2019, the Cayman Islands Government enacted the International Tax Co-operation (Economic Substance) Act, 2018 (the “Substance Act”). The Substance Act applies to Cayman Islands “relevant entities” which are engaged in “relevant activities” and receives “relevant income”. To support the Substance Act, the Cayman Islands Tax Information Authority (“TIA”) has issued Guidance in relation to Economic Substance for Geographically Mobile Activities in relation to the Substance Act in accordance with section 5 of the Substance Act (the “Guidance Notes”). The term “relevant entity” is defined under the Substance Act to mean:

For Cayman Islands law purposes, the Company falls within the definition of a “relevant entity”, as per subparagraph (a) above.

There are nine “relevant activities” under the Substance Act, which are banking business, distribution and service centre business, financing and leasing business, fund management business, headquarters business, holding company business, insurance business, intellectual property business, shipping business. Based on the current structuring of the Company, under the Substance Act, the Company can be classified as conducting “holding company business”. Holding company business means the business of being a “pure equity holding company”. Pure equity holding company means a company that only holds equity participations in other entities and only earns dividends and capital gains. A relevant entity (such as the Company) that is only carrying on a relevant activity that is the business of a pure equity holding company is subject to a reduced economic substance test under the Substance Act. The Company will satisfy this reduced economic substance requirement if the relevant entity (i.e. the Company) confirms that (a) it has complied with all applicable filing requirements under the Companies Act (Revised) in the Cayman Islands and (b) it has adequate human resources and adequate premises in the Cayman Islands for holding and managing equity participations in other entities. The Guidance Notes have interpreted how limb (b) of the reduced economic substance test as applicable to legal entities that conduct holding company business is satisfied. The Guidance Notes makes it clear that a pure equity holding company maintaining a registered office in the Cayman Islands engaging its registered office service provider in accordance with the Companies Act (Revised) in the Cayman Islands may be able to satisfy these reduced economic substance requirements in the Cayman Islands where the pure equity holding company is passively holding equity interests in other entities, depending on the level and complexity of activity required to operate its business. Every company in the Cayman Islands, including the Company, will have a relationship with its registered office and as such is able to satisfy limb (b) in addition to complying with the statutory obligations under the Companies Act (Revised) as required by limb (a). In consequence, the Company would, at present, satisfy the reduced economic substance test as required under the Substance Act. Since the Company is considered to be a legal entity and conducting a relevant activity it will need to provide information to the TIA. The Company will need to notify the TIA annually of: (a) whether or not it is carrying on a relevant activity, (b) if the relevant entity is carrying on a relevant activity, whether or not all or any part of the relevant entity’s gross income in relation to the relevant activity is subject to tax in a jurisdiction outside of the Cayman Islands and if so, shall provide appropriate evidence to support that tax residence as may be required by the TIA and the date of the end of the Company’s financial year. Compliance with the reduced substance requirements is unlikely to be onerous for the Company and at present subject to any change in the Substance Act or the Guidance Notes, the Company is complying with the reduced economic substance test.

The Nasdaq Capital Market imposes listing standards on our Class A Ordinary Shares that we may not be able to fulfill, thereby leading to a possible delisting of our Ordinary Shares.

As a Nasdaq-listed company, we are subject to rules covering, among other things, certain major corporate transactions, the composition of our board of directors and committees thereof, minimum bid price of our Class A ordinary shares and minimum shareholder’ equity. The failure to meet the Nasdaq listing requirements may result in the de-listing of our Class A ordinary shares from the Nasdaq Capital Market, which could adversely affect the liquidity and market price thereof.

We did not timely filed our initial annual report on Form 20-F, for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2020. On April 21, 2021, we received a notice, or the "Notice" from Nasdaq , indicating that, as a result of not having timely filed our annual report the Company is not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1), which requires timely filing of all required periodic financial reports with the SEC. The Notice has no immediate impact on the listing of the Company's securities, which will continue to trade on Nasdaq, subject to the Company's compliance with other continued listing requirements of Nasdaq. We filed our initial annual report on Form 20-F, for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2020 on April 26, 2021, and we regained compliance with the Nasdaq listing requirements.

If our Class A ordinary shares were to be de-listed, selling our Class A ordinary shares could be more difficult because smaller quantities of shares would likely be bought and sold, transactions could be delayed, and security analysts’ coverage of us may be reduced. In addition, in the event our Class A ordinary shares are de-listed, broker-dealers have certain regulatory requirements imposed upon them, which may discourage broker-dealers from effecting transactions in our Class A ordinary shares, further limiting the liquidity thereof. These factors could result in lower prices for our Class A ordinary shares and/or limit an investor’s ability to execute a transaction. In addition, delisting from Nasdaq could also greatly impair our ability to raise additional necessary capital through equity or debt financing, and could lead to significant dilution to our shareholders caused by our issuing equity in financing or other transactions at a price per share significantly below the then market price.

