JonnyRBuck12
3 years ago
Lingo Media Due Diligence Report
Ticker Symbols: LM.V & LMDCF
Price: $0.075
Common Shares: 35.53 Million
Market Cap: $2.66 Million
Insider Holdings: 20.17%
Most recent company presentation: https://lingomedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Lingo-Media-Corporate-Presentation-April-2020-Final11.pdf
Lingo Media is a global EdTech company that is ‘Building a multilingual world’, developing and marketing products for learners of new languages through various life stages, from classroom to boardroom. By integrating education and technology, the company empowers language educators to easily transition from traditional teaching methods to digital learning. The Company provides both online and print-based solutions through two distinct business units: ELL Technologies Ltd. Everybody Loves Languages and Lingo Learning. Everybody Loves Languages provides online training and assessment for language learning, while Lingo Learning is a print-based publisher of English language learning programs in China. Through its two distinct business units, Lingo Media develops, markets, and supports a suite of language learning solutions consisting of web-based software licensing subscriptions, online and professional services, audio practice tools and multi-platform applications. The Company continues to operate its textbook publishing business from which it collects recurring royalty revenues.
Most recent financial results (Ending June 30th 2021)
ASSETS
Cash: $1,292,042 - $0.037c a share in cash
Accounts & Grants Receivable: $1,188,781
Prepaid & Other Receivables: $108,184
Property & Equipment: $19,156
Total Assets: $2,607,163
LIABILITIES
Accounts Payable: $101,839
Accrued Liabilities: $111,112
Contract Liability: $262,072
Loans Payable: $80,000
Total Liabilities: $555,023
Company Performance From 2019 to 2021
Year----Revenue----Profit----Assets----Liabilities-----EPS
2019--- $1,956,222----$113,817----$1,951,990----$1,185,714-----0.003
2020--- $2,102,054----$1,077,609----$2,396,035----$529,006----0.030
2021(Q1-Q2)----$1,179,598----$183,331----$2,607,163----$555,023----0.005
Notes:
- Company market cap has stayed in the same range for the last 20 months, despite adding almost $0.04c in value
- G&A in 2019 was 11 times what it was in 2020
- Q1 is historically weak for Lingo Media. From the last MD&A: Revenue for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021, totalled $149,080 as compared with $97,013 in Q1 2020.
MD&A Highlights from Last Quarter
Q2 2021 Operational Highlights
• Online English Language Learning:
- Launched Ola App, allowing students to access hundreds of additional hours of speaking and pronunciation practice with their smartphones with Speak2Me and Studio features.
- Redesigned and refreshed product design for English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Mandarin, and Business.
- Added Assessment Test security features including: o browser locking, full screen lock, one login per device, and student declaration and selfie picture to verify identity.
- ELL Technologies rebranded as Everybody Loves Languages, including redesign of logo, website, and platform.
- Conducted three webinars as part of ELL teacher development series
• Print-Based English Language Learning:
- expanded existing market for PEP Primary English program into one additional province in China
Summary of Q2 2021 product development achievements:
• Launched Ola App - a iOS and Android native app that provides learners with hundreds of hours of speaking and pronunciation exercises. Added Assessment Test security features including:
- browser locking full screen lock, one login per device, and student declaration and selfie picture to verify identity.
- this allows ELL Technologies to sell the Assessment Test as a stand-alone solution.
• Advanced teacher development course with expected completion in Q3.
As at June 30, 2021, Lingo Media had working capital of $2,112,984 compared to $1,779,076 as at June 30, 2020. Total comprehensive income for the three-month period ended June 30, 2021 was $451,588 compared to comprehensive income of $557,802 for the period ended June 30, 2020.
As at June 30, 2021, the Company had cash of $1,292,042 compared to $1,127,418 in 2020. Accounts and grants receivable of $1,188,781 were outstanding at the end of the period compared to $983,235 in 2020. With 98% of the receivables from PEP and the balance due from ELL Technologies customers with a 90 - 180 days collection cycle, the Company does not anticipate an effect on its liquidity. Total current assets amounted to $2,588,007 (2020 - $2,242,448) with current liabilities of $475,022 (2020 - $463,372) resulting in working capital of $2,112,984 (2020 - $1,779,076).
Lingo Learning receives government grants based on certain eligibility criteria for publishing industry development in Canada and for international marketing support. These government grants are recorded as a reduction of general and administrative expenses to offset direct expenditure funded by the grant. The Company receives these grants throughout the year. The grant is applied based on Lingo Learning meeting certain eligibility requirements. The Company has relied on obtaining these grants for its operations and has been successful at securing them in the past, but it cannot be assured of obtaining these government grants in the future.
ELL Technologies has developed and is marketing one of the largest libraries of online language learning resources in the world. The library has more than 3,000 hours of interactive learning through a number of product offerings that include Winnie’s World, English Academy, Campus, English for Success, Master and Business in addition to courses to learn French, Mandarin, Spanish, and Portuguese languages. ELL Technologies is primarily marketed in Latin America, Asia, Europe, and now the U.S. through a network of distributors and earns its revenues from online and offline licensing fees from its suite of web-based language learning products and applications.
ELL Technologies’ high-tech, easy to implement eLearning Software-as-a-Service solutions have positioned the Company to provide learners of all ages and levels of English proficiency with a platform to further their language learning development.
