How Zenius is getting back on its feet

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Hello reader,

I recently bought Diablo 4, the role-playing game in which players pick a class – think of things like Sorcerers, Druids, Rogues, and the like – and go to town on demons from hell.

I picked the Sorcerer class because who doesn’t love casting spells and seeing enemies explode in a fiery (or icy) death? It’s been rather fun for the most part, but as the game progresses, the way the class is designed has made it a little difficult to play end-game content – the abilities you use simply aren’t strong enough.

Earlier this week, there was a patch to the game from Diablo 4’s developer Blizzard. Many players had suspected that the Sorcerer class would get buffed – referring to positive changes to make it more powerful – and make a comeback into the spotlight as a great class to play.

Wrong!

Instead, Blizzard decided to nerf the class, tuning down its abilities and making it even weaker. This has left many players furious and the Sorcerer class dead in the water. There’s no hope of reviving it now until a future patch comes along.

Often, there are cases where things seem like they’re too far gone with little chance of recovery. Indonesian edtech firm Zenius, however, seems to have avoided going down that route. Today’s story explores what led to its initial precarious situation, and what’s in store for it next.

Today we look at:

• Zenius’ post-layoff revival strategy
• A robotics company’s latest funding round
• Other newsy highlights such as VinFast beginning construction of its US factory and Vynn Capital’s two new limited partners.

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Zenius’ comeback plan

Image credit: Timmy Loen

Learning never stops and neither does Zenius, it seems. While the company has had to do a little shuffling – with its third round of layoffs and a change in leadership enacted earlier this year – it appears to be on the right track now. Following those developments, it’s got its sights set on several goals. Let’s see what they are.

• Twists and turns: Zenius originally expanded its team during the Covid-19 pandemic to help focus on its digital education products. As the pandemic wound down, the momentum shifted back to offline learning, and the company decided to downsize to maintain efficiency.
• Taking off: The offline model is a crucial play for the edtech firm. In 2022, it acquired Primagama, an offline tutoring institution. According to Zenius’ CEO, surviving Primagama outlets have consistent market demand and are financially healthy.
• Upskill and upgrade: Zenius also offers ZenPro, an upskilling program for professionals. It’s shoring up ZenPro’s capabilities by developing a learning management system to make its programs more effective.

Expanding the field

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