As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 16, 2020

Registration No. 333-            

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM F-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

BlueCity Holdings Limited

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Not Applicable

(Translation of Registrant’s name into English)

Cayman Islands	7389	Not Applicable
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

Block 2 Tower B Room 028, No. 22 Pingguo Shequ, Bai Zi Wan Road, Chaoyang District

Beijing 100022

People’s Republic of China

+86 10 5876-9855

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of Registrant’s principal executive offices)

Cogency Global Inc.

122 East 42nd Street, 18th Floor

New York, NY 10168

+1-212-947-7200

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

Z. Julie Gao, Esq. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP c/o 42/F, Edinburgh Tower The Landmark 15 Queen’s Road Central Hong Kong +852 3740-4700 Chris K.H. Lin, Esq. Yi Gao, Esq. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP c/o 35th Floor, ICBC Tower 3 Garden Road Central, Hong Kong +852-2514-7600

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box.  ☐

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.

Emerging growth company  ☒

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☐

† The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

Title of each class of securities to be registered	Proposed maximum aggregate offering price(2)(3)	Amount of registration fee
Class A Ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share(1)	US$50,000,000	US$6,490

(1) American depositary shares issuable upon deposit of Class A ordinary shares registered hereby will be registered under a separate registration statement on Form F-6 (Registration No. 333-            ). Each American depositary share represents            Class A ordinary shares.

(2) Includes Class A ordinary shares that are issuable upon the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. Also includes Class A ordinary shares initially offered and sold outside the United States that may be resold from time to time in the United States either as part of their distribution or within 40 days after the later of the effective date of this registration statement and the date the shares are first bona fide offered to the public. These Class A ordinary shares are not being registered for the purpose of sales outside the United States.

(3) Estimated solely for the purpose of determining the amount of registration fee in accordance with Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933.

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant files a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement will thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement becomes effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and we are not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

Subject to Completion. Preliminary Prospectus Dated             , 2020.

                                 American Depositary Shares

BlueCity Holdings Limited

Representing                    Class A Ordinary Shares

This is an initial public offering of American depositary shares, or ADSs, of BlueCity Holdings Limited. Each ADS represents             of our Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share.

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for the ADSs or our Class A ordinary shares. We anticipate that the initial public offering price will be between US$             and US$             per ADS. We have applied to list the ADSs on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “BLCT.”

We are an “emerging growth company” under applicable U.S. federal securities laws and are eligible for reduced public company reporting requirements.

Upon the completion of this offering, our outstanding share capital will consist of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares, and we will be a “controlled company” as defined under the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules because Mr. Baoli Ma, our founder, chairman and chief executive officer, will beneficially own all of our issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares and will be able to exercise         % of our total voting power assuming the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option, or         % of our total voting power if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full. Holders of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares have the same rights except for voting and conversion rights. Each Class A ordinary share is entitled to one vote, and each Class B ordinary share is entitled to five votes and is convertible into one Class A ordinary share. Class A ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances.

Investing in our ADSs involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 16.

Neither the United States Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities, or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

PRICE US$                    PER ADS

	Per ADS	Total
Initial public offering price	US$	US$
Underwriting discounts and commissions	US$	US$
Proceeds, before expenses, to us	US$	US$

(1) For a description of compensation payable to the underwriters, see “Underwriting.”

The underwriters have an over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional            ADSs from us at the initial public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions, within 30 days from the date of this prospectus.

The underwriters expect to deliver the ADSs against payment in U.S. dollars in New York, New York on or about            , 2020.

AMTD CLSA Loop Capital Markets Tiger Brokers

(in alphabetical order)

Prospectus dated             , 2020.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prospectus Summary	1
Summary Consolidated Financial Data	13
Risk Factors	16
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements	73
Use of Proceeds	74
Dividend Policy	75
Capitalization	76
Dilution	78
Enforceability of Civil Liabilities	80
Corporate History and Structure	82
Selected Consolidated Financial Data	86
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	88
Industry	108
Letter to Investors	112
Business	114
Regulation	135
Management	156
Principal Shareholders	164
Related Party Transactions	167
Description of Share Capital	168
Description of American Depositary Shares	179
Shares Eligible for Future Sale	189
Taxation	191
Underwriting	198
Expenses Related to this Offering	207
Legal Matters	208
Experts	209
Where You Can Find Additional Information	210
Index to Consolidated Financial Statements	F-1

No dealer, salesperson or other person is authorized to give any information or to represent anything not contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus we may authorize to be delivered or made available to you. You must not rely on any unauthorized information or representations. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the ADSs offered hereby, and only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this prospectus is current only as of its date.

Neither we nor any of the underwriters has done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus or any filed free writing prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus or any free writing prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the ADSs and the distribution of this prospectus or any free writing prospectus outside of the United States.

Until             , 2020 (the 25th day after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that buy, sell or trade ADSs, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the obligation of dealers to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.

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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

The following summary is qualified in its entirety by, and should be read in conjunction with, the more detailed information and financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. In addition to this summary, we urge you to read the entire prospectus carefully, especially the risks of investing in our ADSs discussed under “Risk Factors,” before deciding whether to invest in our ADSs. This prospectus contains information from an industry report commissioned by us and prepared by Frost & Sullivan, an independent research firm, to provide information regarding our industry and our market position in China and globally. We refer to this report as the Frost & Sullivan Report.

The BlueCity Story: From One to 49 million

One Person

Our story started in the year 2000, when our founder, Mr. Baoli Ma, a closeted policeman by the alias “Geng Le,” founded one of China’s first and most influential LGBTQ online forums, Danlan.org. Danlan.org is the predecessor of BlueCity, and Mr. Ma is our number one employee.

Homosexuality was removed from an official list of mental illness in China the next year.

Six Years

After secretly moderating Danlan.org every night for six years by himself, Mr. Ma was joined by a few devoted volunteers in 2006, and they put their hearts and souls into promoting social awareness and connectivity among the LGBTQ community.

For the many years that followed, Danlan.org carried on its public interest gene and made relentless efforts in promoting HIV awareness and prevention.

34 Employees

After resigning from his policeman position in 2011, Mr. Ma was determined to fully devote himself to social awareness activities for the LGBTQ population. BlueCity was officially founded in the same year, with the launch of our mobile app Blued the year after.

BlueCity started out with 34 employees and grew exponentially into a market leader in the increasingly active LGBTQ community and the associated “pink economy.”

49 Million Registered Users

From a one-man operation that started 20 years ago, BlueCity has evolved into a global gateway for the “coming out journey” of the LGBTQ population, encouraging them to be themselves, feel good about themselves, and embrace the community. We celebrate a registered user base of over 49 million on our Blued mobile app as of March 31, 2020. “Registered user” means a user that has registered by providing the required information and has logged in to our Blued mobile app at least once since registration. For a detailed description of the definition of registered user, see “Conventions that Apply to this Prospectus.” Blued’s average MAUs grew from 4.1 million in the three months ended March 31, 2018 to 6.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2020. “Average MAUs” for any period is calculated by dividing (i) the sum of MAUs for each month of such period, by (ii) the number of months in such period. “MAUs” refers to the number of users, including both paying and non-paying users, that logged in to our Blued mobile app in a given month at least once. We treat each account as a distinct user when calculating MAUs.

Don’t blink. The best is yet to come.

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A Snapshot of BlueCity Today

We have a large and active user base which primarily consists of LGBTQ persons in China and the rest of Asia, and we provide a full suite of services empowering LGBTQ persons in all aspects of their daily lives. As a central hub of BlueCity’s services and platforms, the Blued mobile app allows our users to connect with each other, express themselves, and access professional health related services and family planning services at their fingertips. With a long history of serving the LGBTQ community, we have an unparalleled understanding of their needs and concerns, and have developed service offerings specifically tailored to meet their lifetime needs:

• Self-Identity and Sense of Belonging

BlueCity is a spiritual home for LGBTQ people, encouraging them to be themselves, feel good about themselves and embrace the community. This unique position strengthens our user engagement and stickiness. This develops a self-reinforcing virtuous cycle and helps our community grow stronger over time. According to the Frost & Sullivan Report, Blued was the first point of contact with the LGBTQ community for the majority of our users. In 2019, Blued had an average daily time spent per active user of over 60 minutes and average daily sessions per active user of over 16 times, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report. Blued had an average next-month retention rate of 71.0% in 2019. “Average daily time spent per active user” for any period is calculated by dividing (i) the sum of time spent on our Blued mobile app per DAU for each day of such period, by (ii) the number of days in such period. “Average daily sessions per active user” for any period is calculated by dividing (i) the sum of number of times of opening our Blued mobile app per DAU for each day of such period, by (ii) the number of days in such period. “Next-month retention rate,” as applied to the number of unique MAUs of Blued mobile app in a calendar month, is the percentage of these unique MAUs in the next calendar month.

• Social Connection and Interaction

Through Blued, we empower our users in their social life through a variety of location-based and content-based social networking services which facilitate dynamic and engaging interactions among members of our community. Our location-based social networking services cater to the diverse social needs of our users and enable them to conveniently connect with each other and expand relationships from online to offline. Our content-based social networking services seamlessly immerse our users into our large and robust global community and enable them to discover content that is interesting and relevant to them. We also provide a variety of membership services, including subscription-based membership services and pay-per-use functions, to further enhance their social networking experience.

• Entertainment and Expression

Our platform is a safe and secure oasis for our users to express themselves in a positive, sanguine and uplifting community. Aside from content generated by users in their daily social activities, Blued enables users to live stream a wide variety of content and activities including talent shows, matchmaking shows, game shows, storytelling shows, comedy shows and casual chats between broadcasters and viewers. We have a talented and loyal broadcasters pool and share revenues generated from virtual gift sales with broadcasters through their agencies. We are committed to supporting our broadcasters and attracting new broadcasters to ensure a sustainable supply of high-quality streaming content on our platform.

• Health and Wellness

Through our health platform He Health, we provide a wide variety of health-related services, primarily including HIV-related services and comprehensive men’s health services. We provide easy access to timely and professional HIV screening and prevention solutions and men’s health solutions, which include a wide variety of test-kits, medication and medical consulting services to be ordered at their fingertips. He Health is currently only available in China.

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• Pursuit of Parenthood

The pursuit of parenthood is a fundamental need and life goal of many members of our community. We offer family planning services through our Bluedbaby platform to Chinese customers, hand-holding them throughout the journey in cooperation with our assisted reproductive technology, or ART, services partners outside of China.

Blued is a world’s leading LGBTQ platform in terms of average MAUs in 2019, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report. We are the dominant leader in China. In 2019, we had average MAUs and average DAUs over six and nearly seven times that of the next largest player in China, respectively, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report. “Average DAUs” for any period is calculated by dividing (i) the sum of DAUs for each day of such period, by (ii) the number of days in such period. “DAUs” refers to the number of users, including both paying and non-paying users, that logged in to our Blued mobile app in a given day at least once. We treat each account as a distinct user when calculating DAUs. Blued’s average MAUs grew from 4.1 million in the three months ended March 31, 2018 to 6.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2020. Leveraging our experience in China, we have successfully expanded into a number of overseas markets and established a strong global presence. We are the largest online LGBTQ community in India, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam in terms of average MAUs in 2019, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report. We are rapidly expanding into new markets, and have users spanning over 210 countries and regions as of March 31, 2020. Despite our global footprint, approximately 3.4%, 6.6% and 9.9% of our total revenues for 2018, 2019 and the three months ended March 31, 2020, respectively, were contributed by users outside China. We are still in the early stage of generating revenue from our users outside China and are continuing to introduce diversified service offerings to cater to their different needs. Users in countries and regions outside of China represented over 49% of our total MAUs in March 2020. Currently, Blued is primarily used by homosexual men, while all of our services are available to the LGBTQ population in general.

Leveraging our deep understanding of and broad connections with the LGBTQ community accumulated throughout the years since Danlan.org, we continuously conduct a wide variety of public interest initiatives related to the LGBTQ community primarily through Danlan Public Interest, BlueCity’s public interest arm. Empowered by our platform’s technologies and data traffic and our deep understanding of the LGBTQ community, we believe we were the first in China to introduce the concept of “Internet + HIV prevention” to integrate online and offline HIV prevention efforts in HIV testing, prevention education, academic research and volunteering. We are also committed to continuously promoting diversity and LGBTQ awareness around the world by organizing and participating in a wide variety of social events. For more information on our public interest initiatives, see “—Corporate Social Responsibility—Danlan Public Interest.”

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Our Industry

The LGBTQ population, which for the purpose of this prospectus refers to the population who identifies themselves as part of the LGBTQ community, was approximately 450 million in 2018 and is expected to grow to 591 million by 2023, representing 7.4% of the total population, compared to 5.9% of the total population in 2018, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report. According to the same report, the LGBTQ population in general has higher average disposable income than that of the general population. The LGBTQ population also tends to spend more across various categories, such as healthcare, recreation, clothing and footwear, and dining out, compared to the general population. These factors have all contributed to the rapid growth of the LGBTQ market, which is the sum of all consumer expenditures by the LGBTQ population and marketing expenditures towards the LGBTQ population, as defined by the Frost & Sullivan Report. The market size of the global online LGBTQ market was US$261.5 billion in 2018, and is expected to reach US$580.4 billion by 2023, representing a CAGR of 17.3%.

LGBTQ platforms provide products and services to the LGBTQ community including social and entertainment, online health consulting and online pharmacy, and assisted reproductive technology service. According to the Frost & Sullivan Report, the global LGBTQ online social and entertainment market had a total global revenue of US$2.7 billion in 2018, consisting of revenues from membership fees, advertising revenue and live streaming, and is expected to reach US$6.2 billion in 2023, representing a CAGR of 18.3%. China’s online health consulting and online pharmacy market was US$1.2 billion in 2018, representing a CAGR of 39.3% since 2014 and is expected to reach US$3.6 billion by 2023, representing a CAGR of 25.3%. The global ART consulting services market was US$167.4 million in 2018, representing a CAGR of 20.4% since 2014 and is expected to reach US$417.6 million in 2023, representing a CAGR of 20.1%. In 2018, 32.3% of the global ART consulting services market was contributed by Chinese customers seeking overseas ART services. This is expected to reach 41.6% by 2023.

Our Competitive Strengths

We believe our success to date is primarily attributable to the following key competitive strengths:

• world’s leading LGBTQ community;

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• strong user engagement and stickiness driven by sense of belonging;

• proven capabilities to provide community-centric services;

• stringent privacy and security standards;

• culture of commitment to corporate social responsibility;

• proprietary and tailored technology infrastructure; and

• visionary founder leading an experienced management team.

Our Strategies

We intend to pursue the following strategies to further grow our business:

• solidify our leading position in existing markets;

• expand into new geographies;

• broaden product offerings to serve other sub-groups of the LGBTQ population;

• enhance monetization capabilities and further diversify our service offerings;

• explore strategic investment and acquisition opportunities;

• continue to strengthen our technological capabilities;

• strengthen our talent base; and

• continue to make positive social impact in China and globally.

Our Challenges

We face risks and uncertainties in realizing our business objectives and executing our strategies, including those relating to:

• retaining our existing users and acquiring new users;

• sustaining our rapid growth, effectively managing our growth, and implementing our business strategies;

• implementing our monetization strategies and generating sustainable revenues and profit;

• meeting the challenges presented by our increasingly international operations;

• compliance with complex and evolving laws and regulations in the PRC and other countries and regions where we have business;

• developing and providing our users with new and innovative products and services;

• achieving and sustaining profitability;

• protecting our users’ privacy and data;

• legality, public policies, and sentiment regarding the LGBTQ community in the countries and regions where our services are available;

• keeping up with technological developments and evolving user expectations; and

• adapting and managing the impact caused by the global outbreak of COVID-19.

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Please see “Risk Factors” and other information included in this prospectus for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties that we face.

Corporate History and Structure

In September 2011, Beijing BlueCity Culture and Media Co., Ltd., our VIE, a PRC domestic company, was established. We launched our mobile app Blued in 2012.

In December 2013, BlueCity Holdings Limited was established in the Cayman Islands as our offshore holding company to facilitate financing and offshore listing. In March 2014, BlueCity Holdings Limited established a wholly-owned subsidiary in Hong Kong, BlueCity Holdings Hong Kong Limited.

In 2014, BlueCity Holdings Hong Kong Limited established, Beijing BlueCity Information & Technology Co., Ltd., our WFOE, and we gained control over our VIE through our WFOE by entering into a series of contractual arrangements with our VIE and its shareholders. In June 2018, in order to reflect the change of shareholding of our VIE, we effected some restructuring of the equity ownership in our VIE, and a new series of contractual arrangements, whose terms are substantially the same with the previous contractual arrangements, were subsequently entered into by and among our WFOE, our VIE and our VIE’s shareholders. For more details and risks related to our variable interest entity structure, please see “—Contractual Arrangements with our Consolidated Affiliated Entity and Its Shareholders” and “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure.” As a result of our direct ownership in our WFOE and the variable interest entity contractual arrangements, we are regarded as the primary beneficiary of our VIE. We treat our VIE as our consolidated affiliated entity under U.S. GAAP, and have consolidated the financial results of our VIE in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

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The following diagram illustrates our corporate structure, including our principal subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities, as of the date of this prospectus:

Note:

(1) Mr. Baoli Ma, our founder, chairman and chief executive officer, and Mr. Changyou Ma, a family member of Mr. Baoli Ma, hold 99.15% and 0.85% equity interests in our VIE, respectively.

Implication of Being an Emerging Growth Company

As a company with less than US$1.07 billion in revenue for our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” pursuant to the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, as amended (the “JOBS Act”). An emerging growth company may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other requirements compared to those that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include an exemption from the auditor attestation requirement under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 in the assessment of the emerging growth company’s internal control over financial reporting. The JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company does not need to comply with any new or revised financial accounting standards until such date that a private company is otherwise required to comply with such new or revised accounting standards. Pursuant to the JOBS Act, we have elected to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. As a result, our operating results and financial statements may not be comparable to the operating results and financial statements of other companies who have adopted the new or revised accounting standards.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (a) the last day of the fiscal year during which we have total annual gross revenues of at least US$1.07 billion; (b) the last day of our fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering; (c) the date on which we have, during the

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preceding three-year period, issued more than US$1.00 billion in non-convertible debt; or (d) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (the “Exchange Act”), which would occur if the market value of our ADSs that are held by non-affiliates exceeds US$700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter. Once we cease to be an emerging growth company, we will not be entitled to the exemptions provided in the JOBS Act discussed above.

Implication of Being a Controlled Company

Upon the completion of this offering, our outstanding share capital will consist of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares, and we will be a “controlled company” as defined under the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules because Mr. Baoli Ma, our founder, chairman and chief executive officer, will beneficially own all of our then issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares and will be able to exercise         % of our total voting power assuming the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option, or         % of our total voting power if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full. Under the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules, a “controlled company” may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements. Currently, we do not plan to utilize the “controlled company” exemptions with respect to our corporate governance practice after we complete this offering.

Corporate Information

Our principal executive office is Block 2 Tower B Room 028, No 22 Pingguo Shequ, Bai Zi Wan Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China. Our telephone number at this address is +86 10 5876-9855. Our registered office in the Cayman Islands is Conyers Trust Company (Cayman) Limited, Cricket Square, Hutchins Drive, P.O. 2681, Grand Cayman KY1-1111, Cayman Islands. Our agent for service of process in the United States is Cogency Global Inc., located at 122 East 42nd Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10168. Our corporate website is www.blue-city.com. The information contained in our website is not a part of this prospectus.

Investors should contact us for any inquiries through the address and telephone number of our principal executive offices.

Conventions that Apply to this Prospectus

Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, and for the purpose of this prospectus only:

• “ADRs” refer to the American depositary receipts that evidence our ADSs;

• “ADSs” refer to our American depositary shares, each of which represents              Class A ordinary shares;

• “ARPPU” refers to average revenue per paying user in a given period;

• “average daily sessions per active user” for any period is calculated by dividing (i) the sum of number of times of opening our Blued mobile app per DAU for each day of such period, by (ii) the number of days in such period;

• “average daily time spent per active user” for any period is calculated by dividing (i) the sum of time spent on our Blued mobile app per DAU for each day of such period, by (ii) the number of days in such period;

• “average DAUs” for any period is calculated by dividing (i) the sum of DAUs (as defined below) for each day of such period, by (ii) the number of days in such period;

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• “average MAUs” for any period is calculated by dividing (i) the sum of MAUs (as defined below) for each month of such period, by (ii) the number of months in such period;

• “China” or “the PRC” refers to the People’s Republic of China, excluding, for the purposes of this prospectus only, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and “Greater China” includes Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan;

• “Class A ordinary shares” are to our Class A ordinary shares of par value US$0.0001 per share;

• “Class B ordinary shares” are to our Class B ordinary shares of par value US$0.0001 per share;

• “BlueCity,” “we,” “us,” “our company” and “our” refer to BlueCity Holdings Limited, our Cayman Islands holding company, and its subsidiaries, its consolidated variable interest entity and the subsidiaries of the consolidated variable interest entity;

• “DAUs” or “Daily Active Users” refers to the number of users, including both paying and non-paying users, that logged in to our Blued mobile app in a given day at least once. We treat each account as a distinct user when calculating DAUs;

• “MAUs” or “Monthly Active Users” refers to the number of users, including both paying and non-paying users, that logged in to our Blued mobile app in a given month at least once. We treat each account as a distinct user when calculating MAUs;

• “our VIE” refers to Beijing BlueCity Culture and Media Co., Ltd.;

• “our WFOE” refers to Beijing BlueCity Information & Technology Co., Ltd.;

• “next-month retention rate,” as applied to the number of unique MAUs of Blued mobile app in a calendar month, is the percentage of these unique MAUs in the next calendar month;

• “registered user” means a user that has registered by providing required information and logged in to our Blued mobile app at least once since registration. We calculate the number of registered users as the cumulative number of valid user accounts at the end of the relevant period, and consequently, the number of registered users may not be equal to the number of active user accounts during the relevant period. Each individual user may have more than one registered user account for our Blued mobile app, and consequently, the number of registered users we present in this prospectus may not be equal to the number of distinct individuals who are represented by the registered users;

• “RMB” and “Renminbi” refers to the legal currency of China;

• “ordinary shares” refer to our ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share; and

• “US$,” “U.S. dollars,” “$,” and “dollars” refer to the legal currency of the United States.

Unless the context indicates otherwise, all information in this prospectus assumes no exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option.

Our reporting currency is RMB. This prospectus also contains translations of certain foreign currency amounts into U.S. dollars for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise stated, all translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars were made at a rate of RMB7.0808 to US$1.00, the exchange rate in effect as of March 31, 2020 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. We make no representation that any Renminbi or U.S. dollar amounts referred to in this prospectus could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars or Renminbi, as the case may be, at any particular rate, or at all. On June 5, 2020, the noon buying rate for Renminbi was RMB7.0808 to US$1.00.

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THE OFFERING

Offering price We currently estimate that the initial public offering price will be between US$             and US$             per ADS.

ADSs offered by us             ADSs (or             ADSs if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full).

ADSs outstanding immediately after this offering             ADSs (or             ADSs if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional ADSs representing ordinary shares in full), and does not include shares issuable upon full vesting and exercise of the options granted and outstanding as of the date of this prospectus.

Ordinary shares issued and outstanding immediately after this offering              Class A ordinary shares and              Class B ordinary shares (or              Class A ordinary shares and              Class B ordinary shares if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full).

The ADSs Each ADS represents              Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share. The depositary will hold the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs. You will have rights as provided in the deposit agreement among us, the depositary and holders and beneficial owners of ADSs from time to time.

We do not expect to pay any cash dividends on our Class A ordinary shares in the foreseeable future. If, however, we declare dividends on our Class A ordinary shares, the depositary will pay you the cash dividends and other distributions it receives on our Class A ordinary shares after deducting its fees and expenses in accordance with the terms set forth in the deposit agreement.

You may surrender your ADSs to the depositary in exchange for Class A ordinary shares. The depositary will charge you fees for any such exchange.

We may amend or terminate the deposit agreement without your consent. If you continue to hold your ADSs after an amendment to the deposit agreement, you agree to be bound by the deposit agreement as amended.

To better understand the terms of the ADSs, you should carefully read the “Description of American Depositary Shares” section of this prospectus. You should also read the deposit agreement, which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement that includes this prospectus.

Ordinary Shares Our ordinary shares will be divided into Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the completion of this

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offering. Holders of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares will have the same rights except for voting and conversion rights. In respect of all matters subject to a shareholder vote, each Class A ordinary share is entitled to one vote, and each Class B ordinary share is entitled to five votes, voting together as one class. Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof. Class A ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances. Upon any transfer of Class B ordinary shares by a holder thereof to any person or entity that is not an affiliate of such holder, such Class B ordinary shares shall be automatically and immediately converted into the same number of Class A ordinary shares. See “Description of Share Capital” for more information.

Over-allotment option We have granted to the underwriters an option, exercisable within 30 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to additional             ADSs.

Use of proceeds We expect that we will receive net proceeds of approximately US$             million from this offering, or approximately US$             million if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full, assuming an initial public offering price of US$            per ADS, which is the mid-point of the estimated rage of the initial public offering price, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

We plan to use the net proceeds we receive from this offering for (i) geographic expansion, (ii) investment in technology and development, artificial intelligent technology and big data capacity in particular, and (iii) general corporate purposes. See “Use of Proceeds” for more information.

Lock-up [We, our directors and executive officers and our current shareholders have agreed with the underwriters not to sell, transfer or dispose of any ADSs, ordinary shares or similar securities for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus, subject to certain exceptions. In addition, we will not authorize or permit Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as depositary, to accept any deposit of any ordinary shares or issue any ADSs for 180 days after the date of this prospectus unless we expressly consent to such deposit or issuance and we have agreed not to provide such consent without the prior written consent of the representatives on behalf of the underwriters. The foregoing does not affect the right of ADS holders to cancel their ADSs and withdraw the underlying ordinary shares. See “Shares Eligible for Future Sale” and “Underwriting.”]

Listing We have applied to list the ADSs on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “BLCT.” Our ADSs and Class A ordinary shares will not be listed on any other stock exchange or traded on any automated quotation system.

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Payment and settlement The underwriters expect to deliver the ADSs against payment therefor through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company on             , 2020.

Depositary Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas.

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SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

The following summary consolidated statements of comprehensive loss data and cash flows data for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019, and summary consolidated balance sheets data as of December 31, 2018 and 2019 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. The summary consolidated statements of comprehensive loss data and cash flows data for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2020, and summary consolidated balance sheet data as of March 31, 2020 have been derived from our unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus and have been prepared on the same basis as our audited consolidated financial statements. Our consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of results expected for future periods. You should read this Summary Consolidated Financial Data section together with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this prospectus.

	For the years ended December 31,									For the three months ended March 31,
	2018			2019						2019			2020
	RMB			RMB			US$			RMB			RMB			US$
	(in thousands, except for share and per share data)
Summary Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss Data:
Revenues		501,292			758,888			107,175			145,340			207,473			29,301
Cost of revenues		(388,385	)		(546,211	)		(77,140	)		(110,286	)		(139,213	)		(19,660	)
Selling and marketing expenses		(98,011	)		(119,437	)		(16,868	)		(25,747	)		(38,611	)		(5,453	)
Technology and development expenses		(93,985	)		(129,652	)		(18,310	)		(29,517	)		(30,283	)		(4,277	)
General and administrative expenses		(70,072	)		(24,439	)		(3,451	)		(5,259	)		(9,790	)		(1,383	)
Total cost and expenses		(650,453	)		(819,739	)		(115,769	)		(170,809	)		(217,897	)		(30,773	)
Operating loss		(149,161	)		(60,851	)		(8,594	)		(25,469	)		(10,424	)		(1,472	)
Changes in fair value of financial instruments		(4,044	)		(9,024	)		(1,274	)		(3,261	)		(5	)		(1	)
Gain on extinguishment of a convertible debt		—			8,986			1,269			—			—			—
Interest income		8,645			8,890			1,255			2,319			2,431			343
Loss before income taxes		(144,560	)		(51,999	)		(7,344	)		(26,411	)		(7,998	)		(1,130	)
Income tax (expense)/benefit		—			(931	)		(131	)		—			385			55
Net loss		(144,560	)		(52,930	)		(7,475	)		(26,411	)		(7,613	)		(1,075	)
Deemed dividend to Series D Redeemable Convertible Preferred Shareholders		(1,535	)		—			—			—			—			—
Accretion and modification of Redeemable Convertible Preferred Shares to redemption value		(236,615	)		(631,005	)		(89,115	)		(169,498	)		(20,288	)		(2,865	)
Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders		(382,710	)		(683,935	)		(96,590	)		(195,909	)		(27,901	)		(3,940	)
Net loss per ordinary share
—Basic and diluted		(68.16	)		(121.81	)		(17.20	)		(34.89	)		(4.97	)		(0.70	)
Weighted average number of shares outstanding used in computing net loss per ordinary share
—Basic and diluted		5,614,840			5,614,840			5,614,840			5,614,840			5,614,840			5,614,840

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	For the years ended December 31,									For the three months ended March 31,
	2018			2019						2019			2020
	RMB			RMB			US$			RMB			RMB			US$
	(in thousands)
Non-GAAP Financial Measure:
Adjusted net loss		(90,249	)		(52,892	)		(7,470	)		(23,150	)		(7,608	)		(1,074	)

We consider Adjusted Net Loss, a non-GAAP financial measure, as a supplemental measure in evaluating and assessing our operating results.

Adjusted Net Loss represents net loss excluding share-based compensation, changes in fair value of financial instruments, and gain on extinguishment of a convertible debt. We believe that Adjusted Net Loss helps identify underlying financial and business trends relating to our results of operations that could otherwise be distorted by the effect of certain expenses that we include in loss from operations and net loss. By making our financial results comparable period by period, we believe Adjusted Net Loss provides useful information to better understand our historical business operations and future prospects and allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by our management in financial and operational decision-making.

The presentation of the non-GAAP financial measure is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. You are encouraged to review the historical non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measures. The non-GAAP financial measure presented by us may be calculated differently from and, therefore, may not be comparable to, similarly titled measures presented by other companies. We encourage you to review our financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.

The table below sets forth a reconciliation of our net loss to Adjusted Net Loss for the periods indicated:

	For the years ended December 31,									For the three months ended March 31,
	2018			2019						2019			2020
	RMB			RMB			US$			RMB			RMB			US$
	(in thousands)
Adjusted Net Loss reconciliation:
Net loss		(144,560	)		(52,930	)		(7,475	)		(26,411	)		(7,613	)		(1,075	)
Add:
Share-based compensation		50,267			—			—			—			—			—
Changes in fair value of financial instruments		4,044			9,024			1,274			3,261			5			1
Gain on extinguishment of a convertible debt		—			(8,986	)		(1,269	)		—			—			—
Adjusted net loss		(90,249	)		(52,892	)		(7,470	)		(23,150	)		(7,608	)		(1,074	)

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The following table presents our summary consolidated balance sheets data as of December 31, 2018 and 2019 and March 31, 2020:

	As of December 31,									As of March 31,
	2018			2019						2020
	RMB			RMB			US$			RMB			US$
	(in thousands)
Summary Consolidated Balance Sheets Data:
Cash and cash equivalents		63,047			297,274			41,983			279,084			39,414
Term deposits		371,766			83,017			11,724			84,313			11,907
Total current assets		483,049			433,994			61,292			426,139			60,182
Total assets		510,476			466,876			65,935			463,629			65,477
Total liabilities		120,597			123,898			17,498			124,909			17,641
Total mezzanine equity		1,074,916			1,730,478			244,390			1,777,631			251,049
Total shareholders’ deficit		(685,037	)		(1,387,500	)		(195,953	)		(1,438,911	)		(203,213	)

The following table presents our summary consolidated cash flow data for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019 and for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2020:

	For the years ended December 31,									For the three months ended March 31,
	2018			2019						2019			2020
	RMB			RMB			US$			RMB			RMB			US$
	(in thousands)
Summary Consolidated Statements of Cash Flow Data:
Net cash used in operating activities		(103,428	)		(31,642	)		(4,469	)		(28,416	)		(14,867	)		(2,100	)
Net cash (used in)/provided by investing activities		(113,172	)		285,594			40,334			167,137			(4,656	)		(658	)
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities		166,251			(22,252	)		(3,143	)		—			(1,539	)		(217	)
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		3,407			2,527			357			(395	)		2,872			406
Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents		(46,942	)		234,227			33,079			138,326			(18,190	)		(2,569	)
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year/period		109,989			63,047			8,904			63,047			297,274			41,983
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year/period		63,047			297,274			41,983			201,373			279,084			39,414

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RISK FACTORS

An investment in our ADSs involves significant risks. You should consider carefully all of the information in this prospectus, including the risks and uncertainties described below, before making an investment in our ADSs. Any of the following risks could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

If we fail to retain our existing users or acquire new users, or if user engagement declines, our business, results of operations and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

Our ability to maintain and grow our user base while keeping our users highly engaged is critical to the continued success and growth of our business. Since our inception in 2011, we have strived to create a trusted community and deliver more diversified products and services to attract new users and keep our existing users engaged. To maintain and improve the level of engagement of our users and expand our user base, we must continue to innovate our products and services, respond promptly to evolving user preferences and lifetime needs, implement new technologies and strategies, curate interesting content created by popular broadcasters and stimulate interactions in our community, all of which will require us to incur substantial costs and expenses. If such costs and expenses fail to effectively translate into larger user base and improved user engagement, we may not be able to achieve all these goals and our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

If we are not successful in our efforts to retain or grow our user base, the engagement level of our users may decrease, which may in turn reduce our monetization opportunities and have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we fail to convert users into paying users, or if the number of our paying users declines, our revenues may decline and our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

In particular, there is no assurance that our platform will be able to remain popular within the LGBTQ community. A number of factors could negatively affect user retention, growth and engagement, such as:

• failure to provide new products and services that are attractive to users;

• failure to adapt our products, services or business model to the needs of the LGBTQ community, new industry standards or emerging technologies;

• changes of service patterns or protocols that are required by, or that we elect to make to stay compliant with, legislation, regulations or government policies;

• failure to combat spam on or inappropriate or abusive use of our platform, which may lead to declined user trust in us, negative publicity about us and our brand or even cause us to incur legal liabilities;

• failure to protect our brand reputation;

• failure of our abilities to attract new and maintain existing broadcasters who could keep our users engaged;

• failure to address user concerns related to privacy and communication, safety, security or other factors; and

• failure to successfully compete with existing competitors or new market entrants.

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We have a limited operating history and we may not be able to sustain our rapid growth, effectively manage our growth or implement our business strategies.

We have experienced rapid growth since our inception in 2011. As we grow our user base, increase the level of user engagement, broaden our mix of products and services and expand overseas, we may incur increasing costs related to our expansion domestically and internationally. If such expansion is not properly managed, it may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

As we have a limited operating history, it is difficult to assess our future prospects or forecast our future results of operations. You should consider our business and prospects in light of the risks and challenges we encounter or may encounter in this developing and rapidly evolving market, some of which are beyond our control. These risks and challenges include, among other things:

• the emergence of alternative business models, changes in rules, regulations, government policies or general economic conditions;

• our ability to develop and deploy diversified and unique features, products and services for our users;

• our ability to hire, retain and motivate talented employees and attract management talents that are compatible with our business expansion both domestically and internationally;

• decreasing user spending, decreasing user engagement, increasing competition, and declining growth of our overall market or industries;

• our ability to increase the number of users;

• our ability to expand into new geographic markets that are amenable to our business model;

• our ability to develop a reliable, scalable, secure, high-performance technology infrastructure that can efficiently handle increased usage and enlarged user base;

• the ability of our broadcasters to deliver engaging content on our platform;

• our ability to develop or implement strategic initiatives to monetize our platform;

• our ability to successfully compete with other companies, some of which have substantially greater resources and market power than us, that are currently in, or may in the future enter, our industries, or duplicate the features of our services; and

• our ability to defend ourselves against litigation and/or claims relating to regulatory compliance, intellectual property, privacy or other matters.

