The edutech market is currently estimated to be worth US$271 billion, and by 2026, it is predicted to reach US$410 billion. This expansion has been genuinely global: in 2021, edutech investments in Latin America surged sixfold, and companies based in the Asia Pacific now account for almost 40 per cent of the worldwide edutech sector. 

As digital transformation continues to reshape the educational sphere, the promise of a brighter, tech-infused future for learners is on the horizon. Spark Education, a global player in edutech, stands as a notable example of how innovation and technology are driving the educational experience forward. Founded in 2017, Spark Education is taking its groundbreaking approach to education to new heights with the launch of its first learning centre at i12 Katong in Singapore.

In an exclusive interview with Wilson Li, CSO and CFO of Spark Education Group, we gain insights into their pioneering journey.

“We saw the opportunity for technology to truly advance education and help children develop a love of learning in the early years and build a strong foundation for their future,” Li reflects on the startup’s vision. This commitment to a tech-enhanced, early-stage educational foundation underscores Spark Education’s approach to edutech.

Adapting to new realities

The global pandemic disrupted traditional education, pushing edutech into the spotlight. Spark Education, which was conceived before the pandemic, experienced a surge in demand during this time as the need for interactive, technology-driven learning became more evident than ever.

Also Read: Post-pandemic education: Why edutech remains a game-changer

Li notes, “Moving forward from the pandemic era, now is an exciting time for the edutech industry, which is presented with a unique opportunity to push boundaries, reinvent ourselves, and showcase our continued value in the education ecosystem.” Spark Education’s journey reflects the adaptability of edutech to changing educational needs.

Unlike traditional education providers, Spark Education leverages captivating storylines, hands-on learning experiences, and a Concrete Pictorial Abstract (CPA) approach to make learning engaging and memorable. Their small-group and personalised instruction, coupled with a tailored learning experience, ensure that each student’s educational needs are met.

The power of gamified learning

According to the latest report by Market Business Insights, APAC is expected to witness the highest growth rate in the coming years in the use of gamification in education due to the growing number of mobile and internet users in the region.

In line with this, central to Spark Education’s approach is gamified learning, a method that makes learning enjoyable and effective. Li explains, “Gamification can provide a safe, yet familiar, environment for children to apply the skills they have learned.”

This approach helps children connect concepts with real-life situations, improves knowledge retention, and motivates them to practice. Gamified learning is a fundamental component of Spark Education’s strategy and contributes to making education enjoyable.

Redefining in-person learning with technology

Spark Education’s recent launch of its learning centre at i12 Katong in Singapore signifies a step toward redefining in-person learning with technology. “Our new centre has been fitted with high-tech learning spaces that feature animated and gamified courseware and interactive screens that students can touch and use to interact with objects, draw and more,” Li explains.

Also Read: Edutech in SEA is still “far behind compared to North America” — but there is some hope

The centre’s design is focused on providing personalised attention in small group settings. It aligns with the idea that a blend of technology and interpersonal interaction is the future of education, making the learning experience engaging and effective.

Global footprint, local focus

While Spark Education serves students in over 100 countries and regions, their approach is locally informed. Li emphasizes, “While fundamental skills and knowledge concepts in math and Chinese are the same globally, the cultural context, the local curriculum, and the stories and examples that students engage with can be different.”

This localisation ensures that their curriculum aligns with local standards, making edutech accessible and relevant to diverse educational systems.

The future of edutech in APAC

The future of edutech in APAC is marked by an exciting synergy between traditional and tech-enhanced learning. Li aptly concludes, “Our goal at Spark Education is to really light the spark for our students to achieve their goals and dreams.”

Innovative teaching methods, cutting-edge technology, and high-tech learning spaces are redefining the traditional classroom experiences across the region. From gamified learning to interactive courseware, the fusion of technology and pedagogy is setting a new standard in education across the APAC region. As edutech evolves, the future of learning promises a dynamic and tech-enhanced educational experience, offering students in APAC diverse and effective ways to engage with their studies.

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Image Credit: Spark Education

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Imagine this: Wearing an Extended Reality (XR) headset, you look through digitised lenses and watch the world around you transform. Ergonomic controllers become your tools, spanning many worlds at command – magical obsidian swords in one, surgical instruments in another.

It is suddenly possible to live many lives, fending off zombies in dystopia or in an operating theatre practising a surgical technique to gestured precision. No matter the experience, the vision that surrounds you is realistic, fully immersive, and 360 degrees.

As I write this, I find myself in an uncanny déjà vu – transported two decades back, again standing between physical reality and an iteration of the great big metaverse beyond it.

In this memory, girlish chatter surrounds me on a too-sunny school day at Crescent Girls’ School, and I learn of my cohort’s privilege to become a pioneer in innovative education – the very first in Singapore to integrate ‘tablet learning’. (Look, ma, we’re in the news!)

