Mission Statement, Vision, & Core Values of So-Young International Inc. (SY)

You're looking past the noise of quarterly earnings to understand the bedrock of So-Young International Inc. (SY), and that's smart-because a company's foundational values are what drive its strategic pivot. The firm is projecting full-year 2025 sales of about 1.59 billion RMB, but that number is really a story about their mission in action: a massive 426.1% surge in aesthetic treatment services revenue in Q2 2025 shows their strategic shift is working. When a company's core purpose is to enhance transparency and trust in the medical aesthetics industry, how does that translate into a business model that can support such explosive, yet costly, growth?

Does their stated vision of connecting consumers with vetted providers truly align with the current push into branded aesthetic centers, and what does that mean for your investment defintely?

So-Young International Inc. (SY) Overview

So-Young International Inc. (SY) is the leading aesthetic treatment platform in China, successfully pivoting from a pure online marketplace to a vertically integrated service provider, which is defintely a smart move in a highly competitive sector. Founded in 2013 in Beijing, the company's core mission is to bring trust and transparency to the medical aesthetics industry by connecting consumers with a comprehensive range of quality service providers and information.

The platform operates through its flagship So-Young Mobile App, a Weixin (WeChat) mini program, and its website, soyoung.com. These channels offer users access to medical aesthetic knowledge, community support via beauty diaries and reviews, and reservation services for treatments. The business model has evolved to include a significant offline presence through its branded aesthetic centers, which offer a range of services from non-invasive procedures like thread lifts and injectable treatments to more complex surgical options.

This dual online-offline strategy is driving its current revenue mix. For the nine months ended September 30, 2025, the company reported total revenue of CNY 1,062.69 million (approximately $148.9 million USD), demonstrating the scale of its operations in the consumption healthcare sector.

Q3 2025 Financial Performance: The Strategic Pivot Pays Off

The latest financial results for the third quarter of 2025, reported on November 17, 2025, show a clear shift in revenue composition, even as the total top-line growth was modest. Total revenue for the quarter was RMB386.7 million (about $54.3 million USD), a 4.0% increase year-over-year. But, honestly, that headline number hides the real story.

The massive growth engine is the aesthetic treatment services revenue-the main product sales from their branded centers-which surged by a staggering 304.6% year-over-year to RMB183.6 million (or $25.8 million USD) in Q3 2025. This growth came from expanding their physical footprint; as of September 30, the company operated 39 fully functional branded aesthetic centers across ten major Chinese cities. Here's the quick math: this segment's explosive growth is offsetting a decline in the older information and reservation services revenue, which fell by 34.5%.

While the company reported a net loss of RMB64.3 million (or $9.0 million USD) for the quarter due to the costs of this aggressive expansion, the operational metrics are strong. Twenty of the centers have already reached profitability, and 29 are generating positive quarterly operating cash flow. Plus, active users on the platform exceeded 130,000, a significant jump from the prior year.

So-Young: A Leader in China's Aesthetic Treatment Market

So-Young International Inc. is not just another tech stock; it's a leader in China's rapidly expanding medical aesthetics industry, a sector that demands high levels of consumer trust. The company is actively redefining its value proposition by shifting from a purely marketing-driven model to a trust-driven business approach, which is critical for long-term, sustainable growth in healthcare.

Their success stems from a content-driven platform that provides transparency and a strong community, which is a powerful moat against competitors. Analysts are projecting this strategy will continue to drive sales, with full 2025 fiscal year sales estimated to be around 1.59 billion RMB. This vertical integration-owning the customer journey from online discovery to offline treatment-is what makes them a formidable player.

• Connect consumers with trusted providers.
• Enhance industry transparency and quality.
• Drive growth through branded aesthetic centers.

If you want to understand the investor landscape that backs this strategic shift, you should read Exploring So-Young International Inc. (SY) Investor Profile: Who's Buying and Why?

So-Young International Inc. (SY) Mission Statement

As a seasoned analyst, I view a mission statement as the company's operating thesis-it tells you where they are going and how they plan to get there. So-Young International Inc.'s (SY) mission, while not always a single, boilerplate sentence, is clearly focused on transforming the medical aesthetics market in China by building a trusted, end-to-end platform. The core takeaway is this: So-Young International Inc. is strategically moving from a purely online information platform to a vertically integrated service provider, which is a major shift in how they generate revenue and build trust.

This mission is the engine driving their aggressive expansion, like the push to reach 50 branded aesthetic centers by the end of 2025, up from 39 centers in Q3 2025. It's a clear signal to investors and consumers that they are putting their money where their mouth is-literally building the infrastructure to deliver on their promise of high-quality, standardized service. You can read more about this strategic shift in the company's history and business model here: So-Young International Inc. (SY): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money.