All products have been designed by our proprietary tools enabling ELL Technologies to market and sell to academic institutions and governments. Educators who license the platform are able to easily assign, and arrange lessons and courses as they see fit, including personalizing the learning to a particular individual’s needs and progress.
Formative assessments and data gathering functionality allows us to adapt and improve content. Based on that data, we are able to program iterations to address specific problem areas and to make learning more accessible, efficient and measurable. Built for learners, by learners, we empower educators and allow them to easily transition from pure classroom paper-based teaching to the online world.
dffhogs
8 years ago
Lingo Media Appoints Former Rosetta Stone Executive to Lead Growth Initatives in Asia, North America & Middle East
1 day 8 hours 31 minutes ago - DJNF
Lingo Media Appoints Former Rosetta Stone Executive to Lead Growth Initatives in Asia, North America & Middle East
TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - September 22, 2016) - Lingo Media Corporation (TSX VENTURE: LM) (OTCQB: LMDCF) ("Lingo Media" or the "Company"), an EdTech company that is 'Changing the way the world learns English' through innovative online and print-based technologies and solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Laurent Glorieux, MBA, as Senior Sales Director leading the Company's growth strategy in Asia, North America and the Middle East. Formerly Sales Director, Global Resellers at Rosetta Stone and Sales Director at Tell Me More S.A., Mr. Glorieux is an entrepreneurial leader with 16 years of experience in propelling double and triple-digit growth in business-to-business, international software sales.
Prior to joining Lingo Media, Mr. Glorieux was Sales Director, Global Resellers for Rosetta Stone, the market leading $218 million global education-technology developer of language, literacy and brain-fitness software where he built a global strategy, secured partner contracts and specifically led key growth initiatives in emerging markets. Mr. Glorieux also led an enterprise and education sales team in Latin America and the Caribbean achieving 50%+ sales increase in just one year. In 2007, he was Sales Director at Tell Me More S.A., a global language learning company with a robust suite of SaaS-based language learning products and services, which was acquired by Rosetta Stone in 2014.
Michael Kraft, President & CEO of Lingo Media, stated, "We are pleased to have Laurent join the Lingo Media team to lead our growth effort in Asia, North America and the Middle East. Laurent brings to the team a vast and deep understanding of the EdTech industry, building global sales organizations and cultivating channel relationships in markets with major growth potential. Laurent's transition will be seamless given his entrepreneurial background and successes at Rosetta Stone and Tell Me More S.A. Our team welcomes Laurent and looks forward to working with him."
Mr. Glorieux commented, "Lingo Media is at a critical inflection point given its growth opportunities in Asia, North America and the Middle East. My 16-year career in Ed-Tech and language software sales allows me to bring many long-term relationships with individuals and enterprises that are potential clients for Lingo Media. Together with the Lingo Media team, we are executing a specific go-to-market strategy to generate new customers and to build the business."
dffhogs
8 years ago
CNCN) Lingo Media Ranks No. 346 on the 2016 PROFIT 500
4 days 4 hours 43 minutes ago - DJNF
Lingo Media Ranks No. 346 on the 2016 PROFIT 500
PROFIT and Canadian Business Unveils 28th Annual List of Canada's Fastest-Growing Companies
TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - September 19, 2016) - Lingo Media Corporation (TSX VENTURE: LM) (OTCQB: LMDCF) ("Lingo Media" or the "Company"), an EdTech company that is 'Changing the way the world learns English' through innovative online and print-based technologies and solutions, is pleased to announce that Canadian Business and PROFIT ranked Lingo Media No. 346 on the 28(th) annual PROFIT 500, the definitive ranking of Canada's Fastest-Growing Companies. Published in the October issue of Canadian Business and at PROFITguide.com, the PROFIT 500 ranks Canadian businesses by their five-year revenue growth.
Lingo Media made the 2016 PROFIT 500 list with five-year revenue growth of 148%.
"Companies become a part of the PROFIT 500 through innovative thinking, smart strategy and sheer grit," says James Cowan, Editor-in-Chief of PROFIT and Canadian Business. "These firms demonstrate what Canadian entrepreneurs can achieve, both at home and across the globe."
Michael Kraft, President & CEO of Lingo Media, stated, "Lingo Media is honoured to be on the PROFIT 500 ranking. This achievement reflects the strength of both our team and our proprietary technology and solutions. We are focused on growth through the deployment of our unique and innovative digital English language learning solutions for students and professionals in emerging markets. In countries such as Columbia, Peru and Mexico, we have only begun to scratch the surface of the overall market opportunity."
About PROFIT and PROFITguide.com
PROFIT: Your Guide to Business Success is Canada's preeminent media brand dedicated to the management issues and opportunities facing small and mid-sized businesses. For 34 years, Canadian entrepreneurs across a vast array of economic sectors have remained loyal to PROFIT because it's a timely and reliable source of actionable information that helps them achieve business success and get the recognition they deserve for generating positive economic and social change. Visit PROFIT online at PROFITguide.com.
About Canadian Business
Founded in 1928, Canadian Business is the longest-serving, best-selling and most-trusted business publication in the country. With a total brand readership of more than 1.1 million, it is the country's premier media brand for executives and senior business leaders. It fuels the success of Canada's business elite with a focus on the things that matter most: leadership, innovation, business strategy and management tactics. We provide concrete examples of business achievement, thought-provoking analysis and compelling storytelling, all in an elegant package with bold graphics and great photography. Canadian Business -- what leadership looks like.