While this article dates to 2014, my school had already adopted digital learning a good decade ago, in 2004, and was befittingly named by the Ministry of Education in 2007 as FutureSchools@Singapore.

The way we learn has been evolving for as long as we know how to learn. Fast forward to 2023, digital tools have become the universal language – students scroll endlessly on Wi-Fi channels or lavish stories by the art of typewriting keypad prodding – without too much conscious thought.

Backed by science: Virtual world with real impact

XR is essentially augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and all immersive technologies, including those still to be created. XR extends the reality that we physically experience by combining some physical sensations in full virtual immersion.

Surprisingly, XR does not need to look hyper-realistic for our brains to believe it, according to this Vox video, which explores how the tech ‘tricks’ our brains. The good news is how we benefit from this ‘trickery’.

Also Read: Is virtual reality the next big marketing channel?

Studies point to the real advantages and surprising legitimacy of XR as a training solution – XR can help improve access to quality care, create meaningful interactions with patients, connect global clinical consultations, and accelerate how fast you learn.

Besides gaming, there are countless sectors where XR is being applied and/or developed further, from education to training simulations. Importantly, XR has supported healthcare organisations in recent years with simulated surgical procedures for complex training.

French healthtech VirtualiSurg, for example, has been innovating XR simulations since 2017 to democratise surgical training and improve patient outcomes at scale. With XR simulators that uniquely combine virtual reality and haptic arm robotics modelled after real medical instruments, users experience multi-sensorial force feedback as they practise technical gestures requiring precision.

On tangible impact, VirtualiSurg improved on-site training at the Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris, boosting skill proficiency across nursing staff and patient safety and enriching the learning experience, too.

When Zuckerberg introduced META a year ago, he shared plans to build the next chapter of social connection, envisioning a future where people have more ways to play and connect in the metaverse, albeit with cartoony avatars to start with.

Under a year later, he unveils a groundbreaking update when he speaks to Lex Fridman hundreds of miles away, but with the feeling of being in the same room, thanks to photorealistic Kodak Avatars in 3D with spatial audio. The technology is astounding and immersive, and the nuances of facial expressions are exactly captured. Fridman muses that it looks like the future of how humans can connect meaningfully on the internet.

What might the future look like? To start with, here’s an invitation to step beyond our physical world into the metaverse, where what’s real can be debated, and what’s reality can be extended in fascinating ways. You might just marvel at how far you get to see.

And if you’re feeling bold enough to be part of what the future can be, financial analytics projects great investment potential of up to US$900 billion by 2030, with just enough time to scale.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic.

Join our e27 Telegram group, FB community, or like the e27 Facebook page.

Image courtesy of the author.

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Thailand’s AgBioTech Incubation 2023 has unveiled the startups showcasing on the demo day.

The programme was organised by Thailand’s National Innovation Agency (NIA) in collaboration with the Maejo Agriculture and Food Innovation District, the Institute of Agricultural Innovation for Industry, the Federation of Thai Industries, and the SynBio Consortium.

The ten agtech startups embarked on a comprehensive incubation programme designed to cultivate their expertise in various agricultural technology domains over a rigorous four-month training and demonstration period. The primary objective was to validate conceptual ideas and product offerings, thereby addressing gaps in consumption guidelines.

Also Read: How Full Circle-HydroNeo partnership empowers small-scale shrimp farmers

The ten participants are:

SoMush

A cutting-edge solution to produce pure mushroom culture in liquid form for PureMycelium. The startup also bagged the Best Engagement Award.

MYCO GARDEN HOME

An innovative growth enhancer designed for high-value economic crops and ornamental plants, leveraging the power of arbuscular mycorrhizae.

MaxBoost

A specialised substance hailing from the stable antisense group, engineered to proactively prevent Vibrio and yellowhead virus, safeguarding the health of aquatic organisms.

It also won the Judges’s Choice Award.

PurePlus

A highly effective microbial inoculum, bolstered by low-energy ion beam technology, adept at thwarting wilt and rot pathogens in economic crops.

Sentech Plus

A sophisticated biological substance harnessing the potency of Bacteriophages for holistic infection prevention in the realm of aquaculture.

Also Read: How Fishlog aims to revolutionise Indonesian fisheries with cutting-edge tech solutions

Bio Solution

A natural and sustainable pest control system utilising beneficial natural enemies to safeguard crops.

Gen-A-Tech

An advanced system for plant gender and agricultural characteristic determination, underpinned by cutting-edge DNA marker technology.

PLANTBIO

Pioneering the production of functional substances for cosmetic applications through the innovative use of plant cell culture technology.

EverFresh

A biomolecular peptide product engineered to extend the shelf life of agricultural products, ensuring freshness and quality.