Many aspects of our business are unique, evolving and relatively unproven. Our business and prospects depend on the continuing development of the industries in which we operate, in each case, especially among the LGBTQ community. The market for our products and services is relatively new and rapidly developing and is subject to significant challenges. Our business relies upon our ability to create a vibrant and interactive platform addressing the full life cycle needs of the LGBTQ population and to successfully monetize our user base, so as to increase revenues from various sources, including live streaming, membership, advertising, health-related and family planning services. In addition, our rapid growth and expansion has placed, and will continue to place, significant strain on our management and resources. This level of significant growth may not be sustainable or achievable at all in the future. We believe that our continued growth will depend on many factors, including our ability to develop new sources of revenues, diversify monetization methods, continue developing innovative technologies in response to user demand, increase brand awareness, expand into new market segments, and adjust to the rapidly changing regulatory environment globally. There can be no assurance that we will achieve any of the above, and our failure to do so may materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

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We cannot guarantee that our monetization strategies will be successfully implemented or generate sustainable revenues and profit.

We are in the early stage of our business and our monetization model is new and evolving. We began monetizing our business in 2016. Currently, we generate a significant majority of our revenues from live streaming services. In 2018 and 2019, respectively, we generated RMB457.8 million and RMB671.4 million (US$94.8 million) of revenues from live streaming, representing 91.3% and 88.5% of our total revenues for the same period. We generated RMB136.2 million and RMB179.6 million (US$25.4 million) of revenues from live streaming in the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively, representing 93.7% and 86.6% of our total revenues for the same period. The remaining revenues are generated from membership services, advertising services and others. As we continue to develop our business and expand overseas, we are making efforts to adjust our revenue mix by continuing to convert our non-paying users into paying users, grow our health-related and family planning businesses and explore various new and innovative revenue streams. As a result, our revenue is affected by our ability to expand into new markets, increase user engagement and convert non-paying users to paying users, which in turn depends on our ability to offer high-quality products and services. If we fail to generate revenues from users in our new markets, monetize our existing or new services or develop new approaches to monetization, we may not be able to maintain or increase our revenues and profits or recover any associated costs. We monitor market developments and may adjust our monetization strategies accordingly from time to time, which may result in decreases of our overall revenue or revenue contributions from some monetization channels. In addition, we may have limited or no experience with the new revenue streams that we may introduce in the future. If these new revenue streams fail to engage our users, customers or business partners, we may fail to retain or attract users or generate sufficient revenues to justify our investment, and our business and results of operations may suffer as a result.

We have substantial overseas operations and we plan to continue expanding our operations abroad. If we fail to meet the challenges presented by our increasing international operations, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

We began to expand our business operations overseas in 2017 and our Blued mobile app currently has users in over 210 countries and regions. As we continue to expand our business internationally, we will face risks associated with expanding into markets where we have limited or no experience and where we may be less well-known or have fewer local resources. If we fail to execute our global expansion strategy, we may be subject to a variety of risks inherent in doing business internationally, including:

• political, social and economic instability of each foreign jurisdiction where we operate;

• bias and negative social sentiment towards the LGBTQ community;

• fluctuations in currency exchange rates;

• compliance challenges due to different laws and regulatory environments, particularly in the case of privacy and data security;

• potential non-compliance with tax regulations in multiple tax jurisdictions;

• risks related to the overall legal and regulatory environment in foreign jurisdictions, including with respect to privacy, difficulties understanding and ensuring compliance with multiple, conflicting and changing laws, rules and regulations by both our employees and our business partners, over whom we exert no control, and unexpected changes in law, regulatory requirements and enforcement;

• potential damage to our brand and reputation due to compliance with local laws, including potential censorship and/or requirements to provide user information to local authorities;

• difficulties in staffing and managing global operations and the increased travel, infrastructure and compliance costs associated with multiple international locations; and

• differing levels of technology development in different countries, including third party payment platforms.

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As we expand further into new and existing countries, regions and markets, these risks could intensify, and efforts we make to expand our businesses and operations internationally may not be successful. Failure to expand internationally and manage the complexity of our global operations successfully could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In March 2020, users in countries and regions outside of China represented over 49% of our total MAUs. “MAUs” refers to the number of users, including both paying and non-paying users, that logged in to our Blued mobile app in a given month at least once. We treat each account as a distinct user when calculating MAUs. We are still in the early stage of generating revenue from our users outside of China. Despite our global footprint, approximately 3.4%, 6.6% and 9.9% of our total revenues for 2018, 2019 and the three months ended March 31, 2020, respectively, were contributed by users outside China. There can be no assurance we will be as effective or efficient in generating revenue from our users outside China as we were in generating revenue from our users in China. We have devoted, and will need to continue to devote, substantial managerial, financial and human resources to devise and implement monetization strategies and product and service offerings that are suitable for diverse overseas markets with different user needs, competitive landscapes and operational requirements. If we fail to generate revenue from our users outside of China in an effective and efficient manner, our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

Our business is subject to complex and evolving laws and regulations in various countries and regions where we have business. Many of these laws and regulations are subject to change and uncertain interpretation, and could result in claims, changes to our business practices, monetary penalties, increased cost of operations, or declines in user growth or engagement, or otherwise harm our business.

We are subject to a variety of laws and regulations that involve matters important to or may otherwise impact our business, including, among others, provision of internet information, sales of internet advertising, providing live streaming and short video broadcasting services, online sale of pharmaceutical products, providing family planning services, user privacy, data protection, protection of minors, foreign exchange and taxation. See also “Regulations.” The introduction of new products and services, expansion of our activities in certain jurisdictions, or other actions that we may take may subject us to additional laws, regulations, or other government scrutiny. In addition, foreign laws and regulations can impose different obligations or be more restrictive than those in the PRC.

These laws and regulations are continuously evolving and can be subject to significant change. As a result, the application, interpretation, and enforcement of these laws and regulations are often uncertain, particularly in the rapidly evolving industries in which we operate and any new jurisdiction into which we enter. In addition, these laws and regulations may be interpreted and applied inconsistently by different agencies or authorities and in different jurisdictions, and inconsistently with our current policies and practices. These laws and regulations may be costly to comply with, and such compliance or any associated inquiries or investigations or any other government actions may delay or impede our development of new products and services, result in negative publicity, increase our operating costs, require significant management time and attention, and subject us to remedies, administrative penalties and even criminal liabilities that may harm our business, including fines assessed for our current or historical business operations, or demands or orders that we modify or cease existing business practices.

The promulgation of new laws or regulations, or the new interpretation of existing laws and regulations, in each case that restrict or otherwise unfavorably impact the ability or manner in which we provide our products and services could require us to change certain aspects of our business and operations to ensure compliance, which could decrease demand for products and services, reduce revenues, increase costs, require us to obtain more licenses, permits, approvals or certificates, or subject us to additional liabilities. To the extent any new or more stringent measures are required to be implemented, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

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As our international operations continue to expand, we face significant challenges to ensure the content and communications on our platform are in compliance with various local jurisdictions’ regulatory frameworks and social environment, many of which could be substantially different from those of China and each other due to differences in, among others, legal systems, political environment, culture and religion. Such differences may impose more stringent requirements and restrictions on the content we present outside of China. Our experience gained from our operations in China may not apply to our overseas operations. In addition, the regulatory framework for live streaming and social networking services is still developing and remains uncertain in many countries where we offer our services. New laws and regulations may also be adopted from time to time to address new issues that come to the attention of local government authorities. Considerable uncertainties still exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of existing and any future laws and regulations governing our business activities in these areas. In addition, we may be required to impose more stringent content monitoring measures, be in compliance with relevant content regulatory regimes, obtain relevant licenses or permits or renew or expand the coverage of our existing licenses, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to timely obtain or maintain all the required licenses or permits or make any necessary filings applicable in the future, or comply with other relevant regulatory requirements. If we fail to obtain, hold or maintain any of the required licenses or permits or make necessary filings on time or at all, or fail to comply with other regulatory requirements, we may be subject to various penalties. Cultural differences may also pose additional challenges to our efforts in content control. Therefore, such different and possibly more stringent regulatory and cultural environments may increase the risk exposure to our daily operations in foreign jurisdictions.

Due to the uncertainties in the regulatory environment of the industries in which we operate, there can be no assurance that we have obtained or applied for all the approvals, permits and licenses required for conducting our business and all activities, or that we would be able to maintain our existing approvals, permits and licenses or obtain any new approvals, permits and licenses if required by any future laws or regulations. If we fail to obtain and maintain approvals, licenses or permits required for our business, or to comply with relevant laws and regulations, we could be subject to liabilities, fines, penalties and operational disruptions, or we could be required to modify our business model, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. See also “—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties and changes in PRC laws and regulation, and any lack of requisite approvals, licenses or permits applicable to our business may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions and results of operations.”

The success of our business depends in part on our ability to develop and provide our users with new and innovative products and services.

Our business is growing and becoming more complex, and our ability to engage, retain, increase and engage our user base and to increase our revenue will depend heavily on our ability to quickly and successfully develop and launch new and innovative products and services. The industries in which we operate are evolving rapidly and users expect to see new features and experience new products and services offered by us within a relatively short period of time. Over the years, we have been continuously upgrading our social networking platform. Users can enjoy our premium services by subscribing for our membership services, communicate with each other in various means, such as text, pictures, videos, voice and gaymojis, share their lives or view the lives of other users, enjoy talent shows, interact with broadcasters and send virtual gifts to broadcasters. We have also started offering health-related and family planning services to our users to address their growing needs. We may introduce significant changes to our existing products and services or develop and introduce new and unproven products and services. Developing and integrating new products and services could also be expensive and time-consuming, and these efforts may not yield the benefits we expect to achieve at all. If new or enhanced products or services fail to engage our users, customers or business partners, we may fail to attract or retain users or to generate sufficient revenue, operating margin, or other value to justify our investments, any of which may seriously harm our business.

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We have incurred, and may continue to incur net losses in the future.

We recorded net losses of RMB144.6 million and RMB52.9 million (US$7.5 million) in 2018 and 2019, respectively. We recorded a net loss of RMB7.6 million (US$1.1 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2020, compared to a net loss of RMB26.4 million in the three months ended March 31, 2019. Although we have narrowed our net loss in recent periods, such positive trend may not continue. Our ability to achieve profitability is affected by various factors, many of which are beyond our control, such as the continual development of the industries in which we operate, both in China and other countries and regions, changes in the macroeconomic and regulatory environment or competitive dynamics and our inability to respond to these changes in a timely and effective manner. We also expect our costs to increase on an absolute basis due to our continued investment in services, products, technology and development and our continued sales and marketing initiatives. If we cannot successfully offset our increased costs with a significant increase in total revenues, our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. We may continue to incur net losses in the future.

The availability of our mobile app in countries and regions with anti-LGBTQ public policies, negative sentiment toward the LGBTQ community or where homosexuality is illegal may subject our users to danger, and may lead to our application being blocked or banned, which could have an adverse effect on our reputation and business.

Currently, our mobile app Blued is available in certain countries and regions with anti-LGBTQ public policies, negative cultural, social or religious sentiment toward the LGBTQ community, and where homosexuality is illegal. Legal consequences for same-sex activities and relationships in countries and regions where same-sex relationships are illegal vary depending on the local law, with the most severe being the death penalty. In countries and regions with anti-LGBTQ public policies or negative sentiment toward the LGBTQ community but same-sex relationships are not explicitly illegal, governmental authorities generally have discretion to block LGBTQ platforms on broad moral grounds. For example, in early 2018, dozens of apps for the LGBTQ community, including Blued, were blocked by the Google app store upon the request of the Indonesian government. Finally, while we do not expect that any government that permits us to carry on our business activities will reverse that policy, we cannot guarantee that we will continue to be able to provide our services in any jurisdiction where we currently have legal authority to do so. If any of our users in these countries and regions are subjected to penalties as a result of using our products and services or if any of our products and services were to be banned in any of these countries and regions, we may be unable to retain existing users and attract new users, and we may be subject to heightened regulatory scrutiny, which would in turn have a material adverse effect on our reputation and business.

Because we store, process and use data, some of which contains sensitive personal information, we face concerns over the collection, improper use or disclosure of personal information, which could deter current and potential users from using our products and services, damage our reputation, face regulatory scrutiny, and in turn materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Concerns or claims about our practices with regard to the collection or use of personal information or other privacy-related matters, even if unfounded, could damage our reputation and results of operations. Under the Cyber Security Law of China, any individual or organization using the network must comply with the constitution and the applicable laws in China, and the owners and administrators of networks and network service providers have various security protection obligations. See also “Regulation—Regulations Relating to Internet Information Security and Privacy Protection.” We have adopted a privacy policy with respect to how we use and store user information, and we may use such information to provide and improve our products, services, content and advertising in strict compliance with the policy. While we strive to comply with our privacy guidelines as well as all applicable data protection laws and regulations, any failure or perceived failure to comply with these laws, regulations or policy may result in inquiries and other proceedings or actions against us by governmental authorities or others, as well as negative publicity and damage to our reputation and brand, each of which could cause us to lose users and business partners and have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

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The LGBTQ population generally have higher expectations about the protection of identity and privacy. If we fail to secure and conceal our users’ identity and protect their identity-specific data, including their geographic location, our users may be vulnerable to insults, harassment, blackmails or physical injuries, and their family, property and other assets may also be put at risk. As a result, we may be held liable for these incidents, and our users may feel insecure and cease to use our products and services. Our reputation may be seriously harmed and we may be unable to retain existing customers and attract new customers, which would in turn have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Any systems failure or compromise of our security that results in the unauthorized access to or release of the data, photo or chat history of our users could significantly limit the adoption of our services, as well as harm our reputation and brand, result in litigation against us, liquidated and other damages, regulatory investigations and penalties, and we could be subject to material liability. We expect to continue expending significant resources to protect against security breaches. The risk that these types of events could seriously harm our business is likely to increase as we expand the scope of products and services we offer and as we increase the size of our user base.

Laws, regulations or policies concerning data protection, medical records and health data, user privacy, rights of publicity, distribution and protection of minors are continuously evolving, generally becoming more stringent and remain subject to significant changes both in the PRC and abroad. Many jurisdictions have in the past adopted, and may in the future adopt, new laws and regulations, or amendments to existing laws and regulations, affecting data protection, data privacy and/or information security, such as the General Data Protection Regulation, or the GDPR, adopted by the European Union that became fully effective on May 25, 2018. The GDPR imposes more stringent operational requirements for processors and controllers of personal data, including, for example, requiring expanded disclosures about how personal information is to be used, limitations on retention of information, mandatory data breach notification requirements, and higher standards for data controllers to demonstrate that they have obtained either valid consent or have another legal basis in place to justify their data processing activities. The GDPR further provides that European Union member states may make their own additional laws and regulations in relation to certain data processing activities. Under the GDPR, fines of up to €20 million or up to 4% of the total worldwide annual turnover of the preceding financial year, whichever is higher, may be assessed for non-compliance. We may become subject to these and similar laws and regulations by virtue of having users who reside in these jurisdictions, even if we do not have a physical presence there. In addition, the interpretation and application of these laws or regulations are often uncertain and in flux. Our practice may become inconsistent with these laws and regulations, if so, in addition to the possibility of fines, this could result in an order requiring that we change our practices, which could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations. Complying with new data laws and regulations could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices in a manner materially adverse to our business. See also “—Risks Related to Doing Businesses in China—Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to you and us.”

Even if our practices are consistent with existing laws and regulations, we could be subject to enhanced regulatory scrutiny over our data privacy and security practices. Governmental and regulatory authorities could deem the sensitive personal information we handle as putting national security interests at risk. If relevant authorities were to reach similar conclusions about our company and intervene in our business activities, we could be forced to halt or reverse our expansion into certain countries and regions, we may lose existing users and our reputation may be negatively affected, which would in turn materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we fail to keep up with technological developments and evolving user expectations, we may fail to maintain or attract users and customers or generate revenues, and our business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

We operate in markets characterized by rapidly changing technologies, evolving industry standards, new product and service announcements, new generations of product enhancements, and changing user expectations.

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Accordingly, our performance and the ability to further monetize our products and services will depend on our ability to adapt to these rapidly changing technologies and industry standards, and our ability to continually innovate in response to both evolving demands of the marketplace and competitive services. There may be occasions when we may not be as responsive as our competitors in adapting our products and services to changing industry standards and the needs of our users. Historically, new features may be introduced by one player in the industry, and if they are perceived as attractive to users, they are often quickly copied and improved upon by others.

Introducing new technologies into our systems involves numerous technical challenges, substantial amounts of capital and personnel resources and often takes many months to complete. We intend to continue to devote resources to the development of additional technologies and services. We may not be able to effectively integrate new technologies on a timely basis or at all, which may decrease user satisfaction with our products and services. Such technologies, even if integrated, may not function as expected or may be unable to attract and retain a substantial number of users to use our platform. We also may not be able to protect such technology from being copied by our competitors. Our failure to keep pace with rapid technological changes may cause us to fail to retain or attract users or generate revenues, and could have a material and adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

The ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

In late January 2020, in response to intensifying efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, the Chinese government took a number of actions, which included extending the Chinese New Year holiday, quarantining and treating individuals in China who had COVID-19, asking China residents to remain at home and to avoid gathering in public, and other actions. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic. Many countries have implemented a range of different measures, including but not limited to travel bans, closing of borders and military interventions, to help contain the spread of the virus. The accelerated spread of the virus globally has caused extreme volatility in global financial markets, including the repeated triggering of stock market “circuit breakers” intended to stem rapid declines in the stock markets of U.S. and many other countries. The global pandemic also has caused significant uncertainty and tensions in international relations, including relations between China and the U.S. While many of the restrictions on movement within China have been relaxed as of the date of this prospectus, there is great uncertainty as to the future progress of the disease. Currently, there is no vaccine or specific anti-viral treatment for COVID-19. Relaxation of restrictions on economic and social life may lead to new cases of infection which may lead to the reimposition of restrictions.

Our regional headquarters is located in Beijing, and we also have offices in other cities of China which have been severely impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19. The outbreak has caused, and may continue to cause, companies in China and other affected regions, including us and certain of our business partners, to implement temporary adjustment of work schemes allowing employees to work from home and collaborate remotely. We have taken measures to reduce the impact of this outbreak, including adjusting our work and staffing arrangements, rescheduling certain offline events and monitoring our employees’ health. However, we might still experience lower work efficiency and productivity, which may adversely affect our service quality. This outbreak has also led to travel restrictions and various other types of interruptions to our employees, suppliers and business partners, such as talent agencies. Furthermore, we have cancelled or postponed various offline promotional events and community activities due to the outbreak. In addition, the outbreak has had an adverse impact on the activity levels of users of our social networking services, as they are discouraged from engaging in offline social networking activities initiated through our social networking platform. Certain types of live streaming content, such as those involving group gatherings and outdoor activities, have also become impracticable as a result of the outbreak. As a result of any of the above developments, our business, financial condition and results of operations for the full fiscal year of 2020 may be adversely affected. The full extent to which this outbreak may impact our business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on future developments which are

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highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including an economic slowdown in China and globally, new information which may emerge concerning the severity of this outbreak, and future actions we may take, if any, in response to the subsequent developments. In particular, as of the date of this prospectus the outbreak in many of our overseas markets have not stabilized and there is significant uncertainty about the progression and ultimate impact of the outbreak on the local economic and social conditions. Our business operations and strategic development plans with respect to the overseas markets may be materially and adversely affected as a result.

Our operating metrics are subject to inherent challenges in measurement, and real or perceived inaccuracies in those metrics may materially and adversely affect our business and operating results.

We regularly review metrics, including our daily and monthly active users, paying users, user next-month retention rate, and ARPPU, to evaluate growth trends, measure our performance and make strategic decisions. These metrics are calculated using internal company data and have not been validated by an independent third party. While these numbers are based on what we believe to be reasonable estimates for the applicable period of measurement, there are inherent challenges in measuring usage and user engagement across our large user base. We treat each account as a separate user for the purposes of calculating our active users, because it may not always be possible to identify people that have set up more than one account. Accordingly, the calculations of our active users may not accurately reflect the actual number of people using Blued. We are also facing inherent challenges when assessing the geographic distribution of our user base because using their IP addresses and the country or currency in which they download apps or make purchases from the Apple App store or Google Play Store may not reflect the actual geolocation of users. Errors or inaccuracies in our metrics could result in incorrect business decisions and inefficiencies. For example, if a significant understatement or overstatement of daily or monthly active users were to occur, we may expend resources to implement unnecessary business measures or fail to take required actions to attract a sufficient number of users to satisfy our growth strategies.

Our measures of operating metrics may differ from estimates published or adopted by third parties, including but not limited to business partners, market and investment research organizations (including short-selling research firms), investors and media, or from similarly titled metrics used by our competitors or other companies in the relevant industries due to differences in methodology and assumptions. If these third parties do not perceive our operating metrics to be accurate representations of operations, or if we discover material inaccuracies in our operating metrics, our brand value and reputation may be materially harmed, our users and business partners may be less willing to allocate their resources or spending to us, and we may face lawsuits or disputes in relation to the inaccuracies. As a result, our business and operating results may be materially and adversely affected.

Our business depends on our ability to maintain and scale our technology infrastructure. Any service disruption in our service could damage our reputation, result in a potential loss of users and decrease in user engagement, and seriously harm our business.

The popularity of our platform and our ability to further monetize user traffic depend on our ability to adapt to rapidly changing technologies as well as our ability to continually innovate in response to evolving user demands and expectations and intense market competition. Our ability to provide a superior user experience on our platform depends on the continuous and reliable operation of our IT systems and infrastructures.

As our user base and the volume and types of information shared on our platform continue grow, we will need an increasing amount of technology infrastructure, including network capacity and computing power, to continue to satisfy our users’ needs. For example, in China, almost all access to the internet is maintained through state-owned telecommunication operators under the administrative control and regulatory supervision of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or the MIIT. Moreover, we primarily rely on a limited number of telecommunication service providers to provide us with data communications capacity through local telecommunications lines and internet data centers to host our servers. We have limited access to alternative

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networks or services in the event of disruptions, failures or other problems with internet infrastructure or the fixed telecommunications networks provided by telecommunication service providers. Web traffic in most countries around the world has experienced significant growth during the past few years. Effective bandwidth and server storage at internet data centers in large cities are scarce. With the expansion of our business, we may be required to upgrade our technology and infrastructure to keep up with the increasing traffic on our platform. There can be no assurance that the internet infrastructure and the fixed telecommunications networks in countries where we operate will be able to support the demands associated with the continued growth in internet usage. If we cannot increase our capacity to deliver our services, we may not be able to the increases in traffic we anticipate from our expanding user base, and the adoption of our services may be hindered, which could adversely impact our business and impede our growth.

In addition, we have no control over the costs of the services provided by telecommunication service providers. If the prices we pay for telecommunications and internet services rise significantly, our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, if internet access fees or other charges to internet users increase, some users may be prevented from accessing the mobile internet and thus cause the growth of mobile internet users to decrease, which may in turn adversely affect our ability to continue to expand our user base.

Our IT systems and content delivery network are also vulnerable to damage or interruption as a result of fire, floods, earthquakes, power losses, telecommunication failures, undetected errors in software, computer viruses, hacking or other attempts to harm our IT systems. We have experienced, and may in the future experience, service disruptions, outages and other performance problems due to a variety of factors, including infrastructure changes and cybersecurity-related threats, if we fail to address these issues promptly and in a way satisfactory to our users, our user experience may be negatively affected, which in turn may have a material and adverse effect on our reputation and business.

We currently rely on UCloud and Qiniu for all of our computing, storage, bandwidth and other services both in and outside of China. Any transition of the cloud services currently provided by UCloud and Qiniu to other cloud providers would be difficult to implement and will cause us to incur significant time and expense. Any significant disruption of or interference with our use of UCloud and Qiniu would negatively impact our operation and our business would be seriously harmed. If our users or partners are not able to access our mobile platform through UCloud and Qiniu or encounter difficulties in doing so, we may lose users, partners or revenues. The level of service provided by UCloud and Qiniu may also impact the usage of and our users’ and partners’ satisfaction with our mobile platform and could seriously harm our business and reputation. If UCloud and Qiniu experience interruptions in service regularly or for a prolonged basis, or other similar issues, our business would be seriously harmed. Hosting costs will also increase as our user base and user engagement grows and may seriously harm our business if we are unable to grow our revenues faster than the cost of utilizing the services of UCloud, Qiniu or similar providers.

We cooperate with talent agencies to manage all of our broadcasters. If we are not able to maintain our relationship with talent agencies, our operations may be materially and adversely affected.

We cooperate with talent agencies to manage all broadcasters on our platform. All of our live streaming revenues are contributed by broadcasters managed by talent agencies. Cooperation with talent agencies increases our operational efficiency in terms of discovering, supporting and managing broadcasters in a more organized and structured manner, and turning amateur broadcasters to full-time broadcasters.

We pay talent agencies certain fees determined based on a percentage of revenue from virtual gift sales that are attributed to the broadcasters’ live streams. If the talent agencies fail to reach or maintain satisfactory cooperation arrangements with such broadcasters or ensure timely payments to the broadcasters, we may not be able to retain or attract broadcasters.

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In addition, some talent agencies do not have exclusive cooperative relationships with us. If other platforms offer better incentives to these talent agencies, such talent agencies may choose to devote more of their resources to broadcasters who stream on the other platforms, or they may encourage their broadcasters to use or even enter into an exclusive agreement with other platforms, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may fail to attract, cultivate and retain top broadcasters, which may negatively affect our user retention and our business and results of operations.

The size and engagement level of our user base as well as the quality of the live streaming content offered on our platform are critical to our success and are closely linked to the broadcasters who perform on our platform.

In the three months ended March 31, 2020, our top 20 most popular broadcasters in terms of user spending attributable to their respective live streams contributed approximately 17.7% of our total live streaming revenues. Although these broadcasters are subject to exclusivity provisions, if any of them decides to breach the agreement or chooses not to continue the cooperation with us once the current term expires, the popularity of our platform may decline and the number of our paying users or the amount of revenues we generate from each paying user may decrease, which could materially and adversely affect our operations, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition to the most popular broadcasters on our platform, we must continue to attract and retain talented broadcasters in order to maintain and increase the amount of content on our platform and ensure the sustainable growth of our live streaming business. We must identify and acquire potential talented broadcasters and provide them with sufficient resources. We cooperate with talent agencies to recruit, manage, train and support our broadcasters, as well as conduct activities to promote new broadcasters. However, there can be no assurance that we can continue to maintain the same level of attractiveness to our broadcasters.

Broadcasters on our platform, including those who are subject to exclusivity provisions, may leave us for other platforms which may offer better services and terms than we do. In addition, if talented and popular broadcasters cease to contribute content to our platform, or their live streams fail to attract users, we may experience a decline in user traffic and user engagement, which may have material and adverse impact on our results of operations, financial conditions and results of operation.

Increases in the costs of content on our platform, such as higher revenue sharing ratio with broadcasters through talent agencies, may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our Blued platform needs popular and attractive content to provide our users with engaging and satisfying viewing experiences, and the generation and sharing of such content is dependent on our ability to attract and retain our live broadcasters and talent agencies. We have a revenue sharing arrangement with our broadcasters through their talent agencies under which we share with them a portion of the revenues from the sales of virtual items on our platform. The absolute amounts and revenue percentages that we pay talent agencies may increase if our competitor platforms offer higher revenue sharing ratios with an intent to attract the most popular broadcasters on our platform. If we are not able to continue to retain our broadcasters and high quality content cannot be generated on our platform at costs that are commercially viable, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely impacted. Furthermore, as our business and user base further expands, we may have to devote more resources in encouraging our broadcasters to produce more diverse content that meets the varied interests of our user base, which would increase the costs of content on our platform. There can be no assurance that these investments of resources will generate the returns we expect. If we are unable to generate sufficient revenues that outpace our increased content costs, our business, operating margins, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

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Our revenue growth is significantly dependent on paying users and revenue per paying user. If we fail to grow or maintain our paying user and increase revenue per paying user, our business operation and financial results may be materially and adversely affected.

Our revenues and results of operation depends on our ability to monetize our user base, to convert more users to paying users and to increase the spending of our paying users. Whether we can increase paying users and average revenue per paying user in a given period, or ARPPU, depends on many factors, and many of them are out of our control. For example, our users may be unwilling to pay for our products and services, we may fail to develop new products and services that are attractive enough to our existing paying users for them to pay, our paying users may have less disposable income as they need to meet financial obligations elsewhere, they may decide to no longer follow a particular broadcaster that they had supported financially, and overall worsening economic conditions can lower disposable income for all existing paying users, causing them to spend less on our platform. We expect that our business will continue to be significantly dependent on revenue collected from paying users in the near future. Any decline in the number of paying users or ARPPU may materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

We generate a portion of our revenues from advertising. If we fail to attract more advertisers to our platform or if advertisers are less willing to advertise with us, our revenues may be adversely affected.

Although we currently primarily rely on revenues generated from live streaming services, we also generate a portion of our revenues from advertising. In 2018 and 2019, we generated RMB32.9 million and RMB35.4 million (US$5.0 million) of revenues from the sales of advertising, representing 6.6% and 4.7% of our total revenues for the same period. We generated RMB4.9 million and RMB5.6 million (US$0.8 million) of revenues from the sales of advertising in the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively, representing 3.4% and 2.7% of our total revenues for the same period. Our revenues from advertising partly depend on the continued development of the online advertising industry in China and abroad and advertisers’ willingness to allocate budgets to online advertising or advertising at all due to macroeconomic conditions and, more importantly, their willingness to allocate budgets to our platform that serves primarily the LGBTQ community. In addition, companies that decide to advertise or promote online may utilize more established methods or channels, such as more established internet portals or search engines, over advertising on our platform, due to their concern about user perception or otherwise. If the online advertising market does not continue to grow, or if we are unable to capture and retain a sufficient share of that market, our ability to increase our current level of advertising revenues and our profitability and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

Furthermore, our core and long-term priority of optimizing user experience and satisfaction may limit our platform’s ability to generate revenues from advertising. For example, in order to provide our users with an uninterrupted user experience, we have limited the amount of advertising placement and inventory and designed functions to allow users to skip or shut down advertisements more conveniently. Our philosophy of putting our users first may not be in line with the interest of our advertisers, and may not result in the long-term benefits that we expect, in which case the success of our business and results of operations could be harmed.

Any non-compliance found on the advertisements shown on our online platform and online store may subject us to penalties and other administrative actions.

We are responsible for and are obligated to monitor the advertising content shown on our platform and online store to ensure that such content is true and accurate and in full compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In addition, for certain types of advertisements such as advertisements relating to pharmaceuticals and medical devices, review by relevant governmental authorities is required before such advertisements can be posted, and we are obligated to confirm that such review has been performed and approval has been obtained.

While we have made significant efforts to ensure that the advertisements shown on our platform are in full compliance with applicable PRC laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that all the content contained in

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such advertisements or offers is true and accurate as required by the advertising laws and regulations, especially given the uncertainty in the interpretation of these PRC laws and regulations. For example, we enter into agreements with third parties in relation to the distribution of pharmaceutical products of such third parties through our online store. If such arrangement is deemed as conducting advertising operations, we will be required to submit application to the applicable governmental authority for approval before displaying the pharmaceutical products on our online store. If we fail to do so, we may be ordered to cease dissemination of the advertisements, our advertising income on such products will be confiscated, and we will be subject to a fine of three to five times the advertising income. In addition, advertisements of prescription drugs are not allowed to be posted on the internet and social media. If the distribution of third-party prescription drugs on our online store are deemed as conducting advertising operations, our advertising income on such products will be confiscated, and we will be subject to a fine between RMB200,000 and RMB1,000,000, and in serious cases, we may be ordered by the relevant PRC governmental authorities to close the online store and terminate the business of online pharmacy, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We are subject to risks inherent in marketing, distributing and selling pharmaceutical and other health and wellness products.

In connection with the health-related services offered on He Health, we are exposed to risks inherent in marketing, distributing and selling pharmaceutical and other health and wellness products in China. Although our mobile platform is primarily a marketplace for the display of pharmaceutical and other health and wellness products, and we cooperate with a major licensed online pharmacy in China to provide our users access to a wide variety of OTC and prescription drugs and nutritional supplements related to men’s health, we may still be subject to administrative penalties if we fail to comply fully with the legal formalities, and/or claims or customer complaints if any of our customers experience side effect or complications, any products sold through our platform are deemed or proven to be unsafe, ineffective or defective, or are found to contain illicit substances, we may also be subject to customer allegations, such as providing inadequate warnings or insufficient or misleading disclosures of side effects.

Any claims made against us could be costly to defend against, result in substantial damage awards against us and divert the attention of our management from our operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and reputation.

Our business may be materially and adversely affected by unfavorable perception of, or negative developments and news regarding, the family planning services we provide and/or the ART industry as a whole.

Demand for our family planning services is affected by the general perception and social acceptance of ART, including whether prospective patients feel negatively about using assisted reproductive treatments. For example, we are aware that ART technology in general has been viewed negatively or opposed to by certain feminist groups. Furthermore, certain ART services that are in demand among members of the LGBTQ community, including surrogacy, use of a gestational carrier, directed gamete donation and collection, and embryo donation and collection are currently prohibited in China. Any negative perception of ART or actual or potential actions by relevant governmental authorities or other parties against ART service providers may subject us to potential penalties and other legal liabilities, render potential customers reluctant to seek, or delay seeking, our family planning services, or cause negative perception towards our company as a whole, thereby having an adverse effect on our brand, reputation and the other products and services provided by us. Should conservative perception of the use of ART develop, prospective patients may feel that ART is not widely accepted by the society and the demand for ART could be limited, resulting in material adverse effect on the number of customers that may reach out to us to consult about family planning services, and the growth of our family planning services, our results of operations, brand and reputation may be adversely affected.

From time to time, there has been negative news and publicity about the assisted reproductive industry, assisted reproductive medical facilities and/or medical professionals practicing in this industry. Any further

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negative news and publicity about the ART industry could amplify existing concerns and misperceptions about ART, and thus may have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Uncertainties in laws and regulations applicable to the ART industry may materially and adversely affect our business.

PRC laws provide that ART should only be carried out in approved and registered medical institutions in China. No entity or individual in the PRC should carry out ART or related intermediary services in the PRC without the approval of competent public health authority. Furthermore, any form of advertisement on unapproved ART services is prohibited in the PRC. From time to time, the governmental authorities in the PRC initiate campaigns against unapproved ART services and entities acting as intermediaries or providing advertising for such services, by strengthening the supervision of the publication of relevant information and advertisements on social media, and on investigating intermediaries for illegal ART activities.

As part of our family planning services, our subsidiary in China, Bluebaby (Beijing) Medical Management & Consulting Ltd., or Bluebaby Beijing, provides consulting and administrative services related to ART such as translation, concierge and logistics. However, due to the lack of a clear and consistent official distinction between the consulting services and intermediary or advertising services in the PRC, there is no assurance that our family planning service may not be deemed by the relevant PRC governmental authorities as intermediary or advertising service. The revenues generated from our family planning services represent approximately 1.2% and 2.0% of our total revenues in 2019 and in the three months ended March 31, 2020, respectively.

If the relevant PRC governmental authorities, including a PRC court, deem Bluebaby Beijing as an intermediary or providing advertising for unapproved ART services, the validity and enforceability of service agreements entered into between Bluebaby Beijing and its customers may be challenged and will be considered in light of the general principles of PRC civil law by taking several factors into consideration, such as ethical, legal and social impact. If the relevant PRC governmental authorities determine that we are providing intermediary services or advertising on unapproved ART services in the PRC:

• we will be unable to continue the marketing and promotion activities of ART services in China;

• we will be required to change the displays and certain functions of our mobile application and website to correct any deemed non-compliances; and

• we may be subject to fines, confiscation of illegal gains, discontinuation or restriction of our operations in China, shutting down of all or a portion of our network or servers, takedown of our mobile application from the app store, revocation of business license of the applicable operating entity, operation limits, banning of the gateway to the ART consulting services, and other regulatory or enforcement actions, which may have a material and adverse effect on our business and results of operations. See also “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Our Industry—Our business is subject to complex and evolving laws and regulations in various countries and regions where we have business. Many of these laws and regulations are subject to change and uncertain interpretation, and could result in claims, changes to our business practices, monetary penalties, increased cost of operations, or declines in user growth or engagement, or otherwise harm our business.”

