WeLab completes initial close of Series C-1 funding, led by Allianz X for US$75 million and announces strategic partnership

  • WeLab’s focus on technology and innovation in building a pan-Asian digital financial services platform complements Allianz’s expansion strategy with technology-focused partners in the region
  • Allianz and WeLab have established a strategic partnership with plans to develop and distribute investment and insurance solutions
  • WeLab Bank and Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI) intend to enter into a strategic cooperation in digital wealth management and financial services. Once implemented, WeLab Bank will be the first digital bank to deploy this wealthtech advisory technology in Asia

HONG KONG, March 8, 2021 — WeLab, a leading fintech company in Asia, today announced it has completed the initial close of Series C-1 funding, led by Allianz X for US$75 million. Allianz X is the digital investment unit of the Germany-based Allianz Group, one of the world’s largest insurers and asset managers. Since inception in 2013, WeLab has raised more than US$600 million of strategic financing from the world’s most renowned investors. WeLab and Allianz have also established a strategic partnership to drive fintech collaboration across Asia’s financial services landscape. The new funding, together with Allianz partnership, will bolster the acceleration of WeLab’s pan-Asian growth strategy and expansion of digital financial services.

WeLab completes initial close of Series C-1 funding, led by Allianz X for US$75 million and announces strategic partnership
WeLab completes initial close of Series C-1 funding, led by Allianz X for US$75 million and announces strategic partnership

WeLab operates multiple online financial services with leading positions in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Indonesia including digital banking and consumer finance businesses, with close to 50 million individual users and over 600 enterprise customers. As Asia sails into the digital banking revolution and many countries in the region are in the process of studying or implementing digital banking frameworks. WeLab is ahead of the curve, spearheading the new age of banking operating WeLab Bank in Hong Kong — one of the first fully-licensed digital banks in Asia since obtaining its license in early 2019. With its unique market knowledge and extensive network, WeLab is perfectly positioned in this strategic partnership with Allianz to take advantage of the vast opportunities in Asia where its total addressable market size for financial services is close to US$3 trillion in annual revenue. 

WeLab has achieved significant milestones in the increasingly digital COVID era

In the COVID era, the market is rapidly evolving, with accelerated digital adoption as one of the outcomes. The pandemic has transformed people’s money habits across their financial journey. The boom in digital services adoption plays into WeLab’s strength in fintech services. WeLab has emerged stronger from the pandemic with multiple businesses achieving significant milestones in the past year. For example:

  • Fueled by increased digital adoption in online financial services, WeLab’s user base grew by 20% YoY, adding around 10 million users to the current 50 million user base, the largest user growth in recent years;
  • Launching a digital-only bank during the third wave of pandemic in Hong Kong proved to be extremely timely, with WeLab Bank garnering strong traction during its first 6 months of operations;
  • WeLend, Hong Kong’s largest pure online lending platform, outperformed the market by 70% during the year to achieve its all-time record high sales volume, at a time where traditional branch operating hours and business model were severely hampered;
  • WeLab’s B2B enterprise solution platform in Mainland China doubled the number of business partners from 300 to over 600 as financial institutions move towards online financial services;
  • In Indonesia, the mobile lending platform Maucash continues to scale with increased brand recognition and popularity of online financial services in Indonesia, achieving over 6x YoY volume growth.

Partnership will accelerate growth of WeLab’s pan-Asian financial services footprint

With this round of investment and new cooperation, WeLab aims to combine its advanced digital banking technology capabilities and market know-how with Allianz’s expertise in insurance and asset management, the two partners aim to holistically improve people’s financial wellbeing. The broader strategic cooperation between WeLab and Allianz will continue to develop over time and encompasses two key areas:

  1. The rollout of pioneering digital wealth management in Asia: WeLab Bank and Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI) intend to enter into a strategic cooperation in digital wealth management and financial services. WeLab Bank is looking into developing and distributing digital wealth management solutions with AllianzGI, a global asset manager under Allianz, with assets under management of over EUR 582 billion*. These would aim to bridge the significant unmet investment needs in Asia, a region where only 27% of the population use financial advisors, resulting in a sizable under-advised population of over 3.4 billion. Once implemented, WeLab Bank will be the first digital bank to deploy this wealthtech advisory technology in Asia. The plan is to roll out these wealth management services to new digital customers in Hong Kong and later to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA), through Wealth Management Connect, reaching the 72 million population in one of the world’s wealthiest megalopolis.

  2. New markets and new products: development and distribution of investment and insurance solutions: WeLab recognizes opportunities to widen the regional scope of its financial service offerings to other markets in which Allianz operates. For example, in the booming digital Southeast Asian economies, there are around 400 million active internet users, but over 70% of the total population is either unbanked or underbanked. There is, therefore, a lot of potential to expand the cooperation. The two companies are exploring opportunities to offer new digital investment and insurance products in the region, combining Allianz’s expertise in investment and insurance and WeLab’s network of customers and technology.

Simon Loong, Founder & Group CEO of WeLab, said, "We are thrilled to welcome Allianz as an investor and strategic partner to the WeLab Group. We see this as a first-in-market 4-way partnership where there are abundant synergies between WeLab, as a fintech leader and a pioneer in digital banking, and Allianz, as a global insurer and asset manager. More importantly, both companies share a vision on delivering advanced technology solutions to customers in Asia. Today, we announce both the new round of funding and a strategic partnership in wealthtech and banking at WeLab Bank. We look forward to expanding WeLab’s geographical presence and bringing our technology into these new markets with Allianz. We will be expediting our hiring this year, aiming to add around 100 hires, as investing in people and culture will be key to support future growth."

Nazim Cetin, CEO of Allianz X, said, "In a relatively short amount of time, WeLab has built up a powerful platform for digital financial services and achieved excellent access to retail and business customers in Asia, a region of strategic importance for Allianz. WeLab’s high-performance technology platform, in particular, makes it a unique fintech in the Asian markets. The investment in WeLab is a promising one for Allianz both economically and strategically. We look forward to leveraging our strategic partnership with WeLab and the business potential in the region."

Desmond Ng, Head of Asia Pacific at Allianz Global Investors, said, "Asia is home to some of the most dynamic wealth management and banking markets of the world. Hong Kong, in particular, is a significant market for us. With the second-highest bank deposits per capita in the world, it is a very attractive wealth management market. The potential strategic cooperation with WeLab presents an exciting opportunity for Allianz Global Investors as an integral part of our growth strategy in Asia."

Existing investors also participated in this round, reflecting their continued conviction and confidence in WeLab. The Series C-1 round remains ongoing, with the final close expected in the coming months.

About WeLab

WeLab, a leading fintech company in Asia, operates one of the first licensed digital banks in Asia – WeLab Bank, as well as multiple online financial services with leading positions in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Indonesia, with close to 50 million individual users and over 600 enterprise customers. WeLab uses game-changing technology to help customers access credit, save money, and enjoy their financial journey.

Powered by proprietary risk management technology, patented privacy computing techniques, and advanced AI capabilities, WeLab offers mobile-based consumer financing solutions and digital banking services to retail individuals and technology solutions to enterprise customers.

WeLab operates in three markets under seven key brands, including WeLend and WeLab Bank in Hong Kong, WeLab Digital (我来数科), Taoxinji (淘新机), Wallet Gugu (钱夹谷谷), and Tianmian Tech (天冕科技) in Mainland China and Maucash in Indonesia.

WeLab is backed by the most renowned investors including Allianz, China Construction Bank International, International Finance Corporation (a member of the World Bank Group), Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Berhad, CK Hutchison’s TOM Group, and Sequoia Capital.

To learn more about WeLab, please visit: www.welab.co, or follow WeLab on LinkedIn and Facebook.

About Allianz X

Allianz X invests in digital frontrunners in ecosystems relevant to insurance and wealth management. As one of the pillars of Allianz Group’s digital transformation strategy, Allianz X provides an interface between Allianz Operating Entities and the broader digital ecosystem, enabling collaborative partnerships in insurtech, fintech, and beyond. 

For more information, please visit: https://www.allianzx.com/.

About Allianz Global Investors

Allianz Global Investors is a leading active asset manager with over 700 investment professionals in 25 offices worldwide and managing EUR 582 billion in assets for individuals, families and institutions*.

We see investing as a journey and we seek to create value for our clients every step of the way. We invest for the long term, employing our global investment and risk capabilities and sustainable investing expertise to create innovative solutions that anticipate future needs. We believe in solving not selling – our goal is to elevate the investment experience for clients, wherever they are based and whatever their investment objectives.

Active is: Allianz Global Investors
*Source: Allianz Global Investors. Data as at 31 December 2020

For media enquiries, please contact:

WeLab:
WeLab Corporate Communications Team
Tel: +852 6214 4734
Email: pr@welab.co

Allianz X:
Gregor Wills
Tel: +49 89 3800 61313
Email: gregor.wills@allianz.com

The Apple iMac Pro is No More

When we say no more in this case, it is not exactly true yet. There are still Apple iMac Pro devices still going around the market. But as per Apple, the only ones they are selling at this point is their base model with Intel’s 10-core Xeon CPU.

Apple’s iMac Pro is Apple’s iteration of what an all-in-one workstation should be. The iMac Pro is designed for heavy workloads and churn an impressive amount of compute power to do anything its users could think off. It was designed as well, to be as portable as possible so users can take it from one corner of the world to the other to get their work done on a reliable machine.