QualityStocks
9 years ago
LMDCF to Present at the World Outlook Financial Conference 2016 in Vancouver
Earlier this week, Lingo Media Corporation (OTCQB: LMDCF) (TSX-V: LM), an EdTech company using innovative online and print-based technologies and solutions to change the way the world learns English, announced that it will be presenting at the upcoming World Outlook Financial Conference 2016, which will be held January 29-30 at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver. The company will also host a booth at the conference in order to provide attendees with an opportunity to meet and speak with the Lingo management team.
The World Outlook Financial Conference is sponsored by MoneyTalks, a popular radio show hosted by Michael Campbell. For over three decades, MoneyTalks has been offering unique and valuable insight to Canadian investors, and the show currently boasts more than half a million weekly listeners. The conference is expected to be attended by hundreds of pre-qualified, high net worth investors and active market participants looking to meet with exhibitors. Lingo will have an additional opportunity to reach these investors as one of four top-performing companies invited to make presentations at the conference’s VIP Small-Cap Luncheon.
In recent quarters, Lingo has recorded strong financial growth on the back of an aggressive expansion campaign throughout Latin America. During the quarter ended September 30, 2015, the company achieved its fourth consecutive profitable quarter, along with a 441 percent year-over-year increase in total revenue. This growth is particularly noteworthy, because it was derived primarily from Lingo’s rapidly expanding digital-learning software division. The company’s legacy textbook publishing income, which stems from exclusive agreements with key government and industry partners in China’s expansive education market, is recorded seasonally, in Q2 and Q4, as royalty revenues.
Moving forward, Lingo plans to build on its recent progress by expanding its presence throughout Latin America while actively pursuing opportunities in other regions around the globe. This strategy is expected to play a key role in the company’s efforts to continue promoting sustainable returns in the months to come.
“While Latin America remains our initial market focus, demand is emerging from other regions,” Michael Kraft, president and chief executive officer of Lingo, stated in a news release. “The company is pursuing strategic partnerships for global distribution as part of its plan as the EdTech market for English language learning continues to grow worldwide.”
For more information on the company, visit www.lingomedia.com
QualityStocks
9 years ago
LMDCF Maximizing Market Share with Both Print-Based and Electronic English-Learning Solutions
An estimated two billion people around the world are trying to learn English. For over 15 years, Lingo Media Corporation (OTCQB: LMDCF) (TSX-V: LM) has been targeting this sizable market with innovative learning solutions designed to help learners throughout various life stages – from the classroom to the boardroom – transcend language barriers while becoming more adept with English, the global language of business. Through its Lingo Learning subsidiary, Lingo Media provides published resources to China, the world’s largest English language learning market. Today, the company, along with its co-publishing partners, commands more than 60 percent market share in the Asian nation’s immense primary school market.
In 2007, Lingo Media paved the way for additional growth when it became one of the first companies to adopt speech recognition and analysis technologies. Since then, the company, through subsidiary ELL Technologies, has developed a broad range of stimulating, interactive products for specific purposes and clients – including academic institutions, governments and corporations. In September, Lingo Media once again demonstrated the marketability of this technology when it announced a multi-million dollar language learning software development contract in Colombia. This agreement continued the company’s rapid progress toward building a sustainable foothold in the educational markets of Latin America, which are among the most rapidly expanding on the planet.
The proliferation of mobile electronic devices in developing markets around the globe has created an unprecedented opportunity for companies with innovative learning solutions to rapidly expand their global reach. According to statistics from the Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) Play store, language learning apps such as Rosetta Stone (NYSE: RST), Duolingo and Memrise have amassed millions of downloads, but none of these apps offer the specialized learning solutions being marketed by Lingo Media. For this reason, Lingo Media has excelled in building a presence in its target markets.
“Learning English in an easy to use digital format is essential, especially for the military, government, corporate and academic industries,” Gali Bar-Ziv, president and chief executive officer of ELL Technologies, stated in a news release. “Through our large digital learning library, we are able to quickly and seamlessly build custom digital solutions based on the client’s needs. This further reflects our ongoing ability to gain market share and advance our position in… Latin America.”
According to a report by Ambient Insight, revenues from digital English products in Latin America will reach $260.9 million by 2018, up from just $136.2 million in 2013. Look for Lingo Media to capitalize on this performance as it continues to expand its presence in the region through the development of customized learning solutions that address pivotal market demands.
For more information on the company, visit www.lingomedia.com
QualityStocks
9 years ago
LMDCF / LM.V Continues to Generate Strong Profits with Q3 Net Income of $631,730
Lingo Media is teaching the world to speak English and making investors sing happily in the process. The Company has announced an astounding 441% increase in revenue, over the same period last year, for the three months ended September 30, 2015. Revenue was $1,203,201 for the third quarter compared to $222,468 for the same period in 2014. Operating expenses, however, only rose by 69%, from $272,871 in 3Q 2014 to $462,455 in 3Q 2015.
Net profit for the quarter was $694,300 as compared to a net loss of $(179,146) for the same period in 2014. And total comprehensive income for the quarter was $631,730 or $0.023 earnings per share based on 27.4 million shares. For 3Q 2014, there was a total comprehensive loss of $(255,659) or $(0.012) loss per share based on 21.9 million shares. Income before amortization, share-based payments, depreciation, finance charges and taxes was $740,746 compared to the loss of $(50,403) in 2014.