Our commercial dealings with ART service providers outside of China may also subject us to risks associated with compliance with local laws and regulations. For example, when we introduce customers to ART service providers outside of China, such as reproductive clinics and ancillary agencies, we receive commissions from the ART service providers as referral fees. Local laws of certain jurisdictions where some of these ART service providers operate prohibit commission payments of this nature. Where prohibited by local laws, we ceased entering into new agreements containing commission payment arrangements since January 2020 to ensure compliance. However, we cannot assure you that we will not be subject to penalties or sanctions imposed by

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applicable law enforcement bodies, if they choose to scrutinize our commission arrangements prior to January 2020 in these jurisdictions despite collectively immaterial contribution of the payments to our revenue. If we become subject to such penalties and sanctions, our operations in these local jurisdictions may be materially disrupted.

Our business depends on the strength and perception of our brands within our addressable user community.

We operate our business under the main brand “BlueCity.” Our mobile app Blued, together with our other products and services within the BlueCity brand family, have received wide recognition among the LGBTQ population in China and certain other geographic areas where we operate, such as India, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Starting as a website focused on public wellbeing and HIV prevention, BlueCity has transformed into a community providing a full suite of services empowering LGBTQ persons in all aspects of their daily lives. Over the years, our users have developed a unique culture that distinguishes us from players in the market. Our users come to and stay with our platform owing to their sense of belonging. We therefore believe that maintaining and promoting a healthy and respectful community culture is critical to retaining and expanding our user base. Our business and financial performance are highly dependent on the strength and market perception of our brand. A well-recognized brand is crucial to increasing our user base and, in turn, facilitating our efforts to monetize our products and services and enhancing our attractiveness to users, customers and business partners. From time to time, we conduct various marketing activities both online and offline to enhance our brand and to guide public perception of our brand and services. We may need to substantially increase our marketing expenditures in order to create and maintain brand awareness and brand loyalty, to influence public perception, to retain existing and to attract new users, customers and business partners as well as to promote our products and services. However, there can be no assurance that these activities will be successful or that we will be able to achieve the brand promotion effect we expect.

Since we operate in highly competitive industries, brand maintenance and enhancement directly affect our ability to maintain our market position. We must continuously exercise strict quality control of our platform to ensure that our brand image is not tarnished by substandard products or services. We must also promote and distinguish our platform from those of our competitors. If for any reason we are unable to maintain and enhance our brand recognition, or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our business, results of operations and prospect may be materially and adversely affected.

In addition, people may not fully comprehend the value of our platform, and there may be a misperception that our platform is used solely as a tool to start spontaneous relationships with strangers. Convincing potential new users, customers and business partners of the value of our services and our welcoming community culture is critical to increasing the number of our users, customers and business partners and to the success of our business.

If events occur that damage our reputation and brand, our ability to expand our user base and business partners may be impaired, and our business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

Since our inception, we and our community have had to fend against social bias and public sentiment, and we are under continuous media scrutiny and governmental supervision. Unfavorable publicity regarding us, our service offerings, our business practices, or our users, business partners, shareholders or competitors and other industry players, even if factually incorrect or based on isolated incidents, could seriously harm our reputation and brand. Such negative publicity could also adversely affect the size, demographics, engagement and loyalty of our user base and result in decreased revenue or slower user growth rate, which could seriously harm our business. There can be no assurance that we will be able to address negative publicity about us, our management and/or our products or services to the satisfaction of our investors, users, customers and business partners. In the past there had been negative publicity about our company and the misuse of our services, which adversely affected our brand, public image and reputation, and there can be no assurance that there will not be similar negative publicity in the future. Such negative publicity, especially when it is directly addressed against us, may

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also require us to engage in defensive media campaigns. This may cause us to increase our marketing expenses and divert our management’s attention and may adversely impact our business and results of operations.

Our brand image, business and results of operations may be adversely impacted by user misconduct and misuse of our mobile app Blued.

Our mobile app, Blued, allows users to freely contact and communicate with other users and enable users and broadcasters to interact and engage in various other online activities. In China, we have required all users to complete real-name registration procedures pursuant to the notice jointly issued by National Office of Anti-Pornography and Illegal Publication and other five authorities in August 2018. See also “Regulations—Regulations Relating to Real-Name Registration System.” In countries other than China, our users are not required to complete real-name registration or verify their emails when registering and we are unable to verify the sources of the information posted by our users. In addition, since we have limited control over real-time and offline behavior of our broadcasters and users, Blued may still be misused by users or broadcasters.

We have implemented control procedures on Blued to detect and block illegal or inappropriate content and illegal or fraudulent activities conducted through the misuse of our platform, including inappropriate user profiles, messages and live streams. We may be required by relevant governmental authorities to report certain misbehaviors for further investigation if such misbehaviors are subject to judicial or police investigation. In addition, safety alerts will automatically pop up after a user sends a first message to another user, alerting the recipient to be wary of fraudulent activities. We have also announced the rules of conduct for our broadcasters which are made available on the top of our live streaming page as a banner. Despite all these efforts, we may not be able to identify every incident of inappropriate stream and content, or prevent all such contents from being further disseminated. As a majority of the video and audio communications on our platform are conducted in real time, we cannot filter the content generated by our streamers and users on air before they are streamed on our platform. Therefore, it is possible that broadcasters and users may engage in illegal, obscene or incendiary conversations or activities, including distribution of inappropriate content or content that may be deemed unlawful under applicable laws and regulations on our platform. If any content on our platform is deemed illegal, obscene or incendiary, or if appropriate licenses and third-party consents have not been obtained, claims may be brought against us for torts, defamation, libel, negligence, copyright, patent or trademark infringement, other unlawful activities or other theories and claims based on the nature and content of the information delivered on or otherwise accessed through our platform. In response to allegations of illegal or inappropriate activities conducted through our platform, relevant governmental authorities may intervene and hold us liable for non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations concerning the dissemination of information on the internet and subject us to administrative penalties or other sanctions, such as requiring us to restrict or discontinue some of the features and services provided on our platform. In addition, there were cases where our users suffered or alleged to have suffered physical, financial or emotional harm following contact initiated on our platform, although we have not been subjected to civil lawsuits or other liabilities initiated by the affected users, there can be no assurance that if similar cases occur in the future, we would not face civil lawsuits or other liabilities initiated by the affected user. Our business and public perception of our brand may be materially and adversely affected. Defending any such actions could be costly and require significant time and attention of our management and other resources, which would materially and adversely affect our business.

Although our terms of use strictly prohibit minors from registering and using Blued, some underage users created profiles by misrepresenting their age. In early 2019, there were news reports of minors in China using Blued by registering with false age, and that such minors were exposed to explicit content or alleged to have contracted HIV following contact initiated on Blued. Upon learning of these reports, we promptly and voluntarily halted new user registration for one week to review the allegation and launched a comprehensive content audit of our mobile app. We then announced the measures we have taken and will take to address the issue and reaffirmed our commitment to protecting minors. New user registration was resumed thereafter. These efforts may not be sufficient to prevent minors from using Blued or our other products and services. If similar events occur, our users may lose trust in us and our reputation may be seriously harmed, and we may be subject to heightened

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regulatory scrutiny domestically or in overseas jurisdictions, thereby having a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and prospects.

If the content contained within videos, audios and other content formats on our platform is deemed to violate any PRC laws or regulations, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

The PRC government and regulatory authorities have adopted regulations scrutinizing videos, audio and other content on the internet. Under these regulations, internet content providers are prohibited from posting or displaying internet content that, among other things, violates PRC laws and regulations, impairs the national dignity of China or the public interest, or is obscene, superstitious, fraudulent, violent or defamatory. Internet content providers are also prohibited from displaying content that may be deemed by relevant government authorities as “socially destabilizing” or leaking “state secrets” of China. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in revocation of licenses to provide internet content or other licenses, closure of the concerned websites and reputational harm. The website operator may also be held liable for such censored information displayed on or linked to their website. In January 2019, the China Netcasting Services Association, or the CNSA, issued the Regulations on Administration of Network Short Video Platforms, pursuant to which all content of a short video, including but not limited to its title, description, bullet-chats and comments, may be required to be reviewed in advance before the content is broadcasted. Furthermore, the number of content reviewers a platform is required to host should in principle be more than one one-thousandth of the number of short videos newly broadcasted on the platform per day. In January 2019, CNSA issued the Censoring Criteria for Network Short Video Content, which set forth certain details of content prohibited to be broadcasted, such as violence, pornography, gambling, terrorism, and other illegal or immoral content. The enactment of these regulations may significantly increase our compliance costs in recruiting additional content reviewers and training them to identify content violations timely and accurately. In November 2019, the Cyberspace Administration of China, or the CAC, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, or the MCT, and the National Radio and Television Administration, or the NRTA, jointly issued the Administrative Provisions on Online Audio-Visual Information Services, effective from January 1, 2020, which provide that online audio-visual information service providers are the principals responsible for managing the security of information content, and should, among other things, establish and improve their internal policies in relation to user registration, scrutiny of information publication, and information security management. Any failure to comply with these regulations may subject us to liability. See also “Regulation—Regulations Relating to Online Transmission of Audio-Visual Programs.”

Failure to identify and prevent illegal or inappropriate content from being uploaded on our platform may subject us to liability. To the extent that PRC regulatory authorities find any content on our platform objectionable, they may require us to limit or eliminate the dissemination of such content on our platform in the form of take-down orders, or cause our app to be removed from app stores.

In addition, PRC laws and regulations are subject to interpretation by relevant authorities, and it may not be possible to determine in all cases the types of content that could result in our liability as a platform operator. We also may face liability for copyright or trademark infringement, fraud and other claims based on the nature and content of the materials that are delivered, shared or otherwise accessed through or displayed on our platform. See also “—We have been and may be subject to intellectual property infringement claims or other allegations by third parties, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and prospects.”

Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected if we are unable to compete effectively.

We face competition from other platforms that provide products and services to the LGBTQ community, both domestically and internationally. In addition, our users face a vast array of choices in almost every aspect of our business and costs for users to switch between products are low, and users have a propensity to try new

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approaches whether to connect with people, enjoy live streams of broadcasters or consult other service providers for healthcare related and family planning related matters. As a result, new products, entrants and business models are likely to continue to emerge. It is possible that a new product could gain rapid scale at the expense of existing brands through harnessing a new technology, creating more interesting content or other means. Many of our current and potential competitors have greater resources and broader global recognition and enjoy better competitive positions in certain geographical areas or user demographics that we currently serve or may serve in the future. These advantages could enable these competitors to offer products and services that are more appealing to users than our products and services or to respond more quickly and/or cost-effectively than us to new or changing opportunities. Similarly, existing players in an adjacent or downstream industries may choose to leverage their existing infrastructure and expand their services and compete with us to serve the LGBTQ community. If these players succeed in doing so, our business could be encroached upon by their entrance and adversely affected.

If we fail to compete effectively with our current or future competitors that may emerge, our overall user base and level of user engagement may decrease. We may be required to devote additional resources to further increase our brand recognition and promoting our products and services, and such additional capital expenditure may adversely affect our profitability. Furthermore, if we are involved in disputes with any of our competitors that result in negative publicity to us, such disputes, regardless of their veracity or outcome, may harm our reputation or brand image and in turn lead to reduced number of users and advertisers. Any legal proceedings or measures we take in response to such disputes may be expensive, time-consuming and disruptive to our operations and divert our management’s attention.

We face risks associated with the misconduct of our employees, business partners and their employees and other related personnel.

We rely on our employees to maintain and operate our business and have implemented an internal code of conduct to guide the actions of our employees. However, we do not have control over the actions of our employees, and any misbehavior of our employees could materially and adversely affect our reputation and business. For example, if our employees download pirated software to their work computers or perform other unauthorized actions on our IT system, we may be exposed to security breach. Despite the security measures we have implemented, our systems and procedures and those of our third-party providers, may be vulnerable to security breaches, act of vandalism, software viruses, misplaced or lost data, programming or human errors or other similar events caused by our employees, our business partners and their employees and other related personnel, which may disrupt our delivery of services or expose the identities and confidential information of our users and others. If an actual or perceived breach of our security occurs, the market perception of the effectiveness of our security measures could be harmed, we may lose current and potential users and may be exposed to legal and financial risks, including legal claims, regulatory fines and penalties, which in turn could adversely affect our business, reputation and results of operations.

With respect to employees, we could also in the future face a wide variety of claims, including discrimination (for example, based on gender, age, race or religious affiliation), sexual harassment, privacy, labor and employment claims. Often these cases raise complex factual and legal issues, and the result of any such claims are inherently unpredictable. Claims against us, whether meritorious or not, could require significant amounts of management time and corporate resources to defend, could result in significant media coverage and negative publicity, and could be harmful to our reputation and our brand. If any of these claims were to be determined adversely to us, or if we were to enter settlement arrangements, we could be exposed to monetary damages or be forced to change the way in which we operate our business, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We also rely on our business partners, including assisted reproductive medical facilities and third-party logistics and delivery companies to directly interact with and serve our users and customers, and their performance is directly associated with our brand. However, we do not directly supervise them in providing

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services to users and customers. Although we have implemented measures to select business partners with strong reputation and track record, we may not be able to successfully monitor, maintain and improve the quality of their services. In the event of any unsatisfactory performance by our business partners and/or their employees, we or our users may experience disruptions in content or services and our reputation may be materially and adversely affected. For example, the compensation of broadcasters are paid through talent agencies. If any talent agency fails to make payment to the broadcasters, they may lose trust in us and stop live streaming on our platform, they may also disclose such information during live streaming. As a result, our reputation may be materially and adversely affected, we may fail to retain and expand our users, and our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

We organize and train volunteers for HIV prevention initiatives and conduct research studies jointly with third-party institutions. Although we have measures in place to regulate the activities of these volunteers or research institutions to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of private information, we do not directly supervise the volunteers or third-party institutions in how they use the private information. In the event of abusive use or unlawful disclosure of private information involved in this process, our reputation and brand may be seriously harmed, which may in turn materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our results of operations are subject to fluctuations due to seasonality.

We experience seasonality in certain aspects of our business, reflecting seasonal fluctuations in internet usage. As a result, comparing our results of operations on a period-to-period basis may not be meaningful. For example, the number of active users tend to be higher during popular western or Chinese festivals such as Valentine’s Day, Christmas and the Chinese Valentine’s Day, whereas lower during long national holidays. Advertising revenues tend to be higher in June and November, which correlates with marketing campaigns and promotional activities conducted by top e-commerce platforms.

Overall, the historical seasonality of our business has been relatively mild due to our rapid growth but seasonality may increase in the future. Due to our limited operating history, the seasonal trends that we have experienced in the past may not apply to, or be indicative of, our future results of operations. Once our business development has reached a more matured stage, our financial results may reflect seasonal effects owing to the factors mentioned above.

We are dependent on app stores to disseminate our mobile apps.

We offer our social networking service through our Blued mobile app. Our mobile app is offered via smartphone and tablet apps stores operated by third parties, such as Apple App Store and Google Play Store, which could suspend or terminate users’ access to our mobile apps, increase access costs or change the terms of access in a way that makes our apps less desirable or harder to access. As a result, our ability to expand our user base may be hindered if potential users experience difficulties in or are barred from accessing our mobile app. Although historically our mobile app have not been taken down from third-party app stores, there can be no assurance that such incidents will not occur in the future. Any such incident may adversely affect our brand and reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.

While our mobile app Blued is free to download from third-party app stores, we provide value-added services comprising a wide variety of additional social features and functions that users pay to use mainly in the form of subscription-based membership services and pay-per-use enhancement functions. We determine the prices at which these memberships services are sold and, in exchange for facilitating the purchase of these membership services through our mobile app to users who download our mobile app from these stores, we pay Apple and Google, as applicable, a certain share of the revenue we receive from these transactions. As the distribution of our mobile application through app stores increases, and given the strict requirements to use the in-app payments systems tied into Apple’s, and to a lesser degree, Google’s distribution services, we may need to

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offset any further increase in fees charged by app stores by decreasing traditional marketing expenditures as a percentage of revenue, increasing user volume or monetization per user, or by engaging in other efforts to increase revenue or decrease costs generally, otherwise our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

User growth and engagement depend upon effective interoperation with mobile operating systems, hardware, networks, regulations and standards that we do not control.

Our mobile app Blued must remain interoperable with popular mobile operating systems, such as iOS and Android, and related hardware. We have no control over these operating systems or hardware, and any changes to these systems or hardware that degrade the functionality of our products and services, or give preferential treatment to competitive products, could seriously harm usage of our mobile app. We plan to continue to introduce new products regularly and have experienced that it takes time to optimize such products to function with these operating systems and hardware, impacting the popularity of such products, and we expect this trend to continue.

To deliver high quality products and services, it is crucial that our products and services work well with a range of mobile technologies, systems, networks, regulations and standards that we do not control. In particular, any future changes to the iOS or Android operating systems may impact the accessibility, speed, functionality and other performance aspects of our products and services, which issues are likely to occur in the future from time to time. In addition, the adoption of any laws or regulations that adversely affect the growth, popularity or use of the internet, including laws governing internet neutrality, could decrease the demand for our products and increase our cost of doing business.

We may fail to successfully cultivate relationships with key industry participants or develop products and services that operate effectively with these technologies, systems, networks, regulations or standards. If it becomes more difficult for our users to access and use our app on their mobile devices, if our users choose not to access or use our app on their mobile devices, or if our users choose to use mobile products that do not offer access to our app, our user growth, retention, and engagement could be seriously harmed.

If the software used by our platform and internal systems contains undetected programming errors or vulnerabilities, our business could be adversely affected.

Our mobile platform and internal systems rely on software, including software developed or maintained internally and/or by third parties. In addition, our mobile platform and internal systems depend on the ability of such software to store, retrieve, process and manage immense amounts of data. The software on which we rely in the past has contained, and may now or in the future contain, undetected programming errors, bugs, or vulnerabilities. Some errors may only be discovered after the code has been released for external or internal use. Errors, vulnerabilities, or other design defects within the software on which we rely may result in a negative experience for users using our mobile platform, delay introductions of new features or enhancements, result in errors or compromise our ability to protect the data of our users and/or our intellectual property or lead to reductions in our ability to provide some or all of our services. In addition, any errors, bugs, vulnerabilities, or defects discovered in the software on which we rely, and any associated degradations or interruptions of service, could result in harm to our reputation and loss of users, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and operation results.

Our business is sensitive to economic conditions. A severe or prolonged downturn in the global or Chinese economy could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

COVID-19 had a severe and negative impact on the Chinese and global economies starting from the first quarter of 2020. China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported a negative GDP growth of 6.8% for the first quarter of 2020. Whether this will lead to a prolonged economic downturn is still uncertain. The Chinese and

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global macroeconomic environment is facing numerous challenges. There is considerable uncertainty over the long-term effects of the expansionary monetary and fiscal policies which had been adopted by the central banks and financial authorities of some of the world’s leading economies, including the United States and China. Unrest, terrorist threats and the potential for war in the Middle East and elsewhere may increase market volatility across the globe. There have also been concerns about the relationship between China and other countries, including neighboring Asian countries, which may potentially have negative economic effects. In particular, there is significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the United States and China with respect to trade policies, treaties, government regulations and tariffs. The tensions between China, the U.S. and other countries have intensified especially since the outbreak of COVID-19. 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 economies may materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our failure to protect our intellectual property rights may undermine our competitive position, and third-party infringements of our intellectual property rights may adversely affect our business.

We believe that our copyrights, trademarks and other intellectual property are essential to our success. See also “Business—Intellectual Property.” We have devoted considerable time and energy to the development and improvement of our mobile app and our system infrastructure.

We rely on a combination of copyright and trademarks laws, trade secrets protection and other contractual restrictions for the protection of the intellectual property used in our business. For example, we have generally registered and continue to apply to register and renew, or secure by contract where appropriate, trademarks and service marks as they are developed. Effective trademark protection may not be available or may not be sought in every country in which our products are made available, and contractual disputes may affect the use of marks governed by private contract. Although our contracts with users and business partners typically prohibit the unauthorized use of our brands, images, characters and other intellectual property rights, there can be no assurance that they will always comply with these terms. These agreements may not effectively prevent disclosure of confidential information and may not provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. Although we enter into confidentiality agreements with our employees which also include intellectual property ownership provisions, these confidentiality agreements could be breached, we may not have adequate remedies for any breach, and our proprietary technology, know-how or other intellectual property could otherwise become known to third parties. In addition, third parties may independently discover trade secrets and proprietary information, limiting our ability to assert any trade secret rights against such parties.

While we actively take steps to protect our proprietary rights, such steps may not be adequate to prevent the infringement or misappropriation of our intellectual property. In addition, there can be no assurance that any of our trademark applications will ultimately proceed to registration or will result in registration with adequate scope for our business. Some of our pending applications or registrations may be successfully challenged or invalidated by others. If our trademark applications are not successful, we may have to use different marks for affected products or services, or seek to enter into arrangements with any third parties who may have prior registrations, applications or rights, which might not be available on commercially reasonable terms, if at all.

Implementation of intellectual property laws in China has historically been lacking, primarily because of ambiguities in the laws and difficulties in enforcement. Accordingly, intellectual property right protection in China may not be as effective as in other jurisdictions that have a more developed legal framework regulating intellectual property rights. Policing unauthorized use of our proprietary technology, trademarks and other intellectual property is difficult and expensive, and litigation may be necessary in the future to enforce our intellectual property rights. Future litigation could result in substantial costs and diversion of our resources, and could disrupt our business, as well as materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

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We have been and may be subject to intellectual property infringement claims or other allegations by third parties, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and prospects.

We have been and may in the future be subject to intellectual property infringement claims or other allegations by third party owners or right holders of technology patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and website content for services we provide or for information or content displayed on, retrieved from or linked to, recorded, stored or made accessible on our platform, or otherwise distributed to our users, including in connection with the music, movies and videos played, recorded, stored or made accessible on our platform during live-streaming or advertisement display, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and prospects.

Under our agreements with talent agencies, we obtain the intellectual property arising from live-streaming on our platform. We have implemented internal control measures to ensure that the design of our platform and the content that is streamed on it does not infringe on valid intellectual property, such as patents and copyrights held by third parties. We also license certain intellectual properties from third parties to implement certain functions available on our platform.

However, companies in the internet-related industries are frequently involved in litigation based on allegations of infringement of intellectual property rights, unfair competition, invasion of privacy, defamation and other violations of other parties’ rights. The validity, enforceability and scope of protection of intellectual property rights in internet-related industries, particularly in China, are uncertain and still evolving. As we face increasing competition and as litigation becomes a more common method for resolving commercial disputes in China, we face a higher risk of being the subject of intellectual property infringement claims or other legal proceedings.

We allow users and broadcasters to upload text, pictures, audio, video and other content to our platform and users to download, share, link to and otherwise access other content on our platform. Under relevant PRC laws and regulations, online service providers, which provide storage space for users to upload works or links to other services or content, could be held liable for copyright infringement under various circumstances, including situations where the online service provider knows or should reasonably have known that the relevant content uploaded or linked to on its platform infringes upon the copyright of others and the online service provider failed to take necessary actions to prevent such infringement. We have procedures implemented to reduce the likelihood that content might be used without proper licenses or third-party consents. However, these procedures may not be effective in preventing the unauthorized posting or distribution of copyrighted content and we may be considered failing to take necessary actions against such infringement. Therefore, we may face liability for copyright or trademark infringement, defamation, unfair competition, libel, negligence, and other claims based on the nature and content of the materials that are delivered, shared or otherwise accessed through our platform.

Defending claims is costly and can impose a significant burden on our management and employees, and there can be no assurance that favorable final outcomes will be obtained in all cases. Such claims, even if they do not result in liability, may harm our reputation. Any resulting liability or expenses, or changes required to our platform to reduce the risk of future liability, may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and prospects.

Some of our products and services contain open source software, which may pose particular risk to our proprietary software, products and services in a manner that negatively affect our business.

We use open source software in some of our products and services and will continue to use open source software in the future. There is a risk that open source software licenses could be construed in a manner that imposes unanticipated conditions or restrictions on our ability to provide or distribute our products or services. Additionally, we may face claims from third parties claiming ownership of, or demanding release of, the open source software or derivative works that we developed using such software. These claims could result in

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litigation and could require us to make our software source code freely available, purchase a costly license or cease offering the implicated products or services unless and until we can re-engineer them to avoid infringement. This re-engineering process could require significant additional technology and development resources, and we may not be able to complete it successfully.

Furthermore, because any software source code we contribute to open source projects is publicly available, our ability to protect our intellectual property rights with respect to such software source code may be limited or lost entirely. As a result, we may be unable to prevent our competitors or others from using such software source code contributed by us.

Our business depends substantially on the continuing efforts of our executive officers and other key employees. If we lose their services, our business operations and growth prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

Our future success depends heavily on the continuing services of our executive officers and other key employees. In particular, we rely on the expertise, experience and vision of our founder and chief executive officer, Mr. Baoli Ma, as well as other members of our senior management team. If one or more of our executive officers or key employees were unable or unwilling to continue their services with us, we might not be able to replace them easily, in a timely manner, or at all. Competition for qualified talent is intense, there can be no assurance that we will be able to attract or retain qualified employees. As a result, our business may be materially and adversely affected, our financial condition and results of operations may be severely affected, and we may incur additional expenses to recruit, train and retain key personnel.

Moreover, if any of our executive officers or other key employees joins a competitor or forms a competing company, we may lose know-how, trade secrets, business partners, user base and market share. Each of our executive officers and key employees has entered into an employment agreement and a non-compete agreement. However, the non-competition agreements may be deemed invalid or unenforceable under PRC laws. If any dispute arises between our executive officers or key employees and us, there can be no assurance that we would be able to enforce these non-compete agreements in China, where these executive officers and key employees reside.

We are subject to risks relating to third-party online payment platforms.

Currently, we sell a significant portion of our products and services to our users through third-party online payment systems. In all these online payment transactions, secured transmission of confidential information such as paying users’ credit card numbers and personal information over public networks is essential to maintaining users’ trust and confidence on our platform.

We do not have control over the security measures of our third-party online payment vendors. Any security breaches of the online payment systems that we use could expose us to litigation and possible liability for failing to secure confidential customer information and could, among other things, damage our reputation and the perceived security of all of the online payment systems that we use. If a well-publicized internet or mobile network security breach were to occur, users may become reluctant to purchase our products and services even if the publicized breach did not involve payment systems or methods used by us. In addition, there may be billing software errors that would damage customer confidence in these online payment systems. If any of the above were to occur and damage our reputation or the perceived security of the online payment systems we use, we may lose paying users and users may be discouraged from purchasing our products and services, which may have a material adverse effect on our business.

In addition, there are currently only a limited number of reputable third-party online payment systems in China and certain other countries where we operate. If any of these major payment systems decides to cease to provide services to us, or significantly increase the percentage they charge us for using their payment systems for our products and services, our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

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Present or future strategic alliances or acquisitions may fail and our business, reputation and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

We may enter into strategic alliances, including joint ventures or minority equity investments, with various third parties to further our business purpose from time to time. These alliances could subject us to a number of risks, including risks associated with sharing proprietary information, non-performance by the third party and increased expenses in establishing new strategic alliances, any of which may materially and adversely affect our business. We may have limited ability to monitor or control the actions of these third parties and, to the extent any of these strategic third parties suffers negative publicity or harm to their reputation from events relating to their business, we may also suffer negative publicity or harm to our reputation by virtue of our association with any such third party.

In addition, if appropriate opportunities arise, we may acquire additional assets, products, technologies or businesses that are complementary to our existing business. Future acquisitions and the subsequent integration of new assets and businesses into our own would require significant attention from our management and could result in a diversion of resources from our existing business, which in turn could have an adverse effect on our business operations. Acquisitions may not achieve our goals and could be viewed negatively by users, advertisers, partners or investors. Acquisitions could result in the use of substantial amounts of cash, potentially dilutive issuances of equity securities, the occurrence of significant goodwill impairment charges, amortization expenses for other intangible assets and exposure to potential unknown liabilities of the acquired business. Moreover, the costs of identifying and consummating acquisitions may be significant. In addition to possible shareholders’ approval, we may also have to obtain approvals and licenses from relevant governmental authorities for the acquisitions and to comply with any applicable PRC laws and regulations, which could result in increased delay and costs. For example, in June 2020, we entered into a letter of intent for a potential equity investment to acquire a leading location-based social networking mobile app targeting the lesbian community. We believe the investment, if consummated, will mark a milestone in implementing our strategy to broaden our product offerings to serve other sub-groups of the LGBTQ population. There is no assurance that the transaction will be consummated or, even if it is consummated, it will achieve the strategic value that we have anticipated.

We may not have sufficient insurance to cover our business risks, so that any uninsured occurrence of business disruption may result in substantial costs to us and the diversion of our resources, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We have obtained insurance to cover certain potential risks and liabilities, such as property all risks insurance to cover physical loss of or damage to the insured property and digital business and data protection insurance to cover losses due to privacy beach, confidentiality breach, cyber extortion threat, business interruption event, unavailability of our computer system, cyberattack or wrongful act. However, we may not be able to acquire any insurance for certain types of risks such as business liability to cover our operations and our coverage may not be adequate to compensate for all losses that may occur, particularly with respect to loss of business or operations. Any business disruption, litigation, regulatory action, outbreak of epidemic disease or natural disaster could also expose us to substantial costs and diversion of resources. There can be no assurance that our insurance coverage is sufficient to prevent us from any loss or that we will be able to successfully claim our losses under our current insurance policies on a timely basis, or at all. If we incur any loss that is not covered by our insurance policies, or the compensated amount is significantly less than our actual loss, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

If we fail to implement and maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting, we may be unable to accurately report our results of operations or prevent fraud or fail to meet our reporting obligations, and investor confidence and the market price of our ADSs may be materially and adversely affected.

Prior to this offering, we were a private company with limited accounting personnel and other resources with which to address our internal controls and procedures. Our management has not completed an assessment of

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the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, and our independent registered public accounting firm has not conducted an audit of our internal control over financial reporting. In auditing our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, we and our independent registered public accounting firm identified one material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting as well as other control deficiencies as of December 31, 2019, in accordance with the standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board of the United States (PCAOB).

The material weakness identified related to our lack of sufficient financial reporting and accounting personnel with appropriate knowledge of U.S. GAAP and SEC reporting requirements to properly address complex U.S. GAAP accounting issues and related disclosures in accordance with U.S. GAAP and financial reporting requirements set forth by the SEC. Following the identification of the material weakness and other control deficiencies, we have taken measures and plan to continue to take measures to remedy these control deficiencies. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.” However, the implementation of these measures may not fully address these deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting, and we cannot conclude that they have been fully remedied. Our failure to correct these control deficiencies or our failure to discover and address any other control deficiencies could result in inaccuracies in our financial statements and impair our ability to comply with applicable financial reporting requirements and related regulatory filings on a timely basis. Moreover, ineffective internal control over financial reporting could significantly hinder our ability to prevent fraud.

Upon completion of this offering, we will become a public company in the United States subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, will require that we include a report of management on our internal control over financial reporting in our annual report on Form 20-F beginning with our annual report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021. In addition, once we cease to be an “emerging growth company” as such term is defined in the JOBS Act, our independent registered public accounting firm must attest to and report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Our management may conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective. Moreover, even if our management concludes that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, our independent registered public accounting firm, after conducting its own independent testing, may issue a report that is qualified if it is not satisfied with our internal controls or the level at which our controls are documented, designed, operated or reviewed, or if it interprets the relevant requirements differently from us. In addition, after we become a public company, our reporting obligations may place a significant strain on our management, operational and financial resources and systems for the foreseeable future. We may be unable to timely complete our evaluation testing and any required remediation.

During the course of documenting and testing our internal control procedures, in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 404, we may identify other weaknesses and deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, if we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal control over financial reporting, as these standards are modified, supplemented or amended from time to time, we may not be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404. If we fail to achieve and maintain an effective internal control environment, we could suffer material misstatements in our financial statements and fail to meet our reporting obligations, which would likely cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information. This could in turn limit our access to capital markets, harm our results of operations, and lead to a decline in the trading price of our ADSs. Additionally, ineffective internal control over financial reporting could expose us to increased risk of fraud or misuse of corporate assets and subject us to potential delisting from the stock exchange on which we list, regulatory investigations and civil or criminal sanctions. We may also be required to restate our financial statements from prior periods.

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We have granted and expect to continue to grant share-based awards in the future under our share incentive plan, which may result in increased share-based compensation expenses.

We adopted the 2015 stock incentive plan, or the 2015 Plan, in 2015, and a share incentive plan, or the 2020 Plan, in 2020, for purposes of granting share-based compensation awards to employees, directors and consultants to incentivize their performance and align their interests with ours. We account for compensation costs for all share options using a fair-value based method and recognize expenses in our consolidated statements of comprehensive loss in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Under the 2015 Plan, we are authorized to grant options to purchase ordinary shares of our company and restricted share units to receive ordinary shares. Under the 2020 Plan, we are authorized to grant options and other types of awards. The maximum number of ordinary shares which may be issued pursuant to all awards under the 2015 Plan is 1,551,724. The maximum aggregate number of shares which may be issued pursuant to all awards under the 2020 Plan is 758,783. As of the date of this prospectus, awards to purchase a total of 1,071,151 ordinary shares under the 2015 Plan and 303,513 ordinary shares under the 2020 Plan have been granted and are outstanding with the exercise of such options conditional upon the completion of this offering. For the year ended December 31, 2018, we recorded share-based compensation of RMB50.3 million as a result of our repurchase of unvested share options from our management with consideration of US$8.0 million in April 2018. We did not record share-based compensation expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 and the three months ended March 31, 2020.

We believe the granting of share incentive awards is of significant importance to our ability to attract and retain employees, and we will continue to grant share incentive awards to employees in the future. As a result, our expenses associated with share-based compensation may increase, which may have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

We may be the subject of allegations, harassing or other detrimental conduct by third parties, which could harm our reputation and cause us to lose market share, users and customers.

We have been subject to allegations by third parties or purported former employees, negative internet postings and other adverse public exposure on our business, operations and staff compensation. We may also become the target of harassment or other detrimental conduct by third parties or disgruntled former or current employees. Such conduct may include complaints, anonymous or otherwise, to regulatory agencies, media or other organizations. We may be subject to government or regulatory investigations or other proceedings as a result of such third-party conduct and may be required to spend significant time and incur substantial costs to address such third-party conduct, and there is no assurance that we will be able to conclusively refute each of the allegations within a reasonable period of time, or at all. Additionally, allegations, directly or indirectly against us, may be posted on the internet, including social media platforms by anyone, whether or not related to us, on an anonymous basis. Any negative publicity on us or our management can be quickly and widely disseminated. Information posted may be inaccurate and adverse to us, and it may harm our reputation, business or prospects. The harm may be immediate without affording us an opportunity for redress or correction. Our reputation may be negatively affected as a result of the public dissemination of negative and potentially false information about our business and operations, which in turn may cause us to lose market share, users or customers.

Computer and mobile malware, viruses, hacking and phishing attacks, spamming and improper or illegal use of our platform may affect user experience, which could reduce our ability to attract users and advertisers and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Computer and mobile malware, viruses, hacking and phishing attacks have become more prevalent in our industries, have occurred on our platform in the past, and may occur again in the future. Although it is difficult to determine what, if any, direct harm may result from an interruption or attack, any failure to maintain performance, reliability, security and availability of our products and technical infrastructure to the satisfaction of our users may seriously harm our reputation and our ability to retain existing users and attract new users. We have not had any material cybersecurity incidents or incurred or expected to incur any material related costs during the period from January 1, 2018 to the date of this prospectus.

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In addition, spammers may use our platform to send targeted and untargeted spam messages to users, which may affect user experience. In spamming activities, spammers typically create multiple user accounts for the purpose of sending spam messages. Although we attempt to identify and delete accounts created for spamming purposes, we may not be able to effectively eliminate all spam messages from our platform in a timely fashion. Our actions to combat spam may also require diversion of significant time and focus of our engineering team from improving our products. As a result, our users may use our products less or stop using them altogether, and result in continuing operational costs to us.

We are subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, financial and economic sanctions and similar laws, and noncompliance with such laws can subject us to administrative, civil and criminal fines and penalties, collateral consequences, remedial measures and legal expenses, all of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation.