The latest iMac Pro comes with a 27-inch display that boasts 5K resolution with True Tone and option for nano-texture glass. While the base model is an Intel Xeon variant, you could opt for a 10-generation Intel Core i9 with up to 256GB* of RAM and up to 8TB of storage. If you really want to kit it out, you can even get a powerful AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT GPU for all your heavy rendering, 10-Gigabit ethernet for fast networking in the office, an excellent 1080p webcam for better web conferencing experience (important today), even better speakers and microphones, and a lot more.

The base model of the iMac Pro will set you back US$ 4,999 (MYR 20,855**) and comes with said 10-core Intel Xeon W processor. You get 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage for that money. On top of that you get a Radeon Pro Vega 56 GPU.

Apple has announced that the current remaining batch of iMac Pro devices in the market are the last ones on sale. They have not confirmed if there are any replacement models for the iMac Pro or not. Sources say that you may not want to count on Apple replacing the iMac Pro at this time though. In that case, if you are looking for an Apple machine that could handle all your 3D modelling projects or CAD modelling, you might want to start looking at the Mac Pro.

*As per Apple Malaysia Website

**Official Apple Malaysia Pricing on Apple Website

Source: Engadget, Mac Rumors

FactSet and Ping An to Offer Investors ESG Content and Analytics on Chinese Companies

NORWALK, Conn., SHANGHAI and HONG KONG, March 7, 2021 — FactSet (NYSE:FDS) (NASDAQ:FDS), a global provider of integrated financial information and analytical applications, and Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (hereafter "Ping An", HKEX: 2318; SSE: 601318) today announced a joint offering for investors considering environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) metrics for companies incorporated in China.

The offering will be launched by FactSet and Ping An’s associate company OneConnect Financial Technology Co., Ltd. (hereafter "OneConnect", NYSE:OCFT), a leading technology-as-a-service platform for financial institutions in China. FactSet will integrate OneConnect’s artificial intelligence (AI)-driven ESG content sets into its workstations, standard data feed, and application programming interfaces (APIs) to accelerate the availability of ESG metrics for over 3,500 Chinese class A-share companies.

OneConnect offers comprehensive coverage of ESG factors and assessments for companies listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. These factors are derived from a combination of different sources of information obtained by AI technologies, such as natural language processing (NLP). OneConnect also provides a range of analytics tools in addition to the content that will be integrated into FactSet, such as NLP-driven disclosure transparency assessments, portfolio sustainability performance evaluation and adjustment, and a climate risk evaluation tool to help investors better integrate ESG measurements into their investment processes.

"ESG investing is accelerating globally and client demand is high for information on companies in China," said Tom Griffiths, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific, FactSet. "Working with Ping An to strengthen FactSet’s ESG offering is an exciting step as we further expand integrated workflow solutions for our global client base. Combining OneConnect’s leading content with FactSet’s suite of applications will offer investment professionals a differentiated perspective on ESG impacts in the Chinese market."

"We are excited to build this partnership with FactSet," said Ye Wangchun, Chairman and CEO of OneConnect. "By integrating OneConnect’s AI-ESG information sets into FactSet’s powerful investment data and technology platform, investors can expand both the breadth and depth of their ESG investments, drawing on a broader set of China-focused ESG content and tools."

OneConnect’s ESG content will be available in the coming months in the FactSet workstation as well as via standard data feed and APIs.

For more information, please visit: https://www.factset.com/solutions/business-needs/esg-solutions.

About FactSet

FactSet® (NYSE:FDS | NASDAQ:FDS) delivers superior content, analytics, and flexible technology to help more than 138,000 users see and seize opportunity sooner. We give investment professionals the edge to outperform with informed insights, workflow solutions across the portfolio lifecycle, and industry-leading support from dedicated specialists. We’re proud to have been recognized with multiple awards for our analytical and data-driven solutions and repeatedly scored 100 by the Human Rights Campaign® Corporate Equality Index for our LGBTQ+ inclusive policies and practices.  Subscribe to our thought leadership blog to get fresh insight delivered daily at insight.factset.com. Learn more at www.factset.com and follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/factset.

About Ping An Group

Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. ("Ping An") is a world-leading technology-powered retail financial services group. With over 218 million retail customers and 598 million Internet users, Ping An is one of the largest financial services companies in the world. Ping An focuses on two over-arching domains of activity, "pan financial assets" and "pan health care", covering the provision of financial and health care services through our integrated financial services platform and our ecosystems; in financial services, health care, auto services and smart city services. Our "finance + technology" and "finance + ecosystem" transformation strategies aim to provide customers and internet users with innovative and simple products and services using technology. As China’s first joint stock insurance company, Ping An is committed to upholding the highest standards of corporate reporting and corporate governance. The Group is listed on the stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shanghai. In 2020, Ping An ranked 7th in the Forbes Global 2000 list and ranked 21st in the Fortune Global 500 list. Ping An also ranked 38th in the 2020 WPP Kantar Millward Brown BrandZTM Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands list.

For more information, please visit www.group.pingan.com and follow us on LinkedIn – PING AN

About OneConnect

OneConnect is a leading technology-as-a-service platform for financial institutions in China. The Company’s platform provides cloud-native technology solutions that integrate extensive financial services industry expertise with market-leading technology. The Company’s solutions provide technology applications and technology-enabled business services to financial institutions. Together they enable the Company’s customers’ digital transformations, which help them increase revenue, manage risks, improve efficiency, enhance service quality and reduce costs.

Our technology-as-a-service platform strategically covers multiple verticals in the financial services industry, including banking, insurance and asset management, across the full scope of their businesses – from sales and marketing and risk management to customer services, as well as technology infrastructure such as data management, program development, and cloud services.

Bigo Live, ANTRA and The Equality Project celebrate Mardi Gras and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ communities in Australia

SYDNEY, March 5, 2021 As part of the Mardi Gras celebrations in Australia and in partnership with ANTRA and The Equality Project, livestreaming app Bigo Live hosted "Together We Rise", a panel discussion echoing the theme of this year’s event, "RISE" and focusing on the platform’s diverse community.

Held on Friday, 26 February, "Together We Rise" brought together five thought leaders and active members of the LGBTQIA+ community to discuss how Mardi Gras may look and feel different this year, the opportunities and challenges they face and how the community has stayed connected and motivated during the pandemic through technology. The session featured Cedric Yin-Cheng, founder of ANTRA; Jason Tuazon-McCheyne, founder and CEO, The Equality Project; Adrian Tuazon-McCheyne, CTO, The Equality Project; Canadian-based bisexual Bigo Live broadcaster KirraZomby and was moderated by Perth-based transgender Bigo Live broadcaster, Dolly (BratzDoll).

The discussion was supported by Bigo Live ANZ’s Multi-People Room feature, a function that will enable panel participants to engage with viewers, answer questions and connect over shared experiences.

Multi-People Room feature, a function on Bigo Live
Multi-People Room feature, a function on Bigo Live

In honour of the event, Bigo Live is also donating USD2,000 to support the work of ANTRA and The Equality Project.

"Bigo Live broadcasters and users always demonstrate the Australian values of encouraging multiculturalism and egalitarianism. Our audiences’ gender identity, sexual identity and cultural diversity reflect a modern Australia, so we’re very pleased to have kicked off Mardi Gras celebrations with such an insightful ‘Together We Rise’ panel discussion," said a Bigo Live ANZ spokesperson.

"We are invested in ensuring that Bigo Live is one of the most diverse and inclusive social networking platforms and a safe place for the LGBTQIA+ community as we all work together towards a better, more inclusive future for current and future generations of Australians."

The Equality Project is a national health promotion charity bringing together LGBTIQ+ people and allies to promote a better, more just, and fairer society for all Australians. By creating a truly intersectional discussion, they aim for LGBTIQ+ voices to be heard.

Jason Tuazon-McCheyne, founder of the Equality Project in 2020 Australia's National LGBTQ+ Conference
Jason Tuazon-McCheyne, founder of the Equality Project in 2020 Australia’s National LGBTQ+ Conference

"At the end of the day, your sexuality and your gender are just what they are.The sooner you can be your authentic self the better, and certainly find support networks to help keep you psychologically and physically safe," commented Jason Tuazon-McCheyne, founder and CEO of the Equality Project.

"In Australia we’ve only just recently had marriage equality which has changed a lot of things for us. I think being visible is being part of the solution; the more visible we are, showing that we are a diverse community, and telling our stories really helps move the conversation forward. It’s really important for us to tell our own stories because it humanises this LGBTQ+ acronym that’s often quite alienating for some people outside of the community," said Adrian Tuazon-McCheyne, CTO of the Equality Project.

The Australia & New Zealand Tongzhi Rainbow Alliance Inc.(ANTRA) is a community-based not-for-profit advocacy group, founded to celebrate and embrace diversity, but most importantly, to become a point-of-contact and support for Mandarin- and Cantonese-speaking LGBTQIA+ community members, particularly migrants, international students and other newly arrived diasporas.

Cedric Yin-Cheng (right), founder of ANTRA on the Fair Day, Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras 2020, Victoria Park, Sydney
Cedric Yin-Cheng (right), founder of ANTRA on the Fair Day, Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras 2020, Victoria Park, Sydney

"Your sexuality and your gender identity are formed inside of you and you have to be comfortable in order to tell others who you are. Australia is a diverse society, but if you’re not in a safe environment or have open-minded friends, if you don’t have open-minded workplaces or schools, you risk putting yourself into a dangerous and unsafe position when coming out. So I would think about your safety first and secondly, think about whether you know yourself well enough to explain to other people, who might not be as smart or as fabulous as you are, who you are," said Cedric Yin-Cheng, founder of ANTRA, offering advice to the LGBTQ+ community about their journey to shaping their identity.