“Q3-15 is the fourth consecutive profitable quarter for the Company representing revenue growth of 441% and a significant increase in profitability year-over-year for the quarter,” stated Michael Kraft, President & CEO of Lingo Media. “It is noteworthy that the revenue and profit in this quarter was almost entirely derived from the rapidly growing digital-learning software division. The legacy text book publishing income is generated throughout the year but is recorded seasonally in Q2 and Q4 as royalty revenues.”
Lingo Media is an EdTech (educational technology) company that is ‘Changing the way the world learns English’. EdTech companies combine information technologies with pedagogical insights to increase accessibility to education and personalize the learning experience. Lingo Media offers courses in English both over the internet and in traditional printed form through its two distinct business units: ELL Technologies and Lingo Learning. ELL Technologies is a global online English-language training company. Lingo Learning is a print-based publisher of English-language learning programs in China. Lingo Media has established a strong presence in China’s education market of more than 300 million students by forming solid relationships with key government and industry organizations. The Company continues its global expansion with aggressive forays in Latin America.
As part of its strategy to penetrate the Latin American market with its online services, in July of this year, Lingo Media negotiated a contract under which students who complete ELL Technologies’ online English language programs will be given Sistema Corporativo Proulex-Comlex (Proloux) certification. Proloux is a subsidiary of the University of Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest university. In addition, the Company is launching an advertising blitzkrieg in key Mexican cities. It has inked an agreement with ISA Corporativo which manages advertising for Mexico City Airport and the subway systems of Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.
The Company is also making inroads in Columbia. It has secured software licensing contracts with the municipal government of Caldas Department, Columbia. And it has been awarded a large government contract with SENA, an organization under the Ministry of Labour of Colombia to build an expansive library of digital English language learning resources and lessons. Also the Company has been selected by the Peruvian Navy to provide software licenses to ELL Technologies’ training products. As well as these Latin American initiatives, the Company has been engaged in a broader-based program of development. It has recently completed the development of ELL Technologies’ Winnie’s World, in HTML5 for the pre-kindergarten and the kindergarten market.
Traditional hard copy products have been equally successful. The Company has been conducting extensive teacher training initiatives and workshops. And it has passed an important milestone by co-publishing the 550 millionth unit of its basic English course with People’s Education Press in China. People’s Education Press is the publishing arm of China’s Ministry of Education. Lingo Media seems determined to establish the position of English as today’s lingua franca.
For more information on the company, visit www.lingomedia.com
QualityStocks
9 years ago
LMDCF / LM.V Maintains Growth Focus on Ripe Latin American Markets for Online & Print-Based English Learning Products
Despite the fact that the Colombian government has taken unprecedented steps in recent years to truly transform the country into a bilingual nation, with the English language being taught by law in all schools having led to consistently increasing rates of proficiency, the 46 million plus population still ranks third from last in Latin America, and 57th out of 70 countries in the most recent EF English Proficiency Index (EPI) compile. The country still has an EPI well below the regional average for Latin America and pales by comparison with top-ranked Argentina, or the second place holder and Caribbean’s largest economy, the Dominican Republic.
Needless to say, the Colombian government is pulling out all the stops in order to harness the substantial wealth of human capital at its fingertips, with sweeping new actions designed to shore up the nation’s EPI and take full advantage of increasingly ubiquitous internet penetration, which currently stands at around 52 percent. The country’s National Training Service, SENA (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje), likenable to the United States Department of Education, is throwing a huge amount of capital and logistical capacity at the task of expanding its existing LMS (learning management system), with the goal of incorporating more advanced e-learning content and technologies.
The latest salvo in Columbia’s economic war on the problem of underutilized human capital, is SENA’s embracing of leading English language learning-focused EdTech company Lingo Media Corporation’s (TSX-V: LM; OTCQB: LMDCF) full suite of digital education resources. Lingo Media being tapped for a multi-million dollar language learning software development contract should come as no surprise to investors who have been following the company’s exploits though and markets can likely expect even bigger news in the future along these lines as the company continues to put a growing emphasis on digital learning content. A 776 percent jump in Q2 revenue from digital learning year over year reported back in August roundly showcases how well LMDCF’s ongoing shift towards growing its digital portfolio has been, and should give those new to the table a very good idea of where the company is headed.
Lingo Media has a clearly established presence on both the digital e-learning and traditional publishing ends of the market as well. With a sizeable pre-school to post-secondary library of over 350 different program titles and individual components among its array of published educational text books and learning tools, LMDCF has a wide range of online and computer-based content already under its belt and the company even offers a comprehensive suite of sophisticated assessment tools to go along with its other materials. The company also boasts some of the easiest to use and most intuitive speech recognition-assisted learning software on the market today, with offerings like the virtual conversation tool in its Speaking Lab bundle that lets learners engage in simulated conversations, directly addressing one of the major stumbling blocks for new language learners: a lack of access to someone who speaks the language fluently, with whom to practice.
