SingaporeJune 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 51Talk Online Education Group (“51Talk” or the “Company”) (NYSE American: COE) today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026.
The financial report shows that 51Talk’s first-quarter operating revenue was US$31.2 million, a year-over-year increase of 70.9%. Gross margin stood at 73.7%. Net cash revenue for the first quarter was US$33.3 million, up 51.9% year-over-year. The number of active students with actual lesson consumption reached 132,900, a 63.9% increase year-over-year.
“Despite the typical seasonal weakness in the first quarter, we achieved solid performance, with net cash revenue growing 52% year-over-year, exceeding the upper end of our previous guidance range, and operating losses narrowing sequentially. We remain committed to refining our products and services, enhancing localization to better align with the learning needs of students across different markets, and focusing on improving user experience. We firmly believe that the underlying demand for English learning in our core markets remains strong and are optimistic about its growth potential,” said Huang Jiajia, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of 51Talk.
Huang Jiajia concluded: “We are accelerating the upgrade of our platform, the development of our teacher system, and the iteration of the ‘AI + Human’ integrated learning experience. We expect to begin launching the next-generation learning products later this year, offering students a more personalized and highly interactive learning experience. Leveraging an AI-native technology roadmap, the delivery efficiency of this product upgrade will be further enhanced. We are confident in the Company’s long-term growth and will always adhere to prudent capital allocation principles, committed to creating value for our shareholders.”
Attracting local talent and expanding markets with a localized perspective, 51Talk prioritizes talent localization as the first step in its localized business strategy, leveraging the localized business insights and operational philosophies of local employees to accelerate market entry and deliver high-quality services.
Product localization, tailored to local market demands. Different countries vary greatly in customs, culture, and other aspects, leading to differing priorities for product performance. 51Talk deeply analyzes local market characteristics and customer needs, increasing investment in R&D and innovation to design and produce localized products, shortening the time needed to connect with local users and meet their demands. In countries like those in Southeast Asia, to foster English learning interest among younger children, the company has specially developed fun, gamified course designs that are highly favored by local customers. By integrating its course offerings with industry-leading AI technology, 51Talk provides younger children with a more engaging and interactive online English learning experience, significantly broadening its product and course portfolio.
Service localization, combining quality and efficiency to address customer needs. 51Talk focuses on local customers’ demands for service quality, continuously optimizing its service system to ensure seamless integration between needs and services. To date, 51Talk’s overseas students have covered more than 50 countries and regions worldwide.