"It has been such a pleasure being invited by Bigo Live, the channel that has worked so much to make sure LGBTQI+ people are visible and well valued. I am proud and fortunate to have spoken with Dolly, Jason and many more other interactors in their comments and understand a lot more about how our community is on this lovely platform. I truly wish the best to Bigo Live and I am hoping Bigo Live continues with their excellent work in making sure the voices of LGBTQIA+ people are well heard and seen!" Yin-Cheng continued.

The panel was moderated by Dolly (known to her two thousand Bigo Live followers as BratzDoll, Bigo ID: Dooly19), a transgender woman and Bigo Live broadcaster who moved to Australia when she was nine years old and has been open with her personal experiences identifying as gay male before her transition and her journey to realising her true identity and finding her support network online.

With over 1.3 million subscribers across the ANZ region and a 20% sign-broadcaster increase month-on-month, Bigo Live is one of the world’s fastest-growing, community-first social networking platforms that uses livestreaming technology to bring people together. Globally, the platform connects over 400 million users worldwide.

This is the most recent livestreaming event hosted by Bigo Live dedicated to LGBTQIA+ users and allies. Prior to this, Bigo Live has announced a series of LGBTQIA+ initiatives globally, including an official corporate partnership with The Trevor Project and a #WeStandTogether event series in celebration of Pride Week in 2020.

The panel discussion was livestreamed at 6:00pm AEDT on Friday, 26 February on Bigo Live ANZ (ID: 80019), and the panel discussion is available to view here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_LTb4w5Im8WIgoJw-bf2STSWyLN0Bmyf/view

For enquiries on CSR partnerships:

Bigo Live ANZ is constantly looking for and eager to hear from CSR partners. Should your organisation be interested, please contact:

Erin Dong
Email: donglijuan@bigo.sg

For further media information or interview requests, contact:

Haystac for BIGO
Email: bigo@haystac.com.au

About Bigo Live
Bigo Live is one of the world’s fastest-growing live streaming social communities where users broadcast in real-time to share life moments, showcase their talents, and interact with people from around the world. Bigo Live has around 400 million users in over 150 countries and is currently the market leader in the live streaming industry. Launched in March 2016, Bigo Live is owned by Bigo Technology, which is based in Singapore.

For more information on Bigo Live, please visit www.bigo.tv/.

Related Links :

http://www.bigo.tv

FORESEE Automotive eMMCs from Longsys Enhance Driver Assistance System Safety

SHENZHEN, China, March 5, 2021Since the beginning of 2021, FORESEE brand from Longsys has launched industrial eMMCs, industrial wide-temperature eMMCs, and automotive eMMCs products that can meet the storage stability requirement of automobiles and perform ideally in ADAS.

In general, the advantages of FORESEE automotive eMMCs are their stability and safety. With their unique device status monitoring system, automotive eMMCs can greatly simplify host operations and also ensure that the host can use standard commands to check the operational status and lifetime of memory devices at any time. In this way, automotive eMMCs can continually monitor storage status, provide early warnings for any issues, and perform maintenance in a timely manner. This protects the device and the internal data, and improves the overall stability of the device. eMMCs are secure in that they are designed to operate in harsh environments. Industrial eMMCs can operate at temperatures between -25°C and -85°C. Industrial eMMCs, industrial wide-temperature eMMCs, and automotive eMMCs can even operate at temperatures ranging from -40°C to -85°C. FORESEE industrial eMMCs and automotive eMMCs also perform well in extreme or harsh environments such as those subject to static electricity and electromagnetic interference.

In addition to extensive applications in ADAS, the high-standard performance of industrial and FORESEE automotive eMMCs allow for them to be widely used in automotive, industrial, and commercial electronics, including: automotive central control, in-vehicle communication and smart home systems, industrial control platforms, medical electronics, and durable home appliances.

As a strong guarantee of automobile safety, ADAS quality must be second-to-none. Memory devices that affect ADAS stability must be tested under harsh environments. Only after ensuring that memory devices are both secure and reliable can they be installed in ADAS. Longsys FORESEE maintains high product standards in this regard and utilizes its ingenuity and technical prowess to produce highly reliable storage products. FORESEE will continue to keep up with the trends of the times and launch new products, all while maintaining excellent product quality. FORESEE will continue to help global customers seize opportunities with its innovative and high-quality products.

 

LeanIX Named a ‘Strong Performer’ Among Enterprise Architecture Providers By Independent Research Firm


BONN, Germany and BOSTON, March 5, 2021 — LeanIX, a platform that enables Corporate IT and Product IT teams to plan and manage Continuous Transformation journeys, announced today it has achieved a Strong Performer status in the latest Forrester Wave™: Enterprise Architecture Management Suites, Q1 2021 report.

The new report cited most reference clients giving high scores to LeanIX’s end-user friendly offering, and the report also noted  its strength in business capability and experience architecture management.

According to the report’s vendor profile, "LeanIX focuses on just enough architecture and simplicity. LeanIX, founded in 2012, is well balanced in Canada, EMEA, and the US; its largest industry segments are manufacturing, consumer, and banking. The vendor will meet the needs of most EA professionals and performs strongly in business capability and experience architecture management. LeanIX is likely to maintain or improve its position in the market."

"We are happy to be recognized as a Strong Performer by Forrester Research," said André Christ, co-founder and CEO of LeanIX. "From on-premise IT to cloud native and microservices, architecture teams that use LeanIX have the power to strategically support their businesses and make better and faster decisions as they execute upon their continuous transformation initiatives." 

Download a complimentary copy of The Forrester Wave™: Enterprise Architecture Management Suites, Q1 2021, authored by Gordon Barnett, at https://www.leanix.net/en/download/leanix-strong-performer-forrester-wave-eams-2021.

About LeanIX: 

The LeanIX platform promotes continuous transformation and enables internal IT and DevOps teams to establish superior governance while efficiently organizing, planning, and managing IT landscapes. LeanIX follows a collaborative and data-driven approach, focusing on speed and control in cloud environments and enabling companies to make sound and fast decisions based on comprehensive data.

More than 380 enterprises including adidas, DHL, Merck and Volkswagen trust in LeanIX, and more than 40 certified partners such as Deloitte and PwC rely on the dynamically growing IT company co-founded in 2012 by CEO André Christ.

With EA Connect Days, LeanIX has been regularly organizing one of the world’s most important industry events in the field of Enterprise Architecture since 2014. The company is headquartered in Bonn, Germany with additional offices in Boston, Massachusetts; Munich, Germany; Utrecht, Netherlands; and Hyderabad, India. It has more than 300 employees worldwide.

Media Contact: 
Jeremy Douglas
Catapult PR-IR
leanix@catapultpr-ir.com
303-589-1941

Logo – https://techent.tv/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/leanix-named-a-strong-performer-among-enterprise-architecture-providers-by-independent-research-firm.jpg

Molecular Data Inc. and Yili Group Reach Cooperation Agreement

SHANGHAI, March 5, 2021 — Molecular Data Inc. ("Molecular Data" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: MKD), a leading technology-driven platform in China’s chemical industry, today announced that it has signed a cooperation agreement with Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd. ("Yili Group"), China and the world’s largest dairy company, making MKD Laboratory Supplies Mall the designated centralized procurement platform for Yili Group, its branches and subsidiaries.

MKD Lab Supplies Mall is a data-driven one-stop laboratory supplies e-commerce service platform operating under Molecular Data. Spot commodities in the mall cover all categories of chemical reagents, biological reagents, laboratory consumables, and equipment. It serves scientific research institutions, hospitals, university laboratories, third-party testing units and production plants, providing procurement services that include all categories of reagents and intermediates.

As China’s largest dairy company, Yili Group’s catalogue has the most comprehensive and wide-ranging product categories, alongside advanced and strong technological innovation and research and development capabilities.

The cooperation content covers 6 categories spanning 2,000 products, which include various types of chemical reagents, biochemical reagents, glassware, and consumables.

This collaboration will enable Yili Group to take advantage of Molecular Data’s comprehensive resources to optimize its laboratory supplies, simplify internal processes and improve procurement efficiency. The Company will also provide Yili Group with the highest quality products and services with strict supplier access standards, efficient response speeds, and advanced digital systems, empowering Yili Group to better integrate resources, enhance product research and development, and in turn, propel innovation across the China’s dairy industry.

About Molecular Data Inc.

Molecular Data Inc. is a leading technology-driven platform in China’s chemical industry, connecting participants along the chemical value chain through integrated solutions. The Company delivers e-commerce solutions, financial solutions, warehousing and logistics solutions, and SaaS suite that are intended to solve pain points for participants in the traditional chemical industry. Built upon a comprehensive knowledge engine and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, the Company’s e-commerce solutions are mainly offered through its online platform, consisting of molbase.com, molbase.cn, Moku Data WeChat account, Chemical Community APP and other ancillary platforms.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "aims," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident," "potential," "continue" or other similar expressions. Among other things, the quotations from management in this announcement, as well as the Company’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a variety of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company’s goals and strategies; the Company’s future business development, results of operations and financial condition; the expected growth of the chemical market; the Company’s ability to monetize the user base; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China; the potential impact of the COVID-19 to the Company’s business operations and the economy in China and elsewhere generally; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of the press release, and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

In China:

Molecular Data Inc.
Eva Ma
Tel: +86-21-5419-9057
E-mail: investor@molbase.com

The Piacente Group, Inc.
Emilie Wu
Tel: +86-21-6039-8363
E-mail: molbase@tpg-ir.com

In the United States:

The Piacente Group, Inc.
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
E-mail: molbase@tpg-ir.com

Soul App Motivates Gen Z to Help People Suffering from Mental Disorders, Injecting Young Energy into Social Good

SHANGHAI, March 5, 2021 — As a social networking platform that champions a genuine, diverse, and inclusive culture and stands for social good, Soul App has rolled out a series of events for the benefit of the public, especially the vulnerable, and continues to promote to its young users the values that everyone deserves respect and opportunities for personal development.