The company’s publishing division, Lingo Learning, has co-published a whopping 520 million plus units to date and maintains a considerable footprint in the $5 billion plus Chinese ESL market, co-publishing alongside People’s Education Press (PEP), which spends millions of RMB each year developing textbooks for special education in China. The co-published PEP Primary English and Starting Line series are currently used by over 60 percent of Chinese primary school students and LMDCF provides a huge selection of supplemental learning components to go along with these proven textbooks, to help accelerate the process of both teaching and learning English.
However, as recently noted by the Director of Research and Academic Partnerships for EF English Proficiency Index compiler and language training company, EF Education First, the Chinese government has taken a decided turn in recent years. Shifting away from so great an emphasis on English training in the country’s public education system is in many ways a symptom of China’s meteoric rise to the status of a leading global economic superpower. China now actually trails many regional nations like Singapore, which has the highest ranking EPI, and LMDCF has been sensitive to these winds of change for quite some time now – shifting its own focus in part more towards the e-learning market and doing so in regions that still possess premium growth potential, such as Latin America.
Far from scaling back in China, where the company recently pushed the PEP Primary English program out into multiple additional provinces, this shift is more about where new growth for LMDCF will come from. The company is aggressively hammering out new sales contracts throughout Latin America and currently has some white-hot marketing irons in the fire in both Mexico and Peru. These are exciting times for Lingo Media Corporation and the company’s advanced e-learning capabilities continue to garner more and more coverage from the investment community, with one of the most recent examples being a solid write-up on the SENA deal and the company’s extremely promising prospects moving forward, published by emerging public company research and global economic commentary outfit, Midas Letter.
President and CEO of LMDCF, Michael Kraft, got a warm reception at the QIS Capital-sponsored Small-Cap Conference in Vancouver recently, with attendees enamored by the potential of the company’s innovative online and print-based solutions.
To go behind the buzz, visit www.lingomedia.com
QualityStocks
9 years ago
LMDCF Multimillion Dollar Deal with Columbian Government Agency Paves Way For Further Expansion in Latin America
With the rapid rise in recent years of online language learning platforms such as Babbel, which has over 25 million app downloads to date, or freemium model-based social network language learning platform Busuu, which now boasts over 50 million users, the English language edtech market has effectively evolved beyond the grasp of all but a handful of truly savvy companies. As of earlier this year, over 60 million people were signed up to use the free, gamified Duolingo platform, which lets anyone via browser or smartphone app study languages, taking advantage of the platform’s adaptive language teaching technology.
However, Duolingo, which has taken in nearly $40 million in VC to date and even started shoveling out crowdsourced translation services to the likes of Buzzfeed and CNN as early as 2013, still doesn’t really have a revenue model to speak of. Looking at the underlying nature of the market today, it is easy to understand how Livemocha, despite over 16 million users and $19 million in funding, ended its startup run in an $8.5 million buyout by Rosetta Stone (NYSE: RST) last year. LinkedIn’s (NYSE: LNKD) $1.5 billion acquisition of renowned online education company Lynda.com last year – which is widely known in tech circles for its comprehensive, highly-valuable courses from industry experts, as well as its affordable prices – speaks volumes about where we are at in the evolution of the edtech market.
Furthermore, consider the following data point from June of this year by founder of the EdTech Europe conference, Benjamin Vedrenne-Cloquet, that edtech currently still represents less than five percent of the $4 trillion global education market. There is massive growth potential here and one of the biggest targets moving forward will be Latin America, where over 600 million people speak just two languages. Populations are largely resident in 20 or so major metropolitan centers throughout Latin America and in key markets such as Brazil, the nearly ubiquitous penetration of both broadband and smartphone coverage spells big success for companies that can deliver meaningful, truly useful digital content, as well as the ancillary services needed to learn English.
In stark contrast to now prevalent academic MOOC (massive open online course) programs, up-and-comer Udemy (which recently did a $65 million raise, led by private equity/VC firm, Stripes Group) is focused specifically on offering experts from any field the ability to create courses and offer them to the public, either for free, or for a tuition fee. This is sort of like Uberizing the Lynda.com model. According to head of business development for Udemy in Latin America, Brazil’s connectivity penetration leads the way as an example of where the regional edtech market is headed, and because the government allows for one fifth of the higher education curriculum to be delivered online in a partially unregulated space, the potential 25 million consumer market (core market of 7 million paying students) in Brazil has some of the highest margins available anywhere.
For an established edtech provider like Lingo Media (OTCQB: LMDCF) (TSX-V: LM) though, it’s about far more than simply generating the sort of healthy revenues evinced by its recent Q2 financial reportage, which showed 776 percent year-over-year revenue growth in digital learning, overtaking print-based revenue for the first time in the company’s history. Lingo Media is clearly driven by a strong, underlying mission to fundamentally change the way the entire world learns English.
In addition, the company is driven by the opening up of new markets, and providing best-in-class, innovative online, as well as print-based solutions. The recently announced securing by Lingo Media of a multi-million dollar software development contract with the Colombian Ministry of Labour’s National Training Service, SENA (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje), to provide a variety of digital resources and content that will be incorporated into SENA’s LMS (learning management system), is a solid indicator of how the company is currently making huge strides in Latin America.
Secured via a partnership between Lingo Media’s wholly-owned ELL Technologies subsidiary and Colombian ESL edtech digital platform developer, eDistribution, this multi-million dollar software development deal puts Lingo Media at the forefront of what is an ongoing campaign by Colombia’s government to leverage the nation’s substantial human capital via language learning. English is mandated in all schools by official Colombian policy under the PFDCLE (Foreign Languages Competencies Development Programme), with the goal of making the entire country bilingual, following CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) proficiency standards.
