51Talk Online Education Group Q3 2025 Earnings Call - Accelerating Revenue Growth Surpasses Guidance Amid Rising Marketing Spend
Summary
51Talk's third quarter 2025 earnings reveal a sharp acceleration in revenue, with gross billings hitting $40.5 million, up 42.1% sequentially and a striking 104.6% year-over-year surge. This growth fueled a milestone crossing of 100,000 active students during the company's multi-year global expansion, underscoring successful market diversification highlighted by participation in COP30. However, the growth spree came with a steep rise in operating expenses, particularly a 114.7% jump in sales and marketing costs, lifting the operating loss to $4.2 million and net loss attributable to shareholders to $4.8 million, both reflecting significant increases from last year. Despite these losses, 51Talk managed positive net operating cash flow and maintains a healthy cash position of $36.6 million. Q4 guidance projects continued strong gross billings between $35 million and $38 million, reflecting cautious optimism amid intensifying competition and elevated marketing outlays.
Key Takeaways
- Q3 2025 gross billings reached $40.5 million, exceeding company guidance and reflecting 42.1% sequential and 104.6% year-over-year growth.
- Net revenues for Q3 were $26.3 million, up 87.5% year-over-year, driven by expanded active student base with increased attended lesson consumption.
- Active students hit 112,600 in Q3 2025, surpassing 100,000 for the first time since global expansion began over three years ago.
- Gross margin held strong at 73.3% despite rapid revenue growth and increased spending.
- Operating expenses rose 97.9% year-over-year to $23.4 million, mainly from a 114.7% increase in sales and marketing expenses to $17.5 million.
- Sales and marketing cost inflation driven by intensified marketing campaigns, higher branding costs, and increased sales headcount.
- Product development expenses increased by 87.8% to $1.6 million; general and administrative expenses rose 52.5% to $4.3 million.
- Operating loss widened to $4.2 million in Q3, net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders widened to $4.8 million, representing 428.9% and 669.4% increases respectively compared to last year.
- Cash and equivalents stood at $36.6 million at quarter-end, supported by $70.7 million in advances from students, underpinning liquidity.
- Company expects Q4 2025 gross billings between $35 million and $38 million, indicating ongoing momentum but reflecting a more cautious stance.
- 51Talk showcased growing global reach with student participation from five countries in COP30, emphasizing international diversification in their portfolio.
- Despite losses, the company recorded positive net operating cash flow, reflecting disciplined execution amid scaling challenges.
Full Transcript
Conference Operator: Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for standing by for 51Talk Online Education Group’s third quarter 2025 earnings conference call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. Today’s conference call is being recorded. I will now turn the call over to your host, Mr. David Chung, Investor Relations for the company. Please go ahead, David.
David Chung, Investor Relations, 51Talk: Thank you. Hello, everyone, and welcome to the third quarter 2025 earnings conference call of 51Talk. The company’s results were issued via Newswire Services earlier today and are posted online. You can download the earnings press release and sign up for the company’s distribution list by visiting ir.51talk.com. Mr. Jack Wang, our CEO, and Ms. Cindy Tang, our CFO, will begin with some prepared remarks. Following the prepared remarks, there will be a Q&A session. Before we continue, please note that the discussion will contain forward-looking statements made under the Safe Harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. As such, the company’s results may be materially different from the views expressed today. Further information regarding this and other risks and uncertainties is included in the company’s Form 20F and other public filings as filed with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission. The company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable law. Please also note that the earnings press release and this conference call include discussion of unaudited GAAP financial information as well as unaudited non-GAAP financial measures. 51Talk’s press release contains a reconciliation of the unaudited non-GAAP measures to the unaudited most directly comparable GAAP measures. I will now turn the call over to our CEO, Jack Wang. Jack, please go ahead.
Jack Wang, CEO, 51Talk: Yes. Thank you, David. Hello, everyone. Thank you very much for joining our conference call today. I am very pleased to report that the third quarter of 2025 presented another period of strong performance for our company. The gross billings reached $40.5 million US dollars, surpassing our previously issued guidance and demonstrating robust discretionary growth of 42.1% quarter over quarter and a triple-digit year-over-year growth of 104.6%. Crucially, we achieved this rapid expansion while maintaining positive net operating cash flow, which further solidifies our cash position and stands as a testament to our disciplined execution. Our active student base reached 112,600 during this quarter, marking a significant milestone as we surpassed 100,000 active students for the first time since we embarked on our global expansion strategy more than three years ago.
We remain confident in both the substantial opportunity presented by the global market and our team’s ability to execute our strategic vision and drive sustainable long-term value. As we enter the fourth quarter of 2025, we consolidate recent rapid growth and expand business momentum with existing and new clients. We continue to build bridges and enable our customers to exchange on the global stage, as demonstrated by our recent participation in COP30 held in Brazil in November 2025. Our students from five countries participated in this event, demonstrating the increasingly diversified nature of our portfolio and our successful reach into new markets. We remain focused on executing our strategic priorities while maintaining disciplined capital allocation to drive long-term shareholder value. With that, I will now turn the call over to Cindy, our CFO.
Conference Operator: Thank you, Jack. Now, let me walk you through our third quarter financial details. Third quarter net revenues were $26.3 million US dollars, an 87.5% increase from the same quarter last year, largely driven by the increase of active students with attended lesson consumption. Gross margin for the third quarter was 73.3%. Gross billings grew by 104.6% from the same quarter last year to $40.5 million US dollars. Q3 operating expenses were $23.4 million US dollars, an increase of 97.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Specifically, this has been driven by Q3 sales and marketing expenses of $17.5 million US dollars, a 114.7% increase from the same quarter last year due to the rise in marketing and branding expenses resulting from intensified marketing and branding activities, as well as higher sales personnel costs related to increases in the number of sales and marketing personnel.
Q3 product development expenses were $1.6 million US dollars, an 87.8% increase from the same quarter last year. Finally, Q3 general and administrative expenses were $4.3 million US dollars, a 52.5% increase from the same quarter last year. Overall, Q3 operating loss was $4.2 million US dollars, while net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders was $4.8 million US dollars. A 428.9% and 669.4% increase from the same quarter last year, respectively. Q3 GAAP and non-GAAP earnings per ADS were negative $0.8 and $0.74 US dollars, respectively. The company’s total cash equivalents and time deposits were $36.6 million US dollars at the end of the third quarter. Advances from students were $70.7 million US dollars at the end of the third quarter. Looking forward to the fourth quarter of 2025, we currently expect the net gross billings to be between $35 million US dollars and $38 million US dollars.
The above outlook is based on our current market conditions and reflects the company’s current and preliminary estimates of the market and operating conditions and customer demand, which are all subject to change. This concludes our prepared remarks. We will now open the line for questions. Operator, please go ahead. Thank you. We will now begin the question and answer session. To ask a question, you may press star then one on your touch-tone phone. If you are using a speakerphone, please pick up your handset before pressing the keys. If at any time your question has been addressed and you would like to withdraw your question, please press star then two. Please ask your question, and you may re-enter the queue if you have further questions. At this time, we will pause momentarily to assemble our roster.
Once again, to ask a question, please press star then one to join the question queue. We have no questions at this time. I’d like to turn the call back over to the company for closing remarks.
David Chung, Investor Relations, 51Talk: Thank you once again for joining us today. If you have further questions, please contact 51Talk’s Investor Relations through the contact information provided on our website.
Conference Operator: This concludes this conference call. You may now disconnect your line. Thank you.