Preply

Preply is an online language-learning platform that pairs live human tutoring with AI-powered study tools. Founded in 2012 by Ukrainian entrepreneurs Kirill Bigai, Serge Lukyanov and Dmytro Voloshyn, the company operates a marketplace that matches learners with tutors for one-on-one lessons delivered over the web and a mobile app. A recommendation algorithm drives the matching process. The platform lists more than 100,000 tutors teaching over 90 languages to learners across 180 countries, and the firm says its AI-assisted study tools help learners make up to three times faster progress over 12 weeks.

Alongside its consumer marketplace, Preply runs Preply Business, a corporate language-training programme for organisations worldwide. Engineering work spans artificial intelligence, machine-learning and recommendation systems, mobile and web application development, and edtech more broadly.

The company employs more than 678 people of over 50 nationalities. Its headquarters are in Brookline, Massachusetts, with additional offices in Barcelona, London, New York and Kyiv. Preply has raised $150m, most recently in a Series D round that took it to unicorn status.