Given that eDistribution is a specialist in the field of developing enhanced digital resources for second language classroom practices, and that ELL Technologies’ product suite spans the gamut from contextual-based training to comprehensive, SCORM-compliant achievement testing – putting together a winning package of digital resources, lessons, and learning objects for SENA should be a snap for the pair. The highly customizable and fluid framework that will be provided to educators, which will allow unprecedented ease of access to tools enabling dynamic coursework and in-class session development, no doubt will come to serve as a living advertisement for other regional markets.
Columbia’s SENA is laser-focused on digital content and this sweetheart deal is a major feather in Lingo Media’s cap. A deal which will serve to further open up the Latin American market, giving the company an ever more stable footing, amid the Permian Sea-like development of what continues to be one of the hottest markets in edtech today.
All around the world today, some two billion people or more are trying to learn the English language. In China, kids start learning English as early as grade three, and its teaching is mandated by law. China has become the largest English-speaking country on earth as a result of this practice and Lingo Media’s print based roots are firmly established in this key global market, with a wide range of popular educational text books and learning tools available through the company’s publishing unit, Lingo Learning.
Learn more, visit Lingo Media online at: www.lingomedia.com
QualityStocks
9 years ago
LMDCF Building on Proven Techniques with Innovative English Language Learning Solutions
Today’s English language learners have access to more sophisticated tools and technology than ever before, but that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to be learned from the eager students of the past. In a recent news report, Nageen Mustafa, a Syrian refugee with surprisingly strong English skills, recounted how she learned English by watching the popular soap opera Days of our Lives, and her story is far from an isolated incident. In fact, it’s possible that Hollywood, along with its most famous characters, has done more to teach English in the developing world than any educational outreach program ever created.
The draw of films and television series is easy to understand. Instead of looking at repetitive, sometimes boring learning programs and flashcards, films such as Taxi Driver and Top Gun combine education with first-class entertainment that makes learning a new language more fun. Industry research has confirmed this hypothesis, with bimodal input – which includes both sound and video – consistently increasing comprehension and vocabulary in English language learners more effectively than less engaging techniques. Lingo Media Corporation (OTCQB: LMDCF) (TSX-V: LM), through subsidiary ELL Technologies, is putting this research to good use with its groundbreaking Speak2Me learning platform.
With Speak2Me, Lingo Media leverages its large library of digital content to create customized curriculums that suit the specific needs of its customers. The company has already secured contracts for this technology with a collection of diverse organizations – including municipal governments in Colombia, the University of Guadalajara in Mexico, the Peruvian Navy and the National Training Service (SENA) in Colombia.
“Learning English in an easy to use digital format is essential, especially for the military, government, corporate and academic industries,” Gali Bar-Ziv, president and chief executive officer of ELL Technologies, stated in a news release. “Through our large digital learning library, we are able to quickly and seamlessly build custom digital solutions based on the client’s needs.”
Building on the success of old VHS cassettes and subtitled movies, Lingo Media is continuing to progress toward its goal of changing the way the world learns English. As it expands its foothold in the pivotal Latin American learning markets, the company is in a formidable position to establish a sizable and sustainable presence in the evolving market for English language learning solutions in developing markets around the globe.
For more information, visit www.lingomedia.com
QualityStocks
9 years ago
LMDCF Poised For Persistent Growth in China & Latin America
According to a report out in July this year from technology research and advisory outfit TechNavio, the English language training (ELT) market in China is on track to run at a CAGR of 19 percent over the next four years. With over 400 million English language learners, a concerted and ongoing effort by the Chinese government to create jobs through improvement of the overall quality of human capital in the country, continuously mounting student mobility to the U.S. and UK, as well as a pre K-12 dominance where under 14 children make up over 20 percent of the 1.35 billion population – the Chinese ELT market has now become a seriously coveted target for EdTech vendors.
Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have also become a big part of the equation, with entities like Coursera and Udacity still quite popular, as well as the online university-level offerings from entities like joint Harvard/MIT open-source project, edX, which have made waves for the larger sector players, such as international education and media outfit Pearson (NYSE: PSO). The ELT market in China is still mainly represented by private institutes, comprised of over 50,000 English language schools, but this has been a tough nut to crack for companies like Apollo Education Group (NASDAQ: APOL) and its Apollo Global subsidiary, leaving a fragmented market that is ripe for capitalization by agile English language learning program providers.
On the whole, Asian education markets are a hot topic, with the fastest growing e-learning space on earth, where English in particular commands the region’s vast majority of what is in total, a $247 billion global language market. Asia’s e-learning space represents around 8 percent currently, but it is set to rise to over 23 percent of an estimated $53 billion global e-learning market by 2018, as the broader education market continues to outstrip the U.S. by a factor of ten times the number of K-12 enrollments. Even with more than 100,000 native English speakers currently in China, English proficiency in the country remains relatively low, and the potential for supplementary EdTech language solutions is tremendous.
This is a story echoed by the planet’s other hot ELT markets, like those in Latin America. Where, according to leading research firm for the global EdTech supplier market, Ambient Insight, the digital English language learning product space is set to grow at a nearly 14 percent CAGR through 2018, when it will generate revenues in the neighborhood of $260.9 million. Brazil represents the largest chunk, with some 50 million primary and secondary students, and revenues which are seen as doubling by 2018.