Happy Plant

Offering highly purified mycorrhiza obtained through tissue culture systems, enhancing survival rates when transplanted into the soil and bolstering plant health.

The post Meet the 10 Thai startups showcasing at AgBioTech Incubation demo day appeared first on e27.

In an email interview with e27, Elevandi Executive Director Pat Patel explains that the integration of AI in Southeast Asia (SEA) has become a transformative force for businesses in various sectors. Its reach extends across verticals from e-commerce to agriculture. However, he stresses that “the brush strokes” of AI adoption in SEA are neither uniform nor simplistic.

“The speed, scale, and scope of AI adoption are influenced by a multitude of factors, from the technological infrastructure to talent availability, varying significantly from one SEA country to another,” he says.

“A further testament to AI’s growing influence is its increasing visibility at industry-specific platforms, such as the Singapore FinTech Festival, which seeks to bring together the industry leaders at the nexus of policy, finance and technology to drive the opportunities and align on the challenges. From healthcare to automotive sectors, AI solutions are being showcased in applications ranging from medical diagnostics to autonomous vehicles, underscoring its broad-based adoption and ongoing evolution.”

Despite its pervasiveness, the spread of AI in SEA is not without its own challenges.

“Talent scarcity tops the list; companies like Grab have found it challenging to attract AI and machine learning specialists, prompting them to initiate partnerships with academic institutions to cultivate local talent,” Patel says.

“Then comes the elephant in the room—data privacy. For fintech companies like Singapore’s GoBear, safeguarding sensitive financial data while complying with stringent regulations such as GDPR presents a monumental challenge.”

Also Read: Fintech growth in Asia: Why businesses should prioritise expansion in the region

Financial constraints add another layer of complexity, according to Patel.

“Companies like Tokopedia have had to invest heavily in foundational technology like cloud computing and data centres, significantly inflating operational costs. Market fragmentation, evidenced by the need for platforms like Lazada to customise AI models to suit varying consumer behaviours across countries, complicates implementation,” he elaborates.

“Moreover, in sectors like finance, ethical considerations around AI-based models become a convoluted territory to navigate, as seen with Malaysia’s CIMB Group, which has invested in transparent risk assessment mechanisms to alleviate ethical concerns.”

Getting SEA businesses to embrace AI

In order for SEA businesses to fully integrate AI in their operations, according to Patel, there are “a myriad of” strategies that they can implement. It all started with having the regulation to support that.

“Given AI’s dynamic landscape, governments must continually revise and adapt their regulatory frameworks, which should ideally offer crystal-clear guidelines on ethical AI usage. They need to stay ahead of the curve and not just follow technological advancements — anticipation and collaboration are key to harnessing AI’s full potential regionally,” he says.

“Second, data privacy laws akin to Europe’s GDPR or Singapore’s PDPA are non-negotiable for the credibility of AI. This isn’t merely a legal requirement but a trust-building mechanism. Ethics should not be an afterthought but a foundational element in AI implementation—ensuring fairness, transparency, and accountability.”

Patel also highlights the importance of workforce development and AI literacy as well as building a sufficient technology infrastructure. But expanding further on his point on regulation, Patel stresses that the concept of a monolithic, region-wide AI policy for SEA is enticing but fraught with complexities.

Also Read: Fintech VC Flourish Ventures banks US$350M to double down on emerging markets

“Given that the region is emerging as a significant player in the fintech sector and is poised to be the world’s fourth-largest economy, it is tempting to advocate for uniform regulations. However, the socio-political heterogeneity of SEA makes such a policy an uphill endeavour,” he explains.

“For example, ASEAN’s current framework for AI serves more as a guiding beacon rather than a set of enforceable laws. While each country within the region has a moral imperative to uphold these principles, the non-binding nature of this framework highlights the difficulties of implementing a singular, regional approach to AI governance.”

But this does not mean that the region is absolved from its responsibility to act collectively. Given the borderless nature of AI, Patel highlights that a vulnerability in one jurisdiction could reverberate throughout the region, creating a domino effect with potentially devastating implications on a global scale.

“Instead of aspiring for a one-size-fits-all policy, the region should place greater emphasis on two pivotal areas. The first is up-skilling its already technologically skilled workforce — creating a deep reservoir of AI talent that can serve as the intellectual cornerstone for the decades to come. The second focus should be on establishing robust platforms for regional dialogues. These platforms should serve as melting pots of innovation, fostering cross-pollination of ideas between technologists, policymakers, and financial experts — groups that have historically operated in silos,” he elaborates.

“SEA shares some common vulnerabilities and characteristics, especially in areas like climate change, labour migration, and infrastructural development. A cooperative approach in these areas could demonstrate how AI can be a force for collective good across varying national landscapes.”