Truth be told, entrenched bias, and even stigma, lingers towards people with mental illnesses in everyday life and the workplace, considering the lack of science-based understanding of mental disorders. Ongoing public educational programs in China, which aim to narrow the information gap of mental health and call upon the general public to empathize with people suffering from mental health disorders, have imbued them with a sense of comfort and acceptance.

As part of its benevolent efforts, Soul App has lately hosted movie-watching activities featuring Pixar-produced Soul in 36 cities across China, and organized a special screening for nearly 100 children – who are living with mental health disorders including depression, cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome – and their parents and friends. Not unlike Soul which is praised as "the movie with the biggest healing power of 2020", SOUL has spread love and respect to this special group of individuals, translating into reality the uplifting theme throughout the movie of "everyone has an admirable, unique soul".

On World Mental Health Day, SOUL also held an art-for-charity exhibition named "Special Doesn’t Mean Lonely" featuring paintings created by SOUL volunteers in collaboration with teenagers on the autism spectrum. Combining aesthetic beauty and the warmth of charity, these paintings on display shined a light on their personal worlds and extraordinary artistic talents that would have gone unnoticed.

The Art-for-charity Exhibition “Special Doesn’t Mean Lonely”
The Art-for-charity Exhibition “Special Doesn’t Mean Lonely”

On December 23rd, 2020, SOUL launched their own "Different Socks Day," a philanthropic event dedicated to raising public awareness for those with special needs, encouraging people to wear two mismatched socks and to post a photo of it on the app. The campaign was such a huge success that countless young users took part in various in-app activities, such as drawing what they like on a pair of white socks, with chances of winning prizes such as tailored socks and digital gifts.

“Different Socks Day”
“Different Socks Day”

By introducing different public projects, like "Different Socks Day" and the art-for-charity exhibition, the app has tried to weave the spirit of doing good into the lives of the younger generation, empowering the belief of "committing good deeds whenever possible" to work its way into the youths’ hearts, and inspiring them to play more active roles in charitable efforts.

There has been a younger presence in socially good endeavors in recent years, and Generation Z in particular is making a noticeable and positive impact. Serving as a stronger link between philanthropic activity and the younger generation, digital platforms are playing an ever bigger role in promoting social good –with people struggling with mental disorders in mind –in more creative ways. In other words, as a rising number of young people chip in, the Gen Z-dominated social media apps, like SOUL, will emerge as a major space where amazing charitable activities happen.

Related Links :

http://www.soulapp.me

China Online Education Group Announces Fourth Quarter 2020 Results

Fourth quarter and fiscal year net revenues increased by 34.7% and 38.9% year-over-year respectively

Fourth quarter GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income were RMB31.8 million and RMB38.6 million respectively

Fiscal year 2020 GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income were RMB147.0 million and RMB173.7 million respectively

BEIJING, March 5, 2021 — China Online Education Group ("51Talk" or the "Company") (NYSE:COE), a leading online education platform in China, with core expertise in English education, announced its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.

Fourth Quarter 2020 Financial and Operating Highlights

  • Net revenues were RMB535.1 million (US$82.0 million), a 34.7% increase from RMB397.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2019.
  • Gross margin was 72.7%, compared with 72.1% for the fourth quarter of 2019.
  • GAAP net income was RMB31.8 million, compared with GAAP net income RMB0.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2019.
  • Non-GAAP net income[1] was RMB38.6 million, compared with non-GAAP net income RMB4.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2019.
  • Operating cash inflow was RMB188.5 million (US$28.9 million), compared with RMB167.1 million cash inflow for the fourth quarter of 2019.
  • Cash, cash equivalents, time deposits and short-term investments balance reached RMB1,727.7 million (US$264.8 million) as of December 31, 2020.
  • Gross billings[2] were RMB720.9 million (US$110.5 million), a 23.8% increase from RMB582.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2019.

     Fiscal Year 2020 Financial and Operating Highlights

  • Net revenues were RMB2,054.1 million (US$314.8 million), a 38.9% increase from RMB1,478.5 million for the fiscal year 2019.
  • Gross margin was 71.7%, compared with 70.2% for the fiscal year 2019.
  • GAAP net income was RMB147.0 million(US$22.5 million), compared with GAAP net loss RMB104.4 million for the fiscal year 2019.
  • Non-GAAP net income was RMB173.7 million (US$26.6 million), compared with non-GAAP net loss RMB87.7 million for the fiscal year 2019.
  • Operating cash inflow was RMB719.3 million (US$110.2 million), compared with RMB397.9 million cash inflow for the fiscal year 2019.
  • Gross billings were RMB2,722.6 million (US$417.3 million), a 30.9% increase from RMB2,080.6 million for the fiscal year 2019.

[1] For more information on non-GAAP financial measures, please see the section of "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and the table captioned "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures to the Most Comparable GAAP Measures" set forth in this press release.

[2] Gross billings for a specific period, which is one of the Company’s key operating data, is defined as the total amount of cash received for the sale of course packages and services in such period, net of the total amount of refunds in such period.

Key Financial and Operating Data

For the three months ended

For the year ended

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Y-o-Y

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Y-o-Y

2019

2020

Change

2019

2020

Change

Net Revenues (in RMB millions)

397.2

535.1

34.7%

1478.5

2,054.1

38.9%

K-12 mass-market one-on-one

320.0

479.4

49.8%

1131.3

1,773.2

56.7%

K-12 small class offering

26.4

20.5

(22.5%)

112.8

97.1

(13.9%)

Adult offering

38.8

27.9

(28.1%)

168.5

130.8

(22.4%)

K-12 American Academy one-on-one

12.0

7.3

(39.2%)

 

65.9

 

53.0

 

(19.6%)

Gross Billings (in RMB millions)

582.3

720.9

23.8%

2,080.6

2,722.6

30.9%

K-12 mass-market one-on-one

501.7

667.8

33.1%

 

1,814.5

 

2,536.0

 

39.8%

    K-12 small class offering

40.0

26.4

(34.0%)

96.6

90.9

(5.9%)

Adult offering

34.5

25.8

(25.2%)

131.3

91.7

(30.2%)

K-12 American Academy one-on-one

6.1

0.9

(85.2%)

 

38.2

 

4.0

 

(89.5%)

Active students[3] (in thousands)

257.2

353.8

37.6%

[3] An "active student" for a specified period refers to a student who booked at least one paid lesson, excluding those students who only
attended paid live broadcasting lessons or trial lessons. A student taking both one-on-one and small class lessons is counted as one
active student.

"The growth momentum from the beginning of 2020 continued into the fourth quarter," said Mr. Jack Jiajia Huang, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of 51Talk. "Reflecting solid strategic execution in our online K-12 English mass-market offerings, fourth quarter net revenues grew 34.7% year-over-year to reach RMB535.1 million. We also recorded historically high operating cash flow of RMB188.5 million. In addition, the number of new paying students grew over 70.0% year-over-year driven by our effective curriculum and improving service quality, while our active students reached 353,800, up 37.6% compared with the same period in 2019. 

"Despite 2020 presenting an array of unforeseen challenges, our strong pre-established foundational groundwork allowed us to not only manage this tumultuous period but in fact benefit from the shifting environment as we took advantage of new opportunities. Full year net revenues grew 38.9% to RMB2.1 billion. 2020 operating cash flow rose 80.8% to reach a historical high of RMB719.3 million, compared with RMB397.9 million in 2019, further strengthening our financial position for future growth. We also witnessed remarkable growth in new paying students which increased 60.0% year-over-year.

"We are also very excited about our recent acquisition of GKid’s product portfolio and industry-leading AI technologies. GKid offers innovative AI-driven online English courses through highly interactive animation and picture books for children. With product offerings intended for those between the ages of three and eight, this acquisition both extends our addressable market and broadens our product and curriculum portfolio. We foresee many potential collaboration and integration opportunities between our platform and GKid’s products and industry-leading AI technologies, leading to both new products and product improvements which will better serve our students.

"As we head further into 2021, we are focusing on user growth and enhanced brand promotions to drive market share expansion. To better attract and retain users, we will continue optimizing learning experiences through upgraded product offerings and an enriched curriculum mix. We are developing innovative AI-powered robotic tutors to help students review core knowledge points with the aim of enhancing overall learning efficiency. To make our courses more interesting and engaging to young children, we are also integrating more interactive features into our textbooks. Additionally, we are diversifying our curriculum portfolio in order to provide a holistic learning experience, through investing in R&D, upgrading services to students, and expanding our teacher operations. Finally, we target to further increase our branding and marketing efforts to heighten brand awareness as we enter the next phase of growth.

"We are also delighted to have successfully delivered over 50 million one-on-one online English lessons, including free trials, between November 2019 and December 2020 – a rapid increase that took our cumulative deliveries since our inception in 2011 to more than 150 million, and a strong testament to our accelerating growth trajectory. As 51Talk continues to grow, we are confident our balanced growth strategy will continue to yield solid value for our stakeholders," concluded Mr. Huang.

