New this morning, online community college campus is acquiring AI learning app Sizzle, which was founded by Facebook's former head of AI, Jerome Pacenti. I got that one right, who's now going to be joining the campus as the company's CTO campus backed by several notable investors including OpenAI's Sam Alman, Shaquille O'Neal, Joe Lansdale, and Figma's co-founder and CEO Dylan Field. And joining us right now in an exclusive interview is the campus's founder and chancellor TAD.I t I can't do your last name f ...

[Applause] I went from going to school 3 days a week in middle school to 5 days a week in high school. Yeah, just like that. A snap of the finger, a flick of the wrist, or whatever other expression you'd like to use.Now, granted, I was still doing work on my off days in middle school. I had as much time as I wanted on Mondays and Fridays to get up, do my homework, and still have plenty of time for myself when I was finished. But on Thursdays after school, I found myself wishing that I could get up the next ...

Duolingo is facing risks from multiple angles as investors reassess the impact of AI on the mobile foreign language learning platform https://t.co/AfybnKvqpJ ...

Market Overview - The AI-driven bull run of 2023 and 2024 has continued into 2025, with Wall Street maintaining upward momentum despite high valuations in U.S. technology stocks [1] - Investors remain undeterred by geopolitical conflicts, restrictive trade policies, and signs of weakness in the U.S. labor market, continuing to invest in equities [2] - The CME FedWatch tool indicates a 100% probability of a 25-basis-point interest rate cut by the Fed, which is expected to benefit stock investors [2] Company Highlights Assurant Inc. (AIZ) - Assurant is focused on both inorganic and organic growth strategies, expecting adjusted EBITDA to increase modestly in 2025 [5] - The company aims to deploy capital for business growth and shareholder returns, supported by a lower debt level and improved leverage ratio [6] - AIZ has an expected revenue growth rate of 5.7% and earnings growth rate of 5.8% for the current year, with a short-term price target indicating a maximum upside of 19.7% from the last closing price of $213.01 [9] DocuSign Inc. (DOCU) - DocuSign's strength lies in its subscription revenues, which have driven growth over the past three years [10] - The company has an expected revenue growth rate of 7% and earnings growth rate of 2.5% for the current year, with a maximum upside of 54.6% from the last closing price of $80.19 [12] Duolingo Inc. (DUOL) - Duolingo operates a mobile learning platform and utilizes AI applications to enhance the learning experience [13][14] - The company has an expected revenue growth rate of 36.2% and earnings growth rate of 66% for the current year, with a maximum upside of 94.9% from the last closing price of $307.91 [14][15] West Pharmaceutical Services Inc. (WST) - West Pharmaceutical Services has seen improvement in organic revenues, particularly in its Proprietary Products segment [16] - The company has an expected revenue growth rate of 4.7% and earnings growth rate of -0.2% for the current year, with a maximum upside of 40% from the last closing price of $253.50 [19] Zebra Technologies Corp. (ZBRA) - Zebra Technologies is benefiting from increased sales in mobile computing and data capture solutions, as well as RFID products [20] - The company has an expected revenue growth rate of 6.3% and earnings growth rate of 15.9% for the current year, with a maximum upside of 31.8% from the last closing price of $312.65 [21][22]

AI in Education Market & Trends - India's AI market is projected to reach $17 billion by 2027, with an annual growth rate of 20-25% [2] - The education sector is expected to contribute $2 billion to the $17 billion AI market [3] - 65% of current students will hold jobs that do not exist today, highlighting the need for updated skills [4] Challenges in Traditional Education - Traditional education systems have not been significantly updated in decades [4] - Teachers spend a significant amount of time (55 out of 60 hours) on evaluation, lesson planning, and correction, leaving only 45% for student interaction [5][6] - Existing skills taught in schools may become outdated [4] Akimkar Global Academy's Innovative Approach - The academy focuses on empowering students to ask questions, follow passions, and study at their own pace, eliminating traditional exams and textbooks [9] - The school replaces teachers with mentors and establishes a research lab for teachers to improve teaching methods [10] - Classes are structured in U-shapes or round tables to encourage student leadership [11] - The academy emphasizes critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity [12] Integrating AI for Enhanced Learning - AI can assist teachers by reducing workload and stress, allowing them to focus on delivering quality education [6][17] - AI-powered learning apps can personalize education, transforming complex problems into engaging stories [7][8] - The academy uses laptops and PPTs to present topics, encouraging student participation and research [13][14] - Students present topics in groups, fostering communication, leadership, teamwork, and creativity [15][16] - Class engagement has increased to 80% with the new structure [16]

Shares of Duolingo rocketed higher Thursday, a day after the language-learning platform easily beat profit and sales estimates and boosted its outlook on strong user growth. https://t.co/RfSvEzW71P ...

