Andy Liu
Thank you, Lara. Hello, everyone. Thank you all for joining us on our first quarter 2023 earnings call. Before we begin, I would like to mention that the financial information and non-GAAP numbers in the release are presented on a continuing operation basis, and all numbers are based on RMB unless otherwise stated.
Before we go into the details, let me provide you with the quarter's business updates and financial performance across our business lines. The COVID outbreak in China in the fourth quarter of 2022 caused delays in the bidding delivery processes of our major products, which adversely affected our financial performance in the last 2 quarters. However, our in-school SaaS business continues to advance beyond the financial results might indicate.
During the quarter, we continued to explore various business models for growth, constantly developing and refining our offerings to meet the demand of regional regular use and promoting the signing and delivery of each project. At the same time, we actively expanded our distribution network and enhance our operational efficiency. We responded to challenges in the new environment through diversified distribution channels and flexible financial arrangements. As a result, our business maintained its momentum and earned recognition from our customers beyond that the financial statements might indicate -- beyond what the financial statements might indicate.
In the past quarter, the impact of various pandemic containment measures were lifted across China. We saw business activities and projects relevant to our business returning to normal. The demand for our teaching and learning SaaS offerings is guided by the Chinese government's long-term policies and founded by dedicated government budgets. We believe this creates a real opportunity for us to grow in this uncertain environment.
We have made steady progress in our in-school teaching and learning SaaS business during the first quarter of 2023. Despite the fact that the bidding and delivery of some of our major products were delayed and our financial results were correspondingly affected.
Part one, in-school teaching and learning SaaS business.
Several of our key project original scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2022 were delayed due to the COVID outbreak. However, through the joint efforts of our dedicated team, significant progress was made on these key projects in the first quarter of 2023.
Notably, we won the RMB 116 million smart-pen and intelligent homework-based education digital transformation project in Shanghai Minhang District. We have complemented the signing of the contract, and delivery has already started as of today. This represents a milestone in our company's development and showcases our ability to provide industry-leading total solutions for one of the most demanding regions in China. We have received significant inbound inquiries about this product and our offerings from various education bureaus and regional distributors.
Xicheng District cloud classroom bid won and signed. On April 3, we won the bid for the cloud classroom evaluation system project in Beijing Xicheng District with a contract value of RMB 20.22 million. This remarkable achievement closely follows our successful bid for the smart-pen and intelligent homework project in Shanghai Minhang District in March of this year. It further reinforces the widespread recognition of the high-quality and diverse application of our teaching and learning SaaS offerings for China's educational digital transformation. The cloud classroom evaluation system project is to be implemented across 41 schools in Xicheng District, leveraging our 1 teaching 1 learning intelligence education platform and smart-pen technology. It enables the collection and analysis of interaction data between teachers and students during and after classes. This allows for comprehensive improvement of the overall quality of classroom instruction, ongoing enhancement of the regional curriculum evaluation system and the refinement of educational content and approaches.
Product and service portfolio iteration. From a product and service offerings perspective, the company is committed to continually refining and enhancing our product and service portfolio to cater to needs for a solution that can achieve regular use in major teaching and learning scenarios. As a result, we have witnessed a constant improvement in the overall product experience.
Moreover, our module-based SaaS products have undergone a series of continuous optimization and iterations, propelling them to the forefront of the front market. These offerings have gathered widespread recognition and high praise from our customers as their top solution. Throughout the reporting periods, we made efforts to optimize and iterate our product and service portfolio.
With a particular emphasis on developing SaaS-based system and construction and curtailing the user experience, we implemented updates to the core functionalities of our SaaS operations, resulting in noticeable improvements in our product experience indicators. Consequently, we observed a significant increase in user activity and retention rates, reflecting the growing satisfaction and engagement of our customer base.
We are also implementing measures to ensure a more constant delivery and service experience as well as managing associated expenses.
Ongoing hardware optimization. Meanwhile, we are continuously enhancing the core functionalities of our proprietary smart-pen to achieve a better user experience and additional application cases, providing an unparalleled user experience in our comprehensive internal business tests.
The regular writing performance of our in-house developed those [ matrix spend ] has complemented the testing period and expected to enter mass production in the fourth quarter of 2023 to further enhance the hardware performance of our total solutions.
Additionally, the company is actively exploring various use cases with AI plus education in our businesses, with the great potential from integrating the latest AI technology with what we have committed in the space, creating novel applications and improving operational efficiency.
During the quarter, the Ministry of Education held World Digital Education Conference in Beijing. Representatives from over 130 countries and regions worldwide registered to attend the meeting. With 100 of regional Chinese education bureaus invited to listen and exchange with industry peers and at educational authorities, 17EdTech was honored to be invited as one of the only 2 smart educational technology service providers to present at this prestigious event.
We showcased our industry-leading teaching and learning SaaS offerings with application cases in multiple leading cities in the education space such as Beijing and Shanghai. Visitors were captivated by the professionalism and efficiency of our products and technical services.
Our intelligent teaching and learning solutions left a lasting impression on attendees and received broad recognition from local educational authorities.
Part two, other educational service business. In terms of other educational services business, we offer personalized self-learning products, membership services and a range of digital products and services designed especially for students.
Our in-house developed personalized self-directed learn products address the unique challenges associated with personalized learning in school. This empower students to tailor their learning strategies based on their unique interest, abilities, learning styles and goals. By providing a curated selection of learning content and styles that align with their progress, students can choose the most fitting resources to support their educational journey. Our portfolio includes digital tools such as direction books, personalized experience book, which have proven instrumental in enabling students to excel in personalized learning. The demand for these products is highly dependent on the regular environment and the provision of completing services.
Moving forward, we remain committed to exploring educational products and services that comply with regulatory requirements. We still consistently optimize and iterate our offerings in response to evolving market trends and the changing needs of our valued customers in our other educational service business.
Now I will turn the call over to Michael, our CFO, to walk you through our latest financial performance. Thank you.