We are subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, financial and economic sanctions and similar laws and regulations in various jurisdictions in which we conduct activities, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, and other anti-corruption laws and regulations. Those laws generally prohibit us and our officers, directors, employees and business partners acting on our behalf, including agents, from corruptly offering, promising, authorizing or providing anything of value to a “foreign official” for the purposes of influencing official decisions or obtaining or retaining business or otherwise obtaining favorable treatment. The FCPA also requires companies to make and keep books, records and accounts that accurately reflect transactions and dispositions of assets and to maintain a system of adequate internal accounting controls. A violation of these laws or regulations could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation.

We will adopt and implement policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance by us and our directors, officers, employees, representatives, consultants, agents and business partners with applicable anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, financial and economic sanctions and similar laws and regulations. However, our policies and procedures may not be sufficient and our directors, officers, employees, representatives, consultants, agents, business partners, and users could engage in improper conduct for which we may be held responsible.

Non-compliance with anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering or financial and economic sanctions laws could subject us to whistleblower complaints, adverse media coverage, investigations, and severe administrative, civil and criminal sanctions, collateral consequences, remedial measures and legal expenses, all of which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation. In addition, changes in economic sanctions laws in the future could adversely impact our business and investments in our shares.

If we cannot maintain our corporate culture as we grow, we could lose the innovation, collaboration and focus that contribute to our business.

We believe that a critical component of our success is our corporate culture, we are comprised of a group of passionate team players, dedicated to bring value to the LGBTQ community. Powered by technological innovation and global expansion, we endeavor to become a platform where the LGBTQ community can find a sense of belonging and enjoy the high-quality products and services we provide. Any failure to preserve our culture could undermine our reputation in the marketplace and negatively impact our ability to retain existing customers and attract new customers, which would in turn jeopardize our future success.

We face risks related to natural and other disasters, including severe weather conditions or outbreaks of health epidemics, and other extraordinary events, which could significantly disrupt our operations.

We are vulnerable to natural disasters and other calamities. It is possible that we may be unable to recover certain data in the event of a server failure. There can be no assurance that any backup systems will be adequate

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to protect us from the effects of fire, floods, typhoons, earthquakes, power loss, telecommunications failures, break-ins, war, riots, terrorist attacks or similar events. Any of the foregoing events may give rise to server interruptions, breakdowns, system failures, technology platform failures or internet failures, which could cause the loss or corruption of data or malfunctions of software or hardware as well as adversely affect our ability to provide services on our platform.

In addition, our business could be affected by public health epidemics, such as the outbreak of avian influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, Zika virus, Ebola virus or other disease. If any of our employees is suspected of having contracted a contagious disease, we may be required to apply quarantines or suspend our operations. Furthermore, any future outbreak may restrict economic activities in affected regions, resulting in reduced business volume, temporary closure of our offices or otherwise disrupt our business operations and adversely affect our results of operations.

We may need additional capital, and we may be unable to obtain such capital in a timely manner or on acceptable terms, or at all.

To pursue our business objectives and respond to business opportunities, challenges or unforeseen circumstances, including to improve our brand awareness, develop new services or further improve existing services, expand into new geographic areas and acquire complementary businesses and technologies, we may require additional capital from time to time. However, additional funds may not be available when we need them on reasonable terms, or at all. Our ability to obtain additional capital is subject to a variety of uncertainties, including:

• our market position and competitiveness in the LGBTQ-focused social, entertainment and health industries;

• our future profitability, overall financial condition, results of operations and cash flows;

• general market conditions for capital raising activities by online social networking and live streaming platforms and other internet companies in China; and

• economic, political and other conditions in China and internationally.

If we are unable to obtain additional capital in a timely manner or on acceptable terms, or at all, our ability to continue to pursue our business objectives and respond to business opportunities, challenges or unforeseen circumstances could be significantly limited, and our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, our future capital needs and other business reasons could require us to sell additional equity or debt securities or obtain a credit facility. The sale of additional equity or equity-linked securities could dilute our shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations or our ability to pay dividends to our shareholders.

Foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations could adversely affect our results of operations.

We operate in various international markets, primarily in various jurisdictions within Asia. In March 2020, more than 49% of our MAUs were outside of China. As we continue our efforts to monetize our user outside of China, we expect our revenues outside of China will continue to grow. We translate international revenues into RMB-denominated results of operations. As a result, we expect foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations will affect the period-over-period comparison of our results of operations as the results of our subsidiaries outside China are translated into RMB, our reporting currency. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk—Foreign Currency Exchange Risk.”

Historically, we have not hedged any foreign currency exposures. The continued growth and expansion of our international operations into new countries increases our exposure to foreign exchange rate fluctuations.

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Significant foreign exchange rate fluctuations, in the case of one currency or collectively with other currencies, could adversely affect our future results of operations.

Cayman Islands economic substance requirements may have an effect on our business and operations.

Pursuant to the International Tax Cooperation (Economic Substance) Law (2020 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, or the ES Law, that came into force on January 1, 2019, a “relevant entity” is required to satisfy the economic substance test set out in the ES Law. A “relevant entity” includes an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands as is our company. Based on the current interpretation of the ES Law, we believe that our company is a pure equity holding company since it only holds equity participations in other entities and only earns dividends and capital gains. Accordingly, for so long as our company is a “pure equity holding company”, it is only subject to the minimum substance requirements, which require us to (1) comply with all applicable filing requirements under the Companies Law, Cap. 22 (Law 3 of 1961, as consolidated and revised) of the Cayman Islands; and (2) have adequate human resources and adequate premises in the Cayman Islands for holding and managing equity participations in other entities. However, there can be no assurance that we will not be subject to more requirements under the ES Law. Uncertainties over the interpretation and implementation of the ES Law may have an adverse impact on our business and operations.

Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure

If the PRC government finds that the agreements that establish the structure for operating some of our operations in China do not comply with PRC regulations relating to the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations.

Foreign ownership of certain parts of our businesses, including value-added telecommunications services, is subject to restrictions under current PRC laws and regulations. For example, foreign investors are not allowed to own more than 50% of the equity interests in a value-added telecommunication service provider (excluding e-commerce, domestic multi-party communication, store-and-forward, and call center) and any such foreign investor must have experience in providing value-added telecommunications services overseas and maintain a good track record, and foreign investors are prohibited from engaging in the internet audiovideo program service and internet culture operation (except for music) in accordance with Special Management Measures for the Market Entry of Foreign Investment (Negative List) (2019 Version), or the 2019 Negative List.

We are a Cayman Islands company and our WFOE is considered foreign-invested enterprises. Accordingly, our WFOE is not eligible to operate value-added telecommunication business, internet video, online advertising services and other businesses which foreign-owned companies are prohibited or restricted from conducting in China. As a result, we conduct such business activities through our VIE and its subsidiaries. Our VIE holds an ICP License for internet information service (excluding news, publication, education, medical and healthcare, drug and medical instruments, electronic publication services), and an internet culture operation license for operating music products and shows. Each of Mr. Baoli Ma, our founder, chairman and chief executive officer, and Mr. Changyou Ma, a family member of our founder, holds 99.15% and 0.85% equity interests in our VIE, respectively. Our WFOE has entered into a series of contractual arrangements with our VIE and its shareholders, which enables us to:

• exercise effective control over our VIE;

• receive substantially all of the economic benefits of our VIE; and

• have an exclusive option to purchase all or part of the equity interests in our VIE when and to the extent permitted by PRC law.

As a result of these contractual arrangements, we have control over and are the primary beneficiary of our VIE and hence consolidate its financial results and its subsidiaries into our consolidated financial statements

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under U.S. GAAP. For a detailed discussion of these contractual arrangements, see “Corporate History and Structure.”

In the opinion of King & Wood Mallesons, our PRC legal counsel, (i) the ownership structures of our WFOE and our VIE in China, both currently and immediately after giving effect to this offering, are not in violation of PRC laws and regulations currently in effect; and (ii) the contractual arrangements between our WFOE, our VIE and its shareholders governed by PRC law are legal, valid, binding and enforceable against each party thereto in accordance with their terms and applicable PRC laws and regulations currently in effect. However, our PRC legal counsel has also advised us that there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws, regulations and rules; accordingly, the PRC regulatory authorities may take a view that is contrary to the opinion of our PRC legal counsel. It is uncertain whether any new PRC laws or regulations relating to variable interest entity structures will be adopted or if adopted, what they would provide. If we or our VIE are found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, or fail to obtain or maintain any of the required permits or approvals, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion to take action in dealing with such violations or failures, including:

• revoking the business licenses and/or operating licenses of such entities;

• discontinuing or placing restrictions or onerous conditions on our operations;

• imposing fines, confiscating the income from our WFOE or our VIE, or imposing other requirements with which we or our VIE may not be able to comply;

• requiring us to restructure our ownership structure or operations, including terminating the contractual arrangements with our VIE and deregistering the equity pledges of our VIE, which in turn would affect our ability to consolidate, derive economic interests from, or exert effective control over our VIE, or imposing restrictions on our right to collect revenues;

• shutting down our servers or blocking our app/websites;

• imposing additional conditions or requirements with which we may not be able to comply;

• requiring us to restructure the operations in such a way as to compel us to establish a new enterprise, re-apply for the necessary licenses or relocate our businesses, staff and assets; or

• restricting or prohibiting our use of the proceeds of this offering to finance our business and operations in China.

The imposition of any of these penalties would result in a material and adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business. In addition, it is unclear what impact the PRC government actions would have on us and on our ability to consolidate the financial results of our VIE in our consolidated financial statements, if the PRC governmental authorities were to find our legal structure and contractual arrangements to be in violation of PRC laws and regulations. If the imposition of any of these government actions causes us to lose our right to direct the activities of our VIE or our right to receive substantially all the economic benefits and residual returns from our VIE and we are not able to restructure our ownership structure and operations in a satisfactory manner, we would no longer be able to consolidate the financial results of our VIE in our consolidated financial statements. Either of these results, or any other significant penalties that might be imposed on us in this event, would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Furthermore, it is uncertain whether any new PRC laws, rules or regulations relating to contractual arrangements will be adopted or if adopted, what they would provide. In particular, in December 2018, the standing committee of the National People’s Congress reviewed a draft Foreign Investment Law, and this draft was subsequently published for public comment. In March 2019, a new draft of Foreign Investment Law was submitted to the National People’s Congress for review and was approved on March 15, 2019, which will come into effect from January 1, 2020. The approved Foreign Investment Law does not touch upon the relevant

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concepts and regulatory regimes that were historically suggested for the regulation of VIE structures, and thus this regulatory topic remains unclear under the Foreign Investment Law. Since the Foreign Investment Law is new, there are substantial uncertainties exist with respect to its implementation and interpretation and it is also possible that variable interest entities will be deemed as foreign invested enterprises and be subject to restrictions in the future. Such restrictions may cause interruptions to our operations, products and services and may incur additional compliance cost, which may in turn materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Any of these events could cause significant disruption to our business operations and severely damage our reputation, which would in turn materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If occurrences of any of these events results in our inability to direct the activities of our consolidated affiliated entities in China that most significantly impact their economic performance, and/or our failure to receive the economic benefits from our consolidated affiliated entities, we may not be able to consolidate the entity in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

Uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the newly enacted PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.

On March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress approved the Foreign Investment Law, which will come into effect on January 1, 2020 and replace the trio of existing laws regulating foreign investment in China, namely, the Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law, the Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprise Law and the Wholly Foreign-invested Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. See “Regulation—Regulations Relating to Foreign Investment” for further details. The Foreign Investment Law embodies an expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic investments. However, since it is relatively new, uncertainties still exist in relation to its interpretation and implementation. For instance, under the Foreign Investment Law, “foreign investment” refers to the investment activities directly or indirectly conducted by foreign individuals, enterprises or other entities in China. Though it does not explicitly classify contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment, there is no assurance that foreign investment via contractual arrangement would not be interpreted as a type of indirect foreign investment activities under the definition in the future. In addition, the definition contains a catch-all provision which includes investments made by foreign investors through means stipulated in laws or administrative regulations or other methods prescribed by the State Council. Therefore, it still leaves leeway for future laws, administrative regulations or provisions promulgated by the Stale Council to provide for contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment. On November 1, 2019, Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, or MOFCOM, and the National Development and Reform Commission, or NDRC, published a discussion draft of the Implementation Rules of Foreign Investment Law, or the Draft FIL Implementation Rules, for public review and comment. Although the Draft FIL Implementation Rules remains silent on how to define and regulate the “variable interest entities,” there is no assurance that the enacted version of the Implementation Rules of Foreign Investment Law would not treat contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment. In any of these cases, it will be uncertain whether our contractual arrangements will be deemed to be in violation of the market access requirements for foreign investment under the PRC laws and regulations. Furthermore, if future laws, administrative regulations or provisions prescribed by the State Council 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, corporate governance and business operations.

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We rely on contractual arrangements with our VIE and its shareholders for a portion of our business operations, which may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing operational control.

Our VIE contributed a portion of our consolidated total revenues for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019 and for the three months ended March 31, 2020, respectively. We have relied and expect to continue to rely on contractual arrangements with our VIE and its shareholders to conduct our business. For a description of these contractual arrangements, see “Corporate History and Structure.” These contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with control over our VIE. For example, our VIE and its shareholders could breach their contractual arrangements with us by, among other things, failing to conduct their operations in an acceptable manner or taking other actions that are detrimental to our interests.

If we had direct ownership of our VIE, we would be able to exercise our rights as a shareholder to effect changes in the board of directors of our VIE, which in turn could effect changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management level. However, under the current contractual arrangements, we rely on the performance by our VIE and its shareholders of their obligations under the contracts to exercise control over our VIE. The shareholders of our VIE may not act in the best interests of our company or may not perform their obligations under these contracts. Such risks exist throughout the period in which we intend to operate our business through the contractual arrangements with our VIE. If any dispute relating to these contracts remains unresolved, we will have to enforce our rights under these contracts through the operations of PRC law and courts and therefore will be subject to uncertainties in the PRC legal system. See “—Any failure by our VIE or its shareholders to perform their obligations under our contractual arrangements with them would have a material and adverse effect on our business.” Therefore, our contractual arrangements with our VIE may not be as effective in ensuring our control over the relevant portion of our business operations as direct ownership would be.

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

If our VIE or its shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under the contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements. We may also have to rely on legal remedies under PRC law, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages, which may be unsuccessful. For example, if the shareholders of our VIE were to refuse to transfer their equity interest in our VIE to us or our designee when we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these contractual arrangements, or if they were otherwise to act in bad faith toward us, we may have to take legal actions to compel them to perform their contractual obligations.

All of the agreements under our contractual arrangements are governed by PRC law and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in China. Accordingly, these contracts would be interpreted in accordance with PRC law and any disputes would be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures. The legal system in China is not as developed as in some other jurisdictions, such as the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. See “Risks Related to Doing Business in China—Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to you and us.” Meanwhile, there are very few precedents and little formal guidance as to how contractual arrangements in the context of a variable interest entity should be interpreted or enforced under PRC law, and as a result it may be difficult to predict how an arbitration panel would view such contractual arrangements. Additionally, under PRC law, rulings by arbitrators are final, parties cannot appeal the arbitration results in courts, and 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.

Our VIE holds our ICP License for internet information service (excluding news, publication, education, medical and healthcare, drug and medical instruments, electronic publication services), an internet culture

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operation license for operating music products and shows, a radio and television programs production and management license for animations, feature films, TV variety shows (excluding political news and similar features and columns). In the event we are unable to enforce our contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exert effective control over our VIE, and our ability to conduct these businesses may be negatively affected.

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

The shareholders of our VIE may have potential conflicts of interest with us. For example, Mr. Baoli Ma is one of the shareholders of our VIE. Mr. Baoli Ma is also our founder, chairman and chief executive officer. Any shareholder of our VIE may breach, or cause our VIE to breach, or refuse to renew, the existing contractual arrangements we have with any of them and our VIE, which would have a material and adverse effect on our ability to effectively control our VIE and receive substantially all the economic benefits from them. For example, the shareholders 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. There can be no assurance 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 these shareholders and our company, except that we could exercise our purchase option under the exclusive option agreements with these shareholders to request them to transfer all of their equity interests in the VIE to a PRC entity or individual designated by us, to the extent permitted by PRC law. For individuals who are also our directors and officers, we rely on them to abide by the laws of the Cayman Islands, which provide that directors and officers owe a fiduciary duty to the company that requires them to act in good faith and in what they believe to be the best interests of the company and not to use their position for personal gains. The shareholders of our VIE have executed shareholders’ voting rights proxy agreement to appoint our WFOE or a person designated by our WFOE to vote on their behalf and exercise voting rights as shareholders of our VIE. If we cannot resolve any conflict of interest or dispute between us and the shareholders of our VIE, 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.

The shareholders of our VIE may be involved in personal disputes with third parties or other incidents that may have an adverse effect on their respective equity interests in the relevant VIE and the validity or enforceability of our contractual arrangements with the relevant entity and its shareholders. For example, in the event that any of the shareholders of our VIE divorces his or her spouse, the spouse may claim that the equity interest of the relevant VIE held by such shareholder is part of their community property and should be divided between such shareholder and his or her spouse. If such claim is supported by the court, the relevant equity interest may be obtained by the shareholder’s spouse or another third party who is not subject to obligations under our contractual arrangements, which could result in a loss of the effective control over the relevant VIE by us. Similarly, if any of the equity interests of our VIE is inherited by a third party with whom the current contractual arrangements are not binding, we could lose our control over the relevant VIE or have to maintain such control by incurring unpredictable costs, which could cause significant disruption to our business and operations and harm our financial condition and results of operations.

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 affected 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. We could face material and adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities determine that the VIE contractual arrangements 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,

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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. In addition, the PRC tax authorities may impose punitive interest on our VIE for the adjusted but unpaid taxes at the rate of 5% over the basic RMB lending rate published by the People’s Bank of China for a period 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 punitive interest.

We may lose the ability to use and enjoy assets held by our VIE that are material to the operation of certain portion of our business if the VIE goes bankrupt or become subject to a dissolution or liquidation proceeding.

As part of our contractual arrangements with our VIE, our VIE and its subsidiaries hold certain assets that are material to the operation of certain portion of our business. If our VIE goes bankrupt and all or part of its 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. Under the contractual arrangements, neither our VIE nor the shareholders of our VIE may not, in any manner, sell, transfer, mortgage or dispose of their assets or legal or beneficial interests in the business without our prior consent. If our VIE undergoes a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, independent third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of these assets, thereby hindering our ability to operate our business, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If the chops of our WFOE and our VIE are not kept safely, are stolen or are used by unauthorized persons or for unauthorized purposes, the corporate governance of these entities could be severely and adversely compromised.

In China, a company chop or seal serves as the legal representation of the company towards third parties even when unaccompanied by a signature. Each legally registered company in China is required to maintain a company chop, which must be registered with the local Public Security Bureau. In addition to this mandatory company chop, companies may have several other chops which can be used for specific purposes. The chops of our WFOE and VIE are generally held securely by personnel designated or approved by us in accordance with our internal control procedures. To the extent those chops are not kept safely, are stolen or are used by unauthorized persons or for unauthorized purposes, the corporate governance of these entities could be severely and adversely compromised and those corporate entities may be bound to abide by the terms of any documents so chopped, even if they were chopped by an individual who lacked the requisite power and authority to do so. In addition, if the chops are misused by unauthorized persons, we could experience disruption to our normal business operations. We may have to take corporate or legal action, which could involve significant time and resources to resolve while distracting management from our operations.

Risks Related to Doing Business in China

Changes in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Substantially all of our revenues are sourced from China. Accordingly, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be influenced to a significant degree by political, economic and social conditions in China generally. The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the level of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the Chinese government has implemented measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets, and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China is still owned by the government. In addition, the Chinese government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies.

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The Chinese government also exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through allocating resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy, and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies.

While the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth in recent decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. The Chinese government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy, but some may have a negative effect on us. For example, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments, monetary policy or changes in tax regulations. The growth rate of the Chinese economy has gradually slowed since 2010, and the impact of COVID-19 on the Chinese economy in 2020 is likely to be severe. Any prolonged slowdown in the Chinese economy may reduce the demand for our products and services and materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to you and us.

We conduct our business primarily through our WFOE and our VIE and its subsidiaries in China. Our operations in China are governed by PRC laws and regulations. Our WFOE is subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investment in China. The PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike the common law system, prior court decisions under the civil law system may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value. In addition, any new or changes in PRC laws and regulations related to foreign investment in China could affect the business environment and our ability to operate our business in China.

From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. Any administrative and court proceedings in China may be protracted, resulting in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. Since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory provisions and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. These uncertainties may impede our ability to enforce the contracts we have entered into and could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all and may have retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of any of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such unpredictability towards our contractual, property and procedural rights could adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations.

We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties and changes in PRC laws and regulation, and any lack of requisite approvals, licenses or permits applicable to our business may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions and results of operations.

Our business is subject to supervision and regulation by various governmental authorities in China, and such governmental authorities include the CAC, the MOFCOM, the MIIT, the State Administration for Market Regulation, or the SAMR, the National Health Commission, or the NHC, the MCT, the NRTA, and the corresponding local regulatory authorities. Such governmental authorities promulgate and enforce laws and regulations that cover a variety of business activities that relate to our operations, such as provision of internet information, sales of and internet advertisement, providing live streaming and short videos broadcasting services, online sale of pharmaceutical products, among other things. These regulations in general regulate the entry into, the permitted scope of, as well as approvals, licenses and permits for, the relevant business activities.

We have not obtained certain approvals, licenses and permits that may be required for some aspects of our business operations. For example, our platform offers short videos created by ourselves and our broadcasters.

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According to the PRC Administrative Provisions on Internet Audio-Visual Program Services, a provider of online audio-visual service is required to obtain a license for online transmission of audio-visual programs, or Audio-Visual License. We have not obtained the Audio-Visual License for providing internet audio-visual program services and content through our platform in China and we may not be eligible for the Audio-Visual License, because the current PRC laws and regulations require an applicant to be a wholly state-owned or state-controlled entity. Although we are looking for suitable licensed targets or partners to work with, identifying, negotiating and maintaining relationships with such licensed entities require significant time and resources. Though we have obtained a pharmaceutical operation license from the local counterpart of the SAMR in February 2020 through acquisition of license-holding targets for conducting pharmaceutical retail business, historically we did not hold the pharmaceutical operation license; we shall obtain a practicing license of medical institutions from the NHC if our health related services are deemed medical diagnosis and treatment services. We are making efforts to obtain all licenses and permits that are necessary to our various business activities, however, there is no assurance that we can timely obtain all such licenses and permits or that we will not be subject to penalty for operating without such licenses and permits.

Our mobile platform, Blued, is operated by our VIE, which holds an ICP license and a Network Culture Operation License and offers value-added telecommunication services through Blued, including features to show users profile at the top of the “nearby user list” and push users’ selected posts to the “now trending” section to bring them more viewership and fans, while our WFOE collected payment from such users for such services and recognized live streaming revenue and membership revenue prior to May 20, 2020. Since May 20, 2020, our VIE has started to collect payments and provided live streaming and membership services. Accordingly, we expect the revenue of our VIE will significantly increase. Due to the uncertainty regarding the interpretation of relevant concepts of value-added telecommunication services and cyber performance operation services, it is not clear whether our WFOE as a party receiving payments for such services rather than the actual business operator will also be deemed to be a service provider and be required to obtain an ICP license or a Network Culture Operation License. Although we consider that our WFOE was providing technical support rather than offering telecommunication services, and that our WFOE did not offer network culture products, there is no assurance that the governmental authorities, future legislations, interpretations and enforcement of law will reach the same conclusion.

We generate a substantial portion of our revenues from the live streaming services. On June 4, 2009, Ministry of Culture, the predecessor of the MCT, and the MOFCOM jointly issued Notice on the Strengthening of the Administration of Online Game Virtual Currency, or the Virtual Currency Notice, which defines what virtual currency is and requires that entities obtain the approval from the Ministry of Culture prior to issuing virtual currency and engaging in transactions using virtual currency in connection with online games. Although we do not think the Virtual Currency Notice applies to the operation of our live streaming business, given the wide discretion of the governmental authorities and uncertainties in the regulatory environment, there is no assurance that the governmental authorities will not in the future interpret the Virtual Currency Notice in a different way and subject our operation of live streaming business to the scope of the Virtual Currency Notice or issue new rules to regulate the virtual currency in the live streaming industry. In that case, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

We pay broadcasters through their talent agencies and the fees are determined based on a percentage of revenue from virtual gift sales that is attributed to the broadcasters’ live streams. Although we consider the nature of our relation with the talent agencies and the broadcasters as that between procurer and suppliers of services and that the users are purchasing the virtual gifts on our platform using beans, there is no assurance that the governmental authorities will view it in the same way. If the PRC governmental authorities consider that we are receiving the payment on behalf of the broadcasters or their talent agencies for their performance, we may be deemed as third-party payment service providers and be required to either obtain a license to conduct third-party payment business or to work with licensed payment service providers.

If the PRC governmental authorities consider that we are operating without proper approvals, licenses or permits, or new laws and regulations are promulgated that require us to obtain additional approvals or licenses or

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impose additional restrictions on the operation of any part of our business, the PRC governmental authorities have the power, among other things, to order timely rectification, impose 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, results of operations and financial condition.

Currently there is no law or regulation specifically governing virtual asset property rights and therefore it is not clear what liabilities, if any, live streaming platforms may have for virtual assets.

While participating on our platform, our users acquire, purchase and accumulate some virtual assets, such as gifts or certain status. Such virtual assets can be important to users and have monetary value and, in some cases, are sold for actual money. In practice, virtual assets can be lost for various reasons, often through unauthorized use of the user account of one user by other users and occasionally through data loss caused by delay of network service, network crash or hacking activities. Currently, there is no PRC law or regulation specifically governing virtual asset property rights. As a result, there is uncertainty as to who the legal owner of virtual assets is, whether and how the ownership of virtual assets is protected by law, and whether an operator of live streaming platform such as us would have any liability, whether in contract, tort or otherwise, to users or other interested parties, for loss of such virtual assets. Based on recent PRC court judgments, the courts have typically held online platform operators liable for losses of virtual assets by platform users, and ordered online platform operators to return the lost virtual items to users or pay damages and losses. In case of a loss of virtual assets, we may be sued by our users and held liable for damages, which may negatively affect our reputation and business, financial condition and results of operations.

You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing actions in China against us or our management named in the prospectus based on foreign laws.

We are a company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, we generate substantially all of our revenues from China and substantially all of our assets are located in China. In addition, all of our senior executive officers reside within China for a significant portion of the time and all are PRC nationals. As a result, it may be difficult for you to effect service of process upon us or those persons inside mainland China. It may also be difficult for you to enforce in U.S. courts judgments obtained in U.S. courts based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us and our officers and directors as none of them currently resides in the U.S. or has substantial assets located in the U.S. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands or the PRC would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts against us or such persons predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state.

The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other forms of reciprocal arrangement with the United States that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, the PRC courts will not enforce a foreign judgment against us or our directors and officers if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC laws or national sovereignty, security or public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the U.S.

It may be difficult for overseas regulators to conduct investigation or collect evidence within China.

There are significant legal and other obstacles in China to providing information needed for regulatory investigations or litigation initiated by regulators outside China. Although the 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, such cooperation with the securities regulatory

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authorities in the Unities States involves uncertainty. Furthermore, according to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law, or Article 177, which became effective in March 2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigation, evidence collection and other activities within the territory of the PRC. While detailed interpretation of or implementation rules under Article 177 have yet to be promulgated, the inability for an overseas securities regulator to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within China may further increase difficulties faced by you in protecting your interests.

We may rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our WFOE to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our WFOE 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 WFOE for our cash requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders for services of any debt we may incur. If any of our WFOE, VIE and its subsidiaries incurs debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us. Under PRC laws and regulations, our WFOE may pay dividends only out of its respective accumulated profits as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a certain statutory reserve fund, until the aggregate amount of such fund reaches 50% of its registered capital. At its discretion, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise may allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to a staff welfare and bonus fund. These reserve fund and staff welfare and bonus fund cannot be distributed to us as dividends.

Our WFOE, VIE and its subsidiaries generate primarily all of their revenue in RMB, which is not freely convertible into other currencies. As result, any restriction on currency exchange may limit the ability of our WFOE to use their RMB revenues to pay dividends to us.

The PRC government may continue to strengthen its capital controls, and more restrictions and substantial vetting process may be put forward by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or the SAFE, for cross-border transactions falling under both the current account and the capital account. Any limitation on the ability of our WFOE to pay dividends or make other kinds of payments to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business.

There are significant uncertainties under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law relating to the withholding tax liabilities of our WFOE, and dividends payable by our WFOE to our offshore subsidiaries may not qualify to enjoy certain treaty benefits.

Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules, the profits of a foreign-invested enterprise generated through operations, which are distributed to its immediate holding company outside of China, will be subject to a withholding tax rate of 10%. Pursuant to a special arrangement between Hong Kong and China, such rate may be reduced to 5% if a Hong Kong resident enterprise owns more than 25% of the equity interest in the PRC company. Our WFOE is wholly owned by BlueCity Holdings Hong Kong Limited, our Hong Kong subsidiary. Accordingly, BlueCity Holdings Hong Kong Limited may qualify for a 5% tax rate in respect of distributions from our WFOE. Under the Notice of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues regarding the Administration of the Dividend Provision in Tax Treaties promulgated in 2009, the taxpayer needs to satisfy certain conditions to enjoy the benefits under a tax treaty. These conditions include: (i) the taxpayer must be the beneficial owner of the relevant dividends, and (ii) the corporate shareholder to receive dividends from our WFOE must have met the direct ownership thresholds during the 12 consecutive months preceding the receipt of the dividends. Further, the State Administration of Taxation, or the SAT, promulgated the Notice on How to Understand and Recognize the “Beneficial Owner” in Tax Treaties in 2009, which limits the “beneficial owner” to individuals, enterprises or other organizations normally engaged in substantive operations, and sets forth certain detailed factors in determining “beneficial owner” status.

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Entitlement to a lower tax rate on dividends according to tax treaties or arrangements between the PRC central government and governments of other countries or regions is subject to the Administrative Measures for Non-Resident Taxpayers to Enjoy Treatments under Tax Treaties, which provides that non-resident enterprises are not required to obtain pre-approval from the relevant tax authority in order to enjoy the reduced withholding tax. Instead, non-resident enterprises and their withholding agents may, by self-assessment and on confirmation that the prescribed criteria to enjoy the tax treaty benefits are met, directly apply the reduced withholding tax rate, and file necessary forms and supporting documents when performing tax filings, which will be subject to post-tax filing examinations by the relevant tax authorities. As a result, there can be no assurance that we will be entitled to any preferential withholding tax rate under tax treaties for dividends received from our WFOE.

There are uncertainties with respect to value-added tax rates relating to the tax liabilities of our WFOE.

The PRC Ministry of Finance, the SAT and the General Administration of Customs promulgated the Announcement on Policies to Deepen Value-Added Tax Reform on March 20, 2019, which provides that the current value-added tax rate of 16% in manufacturing and other industries will be reduced to 13%, the current value-added tax rate of 10% in transportation and other industries will be reduced to 9%, and the value-added tax rate in value-added telecommunication service and other industries will remain at 6% from April 1, 2019. We are subject to value-added tax at a rate of 13% on our sale of medications and screening kits from April 1, 2019, less any deductible value-added tax we have already paid or borne. It is uncertain whether the value-added tax rate will be raised in the future, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. If we fail to comply with these regulations, we may be subject to sanctions including corrective orders, imposition of fines and confiscation of illegal gains.

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 using the proceeds of this offering to make loans or additional capital contributions to our WFOE, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.

We are an offshore holding company conducting our operations in China through our WFOE, VIE and its subsidiaries. We may make loans to our WFOE, VIE and its subsidiaries subject to the approval, registration, and filing with governmental authorities and limitation of amount, or we may make additional capital contributions to our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries in China. Any loans to our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries in China, which are treated as foreign-invested enterprises under PRC law, are subject to foreign exchange loan registrations. In addition, a foreign invested enterprise shall use its capital pursuant to the principle of authenticity and self-use within its business scope. The capital of a foreign invested enterprise shall not be used for the following purposes: (i) directly or indirectly used for payment beyond the business scope of the enterprises or the payment prohibited by relevant laws and regulations; (ii) directly or indirectly used for investment in securities or investments other than banks’ principal-secured products unless otherwise provided by relevant laws and regulations; (iii) the granting of loans to non-affiliated enterprises, except where it is expressly permitted in the business license; and (iv) paying the expenses related to the construction and purchase of real estate that is not for self-use (except for the foreign-invested real estate enterprises).

In light of the various requirements imposed by PRC regulations on loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies, there can be no assurance that we will be able to complete the necessary government registrations or obtain the necessary government approvals or filings on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future loans by us to our WFOE or VIE or with respect to future capital contributions by us to our WFOE. 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 and our ability to fund and expand our business.

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Implementation of the labor laws and regulations in China may adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Pursuant to the Labor Contract Law that took effect in January 2008, its implementation rules that took effect in September 2008 and its amendment that took effect 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. Due to lack of detailed interpretative rules and uniform implementation practices and broad discretion of the local competent authorities, it is uncertain as to how the labor contract law and its implementation rules will affect our current employment policies and practices. Our employment policies and practices may violate the labor contract law or its implementation rules, and we may thus be subject to related penalties, fines or legal fees. Compliance with the labor contract law and its implementation rules may increase our operating expenses, in particular our personnel expenses. 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 also limit our ability to effect those changes in a desirable or cost-effective manner, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

We expect our labor costs to increase due to the implementation of these laws and regulations. As the interpretation and implementation of these laws and regulations are still evolving, there can be no assurance that our employment practices will at all times be deemed in full compliance with 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.

Further, labor disputes, work stoppages or slowdowns at our company or any of our third-party service providers could significantly disrupt our daily operation or our expansion plans and have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our business may be negatively affected by the potential obligations to make additional social insurance and housing fund contributions.

We are required by PRC labor laws and regulations to pay various statutory employee benefits, including pensions insurance, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance and housing fund, to designated government agencies for the benefit of our employees and associates. The relevant government agencies may examine whether an employer has made adequate payments of the requisite statutory employee benefits, and employers who fail to make adequate payments may be subject to late payment fees, fines and/or other penalties. If the relevant PRC authorities determine that we shall make supplemental social insurance and housing fund contributions or that we are subject to fines and legal sanctions in relation to our failure to make social insurance and housing fund contributions in full for our employees, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

We may be subject to fines for failing to register and file lease agreements with the relevant governmental authorities in China.

According to the Administrative Measures for Commodity Housing Tenancy promulgated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, all leases are to be registered and filed with the relevant real estate administration bureaus in China. As of the date of the prospectus, certain leases relating to our offices in China had not been registered and filed with the relevant land and real estate administration bureaus in China. Our PRC legal advisers have advised us that failure to complete the registration and filing of lease agreements will not affect the validity of such leases or impede our use of the relevant properties but could result in the imposition of fines up to RMB10,000 for each leased property that is unregistered if we fail to rectify the noncompliance within the time frame prescribed by the relevant authorities.

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Fluctuation in the value of the RMB may have a material adverse effect on the value of your investment.

The value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in political and economic conditions in China and by China’s foreign exchange policies. On July 21, 2005, the PRC government changed its decade-old policy of pegging the value of the Renminbi to the U.S. dollar, and the Renminbi appreciated more than 20% against the U.S. dollar over the following three years. Between July 2008 and June 2010, this appreciation halted and the exchange rate between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar remained within a narrow band. Since June 2010, the Renminbi has fluctuated against the U.S. dollar, at times significantly and unpredictably. On November 30, 2015, the Executive Board of IMF completed the regular five-year review of the basket of currencies that make up the Special Drawing Right, or the SDR, and decided that with effect from October 1, 2016, Renminbi is determined to be a freely usable currency and will be included in the SDR basket as a fifth currency, along with the U.S. dollar, the Euro, the Japanese yen and the British pound. In the fourth quarter of 2016, the Renminbi has depreciated significantly in the backdrop of a surging U.S. dollar and persistent capital outflows of China. This depreciation halted in 2017, and the RMB appreciated approximately 7% against the U.S. dollar during this one-year period. With the development of the foreign exchange market and progress towards interest rate liberalization and Renminbi internationalization, the PRC government may in the future announce further changes to the exchange rate system, and there can be no assurance that the Renminbi will not appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the future. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar in the future.