Risks Relating to This Offering

This is a best efforts offering, no minimum number or dollar amount of securities is required to be sold, and we may not raise the amount of capital we believe is required for our business plans.

The placement agent has agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to solicit offers to purchase the Units in this offering. The placement agent has no obligation to buy any of the Units from us or to arrange for the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of the Units. There is no required minimum number of Units that must be sold as a condition to completion of this offering. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to the closing of this offering, the actual offering amount, placement agent’s fees and proceeds to us are not presently determinable and may be substantially less than the maximum amounts set forth above. We may sell fewer than all of the Units offered hereby, which may significantly reduce the amount of proceeds received by us, and investors in this offering will not receive a refund in the event that we do not sell an amount of Units sufficient to fund our business plan. Thus, we may not raise the amount of capital we believe is required for our operations in the short-term and may need to raise additional funds, which may not be available or available on terms acceptable to us.

Because there is no minimum required for the offering to close, investors in this offering will not receive a refund in the event that we do not sell an amount of Units sufficient to pursue the business goals outlined in this prospectus.

We have not specified a minimum offering amount in connection with this offering. Because there is no minimum offering amount, investors could be in a position where they have invested in our company, but we are unable to fulfill our objectives due to a lack of interest in this offering. Further, any proceeds from the sale of the Units offered by us will be available for our immediate use, despite uncertainty about whether we would be able to use such funds to effectively implement our business plan. Upon closing of this offering, investor funds will not be returned under any circumstances whether during or after this offering.

There is no public market for the Units or the warrants.

There is no established public trading market for the Units or the warrants, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply to list the warrants on any national securities exchange or other nationally recognized trading system, including Nasdaq. Without an active market, the liquidity of the warrants will be limited.

The warrants in this offering are speculative in nature.

The warrants in this offering do not confer any rights of Class A ordinary share ownership on their holders, but rather merely represent the right to acquire Class A ordinary shares at a fixed price. In addition, following this offering, the market value of the warrants, if any, is uncertain and there can be no assurance that the market value of the warrants will equal or exceed their imputed offering price. The warrants will be not listed or quoted for trading on any market or exchange.

Holders of the warrants will not have rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares until such warrants are exercised.

Until holders of warrants acquire Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of the warrants, holders of warrants will have no rights with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying such warrants.

The sale or availability for sale of substantial amounts of our Class A ordinary shares could adversely affect their market price

Sales of substantial amounts of our Class A ordinary shares in the public market after the completion of this offering, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of our Class A ordinary shares and could materially impair our ability to raise capital through equity offerings in the future. The Class A ordinary shares sold in this offering will be 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, if any. 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 Class A ordinary shares. See “Plan of Distribution” and “Shares Eligible for Future Sale” for a more detailed description of the restrictions on selling our securities after this offering.

Because we do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future after this offering, you must rely on price appreciation of our Class A ordinary shares for return on your investment

We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and any future earnings after this offering 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 the Class A 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 subsidiary, our financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. Accordingly, the return on your investment in our Class A ordinary shares will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of the Class A ordinary shares. There is no guarantee that the Class A ordinary shares will appreciate in value after this offering or even maintain the price at which you purchased the Class A ordinary shares. You may not realize a return on your investment in our Class A ordinary shares and you may even lose your entire investment in our Class A ordinary shares.

You will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value per share of the Class A ordinary shares you purchase.

Because the public offering price per Unit comprised of a Class A ordinary share and related warrant being offered is substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our Class A ordinary shares, you will suffer substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of the Class A ordinary shares you purchase in this offering. If you purchase Units in this offering at an assumed public offering price of US$10.00 per Unit, you will suffer immediate and substantial dilution of approximately US$5.85 per Class A ordinary share in the net tangible book value of the Units. See “Dilution.”

We have not determined a specific use for a portion of the net proceeds from this offering, and we may use these proceeds in ways with which you may not agree

We have not determined a specific use for a portion of the net proceeds of this offering, and our management will have considerable discretion in deciding how to apply these proceeds. You will not have the opportunity to assess whether the proceeds are being used appropriately before you make your investment decision. You must rely on the judgment of our management regarding the application of the net proceeds of this offering. We cannot assure you that the net proceeds will be used in a manner that will improve our results of operations or increase the price of our Class A ordinary shares, nor that these net proceeds will be placed only in investments that generate income or appreciate in value. 