Surveying this landscape, one of the more interesting publicly traded players in the EdTech arena today is developer and marketer of both print and digital English language learning products, Lingo Media (OTC: LMDCF) (TSXV: LM). LMDCF currently commands a whopping 60 percent plus of the massive primary school market in China via its Lingo Learning business unit’s print-based English language learning programs, alongside its co-publishing partners, People’s Education Press, and PEP Audio Visual Press. This is quite a feat by Lingo Learning, which recently launched its primary-level, PEP Primary English program into several additional provinces in China – but it is also par for the course, given that the company is one of the earliest entrants into China, which is now the world’s largest English language learning market. The company’s well established presence, backed up by a long and successful track record working closely with Chinese government agencies via partnerships, is cemented by a brand presence that has seen Lingo co-publish over 520 million product components, covering the entire gamut from K-12, to universities, and even the continuing education market for working professionals.
This rock-solid footprint in print media for the Chinese market has created considerable opportunity for the company’s digital solutions business unit, ELL Technologies. The importance of the company having been one of the first players in speech recognition and speech analysis technology is also paramount here, with state-of-the-art components available across ELL Technologies’ entire range of learning solutions. From Kids, a platform designed for pre-readers, which recently saw the debut of its inaugural pre-school program, Winnie’s World. To the company’s Scholar, Business, and Master learning solutions. Components such as Speaking Lab’s Speak2Me, an automatic feedback, computer-based virtual conversation tool that, in conjunction with speech recognition program, The Studio, can detect mispronunciation at the level of a single phoneme (an individual, perceptually distinct unit of sound), and provide immediate help to students.
Most traditional speech recognition programs simply cannot offer this level of advanced capability and are only able to diagnose mispronunciation errors at the whole word level, making the combined solution a revolutionary way to practice speaking on your own. A workflow that allows the user to hone in on an exact pronunciation problem, guided by color-coded instant feedback alerts made available during an avatar-driven simulated conversation. The entire ELL Technologies’ suite of products is also compliant with the e-learning industry’s de facto interoperability standard, SCORM. Meaning the code is written so that software meshes seamlessly with other e-learning content and Learning Management Systems (LMSs). Moreover, the entire suite offers contextual-based training for understanding conditional cultural nuances, as well as the much sought after achievement testing that Chinese consumers demand in order to validate content progression. At its core, the suite is comprised of a wide variety of interactive lessons, with content designed for everything from kindergarten to adult learning.
Strong Q2 revenue growth of roughly 776% year-over-year to $1.79 million, as digital learning outpaced the company’s bedrock print-based revenue for the first time in operating history, underscores a powerful expansion into booming English language learning EdTech markets like Colombia, Mexico and Peru (where the company recently secured new software licensing contracts for ELL Technologies’ programs), as well as other Latin American countries. President and CEO of LMDCF, Michael Kraft, reported in August at the time of the Q2 announcement, that management anticipates similar upward momentum for the second half of 2015, and noted how Latin America in particular was becoming a very appealing sales growth horizon.
A considerable expansion of the digital English language learning library, through a licensing agreement with Connecting Doors, to digitize and globally distribute its best-selling general English program – in addition to the release of its cutting-edge course/lesson, easy creation and management tools, known as Course Builder and Lesson Builder – have made ELL Technologies’ suite of offerings more compelling than ever. Looks like Latin America’s English language learning markets are already taking notice.
Get a closer look, visit Lingo Media at www.lingomedia.com
QualityStocks
9 years ago
LMDCF Deemed ‘Outfit to Watch’ by Investor’s Digest of Canada
Lingo Media, through the implementation of its aggressive growth strategy, has established itself as an outfit to watch in the educational technology space. Last week, the company’s recent progress toward achieving sustainable growth in the $56 billion global English-learning market was highlighted in an article by Investor’s Digest of Canada. The key to this growth, according to the article, lies in Lingo’s ability to gain industry recognition and start making sales in the rapidly expanding educational technology market.
Over the past two years, Lingo has invested considerable time and resources into completing a transformation from a conventional textbook publisher into an emerging player in the EdTech market. The development of a digital library and the creation of a functioning platform through which to present its language-learning programs proved to be a complicated and lengthy process. However, with the creation of an online business unit now complete, Lingo appears to be primed for strong growth in the short term.
Lingo stands out from big names in the edtech market, such as Rosetta Stone (NYSE: RST) and Duolingo, for its dedication to the development of specialized modules to meet the needs of every type of student – from preschool through to adults. By customizing its learning products, the company is able to more adequately address the language needs of specific groups, effectively increasing the marketability of its products.
In the first three quarters of 2015, Lingo’s innovative approach to the English-learning industry has helped it secure a strong foothold in one of the world’s most promising educational markets. Since July, the company has entered into contracts in Mexico, Peru and Colombia, establishing a presence in a region with more than 600 million people and an educational system that, in many respects, lags behind the rest of the developed world.
With the foundation in place, Lingo appears set to capitalize on its work in previous quarters. In the second quarter of 2015, the company recorded just under $1.8 million in total revenue, doubling its results from the previous year. This financial growth carried over to the bottom line, with Lingo achieving net profit of $979,000 for the period. As the company continues its sales rollout, it is in a favorable position to build on these results while benefitting from the high margins offered by the EdTech market.