Significant revaluation of the Renminbi may have a material and adverse effect on your investment. For example, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars we receive from this offering into Renminbi for our operations, appreciation of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the Renminbi amount we would receive from the conversion. Conversely, if we decide to convert our Renminbi into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs or for other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the Renminbi would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us.

Very limited hedging options are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. To date, we have not entered into any hedging transactions in an effort to reduce our exposure to foreign currency exchange risk. While we may decide to enter into hedging transactions in the future, the availability and effectiveness of these hedges may be limited and we may not be able to adequately hedge our exposure or at all. In addition, our currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert Renminbi into foreign currency.

Governmental control of currency conversion may limit our ability to utilize our revenues effectively and affect the value of your investment.

The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the Renminbi into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. We receive substantially all of our revenues in Renminbi. Under our current corporate structure, our Cayman Islands holding company primarily relies on dividend payments from our WFOE to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval of SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. Specifically, under the existing exchange restrictions, without prior approval of SAFE, cash generated from the operations of our WFOE in China may be used to pay dividends to our company. However, approval from or registration with appropriate governmental authorities is required where Renminbi is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. As a result, we need to obtain SAFE approval to use cash generated from the operations of our WFOE and VIE to pay off their respective debt in a currency other than Renminbi owed to entities outside of China, or to make other capital expenditure payments outside of China in a currency other than Renminbi.

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In light of the flood of capital outflows of China, the PRC government may from time to time impose more restrictive foreign exchange policies and step up scrutiny of major outbound capital movement. More restrictions and substantial vetting process may be required by SAFE or other governmental authorities to regulate cross-border transactions falling under the capital account. The PRC government may at its discretion restrict access to foreign currencies for current account transactions in the future. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy our foreign currency demands, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders, including holders of our ADSs.

China’s M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for certain acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.

Among other things, the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in 2006 and amended in 2009, established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex. Such regulation requires, among other things, that MOFCOM be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor acquires control of a PRC domestic enterprise and involves any of the following circumstances: (i) any important industry is concerned, (ii) such transaction involves factors that impact or may impact national economic security, or (iii) such transaction will lead to a change in control of a domestic enterprise which holds a famous trademark or PRC time-honored brand. We do not expect that this offering will trigger MOFCOM pre-notification under each of the above-mentioned circumstances or any review by other PRC governmental authorities, except as disclosed in “—The approval of the China Securities Regulatory Commission may be required in connection with this offering, and, if required, we cannot predict whether we will be able to obtain such approval.” Moreover, the Anti-Monopoly Law promulgated by the Standing Committee of the NPC which became effective in 2008 requires that transactions which are deemed concentrations and involve parties with specified turnover thresholds must be cleared by MOFCOM before they can be completed. In addition, PRC national security review rules that became effective in September 2011 require acquisitions by foreign investors of PRC companies engaged in military related or certain other industries that are crucial to national security be subject to security review before consummation of any such acquisition. We may pursue potential strategic acquisitions that are complementary to our business and operations. Complying with the requirements of these regulations to complete such transactions could be time-consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval or clearance from MOFCOM, may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.

PRC regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents may limit our WFOE’s ability to change its registered capital or distribute profits to us or otherwise expose us or our PRC resident beneficial owners to liability and penalties under PRC laws.

In July 2014, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment Through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37. SAFE Circular 37 requires PRC residents (including PRC individuals and PRC corporate entities as well as foreign individuals that are deemed as PRC residents for foreign exchange administration purpose) to register with SAFE or its local branches in connection with their direct or indirect offshore investment activities. SAFE Circular 37 further requires amendment to the SAFE registrations in the event of any changes with respect to the basic information of the offshore special purpose vehicle, such as change of a PRC individual shareholder, name and operation term, or any significant changes with respect to the offshore special purpose vehicle, such as increase or decrease of capital contribution, share transfer or exchange, or mergers or divisions. SAFE Circular 37 is applicable to our shareholders who are PRC residents and may be applicable to any offshore acquisitions that we make in the future.

If our shareholders who are PRC residents fail to make the required registration or to update the previously filed registration, our WFOE may be prohibited from distributing their profits or the proceeds from any capital

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reduction, share transfer or liquidation to us, and we may also be prohibited from making additional capital contributions into our WFOE.

In February 2015, SAFE promulgated a Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Foreign Exchange Administration Policy on Direct Investment, or SAFE Notice 13, effective June 2015. Under SAFE Notice 13, applications for foreign exchange registration of inbound foreign direct investments and outbound overseas direct investments, including those required under SAFE Circular 37, will be filed with qualified banks instead of SAFE. The qualified banks will directly examine the applications and accept registrations under the supervision of SAFE.

We may not be informed of the identities of all the PRC residents holding direct or indirect interest in our company, and we cannot provide any assurance that these PRC residents will comply with our request to make or obtain any applicable registrations or continuously comply with all requirements under SAFE Circular No. 37 or other related rules. The failure or inability of the relevant shareholders to comply with the registration procedures set forth in these regulations may subject us to fines and legal sanctions, such as restrictions on our cross- border investment activities, on the ability of our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries in China to distribute dividends and the proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation to us. Moreover, failure to comply with the various foreign exchange registration requirements described above could result in liability under PRC law for circumventing applicable foreign exchange restrictions. As a result, our business operations and our ability to distribute profits to you could be materially and 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, 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 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 and who have been granted options will be subject to these regulations when our company becomes an overseas-listed company upon the completion of this offering. Failure to complete SAFE registrations may subject them to fines of up to RMB300,000 for entities and up to RMB50,000 for individuals, and legal sanctions and may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital into our WFOE and limit our WFOE’s ability to distribute dividends to us. We may also face regulatory uncertainties that could restrict our ability to adopt additional incentive plans for our directors, executive officers and employees under PRC law. See “Regulation—Regulation Relating to Foreign Exchange—Regulations on Stock Incentive Plans.”

In addition, the SAT has issued certain circulars concerning employee share options and restricted shares. Under these circulars, our employees working in China who exercise share options or are granted restricted shares will be subject to PRC individual income tax. Our WFOE has obligations to file documents related to employee share options or restricted shares with relevant tax authorities and to withhold individual income taxes of those employees who exercise their share options. If our employees fail to pay or we fail to withhold their income taxes according to relevant laws and regulations, we may face sanctions imposed by the tax authorities or other PRC governmental authorities. See “Regulation—Regulation Relating to Foreign Exchange—Regulations on Stock Incentive Plans.”

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If we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC income tax purposes, such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders or ADS holders.

Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules, an enterprise established outside of the PRC with “de facto management body” within the PRC is considered a “resident enterprise” and will be subject to the enterprise income tax on its global income at the rate of 25%. The implementation rules define the term “de facto management body” as the body that exercises full and substantial control and overall management over the business, productions, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise. In 2009, the SAT issued a circular, known as SAT Circular 82, which provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de facto management body” of a PRC-controlled enterprise that is incorporated offshore is located in China. Although this circular only applies to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups, not those controlled by PRC individuals or foreigners, the criteria set forth in the circular may reflect the SAT’s general position on how the “de facto management body” text should be applied in determining the tax resident status of all offshore enterprises.

According to SAT Circular 82, an offshore incorporated enterprise controlled by a PRC enterprise or a PRC enterprise group will be regarded as a PRC tax resident by virtue of having its “de facto management body” in China and will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax on its global income only if all of the following conditions are met: (i) the primary location of the day-to-day operational management is in the PRC; (ii) decisions relating to the enterprise’s financial and human resource matters are made or are subject to approval by organizations or personnel in the PRC; (iii) the enterprise’s primary assets, accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholder resolutions, are located or maintained in the PRC; and (iv) at least 50% of voting board members or senior executives habitually reside in the PRC.

We believe that we are not a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes. However, the tax resident status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term “de facto management body.” If the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes, we could be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 25% on our worldwide income, which could materially reduce our net income, and we may be required to withhold a 10% withholding tax from dividends we pay to our shareholders that are non-resident enterprises, including the holders of our ADSs. In addition, non-resident enterprise shareholders (including our ADS holders) may be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 10% on gains realized on the sale or other disposition of ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, if such income is treated as sourced from within the PRC. Furthermore, if we are deemed a PRC resident enterprise, dividends payable to our non-PRC individual shareholders (including our ADS holders) and any gain realized on the transfer of ADSs or Class A ordinary shares by such shareholders may be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 20% (which, in the case of dividends, may be withheld at source by us), if such income or gains are deemed to be from PRC sources. Any PRC tax imposed on dividends or gains may be subject to reduction if a reduced rate is available under an applicable tax treaty. It is unclear whether non-PRC shareholders of our company 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. Any PRC tax may reduce the returns on your investment in the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares.

We face uncertainty with respect to indirect transfers of equity interests in PRC resident enterprises by their non-PRC holding companies.

Pursuant to the Notice on Strengthening Administration of Enterprise Income Tax for Share Transfers by Non-PRC Resident Enterprises, or SAT Circular 698, issued by the SAT in 2009 with retroactive effect from January 1, 2008, where a non-resident enterprise transfers the equity interests of a PRC resident enterprise indirectly by disposition of the equity interests of an overseas holding company, or an Indirect Transfer, and such overseas holding company is located in a tax jurisdiction that: (i) has an effective tax rate less than 12.5% or (ii) does not tax foreign income of its residents, the non-resident enterprise, being the transferor, shall report to the competent tax authority of the PRC resident enterprise this Indirect Transfer.

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In February 2015, the SAT issued a Public Notice Regarding Certain Corporate Income Tax Matters on Indirect Transfer of Properties by Non-Tax Resident Enterprises, or SAT Circular 7. SAT Circular 7 supersedes the rules with respect to the Indirect Transfer under SAT Circular 698, but does not touch upon the other provisions of SAT Circular 698, which remain in force. SAT Circular 7 has introduced a new tax regime that is significantly different from the previous one under SAT Circular 698. SAT Circular 7 extends its tax jurisdiction to not only Indirect Transfers set forth under SAT Circular 698 but also transactions involving transfer of immovable property in China and assets held under the establishment, and placement in China, of a foreign company through the offshore transfer of a foreign intermediate holding company. In addition, SAT Circular 7 provides clearer criteria than SAT Circular 698 for assessment of reasonable commercial purposes and has introduced safe harbors for internal group restructurings and the purchase and sale of equity through a public securities market. SAT Circular 7 also brings challenges to both foreign transferor and transferee (or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer) of taxable assets. Where a non-resident enterprise transfers taxable assets indirectly by disposing of the equity interests of an overseas holding company, which is an Indirect Transfer, the non-resident enterprise as either transferor or transferee, or the PRC entity that directly owns the taxable assets, may report such Indirect Transfer to the relevant tax authority. Using a “substance over form” principle, the PRC tax authority may disregard the existence of the overseas holding company if it lacks a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of reducing, avoiding or deferring PRC tax. As a result, gains derived from such Indirect Transfer may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax, and the transferee or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer is obligated to withhold the applicable taxes, currently at a rate of 10% for the transfer of equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise. Both the transferor and the transferee may be subject to penalties under PRC tax laws if the transferee fails to withhold the taxes and the transferor fails to pay the taxes.

In October 2017, the SAT issued an Announcement on Issues Relating to Withholding at Source of Income Tax of Non-resident Enterprises, or SAT Circular 37. Effective December 2017, SAT Circular 37, among others, repealed the Circular 698 and amended certain provisions in SAT Circular 7. According to SAT Circular 37, where the non-resident enterprise fails to declare the tax payable pursuant to Article 39 of the Enterprise Income Tax, the tax authority may order it to pay the tax due within required time limits, and the non-resident enterprise shall declare and pay the tax payable within such time limits specified by the tax authority. However, if the non-resident enterprise voluntarily declares and pays the tax payable before the tax authority orders it to do so within required time limits, it shall be deemed that such enterprise has paid the tax in time.

We face uncertainties as to the reporting and other implications of certain past and future transactions where PRC taxable assets are involved, such as offshore restructuring, sale of the shares in our offshore subsidiaries and investments. Our company may be subject to filing obligations or taxed if our company is transferor in such transactions, and may be subject to withholding obligations if our company is transferee in such transactions, under SAT Circular 7 and SAT Circular 37. For transfer of shares in our company by investors who are non-PRC resident enterprises, our PRC subsidiary may be requested to assist in the filing under SAT circulars. As a result, we may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with SAT circulars or to request the relevant transferors from whom we purchase taxable assets to comply with these circulars, or to establish that our company should not be taxed under these circulars, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

The approval of the China Securities Regulatory Commission may be required in connection with this offering, and, if required, we cannot predict whether we will be able to obtain such approval.

The M&A Rules require an overseas special purpose vehicles that are controlled by PRC companies or individuals formed for the purpose of seeking a public listing on an overseas stock exchange through acquisitions of PRC domestic companies using shares of such special purpose vehicles or held by its shareholders as considerations to obtain the approval of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, prior to the listing and trading of such special purpose vehicle’s securities on an overseas stock exchange. However, the application of the M&A Rules remains unclear. If CSRC approval is required, it is uncertain whether it would be

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possible for us to obtain the approval, and any failure to obtain or delay in obtaining CSRC approval for this offering would subject us to sanctions imposed by the CSRC and other PRC regulatory agencies.

Our PRC counsel has advised us based on their understanding of the current PRC laws, rules and regulations that the CSRC’s approval may not be required for the listing and trading of our ADSs on Nasdaq in the context of this offering, given that: (i) our PRC subsidiary was incorporated as wholly foreign-owned enterprises by means of direct investment rather than by merger or acquisition of equity interest or assets of a PRC domestic company owned by PRC companies or individuals as defined under the M&A Rules that are our beneficial owners, and (ii) we do not constitute a “special purpose vehicle,” to which the relevant provisions of the M&A Rules are applicable.

However, our PRC counsel has further advised us that there remains some uncertainty as to how the M&A Rules will be interpreted or implemented in the context of an overseas offering and its opinions summarized above are subject to any new laws, rules and regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations in any form relating to the M&A Rules. There can be no assurance that relevant PRC government agencies, including the CSRC, would reach the same conclusion as we do. If it is determined that CSRC approval is required for this offering, we may face sanctions by the CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies for failure to seek CSRC approval for this offering. These sanctions may include fines and penalties on our operations in the PRC, limitations on our operating privileges in the PRC, delays in or restrictions on the repatriation of the proceeds from this offering into the PRC, restrictions on or prohibition of the payments or remittance of dividends by our subsidiaries in China, or other actions that could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, reputation and prospects, as well as the trading price of our ADSs. The CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies may also take actions requiring us, or making it advisable for us, to halt this offering before the settlement and delivery of the ADSs that we are offering. Consequently, if you engage in market trading or other activities in anticipation of and prior to the settlement and delivery of the ADSs we are offering, you would be doing so at the risk that the settlement and delivery may not occur. In addition, if the CSRC or other regulatory agencies later promulgate new rules or explanations requiring that we obtain their approvals for this offering, we may be unable to obtain a waiver of such approval requirements, if and when procedures are established to obtain such a waiver.

The audit report included in this prospectus is prepared by an auditor who is not inspected by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and as such, investors may be deprived of the benefits of such inspection.

Our independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included in our prospectus filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the laws of the United States and professional standards. Because our auditors are located in China, a jurisdiction where the PCAOB is currently unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the PRC authorities, our auditors are not currently inspected by the PCAOB.

On December 7, 2018, the SEC and the PCAOB issued a joint statement highlighting continued challenges faced by the U.S. regulators in their oversight of financial statement audits of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China. The joint statement reflects a heightened interest in an issue that has vexed U.S. regulators in recent years. However, it remains unclear what further actions, if any, the SEC and PCAOB will take to address the problem. On April 21, 2020, the SEC and the PCAOB issued another joint statement reiterating the greater risk that disclosures will be insufficient in many emerging markets, including China, compared to those made by domestic U.S. companies. In discussing the specific issues related to the greater risk, the statement again highlights the PCAOB’s inability to inspect audit work papers and practices of accounting firms in China, with respect to their audit work of U.S. reporting companies.

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Inspections of other firms that the PCAOB has conducted outside of China have identified deficiencies in those firms’ audit procedures and quality control procedures, which may be addressed as part of the inspection process to improve future audit quality. The lack of PCAOB inspections in China prevents the PCAOB from regularly evaluating our auditor’s audits and its quality control procedures. As a result, investors may be deprived of the benefits of PCAOB inspections.

The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of China that are subject to PCAOB inspections. Investors may lose confidence in our reported financial information and procedures and the quality of our financial statements.

As part of a legislative focus in the United States on access to audit and other information currently protected by national law, in particular China’s, in June 2019, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced bills in both houses of the U.S. Congress, which if passed, would require the SEC to maintain a list of issuers for which PCAOB is not able to inspect or investigate an auditor report issued by a foreign public accounting firm. The proposed Ensuring Quality Information and Transparency for Abroad-Based Listings on our Exchanges (EQUITABLE) Act prescribes increased disclosure requirements for these issuers and, beginning in 2025, the delisting from U.S. national securities exchanges such as the NYSE of issuers included on the SEC’s list for three consecutive years. On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed S. 945, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the “Kennedy Bill”). If passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed by the U.S. President, the Kennedy Bill would amend the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to direct the SEC to prohibit securities of any registrant from being listed on any of the U.S. securities exchanges or traded “over-the-counter” if the auditor of the registrant’s financial statements is not subject to PCAOB inspection for three consecutive years after the law becomes effective. On June 4, 2020, the U.S. President issued a memorandum ordering the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets to submit a report to the President within 60 days of the memorandum that includes recommendations for actions that can be taken by the executive branch and by the SEC or PCAOB on Chinese companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges and their audit firms, in an effort to protect investors in the U.S. Enactment of any of such legislations or other efforts to increase U.S. regulatory access to audit information could cause investor uncertainty for affected issuers, including us, the market price of our ADSs could be adversely affected, and we could be delisted if we are unable to cure the situation to meet the PCAOB inspection requirement in time. It is unclear if and when any of such proposed legislations will be enacted. Furthermore, there have been recent media reports on deliberations within the U.S. government regarding potentially limiting or restricting China-based companies from accessing U.S. capital markets. If any such deliberations were to materialize, the resulting legislation may have material and adverse impact on the stock performance of China-based issuers listed in the United States.

Proceedings instituted by the SEC against PRC affiliates of the “big four” accounting firms, including our independent registered public accounting firm, could result in financial statements being determined to not be in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act.

In December 2012, the SEC brought administrative proceedings against the PRC-based affiliates of the Big Four accounting firms, including our independent registered public accounting firm, alleging that they had violated U.S. securities laws and the SEC’s rules and regulations thereunder by failing to provide to the SEC the firms’ audit work papers and other documents related to certain other PRC-based companies that are publicly traded in the United States.

On January 22, 2014, the administrative law judge, or the ALJ, presiding over the matter rendered an initial decision that each of the firms had violated the SEC’s rules of practice by failing to produce audit papers and other documents to the SEC. The initial decision censured each of the firms and barred them from practicing before the SEC for a period of six months. The decision was neither final nor legally effective until reviewed and approved by the SEC, and on February 12, 2014, the PRC-based accounting firms appealed to the SEC against this decision.

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On February 6, 2015, the four PRC-based accounting firms each agreed to a censure and to pay a fine to the SEC to settle the dispute and avoid suspension of their ability to practice before the SEC and audit U.S.-listed companies. The settlement required the firms to follow detailed procedures and to seek to provide the SEC with access to Chinese firms’ audit documents via the CSRC. Under the terms of the settlement, the underlying proceeding against the four PRC-based accounting firms was deemed dismissed with prejudice four years after entry of the settlement. The four-year mark occurred on February 6, 2019. It is uncertain whether the SEC will further challenge the four PRC-based accounting firms’ compliance with U.S. laws in connection with U.S. regulatory requests for audit work papers or if the results of such a challenge would result in the SEC imposing penalties such as suspensions. If additional remedial measures are imposed on the PRC-based affiliates of the “big four” accounting firms, including our independent registered public accounting firm, we could be unable to timely file future financial statements in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act.

In the event that the PRC affiliates of the “big four” become subject to additional legal challenges by the SEC or PCAOB, depending upon the final outcome, listed companies in the United States with major PRC operations may find it difficult or impossible to retain auditors in respect of their operations in the PRC, which could result in financial statements being determined to not be in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, including possible delisting. Moreover, any negative news about the proceedings against these audit firms may cause investor uncertainty regarding PRC-based, United States-listed companies and the market price of our ADSs may be adversely affected.

If our independent registered public accounting firm was denied, even temporarily, the ability to practice before the SEC and we were unable to timely find another registered public accounting firm to audit and issue an opinion on our financial statements, our financial statements could be determined not to be in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act. Such a determination could ultimately lead to the delisting of our ADSs from Nasdaq or deregistration from the SEC, or both, which would substantially reduce or effectively terminate the trading of our ADSs in the United States.

Risks Related to our ADSs and This Offering

An active trading market for our ADSs may not develop and the trading price for our ADSs may fluctuate significantly.

We have applied to list our ADSs on the Nasdaq Global Market. We have no current intention to seek a listing for our Class A ordinary shares on any stock exchange. Prior to the completion of this offering, there has been no public market for our ADSs or our Class A ordinary shares, and there can be no assurance that a liquid public market for our ADSs will develop. If an active public market for our ADSs does not develop following the completion of this offering, the market price and liquidity of our ADSs may be materially and adversely affected. The initial public offering price for our ADSs was determined by negotiation between us and the underwriters based upon several factors, and we can provide no assurance that the trading price of our ADSs after this offering will not decline below the initial public offering price. As a result, investors in our securities may experience a significant decrease in the value of their ADSs.

The market price for our ADSs may be volatile.

The trading price of our ADSs is likely to be volatile and could fluctuate widely due to factors beyond our control. This may happen because of broad market and industry factors, including the performance and fluctuation of the market prices of other companies with business operations located mainly in China that have listed their securities in the United States. In addition to market and industry factors, the price and trading volume for our ADSs may be highly volatile for factors specific to our own operations, including the following:

• variations in our revenues, earnings, cash flow and data related to our user base or user engagement;

• announcements of new investments, acquisitions, strategic partnerships or joint ventures by us or our competitors;

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• announcements of new product and service offerings, solutions and expansions by us or our competitors;

• announcements of new laws and regulations or interpretations of existing laws and regulations that affect our business;

• changes in financial estimates by securities analysts;

• detrimental adverse publicity about us, our products and services or our industries;

• additions or departures of key personnel;

• release of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our outstanding equity securities or sales of additional equity securities; and

• actual or potential litigation or regulatory investigations.

Any of these factors may result in large and sudden changes in the volume and price at which our ADSs will trade.

In the past, shareholders of public companies have often brought securities class action suits against those companies following periods of instability in the market price of their securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a significant amount of our management’s attention and other resources from our business and operations and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit, which could harm our results of operations. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the market price for our ADSs and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our ADSs will be influenced by research or reports that industry or securities analysts publish about our business. If one or more analysts who cover us downgrade our ADSs, the market price for our ADSs would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease to cover us or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the market price or trading volume for our ADSs to decline.

The sale or availability for sale of substantial amounts of our ADSs could adversely affect their market price.

Sales of substantial amounts of our ADSs 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 ADSs and could materially impair our ability to raise capital through equity offerings in the future. The ADSs 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. There will be              ADSs (equivalent to              Class A ordinary shares) outstanding immediately after this offering, or              ADSs (equivalent to              Class A ordinary shares) if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional ADSs in full. In connection with this offering, we and our officers, directors, existing shareholders, certain option holders have agreed not to sell any Class A ordinary shares or ADSs for 180 days after the date of this prospectus without the prior written consent of the underwriters, subject to certain exceptions. However, the underwriters may release these securities from these restrictions at any time, subject to applicable regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. 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 ADSs. See “Underwriting” and “Shares Eligible for Future Sale” for a more detailed description of the restrictions on selling our securities after this offering.

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Because we do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future after this offering, you must rely on price appreciation of our ADSs 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 our ADSs 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 ADSs will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of our ADSs. There is no guarantee that our ADSs will appreciate in value after this offering or even maintain the price at which you purchased the ADSs. You may not realize a return on your investment in our ADSs and you may even lose your entire investment in our ADSs.

Because the initial public offering price is substantially higher than our net tangible book value per share, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution.

If you purchase ADSs in this offering, you will pay more for each ADS than the corresponding amount paid by existing shareholders for their ordinary shares. As a result, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution of US$             per ADS (assuming that no outstanding options to acquire ordinary shares are exercised). This number represents the difference between the initial public offering price of US$             per ADS and our net tangible book value per ADS as of December 31, 2019, after giving effect to this offering. See “Dilution” for a more complete description of how the value of your investment in our ADSs will be diluted upon the completion of this offering.

Our proposed dual-class voting structure will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any change of control transactions that holders of our Class A ordinary shares and the ADSs may view as beneficial.

Immediately prior to the completion of this offering, we will have a dual-class ordinary share structure. Our ordinary shares will be divided into Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. Holders of Class A ordinary shares will be entitled to one vote per share, while holders of Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to five votes per share. Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof, while Class A ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances. Upon any transfer of Class B ordinary shares by a holder thereof to any person or entity that is not an affiliate of such holder, such Class B ordinary shares shall be automatically and immediately converted into the equal number of Class A ordinary shares.

Immediately prior to the completion of this offering, all of the 5,614,840 ordinary shares held by BlueCity Media Limited, an entity controlled by Mr. Baoli Ma, our founder, chairman and chief executive officer, will be re-designated as Class B ordinary shares. Upon the completion of this offering, Mr. Baoli Ma will beneficially own an aggregate of 5,614,840 Class B ordinary shares, which will represent         % of our total voting power, assuming the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option, or representing         % of our total voting power if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full. Therefore, upon the completion of this offering, Mr. Baoli Ma will have decisive influence over matters requiring shareholders’ approval, including election of directors and significant corporate transactions, such as a merger or sale of our company or our assets. This concentrated control will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any potential merger, takeover or other change of control transactions that holders of our Class A ordinary shares and the ADSs may view as beneficial.

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

S&P Dow Jones and FTSE Russell have previously 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 the ADSs representing 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 the ADSs representing 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 the ADSs.

You must rely on the judgment of our management as to the use of the net proceeds from this offering, and such use may not produce income or increase our ADS price.

Our management will have considerable discretion in the application of the net proceeds received by us. You will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether proceeds are being used appropriately. The net proceeds may be used for corporate purposes that do not improve our efforts to achieve or maintain profitability or increase our ADS price. The net proceeds from this offering may be placed in investments that do not produce income or that lose value.

There can be no assurance that we will not be a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for United States federal income tax purposes for any taxable year, which could subject United States investors in our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares to significant adverse United States income tax consequences.

We will be classified as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for United States federal income tax purposes for any taxable year if either (a) 75% or more of our gross income for such year consists of certain types of “passive” income or (b) 50% or more of the value of our assets (generally determined on the basis of a quarterly average) during such year produce or are held for the production of passive income (the “asset test”). Although the law in this regard is unclear, we intend to treat our VIE (including its subsidiaries) as being owned by us for United States federal income tax purposes, not only because we exercise effective control over the operation of such entities but also because we are entitled to substantially all of their economic benefits, and, as a result, we consolidate their results of operations in our consolidated financial statements. Assuming that we are the owner of our VIE (including its subsidiaries) for United States federal income tax purposes, and based upon our current and expected income and assets, including goodwill and other unbooked intangibles not reflected on our balance sheet (taking into account the expected proceeds from this offering) and projections as to the market price of our ADSs following the offering, we do not presently expect to be a PFIC for the current taxable year or the foreseeable future.

While we do not expect to become a PFIC, because the value of our assets for purposes of the asset test may be determined by reference to the market price of our ADSs, fluctuations in the market price of our ADSs may cause us to become a PFIC for the current or subsequent taxable years. The determination of whether we will be or become a PFIC will also depend, in part, on the composition of our income and assets. In addition, the composition of our income and assets will also be affected by how, and how quickly, we use our liquid assets and the cash raised in this offering. If we determine not to deploy significant amounts of cash for active purposes or if it were determined that we do not own the stock of our VIE for United States federal income tax purposes, our risk of being a PFIC may substantially increase. Because PFIC status is a factual determination made annually after the close of each taxable year, there can be no assurance that we will not be a PFIC for the current taxable year or any future taxable year.

If we are a PFIC in any taxable year, a U.S. Holder (as defined in “Taxation—United States Federal Income Tax Considerations”) may incur significantly increased United States income tax on gain recognized on the sale

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or other disposition of the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares and on the receipt of distributions on the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares to the extent such gain or distribution is treated as an “excess distribution” under the United States federal income tax rules, and such U.S. Holder may be subject to burdensome reporting requirements. Further, if we are a PFIC for any year during which a U.S. Holder holds our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, we generally will continue to be treated as a PFIC for all succeeding years during which such U.S. Holder holds our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares. For more information see “Taxation—United States Federal Income Tax Considerations—Passive Foreign Investment Company Considerations” and “Taxation—United States Federal Income Tax Considerations—Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.”

The voting rights of holders of ADSs are limited by the terms of the deposit agreement, and you may not be able to exercise your right to direct the voting of the underlying Class A ordinary shares which are represented by your ADSs.

As a holder of our ADSs, you will only be able to exercise the voting rights with respect to the underlying Class A ordinary shares representing your ADSs in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement. Under the deposit agreement, you must vote by giving voting instructions to the depositary. Upon receipt of your voting instructions, the depositary will vote the underlying Class A ordinary shares representing your ADSs in accordance with these instructions. You will not be able to directly exercise your right to vote with respect to the underlying Class A ordinary shares representing your ADSs unless you withdraw the shares and become the registered holder of such shares prior to the record date for the general meeting. When a general meeting is convened, you may not receive sufficient advance notice enable you to withdraw the Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs and become the registered holder of such shares prior to the record date of the general meeting to allow you to vote with respect to any specific matter. In addition, under our post-offering amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that will become effective immediately upon completion of this offering, for the purposes of determining those shareholders who are entitled to attend and vote at any general meeting, our directors may close our register of members or fix in advance a record date for such meeting, and such closure of our register of members or the setting of such a record date may prevent you from withdrawing the Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs and becoming the registered holder of such shares prior to the record date, so that you would not be able to attend the general meeting or to vote directly. Where any matter is to be put to a vote at a general meeting, the depositary will use its best endeavors to notify you of the upcoming vote and to deliver our voting materials to you. There can be no assurance that you will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that you can instruct the depositary to vote your Class A ordinary shares. In addition, the depositary and its agents are not responsible for failing to carry out voting instructions or for their manner of carrying out your voting instructions. This means that you may not be able to exercise your right to vote and you may have no legal remedy if the Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs are not voted as you requested.

Except in limited circumstances, the depositary for our ADSs will give us a discretionary proxy to vote the Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs if you do not vote at shareholders’ meetings, which could adversely affect your interests.

Under the deposit agreement for the ADSs, if you do not timely and properly give voting instructions to the depository as to how to vote the Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs, the depositary will give us or our nominee a discretionary proxy to vote the Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs at shareholders’ meetings unless:

• we have instructed the depositary that we do not wish a discretionary proxy to be given;

• we have informed the depositary that there is substantial opposition as to a matter to be voted on at the meeting;

• a matter to be voted on at the meeting would have a material adverse impact on shareholders; or

• the voting at the meeting is to be made on a show of hands.

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The effect of this discretionary proxy is that if you do not timely and properly give voting instructions to the depository as to how to vote the Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs at shareholders’ meetings, you cannot prevent such Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs from being voted, except under the circumstances described above. This may make it more difficult for shareholders to influence the management of our company. Holders of our Class A ordinary shares are not subject to this discretionary proxy.

Your rights to pursue claims against the depositary as a holder of ADSs are limited by the terms of the deposit agreement.

Under the deposit agreement, any action or proceeding against or involving the depositary, arising out of or based upon the deposit agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby or by virtue of owning the ADSs may only be instituted in a state or federal court in New York, New York, and you, as a holder of our ADSs, will have irrevocably waived any objection which you may have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding, and irrevocably submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such action or proceeding. The depositary may, in its sole discretion, require that any dispute or difference arising from the relationship created by the deposit agreement be referred to and finally settled by an arbitration conducted under the terms described in the deposit agreement, although the arbitration provisions do not preclude you from pursuing claims under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act in state or federal courts. See “Description of American Depositary Shares” for more information.

ADSs holders may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to claims arising under the deposit agreement, which could result in less favorable outcomes to the plaintiff(s) in any such action.

The deposit agreement governing the ADSs representing our Class A ordinary shares provides that, subject to the depositary’s right to require a claim to be submitted to arbitration, the federal or state courts in the City of New York have exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine claims arising under the deposit agreement and in that regard, to the fullest extent permitted by law, ADS holders waive the right to a jury trial of any claim they may have against us or the depositary arising out of or relating to our ordinary shares, the ADSs or the deposit agreement, including any claim under the U.S. federal securities laws.

If we or the depositary opposed a jury trial demand based on the waiver, the court would determine whether the waiver was enforceable based on the facts and circumstances of that case in accordance with the applicable state and federal law. To our knowledge, the enforceability of a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver in connection with claims arising under the federal securities laws has not been finally adjudicated by the United States Supreme Court. However, we believe that a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver provision is generally enforceable, including under the laws of the State of New York, which govern the deposit agreement. In determining whether to enforce a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver provision, courts will generally consider whether a party knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily waived the right to a jury trial. We believe that this is the case with respect to the deposit agreement and the ADSs. It is advisable that you consult legal counsel regarding the jury waiver provision before investing in the ADSs.

If you or any other holders or beneficial owners of ADSs bring a claim against us or the depositary in connection with matters arising under the deposit agreement or the ADSs, including claims under federal securities laws, you or such other holder or beneficial owner may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to such claims, which may have the effect of limiting and discouraging lawsuits against us and/or the depositary. If a lawsuit is brought against us and/or the depositary under the deposit agreement, it may be heard only by a judge or justice of the applicable trial court, which would be conducted according to different civil procedures and may result in different outcomes than a trial by jury would have had, including results that could be less favorable to the plaintiff(s) in any such action.

Nevertheless, if this jury trial waiver provision is not enforced, to the extent a court action proceeds, it would proceed under the terms of the deposit agreement with a jury trial. No condition, stipulation or provision

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of the deposit agreement or ADSs shall relieve us or the depositary from our respective obligations to comply with the Securities Act and Exchange Act.

You may experience dilution of your holdings due to inability to participate in rights offerings.

We may from time to time distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire our securities. However, we cannot make such rights available to you in the United States unless we register both the rights and the securities to which the rights relate under the Securities Act or an exemption from the registration requirements is available. Under the deposit agreement, the depositary will not make rights available to you unless both the rights and the underlying securities to be distributed to ADS holders are either registered under the Securities Act or exempt from registration under the Securities Act. We are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to any such rights or securities or to endeavor to cause such a registration statement to be declared effective and we may not be able to establish a necessary exemption from registration under the Securities Act. Accordingly, you may be unable to participate in our rights offerings in the future and may experience dilution in your holdings.

You may not receive dividends or other distributions on our Class A ordinary shares and you may not receive any value for them, if it is illegal or impractical to make them available to you.

The depositary of our ADSs has agreed to pay to you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on Class A ordinary shares or other deposited securities underlying our ADSs, after deducting its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of Class A ordinary shares your ADSs represent. However, the depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to any holders of ADSs. For example, it would be unlawful to make a distribution to a holder of ADSs if it consists of securities that require registration under the Securities Act but that are not properly registered or distributed under an applicable exemption from registration. The depositary may also determine that it is not feasible to distribute certain property through the mail. Additionally, the value of certain distributions may be less than the cost of mailing them. In these cases, the depositary may determine not to distribute such property. We have no obligation to register under U.S. securities laws any ADSs, Class A ordinary shares, rights or other securities received through such distributions. We also have no obligation to take any other action to permit the distribution of ADSs, Class A ordinary shares, rights or anything else to holders of ADSs. This means that you may not receive distributions we make on our Class A ordinary shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical for us to make them available to you. These restrictions may cause a material decline in the value of our ADSs.

