According to 36kr, online education company Yixiaoxiang(弈小象) focusing on Chinese chess(Xiangqi) skills training for children aged 4 to 12, announced recently it has raised more than a million yuan in the angel round of financing from EdBeta Fund. The funds will be used for further research and development of the curriculum, as well as the recruitment of teaching faculty.

Founded in 2018, Yixiaoxiang is committed to popularizing children’s Chinese chess education through gamification and scene-based teaching, helping to improve their ability of expression, memory, attentional control, and logical thinking. Moreover, the company adopts 1-on-6 and 1-on-8 small-size class with a dual-teacher model consisting of full-time teachers and professional chess players for tutoring and practicing, over 80% of users have paid for courses after listening to a trial lesson.

As one of the most popular board games in China, more than a million k-12 students have been learning Xiangqi skills and offline learning is the main form. At the current stage, the market of Chinese chess education is fragmented and the majority of participants still concentrate on professional training, and Yixiaoxiang targets formative education to bridge the market gap.