There can be no assurance that we will not be classified as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes for any taxable year, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. Holders of our Class A ordinary shares and related warrants

A non-U.S. corporation, such as our company, will be classified as a “passive foreign investment company,” or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes for any taxable year if either (1) at least 75% of its gross income for such year consists of certain types of “passive” income or the “income test”; or (2) at least 50% of the value of its assets (generally based on an average of the quarterly values of the assets) during such year is attributable to assets that produce passive income or are held for the production of passive income, or the “asset test.” Based on the current and expected composition of our income and assets and value of our assets (taking into account the expected cash proceeds from this offering) and projections as to the value of our Class A ordinary shares following this offering, we do not presently expect to be a PFIC for the current taxable year. However, no assurance can be given in this regard because the determination of whether we are or will become a PFIC for any taxable year is a fact-intensive inquiry made on an annual basis that depends, in part, upon the composition of our income and assets, which may change over time if we expand and diversify our product offerings. Fluctuations in the market price of our Class A ordinary shares may cause us to be or become a PFIC for the current or subsequent taxable years because the value of our assets for the purpose of the asset test may be determined by reference to the market price of our Class A ordinary shares (which has been and may continue to be volatile). The composition of our income and assets may also be affected by how, and how quickly, we use our liquid assets and the cash raised in this offering.

If we were to be or become a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder (as defined in “Taxation— Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations”) holds our Class A ordinary shares or warrants, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could apply to such U.S. Holder. See “Taxation—Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations— Passive Foreign Investment Company Considerations.”

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association contain anti-takeover provisions that could have a material adverse effect on the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares

Some provisions in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company or management that shareholders may consider favorable, including, among other things, the following:

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 and conduct our operations primarily in emerging markets

We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. Our corporate affairs are governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act (Revised) 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 responsibilities 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 responsibilities 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 have 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 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 lists of shareholders 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 United States. If we choose to follow 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.

In addition, we conduct substantially all of our business operations in emerging markets, including China, and substantially all of our directors and senior management are based in China. The SEC, U.S. Department of Justice, or the DOJ, and other authorities often have substantial difficulties in bringing and enforcing actions against non-U.S. companies and non-U.S. persons, including company directors and officers, in certain emerging markets, including China. Additionally, our public shareholders may have limited rights and few practical remedies in emerging markets where we operate, as shareholder claims that are common in the United States, including class action securities law and fraud claims, generally are difficult or impossible to pursue as a matter of law or practicality in many emerging markets, including China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles for the SEC, the DOJ and other U.S. authorities to obtaining information needed for shareholder investigations or litigation. Although the competent 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, the regulatory cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the United States has not been efficient in the absence of a mutual and practical cooperation mechanism. According to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law which became effective in March 2020, no foreign securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within the territory of the PRC. Accordingly, without the consent 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 foreign securities regulators.

As a result of all of the above, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a company incorporated in the United States. For a discussion of significant differences between the provisions of the Companies Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders, see “Description of Share Capital—Differences in Corporate Law.”

As a foreign private issuer, we are not subject to certain U.S. securities law disclosure requirements that apply to a domestic U.S. issuer, and are exempt from certain Nasdaq corporate governance standards applicable to U.S. issuers, which may limit the information publicly available to our investors and afford you less protection than if we were a U.S issuer.

Nasdaq listing rules require listed companies to have, among other things, a majority of its board members be independent. As a foreign private issuer, however, we are permitted to, and we may follow home country practice in lieu of the above requirements, or we may choose to comply with the above requirement within one year of listing. The corporate governance practice in our home country, the Cayman Islands, does not require a majority of our board to consist of independent directors. Thus, although a director must act in the best interests of the Company, it is possible that fewer board members will be exercising independent judgment and the level of board oversight on the management of our company may decrease as a result. In addition, Nasdaq listing rules also require U.S. domestic issuers to have a compensation committee, a nominating/corporate governance committee composed entirely of independent directors, and an audit committee with a minimum of three members. We, as a foreign private issuer, are not subject to these requirements. Nasdaq listing rules may require shareholder approval for certain corporate matters, such as requiring that shareholders be given the opportunity to vote on all equity compensation plans and material revisions to those plans, certain ordinary share issuances. We intend to comply with the requirements of Nasdaq listing rules in determining whether shareholder approval is required on such matters and to appoint a nominating and corporate governance committee. We may, however, consider following home country practice in lieu of the requirements under Nasdaq listing rules with respect to certain corporate governance standards which may afford less protection to investors.