"I’m extremely proud that we concluded a turbulent 2020 with solid operating and financial results, evidenced by sustained revenue growth and the first profitable year in our company history," said Mr. Min Xu, Chief Financial Officer of 51Talk. "We recorded Non-GAAP net income of RMB173.7 million for 2020, compared to a Non-GAAP net loss of RMB87.7 million in 2019.  In 2021, investment will be channeled towards the development of our curriculum, technology and brand as we look to capitalize on market dynamics, drive user growth and achieve the leading market position."

Fourth Quarter 2020 Financial Results

Net Revenues

Net revenues for the fourth quarter of 2020 were RMB535.1 million (US$82.0 million), a 34.7% increase from RMB397.2 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was primarily attributed to an increase in the number of active students. The number of active students in the fourth quarter of 2020 was 353,800, a 37.6% increase from 257,200 for the same quarter last year.

Net revenues from one-on-one offerings for the fourth quarter of 2020 were RMB514.6 million (US$78.9 million), a 38.8% increase from RMB370.8 million for the same quarter last year. Net revenues from small class offering for the fourth quarter of 2020 were RMB20.5 million (US$3.1 million), a 22.5% decrease from RMB 26.4 million for the same quarter last year.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues for the fourth quarter of 2020 was RMB146.1 million (US$22.4 million), a 32.1% increase from RMB110.6 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was primarily driven by an increase in total service fees paid to teachers, mainly due to an increased number of paid lessons. 

As part of Chinese government’s effort to ease the burden of businesses affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration, temporarily reduced and exempted employer obligation on social security contributions from February 2020. The impact of coronavirus policies on cost of revenues was RMB0.2 million in the fourth quarter. Excluding the impact, total cost of revenues for the fourth quarter would have been RMB146.3 million (US$22.4 million), representing a 32.3% year-over-year increase.

Cost of revenues of one-on-one offerings for the fourth quarter of 2020 was RMB137.8 million (US$21.1 million), a 40.4% increase from RMB98.2 million for the same quarter last year. Cost of revenues of small class offering for the fourth quarter of 2020 was RMB8.3 million (US$1.3 million), a 33.5% decrease from RMB12.5 million for the same quarter last year.

Gross Profit and Gross Margin

Gross profit for the fourth quarter of 2020 was RMB388.9 million (US$59.6 million), a 35.8% increase from RMB286.5 million for the same quarter last year.

Gross margin for the fourth quarter of 2020 was 72.7%, compared with 72.1% for the same quarter last year.

Excluding the positive impact of the coronavirus related social security contribution exemption, gross profit and gross margin for the fourth quarter would have been RMB388.7 million (US$59.6 million) and 72.6% respectively.

Gross margin for one-on-one offerings for the fourth quarter of 2020 was 73.2%, compared with 73.5% for the same quarter last year. 51Talk’s small class offering gross margin for the fourth quarter of 2020 was 59.5%, compared with 52.7% for the fourth quarter of 2019. The increase was mainly due to an optimization of the small class offering portfolio that reduced the number of lower margined products.

Operating Expenses

Total operating expenses for the fourth quarter of 2020 were RMB385.7 million (US$59.1 million), an 33.7% increase from RMB288.4 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was mainly due to an increase in sales and marketing expenses.

Sales and marketing expenses for the fourth quarter of 2020 were RMB284.5 million (US$43.6 million), a 40.5% increase from RMB202.5 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was mainly due to higher sales personnel costs related to increases in the number of sales and marketing personnel and higher marketing and branding expenses. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses for the fourth quarter of 2020 were RMB282.6 million (US$43.3 million), a 40.2% increase from RMB201.6 million for the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses, excluding branding expenses, were 33.6% of the gross billings for the fourth quarter of 2020, compared with 30.4% for the same quarter last year. The impact of coronavirus policy related the exemption of employer obligation on social security contributions on sales and marketing expense was RMB5.3 million in the fourth quarter. Excluding the impact, sales and marketing expenses for the fourth quarter would have been RMB289.8 million (US$44.4 million), representing a 43.1% year-over-year increase.

Product development expenses for the fourth quarter of 2020 were RMB44.6 million (US$6.8 million), a 20.3% increase from RMB37.0 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was primarily due to higher product development personnel costs related to increases in both the number of personnel and average salary. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP product development expenses for the fourth quarter of 2020 were RMB43.3 million (US$6.6 million), a 17.6% increase from RMB36.8 million for the same quarter last year. The impact of coronavirus policy related to the exemption of employer obligation on social security contributions on product development expense was RMB1.5 million in the fourth quarter. Excluding the impact, product development expense for the fourth quarter would have been RMB46.1 million (US$7.1 million), representing a 24.6% year-over-year increase.

General and administrative expenses for the fourth quarter of 2020 were RMB56.6 million (US$8.7 million), a 15.8% increase from RMB48.9 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was primarily due to higher general and administrative personnel costs related to increases in both the number of personnel and average salary. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP general and administrative expenses for the fourth quarter of 2020 were RMB53.0 million (US$8.1 million), a 14.4% increase from RMB46.3 million for the same quarter last year. The impact of coronavirus policy related to the exemption of employer obligation on social security contributions on general and administrative expense was RMB1.2 million in the fourth quarter. Excluding the impact, general and administrative expense for the fourth quarter would have been RMB57.8 million (US$8.9 million), representing a 18.2% year-over-year increase.

Other income

As part of Chinese government’s effort to ease the burden of businesses affected by the coronavirus

(COVID-19) outbreak, the State Taxation Administration (STA) exempted a wide range of consumer services from value added tax (VAT) from January 2020. The income obtained by taxpayers from providing essential services shall be exempted from VAT. The favorable impact of coronavirus relief policies was RMB7.5 million in the fourth quarter.

On September 30, 2019, Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration announced that from October 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021, the taxpayers engaging in the provision of essential services are allowed to deduct an extra 15% of the deductible input value-added tax for the current period from the payable value-added tax. The impact of the policy of additional value-added tax credit for the income generated by the essential services provided by enterprises was RMB0.3 million in the fourth quarter.

Income/(loss) from Operations

Operating income for the fourth quarter of 2020 was RMB11.0 million (US$1.7 million), compared with loss from operations of RMB1.9 million for the same quarter last year. Operating margin for the fourth quarter was 2.1%, compared with operating margin of negative 0.5% for the same quarter last year.

Non-GAAP operating income for the fourth quarter of 2020 was RMB17.8 million (US$2.7 million), compared with non-GAAP operating income of RMB1.8 million for the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP operating margin for the fourth quarter was 3.3%, compared with non-GAAP operating margin of 0.5% for the same quarter last year.

The favorable impact of coronavirus relief policies was RMB15.7 million in the fourth quarter. Excluding the favorable impact, loss from operations and non-GAAP operating income for the fourth quarter would have been RMB4.7 million (US$0.7 million) and RMB2.1 million (US$0.3 million) respectively, representing negative 0.9% GAAP operating margin and 0.4% non-GAAP operating margin.

Net income

Net income for the fourth quarter of 2020 was RMB31.8 million (US$4.9 million), compared with net income of RMB 0.8 million for the same quarter last year. Net margin for the fourth quarter was 5.9%, compared with net margin of 0.2% for the same quarter last year.

Non-GAAP net income for the fourth quarter of 2020 was RMB38.6 million (US$5.9 million), compared with non-GAAP net income of RMB4.5 million for the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP net margin for the fourth quarter was 7.2%, compared with non-GAAP net margin of 1.1% for the same quarter last year.

The favorable impact of coronavirus relief policies was RMB15.7 million in the fourth quarter. Excluding the favorable impact, net income and non-GAAP net income for the fourth quarter would have been RMB16.1 million (US$2.5 million) and RMB22.9 million (US$3.5 million) respectively, representing net margin of 3.0% and 4.3% respectively.

Income tax benefits for the fourth quarter of 2020 were RMB8.9 million, including the releasing of valuation allowance for deferred tax assets of RMB9.7 million.

Basic net income per American depositary share ("ADS") attributable to ordinary shareholders for the fourth quarter of 2020 was RMB1.48 (US$0.23), compared with basic net income per ADS of RMB0.04 for the same quarter last year. Diluted net income per American depositary share ("ADS") attributable to ordinary shareholders for the fourth quarter of 2020 was RMB1.39 (US$0.21), compared with diluted net income per ADS of RMB0.04 for the same quarter last year. Each ADS represents 15 Class A ordinary shares.

Non-GAAP basic net income per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders for the fourth quarter of 2020 was RMB1.79 (US$0.27), compared with non-GAAP basic net income per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders of RMB0.22 for the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP diluted net income per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders for the fourth quarter of 2020 was RMB1.68 (US$0.26), compared with non-GAAP diluted net income per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders of RMB0.20 for the same quarter last year.

The favorable impact of coronavirus relief policies was RMB15.7 million in the fourth quarter. Excluding the favorable impact, basic net income per American depositary share ("ADS") attributable to ordinary shareholders for the fourth quarter of 2020 was RMB0.75 (US$0.11) and non-GAAP basic net income per American depositary share ("ADS") attributable to ordinary shareholders for the fourth quarter of 2020 was RMB1.06 (US$0.16), respectively. Excluding the favorable impact, diluted net income per American depositary share ("ADS") attributable to ordinary shareholders for the fourth quarter of 2020 was RMB0.70 (US$0.11) and non-GAAP diluted net income per American depositary share ("ADS") attributable to ordinary shareholders for the fourth quarter of 2020 was RMB1.00 (US$0.15), respectively.

