Hello Betamax, Edtech was one of the sectors that boomed amid the Covid pandemic, especially as online learning became the norm during lockdowns. My younger brother experienced this firsthand - he attended university classes online and even graduated virtually. But as the demand for online learning declined sharply after the pandemic, edtech players had to rethink their strategies. This is evident from the large number of edtech companies that have since struggled or shut down. Meanwhile, some edtech firms have expanded into offline learning. One of them is Singapore-based Geniebook, which acquired learning center Afterskool in 2024 and physics specialist center Best Physics Tuition in 2025. Zhizhong Neo, co-founder and CEO of Geniebook, told me in an interview that its hybrid model "scales well and holds up in tougher markets." In today's top story, I take a closer look at how the edtech company ventured into offline learning, how it "returned to growth" after facing tough questions about its financial sustainability in 2024, and what role its AI tools play in improving engagement and retention rates. Speaking of returning to growth, startup founders in Southeast Asia and India may finally have a reason to be hopeful this year, as investors in both regions have recently raised large amounts of dry powder. Notably, Peak XV Partners has secured US$1.3 billion - its first fund since splitting from Sequoia Capital in 2023 - as per our latest data. Among these new funds, sector-agnostic investors locked in the most capital. One interesting trend is the rise of AI-focused funds, from just one in 2023 to 17 as of February this year. Explore the details in our data story of the day. Jofie Yordan, journalist | 