Business Transformation & Strategy - The company transitioned from engineering to entrepreneurship, identifying a need to integrate technology with various sectors like fintech, healthtech, and edtech [1] - Initially focused on supplementary education for high school students (Tawjihi) in Jordan, the company expanded its vision to encompass broader educational partnerships and a pan-Arab presence [2] - The company shifted its focus from academic subjects to empowering students, recognizing the importance of enabling students with knowledge and skills [2] - The company rebranded from "science, knowledge, and empowerment" to "an empowered Arab generation," reflecting its expanded regional focus and emphasis on empowerment [2] Challenges & Failures - The company faced initial product failures due to a mismatch between their vision and user needs, requiring a complete overhaul of their approach [1] - Marketing efforts initially failed to attract users, despite widespread outreach, indicating a disconnect between the company's messaging and the target audience [1] - The company struggled with scaling, with the founder initially handling multiple roles, highlighting the challenges of early-stage startups [1] - The company's initial business case projected 5,000-6,000 students, but the first course only had four students, demonstrating a significant gap between expectations and reality [1] Growth & Success - The company learned from failures, adapting its strategies and communication to better resonate with students and create a more engaging online learning experience [1] - The company achieved breakeven after five to six years, indicating a long and challenging path to financial sustainability [2] - The company leveraged the COVID-19 pandemic to raise awareness of e-learning, although it also faced negative feedback regarding the quality of forced online education [2] - The company has grown from four students to over 30,000 students in 10 years, signifying a substantial increase [2]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for the fourth quarter was $133.8 million, down approximately 2.8% year-over-year, while total revenue for the full year was $531 million, down approximately 4% year-over-year [35][51] - Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter was $29.9 million, representing 22% of revenue, up from $28.3 million or 21% of revenue one year ago [41] - The company reported a gap net loss of $31.1 million in the fourth quarter, compared to a gap net loss of $245.3 million in the prior year [42] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Talent Development Solutions (TDS) revenue was $102.8 million in the fourth quarter, up 1% year-over-year, and $405.5 million for the full year, essentially flat to FY24 [31] - Global Knowledge revenue was $30.9 million in the fourth quarter, down approximately 13% year-over-year, with full-year revenue of $125.4 million, down approximately 15% year-over-year [34] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported a dollar retention rate (DRR) of 105% for the fourth quarter, bringing the last 12 months DRR to 100% [8][33] - The market served by the company is estimated to be over $400 billion, with a focus on the talent development lifecycle within the enterprise market segment [12][13] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The transformation strategy focuses on two key objectives: fixing the basics and investing to grow, with a targeted shift of up to 20% of resources into the enterprise market segment [10][11] - The company aims to return to growth in FY26 while generating positive free cash flow [16][52] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management is closely monitoring the macroeconomic environment and potential impacts of evolving government policies [7] - The company remains committed to its targets of returning to top-line growth and margin expansion in FY26 [16][52] Other Important Information - The company achieved $45 million in annualized expense reduction in FY25, with 40% to 50% of these savings reinvested back into the business [15][16] - The company generated $17.7 million in cash flow from operations in Q4, resulting in free cash flow of $13.2 million, compared to $5.4 million in the prior year [46] Q&A Session Summary Question: Impact of recent tariff news on customer base - Management noted no material impact from recent tariff news, as they are well-prepared and have been working closely with federal agencies [62][63] Question: Growth outlook for FY26 - The outlook reflects current business operations, acknowledging a fluid environment that may impact future performance [71][72] Question: Margin improvement in EBITDA guidance - Management indicated that while revenue is expected to grow, margin improvement will be modest, with a focus on leveraging earnings growth [74][76] Question: Go-to-market transformation progress - Management reported positive feedback from large deals and ongoing adjustments in sales strategy, with a focus on deploying resources effectively [88][91] Question: Engagement with AI-driven tools - Early indicators show strong customer engagement with AI-driven tools, with a notable percentage hiring professional services for implementation [99][100] Question: Global Knowledge margin contribution decline - Management attributed margin decline to a mix issue and expects improvements as the business stabilizes and product offerings expand [110][112] Question: Durability of dollar retention rate improvements - Management expressed confidence in the durability of the DRR improvements, supported by long-term contracts and ongoing resource shifts [116][121] Question: Seasonality of business and future guidance - Management confirmed that Q1 is typically the smallest quarter, and seasonality patterns are expected to continue into FY26 [124][126]