Duolingo, a linguistics app developer spun out from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), has raised $45m in its series D.
The fundraising round was led by Google Capital, the late stage investment arm of the eponymous tech company. Joining the round were venture firms Union Square, New Enterprise Associates, and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, as well as actor Ashton Kutcher, all of which are existing backers.
To date, the firm has raised $83.3m since founding in 2011, notably a $20m series C in 2014 and a $15m series B in 2012. The company is now valued at $470m.
US-based Duolingo’s app is aimed at people looking to learn a new language. Designed by a group of artificial intelligence researchers at CMU, an average of 34 hours on Duolingo has been shown to be as effective for learning a new language as one semester on a university language course, according to a study performed by researchers from City University of New York and University of South Carolina. In the two years the app has been available for, Duolingo has attracted 80 million users, and remains free to use.
Laela Sturdy, partner at Google Capital, said: “Duolingo’s mobile-first, adaptive, and gamified platform is changing the way people are learning languages across the globe. We were blown away by Duolingo’s growth and engagement numbers, and we’re thrilled to partner with them as they shape the future of education.”