You may be subject to limitations on transfer of your ADSs.

Your ADSs are transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the depositary may close its books at any time or from time to time when it deems expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. The depositary may close its books from time to time for a number of reasons, including in connection with corporate events such as a rights offering, during which time the depositary needs to maintain an exact number of ADS holders on its books for a specified period. The depositary may also close its books in emergencies, and on weekends and public holidays. The depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of our ADSs generally when our share register or the books of the depositary are closed, or at any time if we or the depositary thinks that it is advisable to do so because of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body, or under any provision of the deposit agreement, or for any other reason in accordance with the terms of the deposit agreement. As a result, you may be unable to transfer your ADSs when you wish to.

Our 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 and ADSs.

We have conditionally adopted an amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that will become effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering. Our post-offering memorandum and

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articles of association will contain provisions that could limit the ability of others to acquire control of our company or cause us to engage in change-of-control transactions. These provisions could have the effect of depriving our shareholders of an opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain control of our company in a tender offer or similar transaction. In addition, our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our shareholders, to issue preferred shares in one or more series and to fix their designations, powers, preferences, privileges, and relative participating, optional or special rights and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the rights associated with our Class A ordinary shares, in the form of ADS or otherwise. Preferred shares could be issued quickly with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change in control of our company or make removal of management more difficult. If our board of directors decides to issue preferred shares, the price of our ADSs may fall and the voting and other rights of the holders of our Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may be materially and adversely affected.

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.

We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. Our corporate affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Law (2020 Revision) of the Cayman Islands and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against our directors, actions by our minority shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors owed 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 duties of our directors owed to us 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 has 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.

The notice of registered office is a matter of public record. A list of the names of the current directors and alternate directors (if applicable) are made available by the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands for inspection by any person on payment of a fee. The register of mortgages is open to inspection by creditors and members. Shareholders of Cayman Islands exempted companies like us have no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate records (other than the memorandum and articles of association and any special resolutions passed by such companies) or to obtain copies of lists of shareholders of these companies. Our directors have discretion under our post-offering memorandum and 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.

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 our management, members of our board of directors or our 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 Law (2020 Revision) 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.”

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We are an emerging growth company within the meaning of the Securities Act and may take advantage of certain reduced reporting requirements.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from 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 for so long as we are an emerging growth company until the fifth anniversary from the date of our initial listing. As a result, if we elect not to comply with such auditor attestation requirements, our investors may not have access to certain information they may deem important.

In addition, pursuant to the JOBS Act, we have elected to take advantage of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. As a result, our operating results and financial statements may not be comparable to the operating results and financial statements of other companies who have adopted the new or revised accounting standards. If we cease to be an emerging growth company, we will no longer be able to take advantage of these exemptions or the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards.

We cannot predict if investors will find our ADSs less attractive or our company less comparable to certain other public companies because we will rely on these exemptions and election. If some investors find our ADSs less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our ADSs and our ADS price may be more volatile.

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act, and as such we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to United States domestic public companies.

Because we are a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act, 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: (i) the rules under the Exchange Act requiring the filing of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K with the SEC; (ii) the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents, or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act; (iii) the sections of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their stock ownership and trading activities and liability for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time; and (iv) the selective disclosure rules by issuers of material nonpublic information under Regulation FD.

We will be required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the end of each fiscal year. In addition, we intend to publish our results on a quarterly basis through press releases, distributed pursuant to the rules and regulations of Nasdaq. Press releases relating to financial results and material events will also be furnished to the SEC on Form 6-K. 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, which would be made available to you, were you investing in a U.S. domestic issuer.

As an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, we are permitted to adopt certain home country practices in relation to corporate governance matters that differ significantly from the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards; these practices may afford less protection to shareholders than they would enjoy if we complied fully with the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards.

As an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands company that is listed on the Nasdaq, we are subject to the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. However, Nasdaq rules permit a foreign private issuer like us to follow the corporate governance practices of its home country. Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, may differ significantly from the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. Currently, we do not plan to rely on home country practice with respect to our

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corporate governance after we complete this offering. However, if we choose to follow home country practice in the future, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would enjoy under the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.

We will be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules and, as a result, may rely on exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements that provide protection to shareholders of other companies.

Upon the completion of this offering, we will be a “controlled company” as defined under the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules because Mr. Baoli Ma, our founder, chairman and chief executive officer, will own more than 50% of our total voting power. For so long as we remain a controlled company under that definition, we are permitted to elect to rely, and may rely, on certain exemptions from corporate governance rules, including an exemption from the rule that a majority of our board of directors must be independent directors. As a result, you may not have the same protection afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to these corporate governance requirements.

We will incur increased costs as a result of being a public company, particularly after we cease to qualify as an “emerging growth company.”

Upon completion of this offering, we will become a public company and expect to incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. These additional costs may negatively affect our financial results. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and Nasdaq, impose various requirements on the corporate governance practices of public companies. We expect these rules and regulations to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some corporate activities more time-consuming and costly. We expect to incur significant expenses and devote substantial management effort toward ensuring compliance with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the other rules and regulations of the SEC. For example, as a result of becoming a public company, we will need to increase the number of independent directors and adopt policies regarding internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures. We also expect that operating as a public company will make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. In addition, we will incur additional costs associated with our public company reporting requirements. It may also be more difficult for us to find qualified persons to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers. We are currently evaluating and monitoring developments with respect to these rules and regulations, and we cannot predict or estimate with any degree of certainty the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs.

In the past, shareholders of a public company often brought securities class action suits against the company following periods of instability in the market price of that company’s securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a significant amount of our management’s attention and other resources from our business and operations, which could harm our results of operations and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current expectations and views of future events. The forward looking statements are contained principally in the sections entitled “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business.” Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including those listed under “Risk Factors,” may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

You can identify some of these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to:

• our goals and strategies;

• our ability to retain and increase the number of users, paying members and advertisers, and expand our product and service offerings;

• our future business development, financial condition and results of operations;

• expected changes in our revenues, costs or expenditures;

• our expectation regarding the use of proceeds from this offering;

• competition in our industry and our popularity within the LGBTQ population; and

• relevant government policies and regulations relating to our industry.

These forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. Although we believe that our expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, our expectations may later be found to be incorrect. Our actual results could be materially different from our expectations. Important risks and factors that could cause our actual results to be materially different from our expectations are generally set forth in “Prospectus Summary—Our Challenges,” “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Business,” “Regulation” and other sections in this prospectus. You should read thoroughly this prospectus and the documents that we refer to with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from and worse than what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.

The forward-looking statements made in this prospectus relate only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this prospectus. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should read this prospectus and the documents that we refer to in this prospectus and have filed as exhibits to the registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part, completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We estimate that we will receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately US$            million, or approximately US$             million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional ADSs in full, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and the estimated offering expenses payable by us. These estimates are based upon an assumed initial offering price of US$            per ADS, the mid-point of the range shown on the front cover page of this prospectus. A US$1.00 change in the assumed initial public offering price of US$            per ADS would, in the case of an increase, increase and, in the case of a decrease, decrease the net proceeds of this offering by US$            million, or approximately US$             million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional ADSs in full, assuming the sale of ADSs at US$            per ADS, the mid-point of the range shown on the front cover page of this prospectus and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and the estimated offering expenses payable by us.

We plan to use the net proceeds of this offering as follows:

• approximately US$            million for geographic expansion, including marketing and promotional activities to acquire users and strengthen our brand;

• approximately US$            million for investment in technology and development, artificial intelligence technology and big data capability in particular; and

• the balance for general corporate purposes, which may include working capital needs and potential strategic acquisitions, investments and alliances.

The foregoing represents our current intentions based upon our present plans and business conditions to use and allocate the net proceeds of this offering. Our management, however, will have significant flexibility and discretion to apply the net proceeds of this offering. If an unforeseen event occurs or business conditions change, we may use the proceeds of this offering differently than as described in this prospectus.

Pending any use described above, we plan to invest the net proceeds from this offering in short-term, interest-bearing, debt instruments or demand deposits.

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DIVIDEND POLICY

Our board of directors has complete discretion on whether to distribute dividends, subject to certain requirements of Cayman Islands law, namely that our company may only pay dividends out of profits or share premium, and provided always that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid out of share premium if this would result in our company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. Even if our board of directors decides to pay dividends on our ordinary shares, the form, frequency and amount will depend upon our future operations and earnings, capital requirements and surplus, general financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors our board of directors may deem relevant.

We do not expect to pay any cash dividends on our ordinary shares in the foreseeable future after this offering. We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and any future earnings to operate and expand our business.

We are a holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. We may rely on dividends from our subsidiaries in China for our cash requirements, including any payment of dividends to our shareholders. PRC regulations may restrict the ability of our WFOE to pay dividends to us. See “Regulation—PRC Regulation—Regulations Relating to Foreign Exchange and the Dividend Distribution.”

If we pay any dividends on our ordinary shares, we will pay those dividends which are payable in respect of the ordinary shares underlying our ADSs to the depositary, as the registered holder of such ordinary shares, and the depositary then will pay such amounts to our ADS holders in proportion to the ordinary shares underlying the ADSs held by such ADS holders, subject to the terms of the deposit agreement, including the fees and expenses payable thereunder. See “Description of American Depositary Shares.” Cash dividends on our ordinary shares, if any, will be paid in U.S. dollars.

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CAPITALIZATION

The following table sets forth our capitalization as of March 31, 2020:

• on an actual basis;

• on a pro forma basis to reflect (i) the automatic re-designation of 5,614,840 ordinary shares held by BlueCity Media Limited, an entity controlled by Mr. Baoli Ma, our founder, chairman and chief executive officer, into 5,614,840 Class B ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis immediately prior to the completion of this offering, and (ii) the automatic conversion of all of our issued and outstanding 9,560,830 preferred shares into 9,560,830 Class A ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis immediately upon the completion of this offering; and

• on a pro forma as adjusted basis to reflect (i) the automatic re-designation of 5,614,840 ordinary shares held by BlueCity Media Limited, an entity controlled by Mr. Baoli Ma, our founder, chairman and chief executive officer, into 5,614,840 Class B ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis immediately prior to the completion of this offering, (ii) the automatic conversion of all of our issued and outstanding 9,560,830 preferred shares into 9,560,830 Class A ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis immediately upon the completion of this offering, and (iii) the sale of              Class A ordinary shares in the form of ADSs by us in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of US$             per ADS, the mid-point of the estimated range of the initial public offering price shown on the front cover of this prospectus, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, assuming the underwriters do not exercise the over-allotment option.

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You should read this table together with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus and the information under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

	As of March 31, 2020
	Actual			Pro forma			Pro forma as adjusted(1)
	(in thousands RMB)
MEZZANINE EQUITY
Total mezzanine equity		1,777,631			—
Shareholders’ (Deficit)/Equity
Ordinary shares (US$0.0001 par value, 5,614,840 shares issued and outstanding on an actual basis, and none issued and outstanding on a pro forma basis or a pro forma as adjusted basis )		3			—
Class A ordinary shares (par value of US$0.0001 per share; none authorized, issued and outstanding on an actual basis, 4,600,000,000 shares authorized, 9,560,830 shares issued and outstanding on a pro forma basis; 4,600,000,000 shares authorized,              shares issued and outstanding on a pro forma as adjusted basis)		—			7
Class B ordinary shares (par value of US$0.0001 per share; none authorized, issued and outstanding on an actual basis, 200,000,000 shares authorized, 5,614,840 shares issued and outstanding on a pro forma basis and on a pro forma as adjusted basis)		—			3
Additional paid-in capital(2)		—			1,777,624
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(64,612	)		(64,612	)
Accumulated deficit		(1,374,302	)		(1,374,302	)
Total shareholders’ (deficit)/equity(2)		(1,438,911	)		338,720			—
Total mezzanine equity and shareholders’ equity/(deficit)(2)		338,720			338,720			—

Notes:

(1) The pro forma as adjusted information discussed above is illustrative only. Our additional paid-in capital and total shareholders’ equity following the completion of this offering are subject to adjustment based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.

(2) A US$1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of US$            per share, the mid-point of the range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) each of additional paid-in capital, total shareholders’ (deficit)/equity and total mezzanine equity and shareholders’ (deficit)/equity by US$            million.

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DILUTION

If you invest in our ADSs, your interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the initial public offering price per ADS and our net tangible book value per ADS after this offering. Dilution results from the fact that the initial public offering price per ordinary share is substantially in excess of the book value per ordinary share attributable to the existing shareholders for our presently outstanding ordinary shares.

Our net tangible book value as of March 31, 2020 was approximately negative US$204 million, or negative US$36 per ordinary share and US$            per ADS. Net tangible book value represents the amount of our total consolidated tangible assets, less the amount of our intangible asset, total consolidated liabilities and total mezzanie equity. As of March 31, 2020, we do not have any goodwill. Dilution is determined by subtracting net tangible book value per ordinary share, after giving effect to the additional proceeds we will receive from this offering, from the assumed initial public offering price of US$            per ordinary share, which is the mid-point of the estimated initial public offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus adjusted to reflect the ADS-to-ordinary share ratio, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

Without taking into account any other changes in net tangible book value after March 31, 2020, other than to give effect to our sale of the ADSs offered in this offering at the assumed initial public offering price of US$            per ADS, the mid-point of the estimated range of the initial public offering price, after deduction of the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of March 31, 2020 would have been US$             million, or US$             per ordinary share and US$            per ADS. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of US$            per ordinary share and US$            per ADS to the existing shareholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of US$            per ordinary share and US$            per ADS to investors purchasing ADSs in this offering. The following table illustrates such dilution:

	Per Ordinary Share	Per ADS
Assumed initial public offering price	US$	US$
Net tangible book value as of March 31, 2020	US$	US$
Pro forma net tangible book value after giving effect to the conversion of our preferred shares	US$	US$
Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value after giving effect to the conversion of our preferred shares and this offering	US$	US$
Amount of dilution in net tangible book value to new investors in this offering	US$	US$

A US$1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of US$            per ADS would increase (decrease) our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value after giving effect to this offering by US$            , the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per ordinary share and per ADS after giving effect to this offering by US$             per ordinary share and US$             per ADS and the dilution in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per ordinary share and per ADS to new investors in this offering by US$             per ordinary share and US$             per ADS, assuming no change to the number of ADSs offered by us as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses.

The following table summarizes, on a pro forma as adjusted basis as of March 31, 2020, the differences between existing shareholders and the new investors with respect to the number of ordinary shares (in the form of ADSs or shares) purchased from us, the total consideration paid and the average price per ordinary share and per ADS paid before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses. The

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total number of ordinary shares does not include ordinary shares underlying the ADSs issuable upon the exercise of the over-allotment option granted to the underwriters.

	Ordinary Shares Purchased		Total Consideration				Average Price Per Ordinary Share	Average Price Per ADS
	Number	Percent	Amount	Percent
Existing shareholders			US$			%	US$	US$
New investors			US$			%	US$	US$
Total			US$		100.0	%

The pro forma as adjusted information discussed above is illustrative only. Our net tangible book value following the completion of this offering is subject to adjustment based on the actual initial public offering price of our ADSs and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.

The discussion and tables above assume no exercise of any outstanding share options outstanding as of the date of this prospectus. As of the date of this prospectus, there are 1,374,664 ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding share options at a weighted average exercise price of US$0.01 per share. To the extent that any of these options are exercised, there will be further dilution to new investors.

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ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES

We are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability. We are incorporated in the Cayman Islands because of certain benefits associated with being a Cayman Islands exempted company, such as political and economic stability, an effective judicial system, a favorable tax system, the absence of foreign exchange control or currency restrictions and the availability of professional and support services. However, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws than the United States and provides less protection for investors.

Our operations are substantially conducted in China, and substantially all of our assets are located in China. All of our directors and executive officers are nationals or residents of jurisdictions other than the United States and a substantial portion of their assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon us or these persons, or to enforce judgments obtained in U.S. courts against us or them, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States. It may also be difficult for you to enforce judgments obtained in U.S. courts based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us and our officers and directors.

We have appointed Cogency Global Inc., located at 122 East 42^nd Street, 18^th Floor, New York, NY 10168, as our agent to receive service of process with respect to any action brought against us in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in connection with this offering under the federal securities laws of the United States or the securities laws of any State in the United States or any action brought against us in the Supreme Court of the State of New York in the County of New York in connection with this offering under the securities laws of the State of New York.

Conyers Dill & Pearman, our counsel as to Cayman Islands law, has advised us that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands would (1) recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained against us or our directors or officers that are predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or the securities laws of any state in the United States, or (2) entertain original actions brought in the Cayman Islands against us or our directors or officers that are predicated upon the federal securities laws of the United States or the securities laws of any state in the United States.

Conyers Dill & Pearman has informed us that the uncertainty with regard to Cayman Islands law relates to whether a judgment obtained from the U.S. courts under civil liability provisions of the securities law will be determined by the courts of the Cayman Islands as penal or punitive in nature. The courts of the Cayman Islands may not recognize or enforce such judgments against a Cayman company, and because such a determination has not yet been made by a court of the Cayman Islands, it is uncertain whether such civil liability judgments from U.S. courts would be enforceable in the Cayman Islands. Conyers Dill & Pearman has further advised us that the courts of the Cayman Islands would recognize a final and conclusive judgment in the federal or state courts of the United States under which a sum of money is payable (other than a sum of money payable in respect of multiple damages, taxes or other charges of a like nature or in respect of a fine or other penalty) or, in certain circumstances, an in personam judgment for non-monetary relief, and would give a judgment based thereon provided that and would give a judgment based thereon provided that (a) such courts had proper jurisdiction over the parties subject to such judgment; (b) such courts did not contravene the rules of natural justice of the Cayman Islands; (c) such judgment was not obtained by fraud; (d) the enforcement of the judgment would not be contrary to the public policy of the Cayman Islands; (e) no new admissible evidence relevant to the action is submitted prior to the rendering of the judgment by the courts of the Cayman Islands; and (f) there is due compliance with the correct procedures under the laws of the Cayman Islands.

King & Wood Mallesons, our counsel as to PRC law, has advised us that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the PRC would recognize or enforce judgments of United States courts obtained against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.

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King & Wood Mallesons has further advised us that the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. There exists no treaty and few other forms of reciprocal arrangements between China and the United States or the Cayman Islands governing the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments as of the date of this prospectus. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, courts in China will not enforce a foreign judgment against us or our directors and officers if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC law or national sovereignty, security or public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States or in the Cayman Islands. Under the PRC Civil Procedures Law, foreign shareholders may originate actions based on PRC law before a PRC court against a company for disputes relating to contracts or other property interests, and the PRC court may accept a cause of action if such foreign shareholders can establish sufficient nexus to the PRC for a PRC court to have jurisdiction and meet other procedural requirements, including, among others, that the plaintiff must have a direct interest in the case, a specific defendant, and that there must be a concrete claim, a factual basis and a cause for the case. The PRC court will determine whether to accept the complaint in accordance with the PRC Civil Procedures Law. The shareholder may participate in the action by itself or entrust any other person or PRC legal counsel to participate on behalf of such shareholder. Foreign citizens and companies will have the same rights as PRC citizens and companies in an action unless the home jurisdiction of such foreign citizens or companies restricts the rights of PRC citizens and companies.

In addition, it will be difficult for U.S. shareholders to originate actions against us in China in accordance with PRC laws because we are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and it will be difficult for U.S. shareholders, by virtue only of holding our ADSs or ordinary shares, to establish sufficient nexus to China for a PRC court to have jurisdiction as required under the PRC Civil Procedures Law.

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CORPORATE HISTORY AND STRUCTURE

In September 2011, our VIE, a PRC domestic company, was established. We launched our mobile app Blued in 2012.

In December 2013, BlueCity Holdings Limited was established in the Cayman Islands as our offshore holding company to facilitate financing and offshore listing. In March 2014, BlueCity Holdings Limited established a wholly-owned subsidiary in Hong Kong, BlueCity Holdings Hong Kong Limited.

In 2014, BlueCity Holdings Hong Kong Limited established our WFOE and we gained control over our VIE through our WFOE by entering into a series of contractual arrangements with our VIE and its shareholders. In June 2018, in order to reflect the change of shareholding of our VIE, we effected some restructuring of the equity ownership in our VIE, and a new series of contractual arrangements, whose terms are substantially the same with the previous contractual agreements, were subsequently entered into by and among our WFOE, our VIE and our VIE’s shareholders. For more details and risks related to our variable interest entity structure, please see “—Contractual Arrangements with our Consolidated Affiliated Entity and Its Shareholders” and “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure.” As a result of our direct ownership in our WFOE and the variable interest entity contractual arrangements, we are regarded as the primary beneficiary of our VIE. We treat our VIE as our consolidated affiliated entity under U.S. GAAP, and have consolidated the financial results of our VIE in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

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The following diagram illustrates our corporate structure, including our principal subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities, as of the date of this prospectus:

Note:

(1) Mr. Baoli Ma, our founder, chairman and chief executive officer, and Mr. Changyou Ma, a family member of Mr. Baoli Ma, hold 99.15% and 0.85% equity interests in our VIE, respectively.

The following is a summary of the currently effective contractual arrangements relating to our WFOE and our VIE.

Contractual Arrangements with our VIE and Its Shareholders

Current PRC laws and regulations impose certain restrictions or prohibitions on foreign ownership of companies that engage in value-added telecommunication services and certain other businesses. We are an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. Our WFOE is our PRC subsidiary and a foreign-invested enterprise under PRC laws. To comply with PRC laws and regulations, we conduct certain of our business in China through our VIE, our consolidated affiliated entity in the PRC, through a series of contractual arrangements by and among our WFOE, our VIE and its shareholders.

Our contractual arrangements with our VIE and its respective shareholders allow us to (i) exercise effective control over our VIE, (ii) receive substantially all of the economic benefits of our VIE, (iii) have an exclusive option to purchase all or part of the equity interests in our VIE when and to the extent permitted by PRC law, and (iv) have the right to receive all dividends declared by the VIE and the right to all undistributed earnings of the VIE.

As a result of our direct ownership in our WFOE and the contractual arrangements with our VIE, we are regarded as the primary beneficiary of our VIE, and we treat them and their subsidiaries as our consolidated

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affiliated entities under U.S. GAAP. We have consolidated the financial results of our VIE and its subsidiaries in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

Agreements that provide us with effective control over our VIE

Powers of Attorney. Pursuant to the Powers of Attorney, dated June 26, 2018, between Mr. Baoli Ma and Mr. Changyou Ma, the shareholders of our VIE collectively executed powers of attorney to irrevocably authorize our WFOE to act as their attorney-in-fact to exercise all of their rights as shareholders of our VIE, including but not limited to, the right to attend shareholders meetings, to vote, to dispose equity interests under their names, and to recommend and appoint directors, chief managers and other senior management of the VIE as authorized representatives of the shareholders. The powers of attorney will remain permanently effective as long as Mr. Baoli Ma and Mr. Changyou Ma remain as shareholders of our VIE, unless otherwise terminated by our WFOE.

Equity Interest Pledge Agreement. Pursuant to the equity interest pledge agreement, dated June 26, 2018, among our WFOE and the shareholders of our VIE, the shareholders of our VIE have collectively pledged 100% equity interests in our VIE to our WFOE to guarantee the performance by our VIE of its obligations under the Exclusive Consulting and Services Agreement. In the event of a breach by our VIE of contractual obligations under these contractual arrangements, our WFOE, as pledgee, will have the right to dispose of the pledged equity interests in our VIE and will have priority in receiving the proceeds from such disposal. The shareholders of our VIE also covenant that, without the prior written consent of our WFOE, they will not dispose of, create or allow any encumbrance on the pledged equity interests. The equity interest pledge agreement will remain effective until (i) the termination of the Exclusive Consulting and Services Agreement with all service fees under the Exclusive Consulting and Services Agreement have been paid and no further obligation shall be undertaken by BlueCity Culture Media; or (ii) the equity interests of BlueCity Culture Media have been transferred to BlueCity Information Technology or any third party designated by it.

We have filed the registration of the equity interest pledge under the equity interest pledge agreement in relation to our VIE with the relevant office of the State Administration of Market Regulation in accordance with the PRC Property Rights Law.

Spouse Consent Letters. Pursuant to the spouse consent letter, dated June 26, 2018, the spouse of Mr. Changyou Ma, confirmed that she can perform the obligations under the contractual arrangements. The spouse of Mr. Changyou Ma agreed that the equity interest in VIE held by Mr. Changyou Ma and registered in the name of Mr. Changyou Ma will be disposed of pursuant to the exclusive consulting and service agreement, exclusive option agreement, equity interest pledge agreement and the powers of attorney. In addition, in the event that the spouse of Mr. Changyou Ma obtains any equity interest in the VIE for any reason, she agreed to be bound by the contractual arrangements.

Agreements that allow us to receive economic benefits from our VIE

Exclusive Consulting and Services Agreement. Pursuant to the exclusive consulting and services agreement, dated June 26, 2018, between our WFOE and our VIE, our WFOE has the exclusive right to provide consulting and services required by our VIE’s business. Without our WFOE’s prior written consent, our VIE may not accept the consulting and services provided by any third party, including its shareholders, during the term of the agreement. Our VIE agrees to pay our WFOE quarterly service fees at an amount confirmed by WFOE and all of its subsidiaries, which amount and percentage may be adjusted by, which should be paid within 10 business days upon receipt of invoice from our WFOE. Our WFOE has the exclusive ownership of all the intellectual property rights created under the Exclusive Consulting and Services Agreement, and both parties will further negotiated on the license of such intellectual properties. The exclusive consulting and services agreement will remain effective, unless otherwise terminated by our WFOE.

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Agreements that provide us with the option to purchase the equity interests in our VIE

Exclusive Option Agreement. Pursuant to the exclusive option agreement, dated June 26, 2018, among our WFOE and shareholders of our VIE, the shareholders of our VIE have irrevocably granted our WFOE an exclusive option to purchase all or part of their equity interests in our VIE and/or the assets in our VIE. Our WFOE may exercise such options at the lowest price as permitted by PRC laws and regulations, which price may be adjusted based on the valuation of the equity interests of the assets, if required by PRC laws and regulations. The equity holders should remit to our company any amount that is paid by our company or its designated person(s) in connection with the purchased equity interest. Our VIE and the shareholders of covenant that, without our WFOE’s prior written consent, they will not, among other things, (i) transfer or otherwise dispose of, or create any pledge or encumbrance on their equity interests in our VIE, (ii) change our VIE’s registered capital, or increase or decrease the our VIE’s current equity interests owners, (iii) dispose or make our VIE’s management to dispose any assets of our VIE, other than in the ordinary course of business, or (iv) amend our VIE’s articles of association. The exclusive options agreement will remain effective until shareholders of our VIE have transferred all of their equity interests and/or assets in our VIE to our WFOE or any third party so designated, unless otherwise terminated by our WFOE immediately in its sole discretion with written notice.

In the opinion of King & Wood Mallesons, our PRC legal counsel:

• the ownership structures of our VIE in China and our WFOE, both currently and immediately after giving effect to this offering, are not in violation of applicable PRC laws and regulations currently in effect; and

• the contractual arrangements between our WFOE, our VIE and its shareholders governed by PRC law are legal, valid, binding and enforceable against each party thereto in accordance with their terms and applicable PRC laws and regulations currently in effect.

However, our PRC legal counsel has also advised us that there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws, regulations and rules. Accordingly, the PRC regulatory authorities may take a view that is contrary to the opinion of our PRC legal counsel. It is uncertain whether any new PRC laws or regulations relating to variable interest entity structures will be adopted or if adopted, what they would provide. If we or our VIE are found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, or fail to obtain or maintain any of the required permits or approvals, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion to take action in dealing with such violations or failures. See “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure—If the PRC government finds that the agreements that establish the structure for operating some of our operations in China do not comply with PRC regulations relating to the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations” and “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system and changes in laws and regulations in China could adversely affect us.”

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SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

The following selected consolidated statements of comprehensive loss data and cash flows data for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019, selected consolidated balance sheets data as of December 31, 2018 and 2019 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. The selected consolidated statements of comprehensive loss data and cash flows data for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2020, and selected consolidated balance sheet data as of March 31, 2020 have been derived from our unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus and have been prepared on the same basis as our audited consolidated financial statements. Our consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of results expected for future periods. You should read this Selected Consolidated Financial Data section together with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this prospectus.

	For the years ended December 31,									For the three months ended March 31,
	2018			2019						2019			2020
	RMB			RMB			US$			RMB			RMB			US$
	(in thousands, except for share and per share data)
Selected Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss Data:
Revenues		501,292			758,888			107,175			145,340			207,473			29,301
Cost of revenues		(388,385	)		(546,211	)		(77,140	)		(110,286	)		(139,213	)		(19,660	)
Selling and marketing expenses		(98,011	)		(119,437	)		(16,868	)		(25,747	)		(38,611	)		(5,453	)
Technology and development expenses		(93,985	)		(129,652	)		(18,310	)		(29,517	)		(30,283	)		(4,277	)
General and administrative expenses		(70,072	)		(24,439	)		(3,451	)		(5,259	)		(9,790	)		(1,383	)
Total cost and expenses		(650,453	)		(819,739	)		(115,769	)		(170,809	)		(217,897	)		(30,773	)
Operating loss		(149,161	)		(60,851	)		(8,594	)		(25,469	)		(10,424	)		(1,472	)
Changes in fair value of financial instruments		(4,044	)		(9,024	)		(1,274	)		(3,261	)		(5	)		(1	)
Gain on extinguishment of a convertible debt		—			8,986			1,269			—			—			—
Interest income		8,645			8,890			1,255			2,319			2,431			343
Loss before income taxes		(144,560	)		(51,999	)		(7,344	)		(26,411	)		(7,998	)		(1,130	)
Income tax (expense)/benefit		—			(931	)		(131	)		—			385			55
Net loss		(144,560	)		(52,930	)		(7,475	)		(26,411	)		(7,613	)		(1,075	)
Deemed dividend to Series D Redeemable Convertible Preferred Shareholders		(1,535	)		—			—			—			—			—
Accretion and modification of Redeemable Convertible Preferred Shares to redemption value		(236,615	)		(631,005	)		(89,115	)		(169,498	)		(20,288	)		(2,865	)
Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders		(382,710	)		(683,935	)		(96,590	)		(195,909	)		(27,901	)		(3,940	)
Net loss per ordinary share
—Basic and diluted		(68.16	)		(121.81	)		(17.20	)		(34.89	)		(4.97	)		(0.70	)
Weighted average number of shares outstanding used in computing net loss per ordinary share
—Basic and diluted		5,614,840			5,614,840			5,614,840			5,614,840			5,614,840			5,614,840

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	For the years ended December 31,									For the three months ended March 31,
	2018			2019						2019			2020
	RMB			RMB			US$			RMB			RMB			US$
	(in thousands)
Non-GAAP Financial Measure(1):
Adjusted net loss		(90,249	)		(52,892	)		(7,470	)		(23,150	)		(7,608	)		(1,074	)

(1) See “Prospectus Summary—Summary Consolidated Financial Data—Non-GAAP Financial Measure.”

The following table presents our selected consolidated balance sheets data as of December 31, 2018 and 2019 and March 31, 2020:

	As of December 31,									As of March 31,
	2018			2019						2020
	RMB			RMB			US$			RMB			US$
	(in thousands)
Selected Consolidated Balance Sheets Data:
Cash and cash equivalents		63,047			297,274			41,983			279,084			39,414
Term deposits		371,766			83,017			11,724			84,313			11,907
Total current assets		483,049			433,994			61,292			426,139			60,182
Total assets		510,476			466,876			65,935			463,629			65,477
Total liabilities		120,597			123,898			17,498			124,909			17,641
Total mezzanine equity		1,074,916			1,730,478			244,390			1,777,631			251,049
Total shareholders’ deficit		(685,037	)		(1,387,500	)		(195,953	)		(1,438,911	)		(203,213	)

The following table presents our summary consolidated cash flow data for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019 and for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2020:

	For the years ended December 31,									For the three months ended March 31,
	2018			2019						2019			2020
	RMB			RMB			US$			RMB			RMB			US$
	(in thousands)
Selected Consolidated Statements of Cash Flow Data:
Net cash used in operating activities		(103,428	)		(31,642	)		(4,469	)		(28,416	)		(14,867	)		(2,100	)
Net cash (used in)/provided by investing activities		(113,172	)		285,594			40,334			167,137			(4,656	)		(658	)
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities		166,251			(22,252	)		(3,143	)		—			(1,539	)		(217	)
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate changes on cash		3,407			2,527			357			(395	)		2,872			406
Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents		(46,942	)		234,227			33,079			138,326			(18,190	)		(2,569	)
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year/period		109,989			63,047			8,904			63,047			297,274			41,983
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year/period		63,047			297,274			41,983			201,373			279,084			39,414

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF

FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with the section entitled “Selected Consolidated Financial Data” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results and the timing of selected events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. See “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

Overview

We have a large and active user base that primarily consists of LGBTQ persons in China and the rest of Asia, and provide a full suite of services empowering LGBTQ persons in all aspects of their daily lives. As a central hub of BlueCity’s services and platforms, the Blued mobile app allows our users to connect with each other, express themselves, access professional health related services and family planning services at their fingertips.

Blued is a world’s leading LGBTQ platform in terms of average MAUs in 2019, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report. We are the dominant leader in China. In 2019, we had average MAUs and average DAUs over six and nearly seven times that of the next largest player in China, respectively, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report. For detailed descriptions of the definitions of average MAUs and average DAUs, see “Prospectus Summary—Conventions that Apply to this Prospectus.” Blued’s average MAUs grew from 4.1 million in the three months ended March 31, 2018 to 6.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2020. Leveraging our experience in China, we have successfully expanded into a number of overseas markets and established a strong global presence. We are the largest online LGBTQ community in India, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam in terms of average MAUs in 2019, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report. We are rapidly expanding into new markets, and have users spanning over 210 countries and regions as of March 31, 2020. Users in countries and regions outside of China represented over 49% of our total MAUs in March 2020. Despite our global footprint, approximately 3.4%, 6.6% and 9.9% of our total revenues for 2018, 2019 and the three months ended March 31, 2020, respectively, were contributed by users outside China. We are still in the early stage of generating revenue from our users outside China and are continuing to introduce diversified service offerings to cater to their different needs. Currently, Blued is primarily used by homosexual men, while all of our services are available to the general LGBTQ population.

We generate revenues through various services we provide for LGBTQ community. Our total revenues increased by 51.4% to RMB758.9 million (US$107.2 million) in 2019 from RMB501.3 million in 2018, and by 42.8% to RMB207.5 million (US$29.3 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2020 from RMB145.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019. Our net loss decreased by 63.4% to RMB52.9 million (US$7.5 million) in 2019 from RMB144.6 million in 2018, and by 71.2% to RMB7.6 million (US$1.1 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2020 from RMB26.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019.

Key Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations

User growth and engagement

We generate revenue primarily through (i) live streaming services, (ii) membership services, (iii) advertising services, and (iv) others including family planning services and health-related services. Our revenues are driven by and highly dependent on the growth in our active user base, which includes our users on both domestic and international versions of our mobile app and users of our various products and services. We have experienced rapid user growth since our inception. Strategies that we pursue to achieve active user growth may affect our costs and expenses and results of operations.

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The following table sets forth our average MAUs and DAUs on Blued for each of the quarters indicated:

	For the Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2018		June 30, 2018		September 30, 2018		December 31, 2018		March 31, 2019		June 30, 2019		September 30, 2019		December 31, 2019		March 31, 2020
	(in millions)
Average MAUs		4.1		4.5		4.7		4.9		5.0		5.7		5.9		5.9		6.0
Average DAUs		2.0		2.1		2.2		2.2		2.3		2.4		2.5		2.6		2.5

We have generally achieved continuous growth in our user base throughout these periods.