Balance Sheet

As of December 31, 2020, the Company had total cash, cash equivalents, time deposits and short-term investments of RMB1,727.7 million (US$264.8 million), compared with RMB1,053.4 million as of December 31, 2019. As a part of cash, cash equivalents, time deposits and short-term investments, the Company had non-current time deposits of RMB414.0 million (US$63.4 million), compared with RMB113.4 million as of December 31, 2019.

The Company had advances from students[4] (current and non-current) of RMB2,721.0 million (US$417.0 million) as of December 31, 2020, compared with RMB2,186.6 million as of December 31, 2019.

[4] "Advances from students", which is defined as the amount of obligation to transfer good or service to students or business partners for which consideration has been received from students in advance. The deposits from students are also presented in the total amount of "advances from students".

Fiscal Year 2020 Financial Results

Net Revenues

Net revenues for 2020 were RMB2,054.1 million (US$314.8 million), a 38.9% increase from RMB1,478.5 million for 2019. The increase was primarily attributed to an increase in the number of active students. 

Net revenues from one-on-one offerings for 2020 were RMB1,957.0 million (US$299.9 million), a 43.3% increase from RMB1,365.7 million for 2019. Net revenues from small class offerings for 2020 were RMB97.1 million (US$14.9 million), compared with RMB112.8 million for 2019.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues for 2020 was RMB580.4 million (US$89.0 million), a 31.9% increase from RMB439.9 million for 2019. The increase was primarily driven by an increase in total service fees paid to teachers, mainly due to an increased number of paid lessons. 

As part of Chinese government’s effort to ease the burden of businesses affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration temporarily reduced and exempted employer obligation on social security contributions for February 2020. The impact of coronavirus policies on cost of revenues was RMB1.3 million for 2020. Excluding the impact, total cost of revenues for 2020 would have been RMB581.7 million (US$89.1 million), representing a 32.2% year-over-year increase.

Cost of revenues of one-on-one offerings for 2020 was 540.7 million (US$82.9 million), an 40.0% increase from RMB386.1 million for 2019. Cost of revenues of small class offerings for 2020 was RMB39.7 million (US$6.1 million), a 26.2% decrease from RMB53.8 million for 2019.

Gross Profit and Gross Margin

Gross profit for 2020 was RMB1,473.7 million (US$225.9 million), a 41.9% increase from RMB1,038.6 million for 2019.

Gross margin for 2020 was 71.7%, compared with 70.2% for 2019.

Excluding the positive impact of the coronavirus related social security contribution exemption, gross profit and gross margin for 2020 would have been RMB1,472.4 million (US$225.7 million) and 71.7% respectively.

One-on-one offerings gross margin for 2020 was 72.4%, compared with 71.7% for 2019. 51Talk’s small class offering gross margin for 2020 was 59.1%, compared with 52.3% for 2019.

Operating Expenses

Total operating expenses for 2020 were RMB1,412.7 million (US$216.5 million), a 23.3% increase from RMB1,146.1 million for 2019. The increase was mainly the result of the increases in sales and marketing expenses.

Sales and marketing expenses for 2020 were RMB1,035.6 million (US$158.7 million), an 30.7% increase from RMB792.6 million for 2019. The increase was mainly due to higher payroll due to increasing sales personnel and higher marketing and branding expenses. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses for 2020 were RMB1,026.8 million (US$157.4 million), an 30.0% increase from RMB789.6 million for 2019. Non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses, excluding branding expenses, were 32.1% of the gross billings for 2020, compared with 32.3% for last year. The impact of coronavirus policy related to the exemption of employer obligation on social security contributions on sales and marketing expense was RMB21.1 million for 2020. Excluding the impact, sales and marketing expenses for 2020 would have been RMB1,056.7 million (US$161.9 million), representing a 33.3% year-over-year increase.

Product development expenses for 2020 were RMB162.8 million (US$25.0 million), a 3.4% increase from RMB157.5 million for 2019. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP product development expenses for 2020 were RMB158.4 million (US$24.3 million), a 2.8% increase from RMB154.0 million for 2019. The impact of coronavirus policy related to the exemption of employer obligation on social security contributions on product development expense was RMB6.0 million for 2020. Excluding the impact, product development expense for 2020 would have been RMB168.8 million (US$25.9 million), representing an 7.2% year-over-year increase.

General and administrative expenses for 2020 were RMB214.2million (US$32.8 million), a 9.3% increase from RMB196.0 million for 2019. The increase was primarily due to higher general and administrative personnel costs related to increases in the number of personnel and the higher professional services fees in connection with the follow-on public offering. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP general and administrative expenses for 2020 were RMB200.8 million (US$30.8 million), an 8.1% increase from RMB185.7 million for 2019. The impact of coronavirus policy related to the exemption of employer obligation on social security contributions on general and administrative expense was RMB4.8 million for 2020. Excluding the impact, general and administrative expense for 2020 would have been RMB219.0 million (US$33.6 million), representing an 11.7% year-over-year increase.

Other income

As part of Chinese government’s effort to ease the burden of businesses affected by the coronavirus

(COVID-19) outbreak, the State Taxation Administration (STA) exempted a wide range of consumer services from value added tax (VAT) from January 2020. The income obtained by taxpayers from providing essential services shall be exempted from VAT. The favorable impact of coronavirus relief policies was RMB32.3 million in 2020.

On September 30, 2019, Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration announced that from October 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021, the taxpayers engaging in the provision of essential services are allowed to deduct an extra 15% of the deductible input tax for the current period from the payable tax. The impact of the policy of additional value-added tax credit for the income generated by the essential services provided by enterprises was RMB11.1 million in 2020.

Income/(loss) from Operations

Operating income for 2020 was RMB104.4 million (US$16.0 million), compared with loss from operations of RMB107.6 million for 2019. Operating margin for 2020 was 5.1%, compared with operating margin of negative 7.3% for 2019.

Non-GAAP operating income for 2020 was RMB131.2 million (US$20.1 million), compared with loss from operations of RMB90.8 million for 2019. Non-GAAP operating margin for 2020 was 6.4%, compared with non-GAAP operating margin of negative 6.1% for 2019.

The favorable impact of coronavirus relief policies was RMB65.5 million in 2020. Excluding the favorable impact, operating income and non-GAAP operating income for 2020 would have been RMB38.9 million (US$6.0 million) and RMB65.7 million (US$10.1 million) respectively, representing 1.9% GAAP operating magin and 3.2% non-GAAP operating margin.

Net income/(loss)

Net income for 2020 was RMB147.0 million (US$22.5 million), compared with net loss of RMB104.4 million for 2019. Net margin for 2020 was 7.2%, compared with net margin of negative 7.1% for 2019.

Non-GAAP net income for 2020 was RMB173.7 million (US$26.6 million), compared with net loss of RMB87.7 million for 2019. Non-GAAP net margin for 2020 was 8.5%, compared with non-GAAP net margin of negative 5.9% for 2019.

The favorable impact of coronavirus relief policies was RMB65.5 million in 2020. Excluding the favorable impact, net income and non-GAAP net income for 2020 would have been RMB81.5 million (US$12.5 million) and RMB108.2 million (US$16.6 million), representing net margin of 4.0% and 5.3% respectively.

Income tax benefits for 2020 were RMB4.1 million, including the releasing of valuation allowance for deferred tax assets of RMB9.7 million.

Basic net income per American depositary share ("ADS") attributable to ordinary shareholders for 2020 was RMB6.90 (US$1.06), compared with basic net loss per ADS of RMB5.08 for 2019. Diluted net income per American depositary share ("ADS") attributable to ordinary shareholders for 2020 was RMB6.46 (US$0.99), compared with diluted net loss per ADS of RMB5.08 for 2019. Each ADS represents 15 Class A ordinary shares.

Non-GAAP basic net income per American depositary share ("ADS") attributable to ordinary shareholders for 2020 was RMB8.15 (US$1.25), compared with non-GAAP basic net loss per ADS of RMB4.27 for 2019. Non-GAAP diluted net income per American depositary share ("ADS") attributable to ordinary shareholders for 2020 was RMB7.63 (US$1.17), compared with non-GAAP diluted net loss per ADS of RMB4.27 for 2019. Each ADS represents 15 Class A ordinary shares.

The favorable impact of coronavirus relief policies was RMB65.5 million in 2020. Excluding the favorable impact, basic net income per American depositary share ("ADS") attributable to ordinary shareholders for 2020 was RMB3.82 (US$0.59) and non-GAAP basic net income per American depositary share ("ADS") attributable to ordinary shareholders for 2020 was RMB5.08 (US$0.78), respectively. Excluding the favorable impact, diluted net income per American depositary share ("ADS") attributable to ordinary shareholders for 2020 was RMB3.58 (US$0.55) and non-GAAP diluted net income per American depositary share ("ADS") attributable to ordinary shareholders for 2020 was RMB4.75 (US$0.73), respectively.

Outlook

For the first quarter of 2021, the Company currently expects net revenues to be between RMB595 million and RMB600 million, which would represent an increase of approximately 22.2% to 23.2% from RMB487.1 million for the same quarter last year.

The above outlook is based on current market conditions and reflects the Company’s current and preliminary estimates of market and operating conditions and customer demand, which are all subject to change.

Share Repurchase Program

On September 8, 2020, 51Talk announced that its board of directors had authorized a share repurchase program of up to US$20.0 million between September 8, 2020 and September 7, 2021. As of March 3, 2021, the Company had repurchased 260,530 ADSs for approximately US$6.6 million under this program.

Notes to Unaudited Financial Information

The unaudited financial information disclosed in this press release is preliminary. The audit of the financial statements and related notes to be included in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020 is still in progress.