This is why a balancing act between innovation and regulation in the context of AI is a delicate matter without a one-size-fits-all solution.

Patel points out that while Europe’s AI Act is comprehensive, its long-term impact on AI innovation remains to be seen. On the other hand, Singapore’s National AI Strategy exemplifies that through close and fruitful public-private collaborations, it is possible to steer responsible AI usage without the need for hard and fast enforcement.

Also Read: Despite decline, global fintech funding remains fairly stable: McKinsey report

“There are also a number of cross-industry initiatives that the Monetary Authority of Singapore is driving, such as Project MindForge, which seeks to examine the risks and opportunities for Generative AI use cases for the financial sector; Project Veritas which seeks to strengthen the financial sectors governance of AI management and data use, and lastly, Project NovA! which is an AI utility to help financial institutions to generate prompt and actionable insights using structured and unstructured datasets and advanced computing,” he says.

What is coming up in 2024

Elevandi is a not-for-profit entity set up by the MAS to foster an open dialogue between the public and private sectors to advance fintech globally with Singapore as the centre of gravity. The organisation works closely with governments, founders, investors, and corporate leaders to drive collaboration, education, and new sources of value at the industry and national levels.

As we are getting closer to the end of 2023, we asked Patel about what AI trends are going to arise in the near future.

“Taking a cue from the EU’s AI Act, one indisputable trend that we can anticipate is the continued roll-out of AI frameworks. These will span the spectrum from entirely voluntary to legally binding regulations, signalling a global recognition of the pivotal role AI is set to play in all facets of our social fabric,” he says.

He points out several key themes that are going to be dominant and will be captured in the upcoming Singapore Fintech Festival:

GenAI beyond text

ChatGPT may have stolen the spotlight in 2023, but according to Patel, it is just the “tip of the iceberg” when it comes to GenAI tools.

“Following the lead of Diffusion, Midjourney, and Dall-E, a plethora of tools will soon emerge, allowing users to generate images, videos, and more within seconds. The ramifications of such advancements will stretch beyond the creative industries, affecting everything from copyright law to the proliferation of disinformation.”

The explosion of data availability

“Back in 2018, the International Data Corporation predicted that by 2025, worldwide data will grow 61 per cent to 175 zettabytes, with 75 per cent of the world’s population interacting with data daily. That was before the meteoric rise of AI,” Patel points out.

“Particularly, in the last year, we have seen a surge in high-quality data sets, complemented by emerging technologies, such as quantum computing and cloud storage — which have spurred widespread experimentation in the AI sector. While these developments have led to more accurate and hyper-personalised AI applications, they have also birthed new inefficiencies and biases that are not yet fully understood.”

Enhanced human-AI cooperation

Patel acknowledges the recent discourse on the potential for AI to replace human roles across various professions. However, he sees that the immediate impact of such a shift is unlikely to materialise within the next year.

“This provides an opportune moment to refocus the conversation on how AI can augment human capabilities in the workplace, allowing us to delegate menial tasks and concentrate on the type of strategic thinking that makes us distinctly human.”

As a closing, he states that if we can reasonably anticipate these developments within the next year, the future landscape of AI innovation and its profound societal impacts are beyond imagination.

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Image Credit: Elevandi

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Indonesia-based electric vehicle startup PT Energi Selalu Baru or Volta today announced that it has raised an undisclosed strategic investment round from Twin Towers Ventures (TTV), which is the investment arm of PETRONAS Ventures, and Rigel Star Fund LP.

Abraham Theofilus, Managing Director of NFC Indonesia, the parent company of Volta, said in a press statement that the company plans to use the funding to support the expansion of its infrastructure, accelerate product development, and strengthen market penetration.

Apart from the investment, TTV and Rigel also provided Volta with the expertise and network to help actualise their plans.

PT NFC Indonesia Tbk (IDX: NFCX) is a subsidiary of Grup MCASH, one of the earliest Indonesian tech company to be listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX).

Some of the milestones that Volta has achieved included a partnership with AstraZeneca, a rental and ownership option service provider, to provide battery exchange platforms.

Also Read: Exponent Energy unlocks a zero to 100 per cent 15-min rapid charge for electric vehicles

In addition to its electric motorcycle, Volta builds battery exchange infrastructure and digital platform to support its use.

The company said that its electric motorbike has accumulated more than 212 million kilometers and cut down more than 20,000 tons of carbon emmission.

Rigel is an investment management firm and ecosystem builder focusing on regional tech companies, particularly Southeast Asia and India.

As the investment arm of PETRONAS Ventures, TTV invests in tech companies that are working in the field of energy transition and mobility in Asia Pacific, Australia and New Zealand, and the Middle East and North Africa.

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Image Credit: Volta

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