Changes in user engagement could affect our revenues and financial results. Our average next-month retention rate slightly decreased from 75.2% in 2018 to 71.0% in 2019, primarily attributable to the fact that our overseas MAUs grew substantially while we were in the early stage of solidifying our user bases outside China. In 2019, Blued had an average daily time spent per active user of over 60 minutes and an average daily sessions per active user of over 16 times, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report. Active user engagement powered by diverse functionalities and rich content enables us to secure an abundant supply of user profiles and behavioral data, which is essential for our advertising services and our ability to improve our service features, including our membership subscription packages. For detailed descriptions of the definitions of next-month retention rate, average daily time spent per active user, and average daily sessions per active user, see “Prospectus Summary—Conventions that Apply to this Prospectus.”

Monetization of our user base

Our revenues and results of operations depend on our ability to monetize our user base, to convert more users to paying users and to increase the spending of our paying users. Paying users on our platform include users who make payments for various products and services offered on our platform, including payments for virtual currency which can be used to purchase and send virtual gifts in live streaming, purchase membership services, payment for health-related services and family planning services. Currently, revenues generated from live streaming is the largest component of our revenues, and we expect revenues generated from our recently launched membership services will grow quickly.

Our ARPPU for live streaming services increased from RMB1,279 in 2018 to approximately RMB2,059 in 2019, primarily due to more interactive and engaging formats and features offered in our live streaming business. Our ARPPU for live streaming services increased from RMB995 in the three months ended March 31, 2019 to RMB1,010 in the three months ended March 31, 2020, primarily due to our continuous efforts to enhance our live streaming services. Our paying users for live streaming services slightly decreased from approximately 358 thousand in 2018 to 326 thousand in 2019, primarily because we focused on attracting and converting users with higher spending willingness and spending ability and we allocated more resources to the marketing of new and improved features. Our paying users for live streaming services increased from approximately 137 thousand in the three months ended March 31, 2019 to 178 thousand in the three months ended March 31, 2020, primarily due to our continued monetization efforts in overseas markets, as well as increased user activity and willingness to pay as a result of COVID-19 related movement restrictions. We launched our membership services in June 2018, and our paying users for membership services increased from approximately 85 thousand in 2018 to 457 thousand in 2019. Our paying users for membership services increased from approximately 122 thousand in the three months ended March 31, 2019 to 295 thousand in the three months ended March 31, 2020. We have been enhancing various features of our membership services. Therefore we have made substantial progress in user acquisition in 2019 and monetization efforts in international markets in 2020 to date. We launched subscription-based membership services for the international version of Blued in the fourth quarter of 2019. We are committed to continually developing innovative membership services tailored to the needs of our users.

We will continue to diversify our product and service offerings and expand our monetization channels without compromising user experience. We seek to strengthen our capability to generate revenue from live

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streaming by optimizing matching of broadcasters and viewers and adopting additional creative ways of virtual gifting. We also plan to curate more premium content and attract more high-quality influencers to our platform, in order to increase viewers’ willingness to pay. Meanwhile, we will gradually expand our advertising revenue through development of more innovative advertising formats and comprehensive mobile marketing solutions for both China’s and global advertisers. Furthermore, we plan to test our offerings in selected global markets with localized functionalities and features. We are also testing new features and geography for our membership services. Our revenue growth will be affected by our ability to effectively execute our monetization strategies and expand our paying user base.

Our brand recognition and market leadership

BlueCity is a spiritual home for LGBTQ people, encouraging them to be themselves, feel good about themselves and embrace the community. Blued’s average MAUs grew from 4.1 million in the three months ended March 31, 2018 to 6.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2020. BlueCity’s and Blued’s prominent market leadership and brand recognition is key to our ability to maintain and enhance relationships with our users, broadcasters, advertisers, and other business partners, and increase our revenues. In addition, the reputation and attractiveness of our platform among the LGBTQ community also serves as a highly efficient marketing channel for our products and services.

Our ability to further improve cost efficiency

Our results of operations depend on our ability to manage our costs and expenses. Our cost of revenues consists primarily of revenue-sharing costs, staff costs and processing fees and service charges payable to third-party business partners. It is critical for us to manage our costs and expenses effectively and improve operational efficiency. We expect the absolute amount of our staff costs to increase as we grow our business. We will also invest in the growth of our platform by incurring selling and marketing expenses as we expand into global markets and promote more diversified services for the LGBTQ community.

Investment in technology and talent

Our technology is critical for us to retain and attract users and business partners. We must continue to innovate to keep pace with the growth of our industry. Our current technology and development efforts are primarily focused on enhancing our artificial intelligence technology and big data analytics capabilities, which we believe are crucial for us to scale our products and services and improve user experience. For example, leveraging both big data analytics and artificial intelligence technologies, we were able to enhance the accuracy of content monitoring and user profiling, and optimize our operation, targeted content and user experience. There is a strong demand in China’s internet industry in general for talented and experienced personnel. To keep up with the pace of our global expansion, we must recruit, retain and motivate talented employees both in managerial and operational levels who are equipped with relevant industry insights and experience, while controlling our personnel-related expenses.

Successful implementation of globalization strategies

We have successfully replicated our business model in China to other markets. We are the largest online LGBTQ community in India, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam in terms of average MAUs in 2019, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report. We are rapidly expanding into new markets, and have users spanning over 210 countries and regions as of March 31, 2020. Users from countries and regions outside of China represented over 49% of our total MAUs in March 2020. Despite our global footprint, approximately 3.4%, 6.6% and 9.9% of our total revenues for 2018, 2019 and the three months ended March 31, 2020, respectively, were contributed by users outside China. We are still in the early stage of generating revenue from our users outside China and are continuing to introduce diversified service offerings to cater to their different needs. We believe that our expansion and penetration into selected global markets will not only drive our revenue growth but also diversify our revenue streams across geographic regions.

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Key Components of Results of Operations

Revenues

The following table sets forth the components of our revenues by amounts and percentages of our total revenues for the periods presented:

	For the Years Ended December 31,										For the three months ended March 31,
	2018				2019						2019				2020
	RMB		%		RMB		US$		%		RMB		%		RMB		US$		%
	(in thousands, except for percentages)
Revenues
Live streaming services		457,778		91.3		671,411		94,821		88.5		136,239		93.7		179,643		25,370		86.6
Membership services		4,717		0.9		36,738		5,188		4.8		3,060		2.1		15,013		2,120		7.2
Advertising services		32,920		6.6		35,384		4,997		4.7		4,947		3.4		5,596		790		2.7
Others		5,877		1.2		15,355		2,169		2.0		1,094		0.8		7,221		1,021		3.5
Total revenues		501,292		100.0		758,888		107,175		100.0		145,340		100.0		207,473		29,301		100.0

Live streaming services. We generate revenues from our live streaming services through sales of virtual gift items which users can send to broadcasters to show support. The virtual gift items sold comprise of decorations and other consumable special effects. Under the arrangements with talent agencies that manage broadcasters, we share with these talent agencies a portion of the revenues derived from the sales of virtual gift items. We expect revenues from live streaming services to continue to grow in absolute terms.

Membership services. We generate revenues from membership services by sales of (i) subscription-based membership services, and (ii) pay-per-use services. Our members are entitled to additional functionalities and privileges on our mobile app. We expect revenues from membership services to continue to grow in absolute terms as we continue to expand our user base and product offerings.

Advertising services. We generate revenues from advertising services through display advertising arrangements on Blued. Advertising arrangements allow advertisers to place advertisements on particular areas on the Blued application, in particular formats and over particular periods. We will continue to introduce new advertising and marketing solutions and attract more advertisers.

Others.

Our other revenues primarily consist of family planning services, online pharmacy related to He Health and others. We generate revenues from family planning services by providing comprehensive consulting and administrative services to our customers such as ongoing facilitation of physical checks, remote conference with global experts, visa application support, and logistics arrangement for overseas trips.

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Cost and expenses

Cost of revenues

The following table sets forth the components of our cost of revenues by amounts and percentages of our total revenues for the periods presented:

	For the Years Ended December 31,										For the three months ended March 31,
	2018				2019						2019				2020
	RMB		%		RMB		US$		%		RMB		%		RMB		US$		%
	(in thousands, except for percentages)
Cost of revenues
Revenue-sharing costs		309,250		61.7		443,106		62,579		58.4		90,960		62.6		110,163		15,558		53.1
Commission costs		51,361		10.3		70,711		9,986		9.3		12,711		8.8		18,507		2,614		8.9
Staff costs		15,159		3.0		17,445		2,464		2.3		4,121		2.8		5,188		733		2.5
Others		12,615		2.5		14,949		2,111		2.0		2,494		1.7		5,355		755		2.6
Total cost of revenues		388,385		77.5		546,211		77,140		72.0		110,286		75.9		139,213		19,660		67.1

Revenue-sharing costs consist of broadcasters fees paid to talent agencies in accordance with our revenue-sharing arrangements. Commission costs primarily consist of processing fees paid to mobile app stores and third-party payment platforms service charges. Staff costs consist of salaries and benefits for our employees involved in the operation of our app, website and live streaming. Other costs consist of rental, depreciation and other costs related to the our business operation.

Operating expenses

The following table sets forth the components of our operating expenses by amounts and percentages of our total revenues for the periods presented:

	For the Years Ended December 31,										For the three months ended March 31,
	2018				2019						2019				2020
	RMB		%		RMB		US$		%		RMB		%		RMB		US$		%
	(in thousands, except for percentages)
Operating expenses
Selling and marketing expenses		98,011		19.6		119,437		16,868		15.7		25,747		17.7		38,611		5,453		18.6
Technology and development expenses		93,985		18.7		129,652		18,310		17.1		29,517		20.3		30,283		4,277		14.6
General and administrative expenses		70,072		14.0		24,439		3,451		3.2		5,259		3.6		9,790		1,383		4.7
Total operating expenses		262,068		52.3		273,528		38,629		36.0		60,523		41.6		78,684		11,113		37.9

Selling and marketing expenses. Selling and marketing expenses consist primarily of (i) advertising and market promotion expenses, (ii) staff cost for our selling and marketing personnel, and (iii) overhead charges and other costs related to selling and marketing functions. We expect our selling and marketing expenses to increase in absolute amounts in the foreseeable future due to increasing investment in marketing activities to attract and retain users, as well as to maintain our brand awareness and leadership.

Technology and development expenses. Technology and development expenses consist primarily of staff cost for technology and development personnel and technology infrastructure costs. Technology infrastructure costs include servers and other equipment depreciation, bandwidth and cloud infrastructure costs, utilities and other expenses necessary to support our business. We expect our technology and development expenses to increase in absolute amount as we expand our technology and development team, to enhance our artificial intelligence technology, big data analytics capabilities and develop new features and functionalities on our platform.

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General and administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses consist primarily of staff cost for general and administrative personnel, share-based compensation expenses, professional fees, rental and depreciation related to general and administrative functions, and other corporate expenses. We expect our general and administrative expenses to increase in absolute amounts in the foreseeable future due to the anticipated growth of our business as well as accounting, insurance, investor relations and other public company costs.

Taxation

Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands currently levy no taxes on individuals or corporations based upon profits, income, gains or appreciations and there is no taxation in the nature of inheritance tax or estate duty. There are no other taxes likely to be material to our company levied by the Government of the Cayman Islands save certain stamp duties which may be applicable, from time to time, on certain instruments executed in or brought within the jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Islands are a party to a double tax treaty entered into with the United Kingdom in 2010 but otherwise is not party to any double tax treaties.

Further, no stamp duty is payable in the Cayman Islands on transfers of shares of Cayman Islands companies except those which hold interests in land in the Cayman Islands.

Hong Kong

Our subsidiary incorporated in Hong Kong, BlueCity Holdings Hong Kong Limited, is subject to 16.5% Hong Kong profit tax on its taxable income generated from operations in Hong Kong. Under the Hong Kong tax laws, we are exempted from the Hong Kong income tax on our foreign-derived income. In addition, payments of dividends from our Hong Kong subsidiary to us are not subject to any Hong Kong withholding tax.

PRC

Generally, our VIE and its subsidiaries are subject to enterprise income tax on their taxable income in China at a statutory rate of 25%. The enterprise income tax is calculated based on the entity’s global income as determined under PRC tax laws and accounting standards. According to the PRC tax laws, entities that qualify as “high-and-new technology enterprises eligible for key support from the State” (“HNTE”) are entitled to a preferential income tax rate of 15%. In 2017, our WFOE received the approval from the tax authority that it qualified as an HNTE. The certificate entitled our WFOE to the preferential income tax rate of 15% effective retroactively from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019.

Dividends paid by our WFOE in China to our intermediary holding company in Hong Kong will be subject to a withholding tax rate of 10%, unless the relevant Hong Kong entity satisfies all the requirements under the Arrangement between China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and Capital and receives approval from the relevant tax authority. If our Hong Kong subsidiary satisfies all the requirements under the tax arrangement and receives approval from the relevant tax authority, then the dividends paid to the Hong Kong subsidiary would be subject to withholding tax at the standard rate of 5%. Effective from November 1, 2015, the above mentioned approval requirement has been abolished, but a Hong Kong entity is still required to file an application package with the relevant tax authority, and settle the overdue taxes if the preferential 5% tax rate is denied based on the subsequent review of the application package by the relevant tax authority. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure—There are significant uncertainties under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law relating to the withholding tax liabilities of our WFOE, and dividends payable by our WFOE to our offshore subsidiaries may not qualify to enjoy certain treaty benefits.”

If our holding company in the Cayman Islands or any of our subsidiaries outside of China were deemed to be a “resident enterprise” under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, it would be subject to enterprise income

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tax on its worldwide income at a rate of 25%. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—If we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC income tax purposes, such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders or ADS holders.”

Results of Operations

The following table sets forth a summary of our consolidated results of operations for the periods presented, both in absolute amount and as a percentage of our revenues for the periods presented. This information should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. The results of operations in any period are not necessarily indicative of our future trends.

	For the Years Ended December 31,															For the three months ended March 31,
	2018						2019									2019						2020
	RMB			%			RMB			US$			%			RMB			%			RMB			US$			%
	(in thousands, except for percentages)
Revenues:
Live streaming services		457,778			91.3			671,411			94,821			88.5			136,239			93.7			179,643			25,370			86.6
Membership services		4,717			0.9			36,738			5,188			4.8			3,060			2.1			15,013			2,120			7.2
Advertising services		32,920			6.6			35,384			4,997			4.7			4,947			3.4			5,596			790			2.7
Others		5,877			1.2			15,355			2,169			2.0			1,094			0.8			7,221			1,021			3.5
Total revenues		501,292			100.0			758,888			107,175			100.0			145,340			100.0			207,473			29,301			100.0
Cost and expenses:
Cost of revenues(1)		(388,385	)		(77.5	)		(546,211	)		(77,140	)		(72.0	)		(110,286	)		(75.9	)		(139,213	)		(19,660	)		(67.1	)
Selling and marketing expenses(1)		(98,011	)		(19.6	)		(119,437	)		(16,868	)		(15.7	)		(25,747	)		(17.7	)		(38,611	)		(5,453	)		(18.6	)
Technology and development expenses(1)		(93,985	)		(18.7	)		(129,652	)		(18,310	)		(17.1	)		(29,517	)		(20.3	)		(30,283	)		(4,277	)		(14.6	)
General and administrative expenses(1)(2)		(70,072	)		(14.0	)		(24,439	)		(3,451	)		(3.2	)		(5,259	)		(3.6	)		(9,790	)		(1,383	)		(4.7	)
Total cost and expenses		(650,453	)		(129.8	)		(819,739	)		(115,769	)		(108.0	)		(170,809	)		(117.5	)		(217,897	)		(30,773	)		(105.0	)
Operating loss		(149,161	)		(29.8	)		(60,851	)		(8,594	)		(8.0	)		(25,469	)		(17.5	)		(10,424	)		(1,472	)		(5.0	)
Changes in fair value of financial instruments		(4,044	)		(0.8	)		(9,024	)		(1,274	)		(1.2	)		(3,261	)		(2.2	)		(5	)		(1	)		(0.0	)
Gain on extinguishment of a convertible debt		—			—			8,986			1,269			1.2			—			—			—			—			—
Interest income		8,645			1.7			8,890			1,255			1.2			2,319			1.6			2,431			343			1.2
Loss before income taxes		(144,560	)		(28.9	)		(51,999	)		(7,344	)		(6.8	)		(26,411	)		(18.1	)		(7,998	)		(1,130	)		(3.8	)
Income tax (expense)/benefit		—			—			(931	)		(131	)		(0.1	)		—			—			385			55			0.2
Net loss		(144,560	)		(28.9	)		(52,930	)		(7,475	)		(6.9	)		(26,411	)		(18.1	)		(7,613	)		(1,075	)		(3.6	)

Note:

(1) As of December 31, 2018 and 2019 and March 31, 2020, no share options were exercisable, since they can only be exercised upon consummation of this offering. As of December 31, 2018 and 2019 and March 31, 2020, the total fair value of options granted to employees amounted to RMB59.1 million, RMB90.1 million and RMB92.4 million, respectively. See notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.

(2) On April 12, 2018, we approved a repurchase of 288,240 unvested share options from BlueCity Media Limited, which is owned by Mr. Baoli Ma, our, chairman founder and chief executive officer, with consideration of US$8.0 million (RMB50.3 million), which was recognized in general and administrative expenses as share-based compensation expenses.

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Three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to three months ended March 31, 2019

Revenues

Our revenues increased by 42.8% from RMB145.3 million in the three months ended March 31, 2019 to RMB207.5 million (US$29.3 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2020.

Live streaming services. Our revenues from live streaming services increased by 31.9% from RMB136.2 million in the three months ended March 31, 2019 to RMB179.6 million (US$25.4 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2020, mainly attributable to the continued growth of our live streaming services in China and globally, as well as the increase in our paying users for live streaming services. Our paying users for live streaming services increased from approximately 137 thousand in the three months ended March 31, 2019 to 178 thousand in the three months ended March 31, 2020.

Membership services. Our revenues from membership services increased by 390.6% from RMB3.1 million in the three months ended March 31, 2019 to RMB15.0 million (US$2.1 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2020, mainly attributable to the rapid development of our membership services offerings, as well as the fact that we had only started to offer pay-per-use functions to our users in the three months ended March 31, 2019. Our paying users for membership services increased from approximately 122 thousand in the three months ended March 31, 2019 to 295 thousand in the three months ended March 31, 2020.

Advertising services. Our revenues from advertising services increased by 13.1% from RMB4.9 million in the three months ended March 31, 2019 to RMB5.6 million (US$0.8 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2020, as we continued to steadily grow our advertising services.

Others. Our revenues from other services increased by 560.1% from RMB1.1 million in the three months ended March 31, 2019 to RMB7.2 million (US$1.0 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2020, mainly attributable to the growth of our family planning, health-related services, and sales of merchandise.

Cost of revenues

Our cost of revenues increased by 26.2% from RMB110.3 million in the three months ended March 31, 2019 to RMB139.2 million (US$19.7 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2020. Revenue-sharing costs increased by 21.1% from RMB91.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2019 to RMB110.2 million (US$15.6 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2020, primarily due to the continued growth of our live streaming services. Commission costs increased by 45.6% from RMB12.7 million in the three months ended March 31, 2019 to RMB18.5 million (US$2.6 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2020, primarily due to the consistent increase of our business and transaction volume on our platform. Staff costs increased by 25.9% from RMB4.1 million in the three months ended March 31, 2019 to RMB5.2 million (US$0.7 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2020, primarily due to an increase in headcount as a result of the growth of our business.

Selling and marketing expenses

Our selling and marketing expenses increased by 50.0% from RMB25.7 million in the three months ended March 31, 2019 to RMB38.6 million (US$5.5 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2020, primarily attributable to (i) an increase of RMB6.9 million (US$1.0 million) in advertising and promotion expenses mainly due to the continued expansion of our business globally, (ii) an increase of RMB4.6 million (US$0.6 million) in staff cost for selling and marketing personnel, primarily as a result of an increase in the headcount of our selling and marketing staff, and (iii) an increase of RMB1.3 million (US$0.2 million) in other costs primarily attributable to various marketing initiatives for developing overseas markets.

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Technology and development expenses

Our technology and development expenses increased by 2.6% from RMB29.5 million in the three months ended March 31, 2019 to RMB30.3 million (US$4.3 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2020, primarily due to an increase of RMB2.9 million (US$0.4 million) in staff cost for technology and development personnel primarily driven by an increase in the headcount of our technology and development staff. This was partially offset by a decrease of RMB2.5 million (US$0.4 million) in content, server and bandwidth cost as a result of our improved procurement efficiency.

General and administrative expenses

Our general and administrative expenses increased by 86.2% from RMB5.3 million in the three months ended March 31, 2019 to RMB9.8 million (US$1.4 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2020, primarily due to an increase of RMB5.6 million (US$0.8 million) in professional fees.

Operating loss

As a result of the foregoing, we incurred operating loss of RMB10.4 million (US$1.5 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2020, compared to operating loss of RMB25.5 million in the three months ended March 31, 2019.

Changes in fair value of financial instruments

We incurred loss from changes in fair value of convertible debt and equity securities with readily determinable fair value of RMB3.3 million and RMB4.9 thousand (US$0.7 thousand) in the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Interest income

Interest income primarily represents interest earned on our cash and cash equivalents and term deposits. We had interest income of RMB2.3 million and RMB2.4 million (US$0.3 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Net loss

As a result of the foregoing, we incurred net loss of RMB7.6 million (US$1.1 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2020, compared to net loss of RMB26.4 million in the three months ended March 31, 2019.

Year ended December 31, 2019 compared to year ended December 31, 2018

Revenues

Our revenues increased by 51.4% from RMB501.3 million in 2018 to RMB758.9 million (US$107.2 million) in 2019.

Live streaming services. Our revenues from live streaming services increased by 46.7% from RMB457.8 million in 2018 to RMB671.4 million (US$94.8 million) in 2019, mainly attributable to continued growth in China and increased ARPPU, as well as deepened penetration and increased monetization efforts in overseas markets. Meanwhile, we further developed diverse live streaming features and engaging content to attract more viewers. Our ARPPU for live streaming services increased from approximately RMB1,279 in 2018 to approximately RMB2,059 in 2019.

Membership services. We launched our membership services in June 2018. Our revenues from membership services were RMB36.7 million (US$5.2 million) in 2019, compared to RMB4.7 million in 2018. We introduced

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diverse and innovative membership service offerings in 2018 and continued to develop and optimize them in 2019. We saw an increasing pool of paying users for our membership services, which was increased from approximately 85 thousand in 2018 to 457 thousand in 2019.

Advertising services. Our revenues from advertising services increased by 7.5% from RMB32.9 million in 2018 to RMB35.4 million (US$5.0 million) in 2019, as we steadily grew our advertising services while ensuring high-quality user experience of our platform.

Others. Our revenues from other services increased by 161.3% from RMB5.9 million in 2018 to RMB15.4 million (US$2.2 million) in 2019, mainly attributable to the development of our family planning services and health-related services.

Cost of revenues

Our cost of revenues increased by 40.6% from RMB388.4 million in 2018 to RMB546.2 million (US$77.1 million) in 2019. Revenue-sharing costs increased by 43.3% from RMB309.2 million in 2018 to RMB443.1 million (US$62.6 million) in 2019, primarily due to the expansion and growth in live streaming services. Commission costs increased by 37.7% from RMB51.4 million in 2018 to RMB70.7 million (US$10.0 million) in 2019, primarily due to the increase of our business and transaction volume on our platform. Staff costs increased by 15.1% from RMB15.2 million in 2018 to RMB17.4 million (US$2.5 million) in 2019, primarily due to an increase in headcount as a result of the growth of our business.

Selling and marketing expenses

Our selling and marketing expenses increased by 21.9% from RMB98.0 million in 2018 to RMB119.4 million (US$16.9 million) in 2019, primarily attributable to (i) an increase of RMB14.9 million (US$2.1 million) in staff cost for selling and marketing personnel, which was in turn mainly driven by an increase in head count of our selling and marketing staff, and (ii) an increase of RMB4.6 million (US$0.6 million) in advertising and promotion expenses associated with the expansion of our business in global markets.

Technology and development expenses

Our technology and development expenses increased by 37.9% from RMB94.0 million in 2018 to RMB129.7 million (US$18.3 million) in 2019, primarily due to (i) an increase of RMB23.0 million (US$3.2 million) in staff cost for technology and development personnel, which was in turn mainly driven by an increase in head count of our technology and development staff, and (ii) an increase of RMB11.5 million (US$1.6 million) in bandwidth and cloud infrastructure costs due to the development and growth of our online services.

General and administrative expenses

Our general and administrative expenses decreased by 65.1% from RMB70.1 million in 2018 to RMB24.4 million (US$3.5 million) in 2019, primarily due to the share-based compensation expense we recognized in 2018. The share-based compensation expense was incurred in connection with a repurchase of unvested share options from our management for a consideration of US$8.0 million (RMB50.3 million) in April 2018.

Operating loss

As a result of the foregoing, we incurred operating loss of RMB60.8 million (US$8.6 million) in 2019, compared to operating loss of RMB149.2 million in 2018.

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Changes in fair value of financial instruments

We incurred loss from changes in fair value of convertible debt and equity securities with readily determinable fair value of RMB4.0 million and RMB9.0 million (US$1.3 million) in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Gain on extinguishment of a convertible debt

We recognized a RMB8.9 million (US$1.3 million) gain on extinguishment of a convertible debt in 2019, resulting from the extinguishment of a convertible debt. We had no such gain in 2018.

Interest income

Interest income primarily represents interest earned on our cash and cash equivalents and term deposits. We had interest income of RMB8.6 million and RMB8.9 million (US$1.3 million) in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Income tax expense

We recorded nil and RMB0.9 million (US$0.1 million) income tax expense in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Net loss

As a result of the foregoing, we incurred net loss of RMB52.9 million (US$7.5 million) in 2019, compared to net loss of RMB144.6 million in 2018.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows for the periods presented:

	For the Years Ended December 31,									For the three months ended March 31,
	2018			2019						2019			2020
	RMB			RMB			US$			RMB			RMB			US$
	(in thousands)
Summary Consolidated Cash Flow Data
Net cash used in operating activities		(103,428	)		(31,642	)		(4,469	)		(28,416	)		(14,867	)		(2,100	)
Net cash (used in)/provided by investing activities		(113,172	)		285,594			40,334			167,137			(4,656	)		(658	)
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities		166,251			(22,252	)		(3,143	)		—			(1,539	)		(217	)
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		3,407			2,527			357			(395	)		2,872			406
Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents		(46,942	)		234,227			33,079			138,326			(18,190	)		(2,569	)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year/period		109,989			63,047			8,904			63,047			297,274			41,983
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year/period		63,047			297,274			41,983			201,373			279,084			39,414

To date, we have financed our operating and investing activities through cash generated by historical equity financing activities. As of December 31, 2018 and 2019 and March 31, 2020, respectively, our cash and cash

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equivalents and term deposits were RMB434.8 million, RMB380.3 million (US$53.7 million) and RMB363.4 million (US$51.3 million). Our cash and cash equivalents primarily consist of cash on hand, cash at banks and term deposits, which have original maturities of three months or less and are readily convertible to known amounts of cash. Our term deposits have original maturities of more than 3 months but less than one year.

We entered into a convertible debt agreement to borrow a one-year loan of US$3.0 million with an investor in March 2017. The interest rate for the convertible debt is 5% simple interest per annum, payable at the maturity date. The convertible debt shall be convertible at the option of the investor during the period of loan into 116,640 Series C-2 redeemable convertible preferred shares. The maturity date of this convertible debt was extended to March 8, 2020 in March 2018. On November 20, 2019, we and the investor agreed to terminate the convertible debt agreement, pursuant to which the principal amount of USD3.0 million (equivalent to RMB20.0 million) will be paid in November 2019 and the accrued interest of RMB2.7 million will be paid by the end of the first quarter of 2020. As of the date of this prospectus, the principal amount and accrued interest have been paid in full. The difference in the settlement amount and the carrying amount was recognized as a RMB8.9 million (US$1.3 million) gain on extinguishment of a convertible debt for the year ended December 31, 2019.

We believe that our current cash and cash equivalents and term deposits will be sufficient to meet our anticipated working capital requirements and capital expenditures for the 12 months following this offering. After this offering, we may decide to enhance our liquidity position or increase our cash reserve for future investments through additional capital and finance funding.

As of March 31, 2020, 93.3% of our cash and cash equivalents were held in China, and 12.7% were denominated in Renminbi. Our term deposits are denominated in U.S. dollars and are deposited at financial institutions in China. Although we consolidate the results of our VIE and its subsidiaries, we only have access to the assets or earnings of our VIE and its subsidiaries through our contractual arrangements with our VIE and its shareholders. See “Corporate History and Structure—Contractual Arrangements with our Consolidated Affiliated Entity and Its Shareholders.”

In utilizing the proceeds we expect to receive from this offering, we may make additional capital contributions to our WFOE, establish new PRC subsidiaries and make capital contributions to these new PRC subsidiaries, make loans to our PRC subsidiaries, or acquire offshore entities with operations in China in offshore transactions. However, most of these uses are subject to PRC regulations. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure—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 using the proceeds of this offering to make loans or additional capital contributions to our WFOE, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.”

A substantial amount of our future revenues are likely to be in Renminbi. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior SAFE approval as long as certain routine procedural requirements are fulfilled. Therefore, our WFOE is allowed to pay dividends in foreign currencies to us without prior SAFE approval by following certain routine procedural requirements. However, approval from or registration with competent government authorities is required where the Renminbi is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. The PRC government may at its discretion restrict access to foreign currencies for current account transactions in the future.

Operating activities

Net cash used in operating activities in the three months ended March 31, 2020 was RMB14.9 million (US$2.1 million), as compared to net loss of RMB7.6 million (US$1.1 million) in the same period. The difference was primarily due to (i) a decrease of RMB5.5 million (US$0.8 million) in accrued expenses and other

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current liabilities as a result of the payment of various fees, primarily fees for professional services, and (ii) a decrease of RMB2.5 million (US$0.4 million) in deferred revenue, which was primarily due to a decrease of unconsumed virtual currencies. This was partially offset by a decrease of RMB2.7 million (US$0.4 million) in prepayments and other current assets.

Net cash used in operating activities in 2019 was RMB31.6 million (US$4.5 million), as compared to net loss of RMB52.9 million (US$7.5 million) in the same period. The difference was primarily due to (i) an increase of RMB9.0 million (US$1.3 million) in accounts payable as a result of an increase in revenue-sharing costs payable, (ii) changes in fair value of financial instruments of RMB9.0 million (US$1.3 million), (iii) an increase of RMB8.8 million (US$1.2 million) in deferred revenue, mainly including cash received from paying users related to live streaming services and membership services, and (iv) a decrease of RMB7.7 million (US$1.1 million) in accounts receivable, mainly including cash due from advertising customers. This was partially offset by a gain on extinguishment of a convertible debt of RMB9.0 million (US$1.3 million), an increase in prepayments and other current assets of RMB4.7 million (US$0.7 million), mainly attributable to the increase of receivable from third party payment platforms, and a decrease in amount due to a related party of RMB6.9 million (US$1.0 million).

Net cash used in operating activities in 2018 was RMB103.4 million, as compared to net loss of RMB144.6 million in the same period. The difference was primarily due to (i) an increase of RMB28.5 million in accrued expenses and other current liabilities, mainly including advertising and marketing fees payable and accrued payroll and welfare, (ii) an increase of RMB13.2 million in deferred revenue, mainly including cash received from paying users related to live streaming services and membership services, and (iii) an increase of RMB6.6 million in amount due to a related party. This was partially offset by an increase of RMB5.8 million in accounts receivable, and an increase of RMB4.9 million in prepayments ant other assets.

Investing activities

Net cash used in investing activities in the three months ended March 31, 2020 was RMB4.7 million (US$0.7 million), primarily due to payment for acquiring an intangible asset of RMB3.3 million (US$0.5 million) associated with our health-related services and purchase of property and equipment of RMB1.4 million (US$0.2 million).

Net cash provided by investing activities in 2019 was RMB285.6 million (US$40.3 million), primarily due to proceeds from maturity of term deposits of RMB373.5 million (US$52.8 million), partially offset by investment in term deposits of RMB82.0 million (US$11.6 million).

Net cash used in investing activities in 2018 was RMB113.2 million, primarily due to purchase of term deposits of RMB358.3 million, and cash paid for long-term investments of RMB20.6 million primarily to acquire 8.15% equity interest in Mengmei Life Pty. Ltd. to expand our family planning services offerings, partially offset by proceeds from maturity of term deposits of RMB269.2 million.

Financing activities

Net cash used in financing activities in the three months ended March 31, 2020 was RMB1.5 million (US$0.2 million), which is attributable to payments for initial public offering costs.

Net cash used in financing activities in 2019 was RMB22.3 million (US$3.1 million), primary attributable to repayment of a convertible debt of RMB20.0 million (US$2.8 million) and payments for initial public offering costs of RMB2.3 million (US$0.3 million).

Net cash provided by financing activities in 2018 was RMB166.3 million, primarily attributable to proceeds from issuance of convertible preferred shares, partially offset by issuance cost.

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Capital expenditures

Our capital expenditures are primarily incurred for acquiring an intangible asset, purchases of office and electronic equipment, as well as leasehold improvements. Our capital expenditures were RMB3.5 million in 2018, RMB5.9 million (US$0.8 million) in 2019 and RMB4.7 million (US$0.7 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2020. We intend to fund our future capital expenditures with our existing cash balance. We will continue to make capital expenditures to meet the expected growth of our business.

Contractual obligations

The following table sets forth our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2019:

	Payment due
	Total		Less than 1 year		1-3 years		More than 3 years
Operating lease obligations(1)		12,391,895		7,634,065		4,757,830		—

Note:

(1) Operating lease obligations consist of the obligations under the lease agreements covering our offices facilities.

Other than as shown above, we did not have any significant capital and other commitments, long-term obligations or guarantees as of December 31, 2019.

Off-Balance Sheet Commitments and Arrangements

We have not entered into any financial guarantees or other commitments to guarantee the payment obligations of any third parties. In addition, we have not entered into any derivative contracts that are indexed to our shares and classified as shareholder’s equity or that are not reflected in our consolidated financial statements. Furthermore, we do not have any retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to an unconsolidated entity that serves as credit, liquidity or market risk support to such entity. We do not have any variable interest in any unconsolidated entity that provides financing, liquidity, market risk or credit support to us or engages in leasing, hedging or product development services with us.

Critical Accounting Policies

An accounting policy is considered critical if it requires an accounting estimate to be made based on assumptions about matters that are highly uncertain at the time such estimate is made, and if different accounting estimates that reasonably could have been used, or changes in the accounting estimates that are reasonably likely to occur periodically, could materially impact the consolidated financial statements.

We prepare our financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP, which requires us to make judgments, estimates and assumptions. We continually evaluate these estimates and assumptions based on the most recently available information, our own historical experiences and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Since the use of estimates is an integral component of the financial reporting process, actual results could differ from our expectations as a result of changes in our estimates. Some of our accounting policies require a higher degree of judgment than others in their application and require us to make significant accounting estimates.

The following descriptions of critical accounting policies, judgments and estimates should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes and other disclosures included in this prospectus. When reviewing our financial statements, you should consider (i) our selection of critical accounting policies, (ii) the judgments and other uncertainties affecting the application of such policies and (iii) the sensitivity of reported results to changes in conditions and assumptions.

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Revenue Recognition – Live Streaming Services

We operate an integrated platform, Blued, consisting of IT infrastructure, mobile applications and our proprietary algorithm, to offer live streaming services to individual viewers as our customers. We engage broadcasters to perform on our platform, which through our proprietary algorithm, helps individual viewers discover among the vast collection of contents on the platform the broadcasters and shows they may be interested in and optimize individual viewers live streaming experience and hence improve the efficiency of monetization.

