In this episode of Asia Tech Lens: Founder Stories, we sit down with Neo Zhizhong, Co-Founder and CEO of Geniebook — a Singapore-based edtech company using human + AI to personalize how children learn at scale.

Geniebook didn’t start as a tech platform. It began as a small tuition centre, teaching students face-to-face. But Neo and his team noticed a pattern: every student learned differently, and every parent needed reassurance that progress was real. Personalisation mattered — but teachers were stretched.

Instead of opening more centres, Neo took a leap early: build AI that could adapt to each student, question by question.

Today, Geniebook serves 200,000 students across Singapore and Southeast Asia. And Neo believes the future of education isn’t AI replacing teachers — it’s AI giving teachers superpowers.

Hosted by Miro Lu, this conversation explores what it takes to build trust in education — where 93% accuracy isn’t good enough, results shape identity, and parents demand evidence, not promises.

💡What You’ll Hear About

* Choosing AI over blockchain — and how early conviction defined Geniebook’s roadmap.

* Human + AI teaching — why AI handles pace, but teachers handle meaning.

* The trust threshold — why parents require 98–99% accuracy, not “close enough.”

* The midnight question — when to give a student the answer, and when to guide instead.

* Tiger moms and learning cultures — why Singapore and Vietnam shaped Geniebook’s approach.

* The 2023–2024 reset — restructuring for sustainability, not hype.

* Scaling across Southeast Asia — adapting curriculum and expectations country-by-country.

* Leadership and discipline — turning down investor money to stay mission-aligned.

⏱️ In This Episode

00:00 – 93% isn’t enough00:20 – High-stakes exams and Geniebook’s origin01:24 – Why AI, not blockchain02:45 – What is AI education?04:10 – Human + AI teachers: GenieASK and personalized hints06:40 – Accuracy, feedback loops & trusting AI07:47 – Convincing parents08:01 – When to give the answer vs when to teach10:29 – Measuring learning outcomes11:47 – Building long-term trust14:46 – Turning physical into digital15:17 – From centres to platform17:10 – Will AI replace teachers?18:17 – The humans behind the AI19:12 – Expanding into the global market21:12 – Tiger moms & learning cultures27:36 – Inequality and access to AI tools31:10 – “Study companion,” not tutor33:04 – Leadership style & values39:32 – Biggest regret41:29 – Advice to younger self43:48 – What’s next for Geniebook

📚 References

Geniebook – Personalized AI learning platformhttps://www.geniebook.com

Neo Zhizhong (Neo) on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/zzneo/

PSLE (Singapore National Exam)https://www.moe.gov.sg/microsites/psle-fsbb/psle/main.html

Singapore Educationhttps://www.moe.gov.sg/education-in-sg/educationsystem

Cambridge International Curriculumhttps://www.cambridgeinternational.org/

IB Programme (International Baccalaureate)https://www.ibo.org/

GPT / ChatGPThttps://openai.com/chatgpt

Vietnam Ministry of Education & Traininghttps://en.moet.gov.vn/

Asia Tech Lens Newsletterhttps://www.asiatechlens.com

Perspective Mediahttps://perspectivemedia.asia

🎙️ About Asia Tech Lens

Produced by Perspective Media (Singapore), Asia Tech Lens explores the technology, trends, and people shaping Asia’s innovation landscape — and its global impact.

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