As a foreign private issuer we are not required to comply with all of the periodic disclosure and current reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and therefore there may be less publicly available information about us than if we were a U.S. domestic issuer. 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:

We are required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the end of each fiscal year. 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 that would be made available to you were you investing in a U.S. domestic issuer.

Economic substance legislation of the Cayman Islands may adversely impact us or our operations.

The Cayman Islands have introduced legislation aimed at addressing concerns raised by the Council of the European Union in relation to offshore structures engaged in certain geographically mobile activities which attract profits without real economic activity in the jurisdiction in which they are incorporated. With effect from January 1, 2019, the Cayman Islands Government enacted the International Tax Co-operation (Economic Substance) Act, 2018 (the “Substance Act”). The Substance Act applies to Cayman Islands “relevant entities” which are engaged in “relevant activities” and receives “relevant income”. To support the Substance Act, the Cayman Islands Tax Information Authority (“TIA”) has issued Guidance in relation to Economic Substance for Geographically Mobile Activities in relation to the Substance Act in accordance with section 5 of the Substance Act (the “Guidance Notes”). The term “relevant entity” is defined under the Substance Act to mean:

For Cayman Islands law purposes, the Company falls within the definition of a “relevant entity”, as per subparagraph (a) above.

There are nine “relevant activities” under the Substance Act, which are banking business, distribution and service centre business, financing and leasing business, fund management business, headquarters business, holding company business, insurance business, intellectual property business, shipping business. Based on the current structuring of the Company, under the Substance Act, the Company can be classified as conducting “holding company business”. Holding company business means the business of being a “pure equity holding company”. Pure equity holding company means a company that only holds equity participations in other entities and only earns dividends and capital gains. A relevant entity (such as the Company) that is only carrying on a relevant activity that is the business of a pure equity holding company is subject to a reduced economic substance test under the Substance Act. The Company will satisfy this reduced economic substance requirement if the relevant entity (i.e. the Company) confirms that (a) it has complied with all applicable filing requirements under the Companies Act (Revised) in the Cayman Islands and (b) it has adequate human resources and adequate premises in the Cayman Islands for holding and managing equity participations in other entities. The Guidance Notes have interpreted how limb (b) of the reduced economic substance test as applicable to legal entities that conduct holding company business is satisfied. The Guidance Notes makes it clear that a pure equity holding company maintaining a registered office in the Cayman Islands engaging its registered office service provider in accordance with the Companies Act (Revised) in the Cayman Islands may be able to satisfy these reduced economic substance requirements in the Cayman Islands where the pure equity holding company is passively holding equity interests in other entities, depending on the level and complexity of activity required to operate its business. Every company in the Cayman Islands, including the Company, will have a relationship with its registered office and as such is able to satisfy limb (b) in addition to complying with the statutory obligations under the Companies Act (Revised) as required by limb (a). In consequence, the Company would, at present, satisfy the reduced economic substance test as required under the Substance Act. Since the Company is considered to be a legal entity and conducting a relevant activity it will need to provide information to the TIA. The Company will need to notify the TIA annually of: (a) whether or not it is carrying on a relevant activity, (b) if the relevant entity is carrying on a relevant activity, whether or not all or any part of the relevant entity’s gross income in relation to the relevant activity is subject to tax in a jurisdiction outside of the Cayman Islands and if so, shall provide appropriate evidence to support that tax residence as may be required by the TIA and the date of the end of the Company’s financial year. Compliance with the reduced substance requirements is unlikely to be onerous for the Company and at present subject to any change in the Substance Act or the Guidance Notes, the Company is complying with the reduced economic substance test.

The dual-class structure of our ordinary shares may adversely affect the trading market for our Class A ordinary shares.

Certain shareholder advisory firms have announced changes to their eligibility criteria for inclusion of shares of public companies on certain indices, including the S&P 500, to exclude companies with multiple classes of shares and companies whose public shareholders hold no more than 5% of total voting power from being added to such indices. In addition, several shareholder advisory firms have announced their opposition to the use of multiple class structures. As a result, the dual-class structure of our ordinary shares may prevent the inclusion of our Class A ordinary shares in such indices and may cause shareholder advisory firms to publish negative commentary about our corporate governance practices or otherwise seek to cause us to change our capital structure. Any such exclusion from indices could result in a less active trading market for our Class A ordinary shares. Any actions or publications by shareholder advisory firms critical of our corporate governance practices or capital structure could also adversely affect the value of our Class A ordinary shares.

Certain judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable

We are a Cayman Islands company and the majority of our assets are located outside of the United States. The most significant portion of our operations is conducted in China. In addition, a majority 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 may be 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. For more information regarding the relevant laws of the Cayman Islands and China, see “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities.”