Core Component 1: Building a Trusted, Transparent Platform for Consumers

The first pillar of the mission is establishing transparency and trust in an industry that has historically struggled with both. So-Young International Inc. does this by curating a vast content-driven platform that connects users with carefully vetted medical aesthetic service providers. This isn't just a directory; it's a community where information sharing and honest reviews are central to the user experience.

The company's commitment to safety is defintely a core value, not just a marketing slogan. They enforce a rigorous six-pillar compliance framework, which includes risk control, supervision, and a strict doctor qualification assessment process. For perspective, their doctor acceptance rate is only around 10%, meaning they are highly selective about who operates on their platform. That kind of discipline is what builds long-term brand equity.

• Connect users with vetted providers.
• Enforce a six-pillar compliance framework.
• Maintain high standards for doctor qualifications.

Core Component 2: Delivering High-Quality, Standardized Aesthetic Services

The second, and most financially impactful, component is the strategic pivot to owning and operating branded aesthetic centers. This move gives So-Young International Inc. direct control over the service quality, allowing them to deliver a standardized experience, which is the key to scaling in the medical aesthetics space. Here's the quick math on why this matters: revenue from aesthetic treatment services soared by 305% year-over-year in Q3 2025, contributing RMB 184 million to the quarter's total revenue.

This explosive growth shows the market is responding to the quality-first strategy. The customer satisfaction rating in Q1 2025 was exceptionally high at 4.98 out of 5, which is a tangible metric of their success in service delivery. This direct-service model is what's driving the user base expansion, with the number of active users of So-Young clinic exceeding 130,000 as of September 30, 2025. This is a massive jump and shows the power of vertical integration.

Core Component 3: Driving Growth through Vertical Integration and Innovation

The final pillar is the focus on vertical integration-moving up the supply chain to control product quality and cost. This involves developing, producing, and distributing their own optoelectronic medical equipment and injectable products. For instance, the launch of Miracle PLLA version 3 was a significant supply chain upgrade and the initial batch sold out quickly, demonstrating strong market pull for their proprietary products.

This innovation is directly fueling operational performance. The number of verified treatment visits surpassed 89,800 in Q3 2025, a 280% increase year-over-year. Moreover, the membership system, which identifies high-value users, has seen a 40% increase in core members, with these users spending 2.5 times higher than the average user. This focus on proprietary products and a high-value customer base is the long-term profitability lever for the company.

So-Young International Inc. (SY) Vision Statement

You're looking for the bedrock of So-Young International Inc.'s strategy-the mission, vision, and values-to assess if the fundamental story still holds up against the recent Q3 2025 volatility. The direct takeaway is that their vision remains centered on market dominance and value chain expansion in China's aesthetic treatment space, but the path to profitability is still a near-term risk. The firm's unaudited net loss for Q2 2025 was RMB 36.0 million (US$5.0 million), so execution on this vision is defintely the core focus now.

Pillar 1: Market Leadership and Community Dominance

So-Young International Inc.'s primary vision is to be the undisputed market leader-the largest and most vibrant social community in China for medical aesthetics. This isn't just about transaction volume; it's about owning the consumer journey from information gathering to post-treatment community engagement. They are already the leading aesthetic treatment platform in China, which is a strong starting point.

The financial traction here is mixed but shows potential. While total revenues in Q2 2025 were RMB 378.7 million (US$52.9 million), the company's negative net margin of -45.56%, reported with the Q3 2025 results, shows the high cost of acquiring and retaining this dominant community. The good news is that analysts forecast a significant earnings growth of 129.07% annually, suggesting a strong belief in their ability to monetize this community long-term.

• Own the consumer-to-provider connection.
• Drive engagement beyond the initial booking.
• Monetization must catch up to scale.

Pillar 2: Value Chain Expansion and Service Innovation

The second core component of the vision is moving beyond a pure platform model (connecting consumers and providers) to a more comprehensive, integrated service model. This means expanding along the medical aesthetic value chain. In the past year, we've seen a tangible shift into branded aesthetic centers and the development, production, and distribution of optoelectronic medical equipment and injectable products.

This strategy is already paying dividends, even as the overall top line faces headwinds. For instance, the aesthetic treatment services revenues-which include their new business lines-were RMB 144.4 million (US$20.2 million) in Q2 2025, a massive increase from the corresponding period in 2024. This diversification is a smart move to capture a larger share of the end-to-end spending and reduce reliance on just the information and reservation services, which saw a revenue decrease in Q1 2025. Anyway, this is where the real margin expansion will come from. For a deeper dive into the mechanics of their business, you can check out So-Young International Inc. (SY): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money.