Conference Call

The Company’s management will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on March 5, 2021 (8:00 PM Beijing/Hong Kong time on March 5, 2021).

Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:

United States (toll free):

1-866-264-5888

International:

1-412-317-5226

Mainland China:

400-120-1203

Hong Kong (toll free):

800-905-945

Hong Kong:

852-3018-4992

Participants should dial-in at least 5 minutes before the scheduled start time and ask to be connected to the call for "China Online Education Group."

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company’s investor relations website at http://ir.51talk.com.

A replay of the conference call will be accessible until March 12, 2021, by dialing the following telephone numbers:

United States (toll free):

1-877-344-7529

International:

1-412-317-0088

Replay Access Code:

10152865

About China Online Education Group

China Online Education Group (NYSE: COE) is a leading online education platform in China, with core expertise in English education. The Company’s mission is to make quality education accessible and affordable. The Company’s online and mobile education platforms enable students across China to take live interactive English lessons with overseas foreign teachers, on demand. The Company connects its students with a large pool of highly qualified foreign teachers that it assembled using a shared economy approach, and employs student and teacher feedback and data analytics to deliver a personalized learning experience to its students.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In evaluating its business, 51Talk considers and uses the following measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures by the SEC as supplemental metrics to review and assess its operating performance: non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses, non-GAAP product development expenses, non-GAAP general and administrative expenses, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP operating income/(loss), non-GAAP net income/(loss), non-GAAP net income/(loss) attributable to ordinary shareholders, and non-GAAP net income/(loss) attributable to ordinary shareholders per share and per ADS. To present each of these non-GAAP measures, the Company excludes share-based compensation expenses. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned "Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP measures" set forth at the end of this press release.

51Talk believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding its performance by excluding share-based compensation expenses that may not be indicative of its operating performance from a cash perspective. 51Talk believes that both management and investors benefit from these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing its performance and when planning and forecasting future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate management’s internal comparisons to 51Talk’s historical performance. 51Talk computes its non-GAAP financial measures using the same consistent method from quarter to quarter and from period to period. 51Talk believes these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors in allowing for greater transparency with respect to supplemental information used by management in its financial and operational decision-making. A limitation of using non-GAAP measures is that these non-GAAP measures exclude share-based compensation expenses that have been and will continue to be for the foreseeable future a significant recurring expense in the 51Talk’s business. Management compensates for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from each non-GAAP measure. The accompanying table at the end of this press release provides more details on the reconciliations between GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to non-GAAP financial measures.

Exchange Rate Information

This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars are made at a rate of RMB6.525 to US$1.00, the rate in effect as of December 31, 2020 as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "aims", "future", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", "likely to" and similar statements. Among other things, 51Talk’s business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as 51Talk’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. 51Talk may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about 51Talk’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: 51Talk’s goals and strategies; 51Talk’s expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its brand and platform; 51Talk’s ability to retain and increase its student enrollment; 51Talk’s ability to offer new courses; 51Talk’s ability to engage, train and retain new teachers; 51Talk’s future business development, results of operations and financial condition; 51Talk’s ability to maintain and improve infrastructure necessary to operate its education platform; competition in the online education industry in China; the expected growth of, and trends in, the markets for 51Talk’s course offerings in China; relevant government policies and regulations relating to 51Talk’s corporate structure, business and industry; general economic and business condition in China, the Philippines and elsewhere and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in 51Talk’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and 51Talk does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

China Online Education Group
Investor Relations
+86 (10) 8342-6262
ir@51talk.com

The Piacente Group, Inc.
Brandi Piacente
+86 (10) 6508-0677
+1 (212) 481-2050
51talk@tpg-ir.com

 

 

 

CHINA ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands)

 As of

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

2019

2020

2020

RMB

RMB

US$

ASSETS

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

342,951

326,647

50,061

Time deposits

144,093

477,408

73,166

Short term investment

452,936

509,636

78,105

Inventory

308

1,935

297

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

250,215

302,057

46,292

Total current assets

1,190,503

1,617,683

247,921

Non-current assets

Property and equipment, net

20,336

21,175

3,245

Intangible assets, net

9,918

20,302

3,111

Goodwill

4,223

4,223

647

Right of use assets

56,638

98,001

15,019

Time deposits

113,415

414,000

63,448

Deferred tax assets

337

10,268

1,574

Other non-current assets

6,447

23,896

3,662

Total non-current assets

211,314

591,865

90,706

Total assets

1,401,817

2,209,548

338,627

LIABILITIES

AND SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

Current liabilities

Short-term loan

16,578

Advances from students

2,181,808

2,718,776

416,671

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

166,955

237,101

36,337

Lease liability

31,550

42,949

6,582

Taxes payable

21,661

19,288

2,956

Total current liabilities

2,418,552

3,018,114

462,546

Non-current liabilities

Advances from students

4,783

2,270

348

Lease liability

23,545

53,594

8,214

Other non-current liabilities

1,595

2,508

384

Total non-current liabilities

29,923

58,372

8,946

Total liabilities

2,448,475

3,076,486

471,492

Total shareholders’ deficit

(1,046,658)

(866,938)

(132,865)

Total liabilities and shareholders’ deficit

1,401,817

2,209,548

338,627

 

 

 

CHINA ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME/(LOSS)

(In thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

For the three months ended

For the year ended

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

2019

2020

2020

2019

2020

2020

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

Net revenues[5]

397,154

535,074

82,004

1,478,493

2,054,095

314,804

Cost of revenues

(110,648)

(146,134)

(22,396)

(439,923)

(580,417)

(88,953)

Gross profit

286,506

388,940

59,608

1,038,570

1,473,678

225,851

Operating expenses

Sales and marketing expenses

(202,520)

(284,493)

(43,600)

(792,591)

(1,035,620)

(158,716)

Product development expenses

(37,046)

(44,577)

(6,832)

(157,505)

(162,829)

(24,955)

General and administrative expenses

(48,883)

(56,626)

(8,678)

(196,029)

(214,224)

(32,831)

Total operating expenses

(288,449)

(385,696)

(59,110)

(1,146,125)

(1,412,673)

(216,502)

Other income

7,766

1,190

43,414

6,653

(Loss)/Income from operations

(1,943)

11,010

1,688

(107,555)

104,419

16,002

Interest income

5,977

11,711

1,795

17,654

38,508

5,902

Interest expense and other expenses, net

(1,918)

193

30

(9,451)

(66)

(10)

Income/(loss) before income tax
expenses

2,116

22,914

3,513

(99,352)

142,861

21,894

Income tax (expenses)/benefits

(1,307)

8,905

1,365

(5,068)

4,101

629

Net income/(loss) attributable to
ordinary shareholders

809

31,819

4,878

(104,420)

146,962

22,523

Weighted average number of ordinary
shares used in computing basic
(loss)/income per share

311,064,347

323,458,483

323,458,483

308,364,918

319,553,690

319,553,690

Weighted average number of ordinary
shares used in computing diluted
(loss)/income per share

337,511,364

344,354,904

344,354,904

308,364,918

341,503,118

341,503,118

[5]  By performing our last year-end financial closing procedures, we discovered an oversight in our process for evaluating the status of lessons that caused us to overstate net revenues
during 2018 and in interim periods of 2019. The amounts were reflecting RMB2.9 million (including RMB 2.5 million out-of-period adjustment attributed to the year of 2018),
RMB0.8 million, RMB0.5 million and RMB0.7 million decreases to net revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2019, June 30, 2019, September 30, 2019 and December 31,
2019, respectively.  Based on our quantitative and qualitative analysis, we do not consider the out of period impact to be material to our financial position or results of operations for any
prior periods or for the quarter or year ended December 31, 2019.

 

 

 

  CHINA ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME/(LOSS)

(In thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

For the three months ended

For the year ended

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

2019

2020

2020

2019

2020

2020

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

Net income/(loss) per share attributable to ordinary shareholders

Basic

0.00

0.10

0.02

(0.34)

0.46

0.07

Diluted

0.00

0.09

0.01

(0.34)

0.43

0.07

Net income/(loss) per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders

Basic

0.04

1.48

0.23

(5.08)

6.90

1.06

Diluted

0.04

1.39

0.21

(5.08)

6.46

0.99

Comprehensive income/(loss):

Net income/(loss)

809

31,819

4,878

(104,420)

146,962

22,523

Other comprehensive
income/(loss)

Foreign currency translation
adjustments

(4,048)

(14,319)

(2,194)

5,356

(21,087)

(3,232)

Total comprehensive
(loss)/income

(3,239)

17,500

2,684

(99,064)

125,875

19,291

Share-based compensation expenses are included in the operating expenses as follows:

Sales and marketing expenses

(939)

(1,875)

(287)

(2,951)

(8,835)

(1,354)

Product development expenses

(218)

(1,281)

(196)

(3,472)

(4,477)

(686)

General and administrative
expenses

(2,582)

(3,636)

(557)

(10,309)

(13,422)

(2,057)

 

 

CHINA ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures to the Most Comparable GAAP Measures

 (In thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

For the three months ended

For the year ended

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

2019

2020

2020

2019

2020

2020

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

Sales and marketing expenses

(202,520)

(284,493)

(43,600)

(792,591)

(1,035,620)

(158,716)

Less: Share-based compensation expenses

(939)

(1,875)

(287)

(2,951)

(8,835)

(1,354)

Non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses

(201,581)

(282,618)

(43,313)

(789,640)

(1,026,785)