As Lingo progresses toward positioning itself as a major player in the educational technology space, it is expected to continue to record revenue from its legacy publishing operations thanks to a contract with the Chinese government. Providing stable, recurring sales of roughly $1.5 million a year for the next five years, this contract is anticipated to pad the company’s top and bottom lines for the foreseeable future. As a result, Investor’s Digest of Canada suggests that Lingo’s tiny market cap, which is currently about $12 million, leaves plenty of room for upside for forward-thinking investors.
For more information, visit www.lingomedia.com
QualityStocks
9 years ago
LMDCF Bolsters Presence in Latin America with Multi-Million Dollar Contract in Colombia
In 2004, the Latin American nation of Colombia took a significant step forward in its efforts to promote improved English proficiency through the creation of the Foreign Languages Competencies Development Program. The goal of this initiative is to leverage the country’s human capital in order to achieve targeted levels of language learning, effectively promoting a transformation into a bilingual country by 2019. Today, roughly 11.5 million people in Colombia – just over a quarter of the population – are studying English via public and private formal education or English language training courses, according to the British Council.
Lingo Media Corp., through subsidiary ELL Technologies Ltd., recently increased its footprint in this pivotal market by partnering with eDistribution SAS to secure a multi-million dollar language learning software development contract. Through this agreement, the company will provide a full suite of digital education resources to the National Training Service (SENA), a Colombian national public institution under the Ministry of Labor. These resources are expected to play a considerable role in increasing learning and professional opportunities for as million as seven million citizens across the country.
“SENA has taken a most progressive and innovative approach to learning English and other languages by structuring their program to fit the many different learning environments and requirements to further establish Colombia as a truly bilingual nation,” Gali Bar-Ziv, president and chief executive officer of ELL Technologies, stated in a news release. “We are very excited to deliver the digital learning content and user experience to Latin America’s leading educational institute, positively impacting language education and employment opportunities in Colombia and throughout Latin America.”
Learning English isn’t just a hobby for Colombians, it is a necessity. The British Council reports that 69 percent of all managers deemed English a ‘must-have’ skill in order to adequately perform their duties, and an overwhelming 81 percent of employers rated English as a seven or above on a one-to-ten scale ranking its importance. Despite these statistics, barriers remain that can severely limit Colombians’ access to English-learning solutions. In a poll of 500 non-English speakers, more than 35 percent stated that limited access to government-funded programs was hampering their efforts to learn English. Lingo Media is now in a strong position to help SENA better address this figure.
Through its subsidiary, Lingo Media is currently developing lessons, learning objects and digital resources which SENA will implement into its learning management system. By affording educators an opportunity to pick, choose and adapt its learning programs and their components, Lingo Media is empowering educators with an opportunity to supplement, complement and enhance their coursework while simultaneously developing a sustainable foothold in one of the world’s most rapidly-expanding EdTech markets.
For more information, visit www.lingomedia.com
QualityStocks
9 years ago
LMDCF Subsidiary Partners with eDistribution SAS to Fulfill Multi-Million Dollar Contract in Columbia
Lingo Media, an EdTech company providing innovative online and print-based technologies and solutions, this morning reported that its subsidiary, ELL Technologies Ltd., and eDistribution SAS, an online education services distribution company in Colombia, have secured a multi-million dollar language learning software development contract in Colombia. The agreement positions both parties to significantly increase learning and professional opportunities for as many as 7 million citizens in Colombia.
eDistribution has selected ELL Technologies to provide a full suite of digital education resources to the National Training Service (“SENA”), a Colombian national public institution focused on the development of education as means to foster employment.
Per the terms agreement, ELL Technologies, in partnership with eDistribution, is currently developing lessons, learning objects and digital resources which SENA will implement into its learning management system. By gaining the ability to pick, choose and adapt learning programs and their components, educators can supplement, complement and enhance their coursework and in-class training.
“SENA has taken a most progressive and innovative approach to learning English and other languages by structuring their program to fit the many different learning environments and requirements to further establish Colombia as a truly bilingual nation,” Gali Bar-Ziv, president and CEO of ELL Technologies, stated in the news release. “We are very excited to deliver the digital learning content and user experience to Latin America’s leading educational institute, positively impacting language education and employment opportunities in Colombia and throughout Latin America.”
Laura Victoria Zabala J., eDistribution´s CEO, noted the importance of multilingualism in Latin America, as well as on a global scale.
“Multilingualism has become a real necessity in our interconnected and globalized world,” she stated. “Through this partnership, eDistribution and ELL Technologies will provide the most technologically advanced and expansive digital content library of all the eLearning programs to be used in Colombia, and will be an example for educators and governments throughout Latin America to establish new educational standards.”
Mario Javier Rincón Triana, special and institutional project coordinator for SENA, explained how the agreement is of particular importance for his organization.
“In the context of Colombia, SENA aims at the improvement of foreign language levels of the Colombian people and SENA’s bilingualism project is particularly important since it has become necessary to boost both the quality and the competence of our learners,” he said.
Finally, the use of digital content has become SENA’s benchmark in the implementation of best practices in the teaching and learning of foreign languages.”
For more information, visit www.lingomedia.com
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