We evaluate and determine individual viewers as our customers and we are the principal in providing live streaming services to them, and hence report live streaming revenues on a gross basis. Accordingly, the amounts billed to viewers are recorded as revenues and revenue sharing fee paid to broadcasters through talent agencies are recorded as cost of revenues. We control the integrated live streaming services, which is evidenced by our contractual relationship with individual viewers and primary responsibility for fulfilling the promise to provide the live streaming services, including operating the self-developed live streaming platform and maintaining the operation of the platform, engaging broadcasters through talent agencies to perform on our platform, investing in and using our algorithm to optimize individual viewers’ live streaming experience, enabling individual viewers to discover the broadcasters and shows they may be interested in, developing new features in the platform, promoting activities including the general promotion of the platform and the promotion of popular broadcasters and offering the virtual items to viewers to be purchased and used in the platform. Our control is also evidenced by our sole ability to monetize the live streaming services and the level of discretion in establishing pricing. We also have latitude in establishing the amount of compensation that broadcasters and talent agencies receive as a percentage of revenues generated from virtual gift sales. Such percentage is subject to the achievement of broadcasters and talent agencies on KPIs set by us.

Individual viewer can purchase virtual gifts on our platform, and simultaneously present to broadcasters during their live streaming performance to show their support for their favorite broadcasters. We have sole discretion in designing and establishing pricing of virtual gifts. Individual viewer purchases virtual gifts using our virtual currency which is in turn acquired through online third-party payment platforms. Virtual currency is non-refundable and does not have expiration date. It is often consumed soon after it is purchased.

We consider live streaming service as one performance obligation to our customers. The consideration received from individual viewers varies at viewers’ discretion, as they purchase and present variable quantity or value of virtual gifts to broadcasters during a performance. The recognition of such variable consideration is constrained until the amount is known, which is when an individual viewer purchases virtual gifts and simultaneously presents them to broadcasters during their live streaming performance. Accordingly, revenue is recognized when virtual gifts are consumed as they are presented to broadcasters. Unconsumed virtual currency is recorded as deferred revenue.

Share-based compensation

We periodically grant share-based awards, mainly including share options to eligible employees and directors, which are subject to service and performance conditions.

Share-based payment transactions with employees are measured at the grant-date fair value, and are recognized as compensation expense, net of estimated forfeitures, over the vesting period, and when we consider that it is probable that the performance condition will be achieved.

Share-based compensation in relation to the share options is estimated using the Binominal Option Pricing Model. The determination of the fair value of share options is affected by the share price of our ordinary shares as well as the assumptions regarding a number of complex and subjective variables, including the expected share price volatility, risk-free interest rate, exercise multiple, forfeiture rate and expected dividend yield.

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Fair value of our ordinary shares

We are a private company with no quoted market prices for our ordinary shares. We therefore make estimates of the fair value of our ordinary shares on various dates for the following purposes:

• determining the fair value of our ordinary shares at the date of issuance of convertible preferred shares as one of the inputs into determining the intrinsic value of the beneficial conversion feature, if any; and

• determining the fair value of our ordinary shares at the date of the grant of a share-based compensation award to our employees as one of the inputs into determining the grant date fair value.

• determining the fair value of our preferred shares as one of the inputs into determining the redemption value of preferred shares at the period end or modification date.

• determining the fair value of our convertible debt as one of the inputs into determining the fair value in the entirety at the period end or extinguishment date.

Date	Fair Value per Share		Discount Rate			DLOM			Type of Valuation
	(US$)
December 31, 2017		9.38		19.5	%		20	%	Retrospective
June 30, 2018		12.32		19.0	%		20	%	Retrospective
September 30, 2018		14.77		18.5	%		20	%	Retrospective
December 31, 2018		17.92		18.5	%		20	%	Retrospective
June 25, 2019		31.15		18.0	%		15	%	Retrospective
November 11, 2019		34.97		18.0	%		10	%	Contemporaneous
November 20, 2019		34.99		18.0	%		10	%	Contemporaneous
December 31, 2019		37.10		18.0	%		7	%	Contemporaneous
March 31, 2020		37.55		18.0	%		8	%	Contemporaneous

Valuations of our ordinary shares were determined in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Practice Aid, Valuation of Privately—Held Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation, and with the assistance of an independent appraisal firm from time to time. The assumptions we use in the valuation model are based on future expectations combined with management judgment, with inputs of numerous objective and subjective factors, to determine the fair value of our ordinary shares, including the following factors:

• our operating and financial performance;

• current business conditions and projections;

• our stage of development;

• the prices, rights, preferences and privileges of our convertible preference shares relative to our ordinary shares;

• the likelihood of achieving a liquidity event for the ordinary shares underlying these share-based awards, such as an initial public offering;

• any adjustment necessary to recognize a lack of marketability for our ordinary shares; and

• the market performance of industry peers.

In order to determine the fair value of our ordinary shares underlying each share-based award, we first determined our equity value, and then allocated the equity value to each element of our capital structure

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(convertible debt, convertible preferred shares and ordinary shares) using a hybrid method comprising the probability-weighted expected return method and the option pricing method. In our case, three scenarios were assumed, namely: (i) the liquidation scenario, in which the option pricing method was adopted to allocate the value among convertible debt, convertible preferred shares and ordinary shares, and (ii) the redemption scenario, in which the option pricing method was adopted to allocate the value among convertible debt, convertible preferred shares and ordinary shares, and (iii) the mandatory conversion scenario, in which equity value was allocated to convertible debt, convertible preferred shares and ordinary shares on an as-if converted basis. Increasing probability was assigned to the mandatory conversion scenario in light of preparations for our initial public offering.

In determining the fair value of our ordinary shares, we applied the income approach/discounted cash flow, or DCF, analysis based on our projected cash flow using management’s best estimate as of the valuation date. The determination of the fair value of our ordinary shares requires complex and subjective judgments to be made regarding our projected financial and operating results, our unique business risks, the liquidity of our shares and our operating history and prospects at the time of valuation.

The major assumptions used in calculating the fair value of ordinary shares include:

The discount rates of 19.5%, 19.0%, 18.5%, 18.5%, 18.0%, 18.0%, 18.0%, 18.0% and 18.0%, were used for dates as of December 31, 2017, June 30, 2018, September 30, 2018, December 31, 2018, June 25, 2019, November 11, 2019, November 20, 2019, December 31, 2019 and March 31, 2020 respectively. The discount rates listed in the table above were based on the weighted average cost of capital, which was determined based on a consideration of the factors including risk-free rate, comparative industry risk, equity risk premium, company size and non-systemic risk factors.

In deriving the weighted average cost of capital used as the discount rates under the income approach, eight publicly traded companies were selected for reference as our guideline companies. The guideline companies were selected based on the following criteria: (i) the guideline companies should provide similar services, and (ii) the guideline companies should either have their principal operations in the Asia Pacific region, as we mainly operate in China, or are publicly listed companies in the United States, since as we plan to list our shares in the United States.

Discount for lack of marketability, or DLOM. DLOM was quantified by the Finnerty’s Average Strike put options mode. Under this option-pricing method, which assumed that the put option is struck at the average price of the stock before the privately held shares can be sold, the cost of the put option was considered as a basis to determine the DLOM. This option pricing method is one of the methods commonly used in estimating DLOM as it can take into consideration factors like timing of a liquidity event, such as an initial public offering, and estimated volatility of our shares. The farther the valuation date is from an expected liquidity event, the higher the put option value and thus the higher the implied DLOM. The lower DLOM is used for the valuation, the higher is the determined fair value of the ordinary shares. DLOM remained in the range of 20% to 7% in the period from 2017 to March 2020.

Fair value of our ordinary shares increased from US$9.38 per share as of December 31, 2017, US$12.32 per share as of June 30, 2018, US$14.77 per share as of September 30, 2018, US$17.92 per share as of December 31, 2018, US$31.15 per share as of June 25, 2019, US$34.97 per share as of November 11, 2019, US$34.99 per share as of November 20, 2019, US$37.10 per share as of December 31, 2019 and US$37.55 per share as of March 31, 2020 primarily due to growth in our business. Our successful completion of Series D, Series D1 and Series D2 rounds of financing in 2017 and 2018 also contributed to the increase in the fair value of our ordinary shares as they provided us with the funding needed for our expansion.

Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Prior to this offering, we have been a private company with limited accounting personnel and other resources with which we address our internal control over financial reporting. In connection with the audit of our

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consolidated financial statements included in this prospectus, we and our independent registered public accounting firm identified one material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. As defined in the standards established by the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, a “material weakness” is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

The material weakness identified related to our lack of sufficient financial reporting and accounting personnel with appropriate knowledge of U.S. GAAP and SEC reporting requirements to properly address complex U.S. GAAP accounting issues and related disclosures in accordance with U.S. GAAP and financial reporting requirements set forth by the SEC.

To remedy our identified material weakness, we have adopted several measures to improve our internal control over financial reporting, including: (i) hired a financial reporting director who is AICPA-qualified and has extensive U.S. GAAP financial accounting and reporting experience at a big-four international accounting firm and U.S. listed public companies based in China, and an internal control director with extensive experience on construction of enterprise’s internal control systems, (ii) improving the capabilities of existing accounting and financial reporting personnel through continuous training and education in the accounting and reporting requirements under U.S. GAAP, and SEC rules and regulations, and (iii) developing and implementing a full set of U.S. GAAP accounting policies and related internal control policies, including implementing a comprehensive accounting manual to guide the day-to-day accounting operation and reporting work.

The process of designing and implementing an effective financial reporting system is a continuous effort that requires us to anticipate and react to changes in our business and the economic and regulatory environments and to expend significant resources to maintain a financial reporting system that is adequate to satisfy our reporting obligation. See “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—If we fail to implement and maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting, we may be unable to accurately report our results of operations or prevent fraud or fail to meet our reporting obligations, and investor confidence and the market price of our ADSs may be materially and adversely affected.”

As a company with less than US$1.07 billion in revenue for our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” pursuant to the JOBS Act. An emerging growth company may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include exemption from the auditor attestation requirement under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, in the assessment of the emerging growth company’s internal control over financial reporting. The JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company does not need to comply with any new or revised financial accounting standards until such date that a private company is otherwise required to comply with such new or revised accounting standards. We have elected to take advantage of such exemptions.

Holding Company Structure

BlueCity Holdings Limited is a holding company with no material operations of its own. We conduct our operations primarily through our WFOE, our VIE and its subsidiaries in China. As a result, BlueCity Holdings Limited’s ability to pay dividends depends upon dividends paid by our WFOE. If our WFOE or any newly formed PRC subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing their debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends to us. In addition, our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries in China are permitted to pay dividends to us only out of its retained earnings, if any, as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. Under PRC law, each of our WFOE, our VIE and its subsidiaries in China is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund certain statutory reserve funds until such reserve funds reach 50% of their registered capital. In addition, our WFOE in China may allocate a portion of their after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to a staff welfare and bonus fund at their discretion, and our VIE may allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to a

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surplus fund at their discretion. The statutory reserve funds and the discretionary funds are not distributable as cash dividends. Remittance of dividends by a wholly foreign-owned company out of China is subject to examination by the banks designated by SAFE. Our WFOE has not paid dividends and will not be able to pay dividends until they generate accumulated profits and meet the requirements for statutory reserve funds.

Inflation

To date, inflation in China has not materially affected our results of operations. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the year-over-year percent changes in the consumer price index for December 2017, 2018 and 2019 were increases of 1.9%, 1.8% and 4.5%, respectively. Although we have not been materially affected by inflation in the past, we may be affected if China experiences higher rates of inflation in the future.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

Foreign exchange risk

Substantially all of our revenues and expenses are denominated in RMB. We do not believe that we currently have any significant direct foreign exchange risk and have not used any derivative financial instruments to hedge exposure to such risk. Although our exposure to foreign exchange risks should be limited in general, the value of your investment in our ADSs will be affected by the exchange rate between U.S. dollar and Renminbi because the value of our business is effectively denominated in RMB, while our ADSs will be traded in U.S. dollars.

The value of Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in political and economic conditions and the foreign exchange policy adopted by the PRC government. On July 21, 2005, the PRC government changed its policy of pegging the value of the Renminbi to the U.S. dollar. Following the removal of the U.S. dollar peg, the Renminbi appreciated more than 20% against the U.S. dollar over the following three years. On August 11, 2018, the People’s Bank of China announced plans to improve the central parity rate of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar by authorizing market-makers to provide parity to the China Foreign Exchange Trading Center operated by the People’s Bank of China with reference to the interbank foreign exchange market closing rate of the previous day, the supply and demand for foreign currencies as well as changes in exchange rates of major international currencies. Effective from October 1, 2018, the International Monetary Fund added Renminbi to its Special Drawing Rights currency basket. Such change and additional future changes may increase volatility in the trading value of the Renminbi against foreign currencies. The PRC government may adopt further reforms of its exchange rate system, including making the Renminbi freely convertible in the future. Accordingly, it is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between Renminbi and the U.S. dollar in the future. The Renminbi has recently depreciated significantly against the backdrop of a surging U.S. dollar and persistent capital outflows of China, , and we cannot assure you that the Renminbi will not appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the future. Although our exposure to foreign exchange risks should be limited in general, the value of your investment in our ADSs will be affected by the exchange rate between U.S. dollar and Renminbi because the value of our business is effectively denominated in RMB, while our ADSs will be traded in U.S. dollars.

To the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars into Renminbi for our operations, appreciation of Renminbi against the U.S. dollar would reduce the Renminbi amount we receive from the conversion. Conversely, if we decide to convert Renminbi into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs, servicing our outstanding debt, or for other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the Renminbi would reduce the U.S. dollar amounts available to us.

As of December 31, 2019, we had Renminbi-denominated cash and cash equivalents of RMB47.3 million. A 10% depreciation of Renminbi against the U.S. dollar based on the foreign exchange rate on December 31,

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2019 would result in a decrease of US$0.6 million in cash and cash equivalents. A 10% appreciation of Renminbi against the U.S. dollar based on the foreign exchange rate on December 31, 2019 would result in an increase of US$0.8 million in cash and cash equivalents.

Interest rate risk

Our exposure to interest rate risk primarily relates to the interest income generated by excess cash, which is mostly held in interest-bearing bank deposits and wealth management products. Interest-earning instruments carry a degree of interest rate risk. We have not been exposed to material risks due to changes in interest rates, and we have not used any derivative financial instruments to manage our interest risk exposure.

After completion of this offering, we may invest the net proceeds we receive from the offering in interest-earning instruments. Investments in both fixed rate and floating rate interest earning instruments carry a degree of interest rate risk. Fixed rate securities may have their fair market value adversely impacted due to a rise in interest rates, while floating rate securities may produce less income than expected if interest rates fall.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

A list of recently issued accounting pronouncements that are relevant to us is included in note 2 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.

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INDUSTRY

The following summary is qualified in its entirety by, and should be read in conjunction with, the more detailed information and financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. In addition to this summary, we urge you to read the entire prospectus carefully, especially the risks of investing in our ADSs discussed under “Risk Factors,” before deciding whether to invest in our ADSs. The information presented in this section have been derived from an industry report commissioned by us and prepared by Frost & Sullivan, an independent research firm, to provide information regarding our industry and our market position in China and globally. We refer to this report as the “Frost & Sullivan Report.”

Overview of Global LGBTQ Market

For the purpose of this prospectus, the LGBTQ population refers to the population who identify themselves as part of the LGBTQ community. In 2018, the global LGBTQ population was approximately 450 million, and is expected to grow to 591 million by 2023, representing 7.4% of the total population, compared to 5.9% of the total population in 2018, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report. LGBTQ populations in Asia and North America together represented over 70% of the global LGBTQ population in 2014 and 2018, and are expected to represent over 75% of the global LGBTQ population in 2023.

The growth of the LGBTQ population in absolute numbers and as a percentage of the general population is due to the increasing social acceptance of the LGBTQ population and more openness and willingness of the younger generation to identify themselves as LGBTQ. Over the past decades, society has become increasingly inclusive and friendly to the LGBTQ community. For example, the number of countries where same-sex marriage is legal has increased from one in 2001 to seven in 2009 and to 27 as of August 2019, whereas 162 countries and regions legalized same-sex relationships. The younger generations today tend to more openly embrace their identity than older generations or the same younger generations from earlier periods. According to the Frost & Sullivan Report, in 2018, the age groups of 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 are believed to have the highest percentages of LGBTQ population representation of 8.9% and 8.0% respectively.

According to the Frost and Sullivan Report, the LGBTQ population in general has higher average disposable income than that of the general population. The LGBTQ population also tends to spend more across various categories, such as healthcare, recreation, clothing and footwear, and dining out, compared to the general population.

The increasing number of the LGBTQ population, a higher average disposable income of the LGBTQ population and a higher willingness of the LGBTQ population to spend across various categories have all contributed to the rapid growth of the LGBTQ market. The LGBTQ market is the sum of all consumer expenditures by the LGBTQ population and marketing expenditures towards the LGBTQ population, as defined by the Frost & Sullivan Report. Also as defined by the Frost & Sullivan Report, online LGBTQ market represents the sum of online consumer expenditures by the LGBTQ population and online marketing expenditures towards the LGBTQ population. Driven by (i) increasing adoption of mobile internet, which enables more mass users to access various online products and services, and (ii) development of technology such as location-based services, artificial intelligence, mobile payment, video streaming and cloud infrastructure, which allows customers to enjoy more comprehensive product and service offerings with higher quality, the online LGBTQ market has also grown rapidly.

The market size of the global LGBTQ market was US$3,860.3 billion in 2018 by consumption expenditure and marketing expenditure, and is expected to reach US$5,425.9 billion by 2023, representing a CAGR of 7.0%. The market size of the global online LGBTQ market was US$261.5 billion in 2018, and is expected to reach US$580.4 billion by 2023, representing a CAGR of 17.3%. Within the online LGBTQ market, eCommerce is the largest segment, representing over 70% of the total market size in 2018. Online travel agency, or OTA, online advertisements and pan entertainment are also important sub-segments of the online LGBTQ market, with pan entertainment expected to grow at a faster 2018-2023 CAGR than the other two segments.

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Source: Frost & Sullivan Report

Overview of Key Offerings of LGBTQ Platforms

LGBTQ platforms provide products and services to the LGBTQ community including social and entertainment, online health consulting and online pharmacy, and assisted reproductive technology services. According to the Frost & Sullivan Report, as the LGBTQ platforms are still at their early stage of development with majority of the platforms only providing social networking functions, the LGBTQ platforms have much lower usage penetration amongst the LGBTQ people as compared to social and entertainment platforms targeting the general population. The leading LGBTQ platforms are well positioned to address users’ evolving needs throughout their lifetime and capture the significant growth potential of the online LGBTQ market and LGBTQ platforms as these platforms continue to broaden their service offerings and the penetration rate of these platforms continues to increase. Leveraging the large and sticky user base as well as their deep understanding of the LGBTQ community, leading LGBTQ platforms are well positioned to identify the various needs of the LGBTQ community, tailor their products’ features and functionalities accordingly, and broaden their service offerings to accommodate these needs.

LGBTQ Online Social and Entertainment

Online social and entertainment mainly consists of social networking and live-streaming. Key functions of social networking apps include location-based matching, photo and video sharing, instant messaging, voice and video call and status update. These functions enable users to build social connections with other members of the LGBTQ community who share similar interests and backgrounds. Live-streaming apps enable users to watch live entertainment performances by broadcasters or engage and socialize with broadcasters. The LGBTQ live streaming market is still at its early stage of development and therefore has significant room to grow. LGBTQ platforms offering both social networking and live streaming services are better positioned to refer users from the social networking segment to live streaming segment, potentially lowering customer acquisition cost and increasing overall ARPPU.

According to the Frost & Sullivan Report, the LGBTQ online social and entertainment market had a total global revenue of US$2.7 billion in 2018, consisting of revenues from membership fees, advertising revenue and live streaming, and is expected to reach US$6.2 billion in 2023, representing a CAGR of 18.3%. The LGBTQ online social networking market had a total global revenues of US$2.1 billion in 2018, consisting of revenues from membership fees and advertising revenue, and is expected to reach US$3.8 billion in 2023, representing a CAGR of 12.5%. Within the global LGBTQ online social networking market, the total revenues generated in Asia were US$975.1 million in 2018, representing a CAGR of 26.6% since 2014, and is expected to grow to US$2.1 billion in 2023, representing a CAGR of 16.8%. The LGBTQ live streaming market had a total global revenue of US$557.8 million in 2018, consisting of revenues representing a CAGR of 84.7% since 2014 and is expected to reach US$2.4 billion in 2023, representing a CAGR of 34.0%. Within the global LGBTQ online live streaming market, the total revenues generated in Asia contributed 80.4% of the global revenues in 2018. The

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rapid growth of the LGBTQ online social and entertainment market since 2014 is powered by the growing social needs of the LGBTQ community, more tailored LGBTQ-focused live streaming contents, users’ stronger willingness to pay for quality entertainment contents on the back of consumption upgrade trends, and increasing social acceptance of the LGBTQ community, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report.

Source: Frost & Sullivan Report

Online Health Consulting and Online Pharmacy

For users with health issues, online health consulting and online pharmacy services provide a compelling alternative to traditional hospitals and clinics as they provide users with an enhanced level of privacy. China represents the primary and most relevant market for online health and online pharmacy given its advanced development, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report.

With the increasing penetration rate and growing awareness around health condition of the younger generations as well as growing spending power by the middle-class, the market size of China’s online health consulting and online pharmacy market has grown rapidly over the past few years. According to the Frost & Sullivan Report, China’s online health consulting and online pharmacy market was US$1.2 billion in 2018, representing a CAGR of 39.3% since 2014 and is expected to reach US$3.6 billion by 2023, representing a CAGR of 25.3%.

Source: Frost & Sullivan Report

ART and ART Consulting Services

According to the Frost and Sullivan Report, ART includes artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other related services. The LGBTQ population, compared to the general population, has stronger needs for ART and related services when considering family planning, according to the same report.

According to the Frost and Sullivan Report, the global ART market was US$24.8 billion in 2018, representing a CAGR of 5.1% since 2014 and is expected to reach US$31.7 billion by 2023, representing a

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CAGR of 5.0%. The global ART consulting services market was US$167.4 million in 2018, representing a CAGR of 20.4% since 2014 and is expected to reach US$417.6 million in 2023, representing a CAGR of 20.1% according to the same report. In 2018, 32.3% of the global ART consulting services market is contributed by Chinese customers seeking overseas ART services. This is expected to reach 41.6% by 2023, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report. The growing infertility rate, rising awareness of birth defects, development in technology related to ART and increasing affordability for the services have contributed to the growth of ART and ART consulting services market in the past few years.

Source: Frost & Sullivan Report

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LETTER TO INVESTORS

“Gay”—as I typed the word on my computer around 20 years ago, hiding alone in my bedroom, my path ahead was destined to be different.

From one to 49 million

I was laden with agonizing loneliness, helplessness, and fear of the future during my adolescence. I used to think that I was the only person in the world attracted to people of the same gender and that I was sick and needed treatment. That was why, when I found out on the internet that there were other people like me, and that homosexuality was not an illness or disorder, I felt a tremendous sense of relief and excitement. After all, I’m not alone in this world. After all, we are not sick. After all, love is gender blind.

To me, herein lies the power of the internet—it empowers us to elevate ourselves, and to bring warmth to others across all corners of the world living in loneliness, helplessness and fear because of their sexual orientation.

This was how I found my calling to leverage the power of the internet to serve the LGBTQ community. Starting from developing a personal website, I endured continuous and painstaking exploration, experimentation, changes and breakthroughs. When faced with adversity, I reminded myself not to give up, and that the path I chose requires me to be exceptionally strong in mind and willpower. Finally, my dream became a shared vision of our over 400 team members, ushering us to build a leading LGBTQ community in the world with over 49 million registered users spread across over 210 countries and regions around the globe.

We make the world a better place

We are more than just a social network or a live streaming platform. Social interaction, an innate human need, is our point of entry to serve the LGBTQ population. However, we do not stop there; we are excited to leverage this platform to establish connections among people, content and services. We offer our users a safe and secure oasis to satisfy their needs for social networking, information sharing, entertainment, health and wellness, and parenthood that have not been fully addressed by the general commercial environment of the wider society.

We provide our users with full-lifecycle services. We firmly believe that everyone is equally entitled to high-quality, tailored, friendly and discrimination-free commercial services.

We are also more than just a commercial enterprise. Our commercial operation is the gateway through which we engage with the world and a gentle force that propels social progress by eliminating discrimination. We aspire to tell the world our stories—this is an organization dedicated to the LGBTQ community built hand-in-hand by both heterosexual and LGBTQ members, with users across the world of different skin colors and ethnicities who live around us with the same love, sense of equality and yearning for a better life. They might be your colleagues, your friends or your family members.

When people recognize our existence, they recognize the existence of the LGBTQ population. When they witness our dedication and hard work, they will also embrace the positive, sanguine and uplifting community behind us.

We look forward to you standing by us

Our listing is an important milestone in our long journey. Being a public company will encourage us to continue expanding our brand globally, improving our corporate governance and optimizing our products and services for the LGBTQ community.

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We embrace those who stand by us and help us grow and develop further. Together we will turn BlueCity into a beautiful rainbow over the capital markets!

Baoli Ma (alias, Geng Le)

Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

BlueCity Holdings Limited

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BUSINESS

The BlueCity Story: From One to 49 million

One Person

Our story started in the year 2000, when our founder, Mr. Baoli Ma, a closeted policeman by the alias “Geng Le,” founded one of China’s first and most influential LGBTQ online forums, Danlan.org. Danlan.org is the predecessor of BlueCity, and Mr. Ma is our number one employee.

Homosexuality was removed from an official list of mental illness in China the next year.

Six Years

After secretly moderating Danlan.org every night for six years by himself, Mr. Ma was joined by a few devoted volunteers in 2006, and they put their hearts and souls into promoting social awareness and connectivity among the LGBTQ community.

For the many years that followed, Danlan.org carried on its public interest gene and made relentless efforts in promoting HIV awareness and prevention.

34 Employees

After resigning from his policeman position in 2011, Mr. Ma was determined to fully devote himself to social awareness activities for the LGBTQ population. BlueCity was officially founded in the same year, with the launch of our mobile app Blued the year after.

BlueCity started out with 34 employees and grew exponentially into a market leader in the increasingly active LGBTQ community and the associated “pink economy.”

49 Million Registered Users

From a one-man operation that started 20 years ago, BlueCity has evolved into a global gateway for the “coming out journey” of the LGBTQ population, encouraging them to be themselves, feel good about themselves, and embrace the community. We celebrate a registered user base of over 49 million on our Blued mobile app as of December 31, 2019. Blued’s average MAUs grew from 4.1 million in the three months ended March 31, 2018 to 6.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2020. In particular, we had 6.5 million MAUs in March 2020. For detailed descriptions of the definitions of registered user and average MAUs, see “Prospectus Summary—Conventions that Apply to this Prospectus.”

Don’t blink. The best is yet to come.

A Snapshot of BlueCity Today

We have a large and active user base which primarily consists of LGBTQ persons in China and the rest of Asia, and we provide a full suite of services empowering LGBTQ persons in all aspects of their daily lives. As a central hub of BlueCity’s services and platforms, the Blued mobile app allows our users to connect with each other, express themselves, and access professional health related services and family planning services at their fingertips. With a long history of serving the LGBTQ community, we have an unparalleled understanding of their needs and concerns, and have developed service offerings specifically tailored to meet their lifetime needs:

• Self-Identity and Sense of Belonging

BlueCity is a spiritual home for LGBTQ people, encouraging them to be themselves, feel good about themselves and embrace the community. This unique position strengthens our user engagement and stickiness.

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This develops a self-reinforcing virtuous cycle and helps our community grow stronger over time. According to the Frost & Sullivan Report, Blued was the first point of contact with the LGBTQ community for the majority of our users. In 2019, Blued had an average daily time spent per active user of over 60 minutes and average daily sessions per active user of over 16 times, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report. Blued had an average next-month retention rate of 71.0% in 2019.

• Social Connection and Interaction

Through Blued, we empower our users in their social life via a variety of location-based and content-based social networking services which facilitate dynamic and engaging interactions among members of our community. Our location-based social networking services cater to the diverse social needs of our users and enable them to conveniently connect with each other and expand relationships from online to offline. Our content-based social networking services seamlessly immerse our users into our large and robust global community and enable them to discover content that is interesting and relevant to them. We also provide a variety of membership services, including subscription-based membership services and pay-per-use functions, to further enhance their social networking experience.

• Entertainment and Expression

Our platform is a safe and secure oasis for our users to express themselves in a positive, sanguine and uplifting community. Aside from content generated by users in their daily social activities, Blued enables users to live stream a wide variety of content and activities including talent shows, matchmaking shows, game shows, storytelling shows, comedy shows and casual chats between broadcasters and viewers. We have a talented and loyal broadcasters pool and share revenues generated from virtual gift sales with broadcasters through their agencies. We are committed to supporting our broadcasters and attracting new broadcasters to ensure a sustainable supply of high-quality streaming content on our platform.

• Health and Wellness

Through our health platform He Health, we provide a wide variety of health-related services, primarily including HIV-related services and comprehensive men’s health services. We provide easy access to timely and professional HIV screening and prevention solutions and men’s health solutions, which include a wide variety of test-kits, medication and medical consulting services to be ordered at their fingertips. He Health is currently only available in China.

• Pursuit of Parenthood

The pursuit of parenthood is a fundamental need and life goal of many members of our community. We offer family planning services through our Bluedbaby platform to Chinese customers, hand-holding them throughout the journey in cooperation with our assisted ART services partners outside of China.

Blued is a world’s leading LGBTQ platform in terms of average MAUs in 2019, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report. We are the dominant leader in China. In 2019, we had average MAUs and average DAUs over six and nearly seven times that of the next largest player in China, respectively, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report. Blued’s average MAUs grew from 4.1 million in the three months ended March 31, 2018 to 6.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2020. Leveraging our experience in China, we have successfully expanded into a number of overseas markets and established a strong global presence. We are the largest online LGBTQ community in India, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam in terms of average MAUs in 2019, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report. We are rapidly expanding into new markets, and have users spanning over 210 countries and regions as of March 31, 2020. Users in countries and regions outside of China represented over 49% of our total MAUs in March 2020. Despite our global footprint, approximately 3.4%, 6.6% and 9.9% of our total revenues for 2018, 2019 and the three months ended March 31, 2020, respectively, were contributed by users outside

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China. We are still in the early stage of generating revenue from our users outside China and are continuing to introduce diversified service offerings to cater to their different needs. Currently, Blued is primarily used by homosexual men, while all of our services are available to the LGBTQ population in general.

Leveraging our deep understanding of and broad connections with the LGBTQ community accumulated throughout the years since Danlan.org, we continuously conduct a wide variety of public interest initiatives related to the LGBTQ community primarily through Danlan Public Interest, BlueCity’s public interest arm. Empowered by our platform’s technologies and data traffic and our deep understanding of the LGBTQ community, we believe we were the first in China to introduce the concept of “Internet + HIV prevention” to integrate online and offline HIV prevention efforts in HIV testing, prevention education, academic research and volunteering. We are also committed to continuously promoting diversity and LGBTQ awareness around the world by organizing and participating in a wide variety of social events. For more information on our public interest initiatives, see “—Corporate Social Responsibility—Danlan Public Interest.”

Our Strengths

World’s leading LGBTQ community

As the gateway to the BlueCity’s services and platforms, Blued is a world’s leading LGBTQ platform in terms of average MAUs in 2019, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report. Through Blued we provide users with access to BlueCity’s diverse services that cater to their lifetime needs, including social networking, entertainment, health-related and family planning services. Blued’s average MAUs grew from 4.1 million in the three months ended March 31, 2018 to 6.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2020.

Our founder, chairman and CEO, Mr. Baoli Ma, has dedicated himself to serving the LGBTQ community throughout his career. He established BlueCity and subsequently launched Blued in 2012. Since then, we have been relentlessly promoting the healthy growth and development of our community and achieved considerable success through our services tailored for this community. We are the dominant leader in China. In 2019, we had average MAUs and average DAUs over six and nearly seven times that of the next largest player in China, respectively, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report.

We have successfully replicated our business model in China to other markets. We are the largest online LGBTQ community in India, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam in terms of average MAUs in 2019, according to the

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Frost & Sullivan Report. We are rapidly expanding into new markets, and have users spanning over 210 countries and regions as of March 31, 2020. Users from countries and regions outside of China represented over 49% of our total MAUs in March 2020.

Strong user engagement and stickiness driven by sense of belonging

Through our deep understanding of the LGBTQ community, we provide a wide range of targeted and tailored features and services, including social networking, entertainment and expression, health-related and family planning services, to meet the day-to-day and lifetime needs of our users. Through our emphasis on user experience, privacy protection and well-being and health, we have captured the hearts and minds of our users. We have cultivated a highly-trusted brand and nurtured a close-knit community and users have a strong sense of belonging towards our community. This strengthens our user engagement and stickiness, which gives us a resilient foundation on which we can refine our offerings, creating a virtuous flywheel.

Our business model is a self-reinforcing flywheel, which is set in motion by our focus on providing the best possible user experience. This drives organic user growth, which generates more data on our users, thus providing valuable feedback to further improve our user experience. Based on this feedback, we also incubate and develop new offerings, which broaden and deepen user engagement, further improving user experience.

In 2019, Blued had an average daily time spent per active user of over 60 minutes and average daily sessions per active user of over 16 times, according to the Frost & Sullivan Report. Blued had an average next-month retention rate of 71.0% in 2019.

Proven capabilities to provide community-centric services

The engagement and stickiness of our close-knit community enable us to identify users’ evolving needs early on, based on which we continuously grow existing and develop new businesses to capture emerging monetization opportunities.

Live Streaming Services

Live streaming is currently our main monetization channel. We provide an open platform for broadcasters to reach a large targeted audience. We developed and operate live streaming to provide an intuitive format for users to engage and socialize, and continually launch innovative and interactive formats, such as one-on-one battle and multi-broadcaster sessions, to facilitate community-driven user stickiness and sustained willingness to pay. We generated ARPPU for live streaming services of approximately RMB1,279 and RMB2,059 in 2018 and 2019, respectively and approximately RMB995 and RMB1,010 in the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Following the success of our live streaming services, we launched multiple new businesses, which have shown considerable early success with significant monetization upside.

Social Networking Services

We empower our users in their social lives via a variety of location-based and content-based social networking services. Our mobile app Blued caters to the diverse social needs of our users and enables them to conveniently connect with each other and expand relationships from online to offline. Our AI-driven content-based social services seamlessly immerse our users into our large and robust global community and discover content that is interesting and relevant to them. In June 2018, we began offering our users a variety of membership services to further enhance their social networking experience, including subscription-based membership services and pay-per-use services. We are continuously testing and customizing the subscription options to balance revenue generation and user engagement.

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Health-related services

We launched He Health in 2019 to provide the LGBTQ community with tailored health-related services, leveraging our platform’s innovative technologies to synergize with traditional distribution channels. We provide easy access to a wide variety of HIV-related medication and consulting services, drugs and nutritional supplements related to men’s health, in cooperation with our high-quality vendors and partner medical practitioners. Total transaction value facilitated by He Health increased by approximately 150% from April 2019 to March 2020.

Family Planning Services

We launched Bluedbaby in 2017 to provide users with personalized assisted reproduction consultation services, making the pursuit of parenthood a smoother journey for them. We only cooperate with ART services partners that we believe are of high caliber in terms of experience, technology, facility, reputation and service quality.

Stringent privacy and security standards

We highly value the privacy of our users. We continuously strengthen our internal guidelines, procedures and technologies to enhance users’ data privacy and ensure content compliance on our platform, to maintain a safe and healthy online environment.

We offer a wide range of tailored and customizable functions, including, data desensitization, location blurring and data encryption to ensure our users’ data, privacy and safety are protected. Specifically, we adhere to various requirements imposed by various governmental authorities on the safety of servers, network, frameworks, applications and data. We take localized measures to make sure our business operations are in compliance with user privacy policies and regulations in each jurisdiction.

We utilize deep learning to train our algorithms for image recognition, natural language processing (NLP) and sensitive keywords detection, supplemented with manual verification, to rigorously screen content. In addition to employing AI technologies to assist in detecting and prohibiting misusage, we also built multiple reporting channels to uncover and review invasive or illegal uses or content on our platform, such as verbal abuse, discriminatory remarks, fraud and drug-usage. We strictly comply with local laws and take prompt actions in response to non-compliant activities to protect our healthy and positive communal environment and stay compliant.

We believe our efforts ensure the sustainable growth of BlueCity and protect our brand image to provide a safe and healthy online space for our users