(157,362)

Product development expenses

(37,046)

(44,577)

(6,832)

(157,505)

(162,829)

(24,955)

Less: Share-based compensation expenses

(218)

(1,281)

(196)

(3,472)

(4,477)

(686)

Non-GAAP product development expenses

(36,828)

(43,296)

(6,636)

(154,033)

(158,352)

(24,269)

General and administrative expenses

(48,883)

(56,626)

(8,678)

(196,029)

(214,224)

(32,831)

Less: Share-based compensation expenses

(2,582)

(3,636)

(557)

(10,309)

(13,422)

(2,057)

Non-GAAP general and administrative
expenses

(46,301)

(52,990)

(8,121)

(185,720)

(200,802)

(30,774)

Operating expenses

(288,449)

(385,696)

(59,110)

(1,146,125)

(1,412,673)

(216,502)

Less: Share-based compensation expenses

(3,739)

(6,792)

(1,040)

(16,732)

(26,734)

(4,097)

Non-GAAP operating expenses

(284,710)

(378,904)

(58,070)

(1,129,393)

(1,385,939)

(212,405)

(Loss)/income from operations

(1,943)

11,010

1,688

(107,555)

104,419

16,002

Less: Share-based compensation expenses

(3,739)

(6,792)

(1,040)

(16,732)

(26,734)

(4,097)

Non-GAAP income/(loss) from operations

1,796

17,802

2,728

(90,823)

131,153

20,099

 

 

 

CHINA ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures to the Most Comparable GAAP Measures

 (In thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

For the three months ended

For the year ended

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

2019

2020

2020

2019

2020

2020

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

Income tax expenses/(benefits)

(1,307)

8,905

1,365

(5,068)

4,101

629

Less: Tax impact of Share-based compensation
expenses

Non-GAAP income tax expenses/(benefits)

(1,307)

8,905

1,365

(5,068)

4,101

629

Net income/(loss) attributable to ordinary shareholders

809

31,819

4,878

(104,420)

146,962

22,523

Less: Share-based compensation expenses, net of tax

(3,739)

(6,792)

(1,040)

(16,732)

(26,734)

(4,097)

Non-GAAP net income/(loss) attributable to ordinary
shareholders

4,548

38,611

5,918

(87,688)

173,696

26,620

Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in 

  computing basic income/(loss) per share

311,064,347

323,458,483

323,458,483

308,364,918

319,553,690

319,553,690

Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in

337,511,364

344,354,904

344,354,904

308,364,918

341,503,118

341,503,118

  computing diluted income/(loss) per share

Non-GAAP net income/(loss) per share attributable to ordinary
shareholders

  basic 

0.01

0.12

0.02

(0.28)

0.54

0.08

  diluted

0.01

0.11

0.02

(0.28)

0.51

0.08

Non-GAAP net income/(loss) per ADS attributable to ordinary
shareholders

  basic 

0.22

1.79

0.27

(4.27)

8.15

1.25

  diluted

0.20

1.68

0.26

(4.27)

7.63

1.17

 

 

  CHINA ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP

UNAUDITED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

(In thousands except percentages)

For the three months ended

For the year ended

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

2019

2020

2020

2019

2020

2020

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

Net revenues

     One-on-one offerings

370,763

514,624

78,870

1,365,706

1,957,013

299,925

     Small class offerings

26,391

20,450

3,134

112,787

97,082

14,879

Total net revenues

397,154

535,074

82,004

1,478,493

2,054,095

314,804

Cost of revenues

     One-on-one offerings

(98,178)

(137,846)

(21,126)

(386,085)

(540,707)

(82,867)

     Small class offerings

(12,470)

(8,288)

(1,270)

(53,838)

(39,710)

(6,086)

Total cost of revenues

(110,648)

(146,134)

(22,396)

(439,923)

(580,417)

(88,953)

Gross profit

     One-on-one offerings

272,585

376,778

57,744

979,621

1,416,306

217,058

     Small class offerings

13,921

12,162

1,864

58,949

57,372

8,793

Total gross profit

286,506

388,940

59,608

1,038,570

1,473,678

225,851

Gross margin

     One-on-one offerings

73.5%

73.2%

73.2%

71.7%

72.4%

72.4%

     Small class offerings

52.7%

59.5%

59.5%

52.3%

59.1%

59.1%

Total gross margin

72.1%

72.7%

72.7%

70.2%

71.7%

71.7%

 

 

 

  CHINA ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP

UNAUDITED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

(In thousands except percentages)

For the three months ended

For the year ended

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

Dec. 31,

2019

2020

2020

2019

2020

2020

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

Sales and marketing expenses

     One-on-one offerings

(189,502)

(278,302)

(42,651)

(738,010)

(991,479)

(151,951)

     Small class offerings

(13,018)

(6,191)

(949)

(54,581)

(44,141)

(6,765)

Total sales and marketing expenses[6]

(202,520)

(284,493)

(43,600)

(792,591)

(1,035,620)

(158,716)

Product development expenses

     One-on-one offerings

(32,860)

(42,260)

(6,477)

(138,291)

(150,926)

(23,131)

     Small class offerings

(4,186)

(2,317)

(355)

(19,214)

(11,903)

(1,824)

Total product development expenses[7]

(37,046)

(44,577)

(6,832)

(157,505)

(162,829)

(24,955)

General and administrative expenses

     One-on-one offerings

(45,576)

(54,562)

(8,362)

(178,606)

(202,955)

(31,104)

     Small class offerings

(3,307)

(2,064)

(316)

(17,423)

(11,269)

(1,727)

Total general and administrative expenses[8]

(48,883)

(56,626)

(8,678)

(196,029)

(214,224)

(32,831)

Operating expenses

     One-on-one offerings

(267,938)

(375,124)

(57,490)

(1,054,907)

(1,345,360)

(206,186)

     Small class offerings

(20,511)

(10,572)

(1,620)

(91,218)

(67,313)

(10,316)

Total operating expenses

(288,449)

(385,696)

(59,110)

(1,146,125)

(1,412,673)

(216,502)

 Other income

   One-on-one offerings

7,469

1,145

38,683

5,928

   Small class offerings

297

45

4,731

725

Total Other income

7,766

1,190

43,414

6,653

Income/(loss) from operations

     One-on-one offerings

4,647

9,123

1,399

(75,286)

109,629

16,800

     Small class offerings

(6,590)

1,887

289

(32,269)

(5,210)

(798)

Total (loss)/income from operations

(1,943)

11,010

1,688

(107,555)

104,419

16,002

[6] Share-based compensation expenses included in the sales and marketing expenses for one-on-one offerings and small class offerings were RMB1,758
and RMB117 respectively for the fourth quarter of 2020, and RMB850 and RMB89 respectively for the fourth quarter of 2019.

[7] Share-based compensation expenses, included in the product development expenses for one-on-one offerings and small class offerings were RMB775
and RMB506 respectively for the fourth quarter of 2020, and RMB136 and RMB82 respectively for the fourth quarter of 2019.

[8] Share-based compensation expenses, included in the general and administrative expenses for one-on-one offerings and small class offerings were
RMB3,592 and RMB44 respectively for the fourth quarter of 2020, and RMB2,552 and RMB30 respectively for the fourth quarter of 2019.

 

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Goldpac Group Successfully Passes the CMMI V2.0L5 Certification to Meet the Highest Standards in the Global Software Field

HONG KONG, March 5, 2021 — Recently, Goldpa Group Limied (3315.HK) successfully passed CMMI L5 certification, which represents the highest level of maturity and difficulty in the international evaluation of software development capability. This marks Goldapc has reached to a new height in the process organization ability, software R&D ability, project management ability, program delivery ability, and can provide users with more mature industry solutions and better quality and efficient service. This is also an important milestone for company in the standardization and systematization of R&D.

CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration), is the international authoritative standard for the industry to measure the maturity and project management level of enterprise software R&D capability, and is an important international evaluation measure of enterprise software development and delivery capacity. The CMMI 2.0 version is the latest version of the CMMI. By early December 2020, only 53 companies (including 28 Chinese companies) had passed the level 5 evaluation of CMMI 2.0 version. CMMI capability maturity model covers 21 process domains and is divided into 5 levels. The L5 is the highest level of the CMMI system, representing the company’s software ability has achieved optimal management level, that is, the company can achieve the quantitative feedback of the software development process and the continuous improvements in new ideas, new technologies.

As a reliable provider of Fintech products and services, Goldpac has always attached great importance to the systematic construction of R&D management. Since 2014, Goldpac has passed CMMI L3 level certification. In recent years, the R&D management system has been continuously improved, laying a solid foundation for rapid response to customer needs and high quality products and services providing to customers. In the future, Goldpac will continue to leverage the CMMI L5 management system to optimize the company’s software R&D and management capabilities, continue to deepen independent innovation, improve product development quality, improve internal management efficiency, enhance core competitiveness, and meet the needs of the user market with better quality products and services, to provide strong support to the company’s long-term sustainable and healthy development.

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About Goldpac Group Limited (Stock Code: 03315.HK)

With over 27 years’ of successful experience and a leading global technology portfolio, Goldpac is committed to its core vision of Making Transactions More Secure and Convenient. The company specializes in delivering embedded software, secure payment products and Artificial Intelligence Financial Self-service Kiosks for global customers while leveraging innovative Fintech to provide data processing services, system platforms and other total solutions for a wide range of businesses, financial, government, healthcare, transportation, and retail sectors.

For more information, please visit http://www.goldpac.com or contact at goldpac@goldpac.com.

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Website: www.goldpac.com

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