Pillar 3: Enhancing Transparency and Building Trust

A core, inferred value for So-Young International Inc. is the commitment to transparency and trust in a market that has historically suffered from information asymmetry and quality concerns. Their platform's mission is to provide reliable, high-quality, and trustworthy content, along with a curated list of vetted medical aesthetic service providers.

This focus on quality is a necessary defensive moat in the Chinese market. It's what keeps users coming back and drives the high engagement. The risk is that maintaining this high standard requires significant investment in content moderation, provider vetting, and technology, which contributes to the current net losses. For Q1 2025, the company reported a net loss of RMB 33.1 million (US$4.6 million). Here's the quick math: they are spending money to build a quality-based brand moat, which is essential for long-term survival, but it weighs on near-term financials. The positive Q3 2025 GAAP EPADS of -$0.09, beating the consensus estimate of -$0.33, suggests they are managing these costs better than expected.

The action item here is to monitor their cash position. As of June 30, 2025, they held RMB 998.6 million (US$139.4 million) in cash and equivalents, which gives them a solid runway to continue investing in this trust-building exercise.

So-Young International Inc. (SY) Core Values

You're looking at So-Young International Inc. (SY) because you see the massive shift from pure online platforms to integrated service models in medical aesthetics, and you need to know if their foundation is solid. The company's core purpose-connecting consumers with vetted service providers-pushes three critical, actionable values that drive their near-term strategy and financial performance, even as they navigate a challenging market.

The company's shift to branded aesthetic centers is the clearest signal of these values in action. Honestly, the market is punishing their legacy business-Information and Reservation Services revenue was down 34.5% year-over-year in Q3 2025 to RMB 117.2 million-but the pivot is working. Here's the quick math: Aesthetic Treatment Services revenue surged 304.6% year-over-year to RMB 183.6 million in Q3 2025, which is a powerful proof of concept for their values-driven strategy.

Trust and Transparency

Trust is the non-negotiable currency in medical aesthetics, and So-Young International Inc. knows it. Their value here is about cutting through the noise and connecting you with reliable information and verified providers. This is why they built the largest and most vibrant social community in China for this industry.

Their commitment is quantified by user engagement and satisfaction. As of Q3 2025, the customer satisfaction score for their branded aesthetic centers remained exceptionally high at 4.99 out of 5. That's a defintely strong signal of a positive user experience. The entire platform is built on providing curated treatment information, facilitating online reservations, and offering a community for information sharing, which directly combats the industry's historical opacity. You can read more about their operational framework and history here: So-Young International Inc. (SY): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money.

• Provide reliable, high-quality content.
• Curate and vet service providers carefully.
• Maintain a near-perfect customer satisfaction score.

Customer-Centric Innovation

This value is all about improving the user journey and lifetime value, which is a smart move when the cost of acquiring new customers is rising. So-Young International Inc. is innovating by vertically integrating, moving from a pure platform to a service provider through their branded aesthetic centers. They are betting that owning the experience will lead to better retention and higher spending.

The expansion is aggressive but disciplined. As of September 30, 2025, they operated 39 centers across 10 cities, with plans to reach 50 centers by the end of 2025. This expansion is directly supported by a revamped membership system, which is a key innovation. Core members (users at Level 3 and above) grew by over 10,000 in Q3 2025, a 40% quarter-over-quarter jump. More importantly, these core members have a nearly 70% quarterly repurchase rate, proving the innovation works to lock in high-value users.

Quality and Safety Standards

In a sector where safety is paramount, this value is the ultimate risk mitigation strategy. So-Young International Inc. understands that a single major safety incident can wipe out market trust. Their focus is on building a high-standard system that ensures quality across their expanding network of branded centers.

They have implemented a rigorous, multi-faceted approach to compliance, which they call a six-pillar compliance framework. This framework covers everything from risk control and supervision to internal audit and medical service delivery. To ensure only the best professionals are on their platform and in their centers, they maintain rigorous doctor qualification assessments with an acceptance rate of only around 10%. This low acceptance rate is a clear, concrete example of prioritizing quality over sheer volume of providers. For you, this translates to a more sustainable business model, even as the company reported a net loss of RMB 64.3 million in Q3 2025; the foundation for future, profitable growth is being laid by these standards.

The operational success of this value is also visible in their clinic performance. In Q3 2025, 20 centers achieved center-level profitability, showing that a high-quality, standardized model can scale efficiently. Total verified aesthetic treatments performed surpassed 194,700 in Q3 2025, up 296% year-over-year, demonstrating that consumers are voting with their wallets for this commitment to quality.

Next Step: Finance: Model the long-term impact of the 70% core member repurchase rate on the 2026 revenue forecast by next Tuesday.