Wikipedia

User:Cristina Preply/Preply

< User:Cristina Preply
Preply
Type of businessPrivate
Type of site
Educational
Available inEnglish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Indonesian, Dutch, Portuguese, Romanian, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Arabic, Thai, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean[1]
Traded asPreply Inc.
Headquarters
Brookline, Massachusetts, United States
Country of originUkraine[2]
Area servedWorldwide
Founder(s)Kirill Bigai, Dmytro Voloshyn, Serge Lukianov
CEOKirill Bigai
IndustryLanguage learning
ServicesLanguage learning for individuals
Language learning for businesses
Employees675
URLpreply.com
LaunchedNovember 1, 2012; 13 years ago (2012-11-01)
Current statusActive
Native client(s) oniOS[3] and Android[4]

Preply (prehp-lee) is an online language learning marketplace that connects learners with tutors through a machine-learning-powered recommendation algorithm.[5] Beginning as a team of three in 2012, Preply has grown to over 675 employees made up of 50+ nationalities. The company has its main offices in Barcelona, London, New York and Kyiv, with employees based in over 15 countries in Europe, North America and Asia.[6]

Preply operates an online platform and mobile app, which connects learners with tutors for live, one-on-one classes. Using the students goals and preferences as a guide, the algorithm matches students to suitable tutors. In addition to live teaching, Preply uses AI-powered tools to provide personalised learning resources to support language learning for any purpose.[7]

History

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Preply was founded in 2012 by Ukrainian entrepreneurs Kirill Bigai, Serge Lukyanov, and Dmytro Voloshyn. Together they developed the first version of preply.com, which was launched in November 2013.[8][2] It was influenced by Bigai’s experience studying English online with a tutor, which he thought was more flexible and cost-effective.[2] In the summer of 2012, the founders launched Preply as an online marketplace for live, personalized language learning.[2] The company sought to differentiate itself from traditional language learning methods by focusing on real-time interaction and individualized instruction.[9]

On August 31, 2013, Preply received an angel investment of $180,000. Some of the named investors in the funding round were Semyon Dukach, Borya Shakhnovich, Vadim Yasinovsky, Dan Pasko, Torben Majgaard and Vostok Ventures.[10] Preply's first expansion took place in its founding year, when it began expanding into the markets of other countries of Eastern Europe, including Belarus, Kazakhstan, Poland and Russia.[10] In early 2015, Preply entered the Polish market with a localized version of its website.[10] Later that year, the company joined the TechStars Berlin program.[11]

In its first three years, Preply experienced a notable growth in both employee headcount and financial performance. In 2016, the employee count reached 100, marking a seven-fold increase in less than three years. In June 2016, Preply raised $1.3 million in funding from investors including Techstars, SMRK VCDigital and Arthur Kosten and the Preply platform was updated with a new ranking algorithm based on machine learning and used for classifying and recommending tutors.[12][5] At the time, the company did not operate its own videoconferencing technology; instead, lessons were conducted through third-party platforms such as Skype.[5]

Preply Classroom, formerly known as Preply Space, was launched as the all-in-one language ecosystem. Classroom provided integrated video, online chat, screen sharing and other useful features.[11] The company also closed another round of funding during the same year.[13] In 2019, Preply entered the Spanish market and opened an office in Barcelona. From there, it expanded further within European markets, offering services in both Britain and Germany.[14] It also launched its B2B division, known as Preply Business. This followed growing demand in the sector from companies seeking tailored language training solutions that could be used by their employees.[5]

Since 2021, Preply has hosted the Online Teaching Conference, a virtual event featuring workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities. The conference is open to tutors on the platform and focuses on professional development in online teaching.[15]

In 2020, Preply had a surge in demand and tutor sign-ups, particularly in markets affected by COVID-19 related school closures, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.[5]

A year later, the platform had over 40,000 tutors teaching 50 languages and said it had hundreds of thousands of users across 180 countries. Preply had 250 employees operating out of offices in Kyiv and Barcelona.[7]

By March 2021, the company raised a total of $50.6 million through 8 funding rounds.[6][5] In March 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in support of Ukraine, a message of support was projected onto the Warsaw Spire building in Warsaw, Poland.[16] It also provided free language lessons for approximately 1,000 displaced Ukrainians adapting to new countries.[17] Preply reported that it relocated more than 140 employees and their families to safer locations, including western Ukraine and neighboring countries.[18]

Preply raised its largest single amount to date of $50 million via a funding round in July 2022.[19][20][21] In July 2023, the company raised an additional $70 million via an extended Series C funding round, which was led by Horizon Capital.[5] Funds were to be used for an artificial intelligence-based assistant focused on grammar explanations and conversation starters.[19] Preply's total funding raised was $170 million, as of 2023.[19]

Preply opened an office in New York City in October 2023.[22] An office was opened in London in July 2024.[23]

In 2025, the company launched the “Speak Ukraine” campaign, a multimedia initiative aimed at promoting Ukrainian language and culture.[24]

Services

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Preply is a learning language app and online platform that combines human tutoring with artificial intelligence. It operates on a subscription model in which learners purchase lesson packages on a recurring basis.[25]

Tutor profiles typically include biographical information, introductory videos, and reviews from other learners, and users may contact tutors before booking. Lessons are carried out in the Preply Classroom, which provides integrated video conferencing, chat, and interactive tools.[26]

A machine-learning algorithm matches students and tutors based on factors such as budget and schedule.[7] The matching system uses artificial intelligence and weighs over 400 parameters.[7][5] Tutors work as independent contractors and set their own rates and schedules.[2] Users can also filter tutors based on teaching certificates.[27] Preply has a “Professional Tutor” badge to identify tutors who have certifications such as CELTA, DELTA, or the Preply Online Language Teaching Certificate.[28] According to PCMag, tutor quality and pricing vary widely depending on factors such as location, ratings, and certifications.[29]


Preply uses artificial intelligence on its platform. This includes an AI teaching assistant for after-lesson support and AI analytics for measuring student performance.[5]In 2025, Preply launched more AI features including personalized lesson insight and feedback; daily exercises; and speaking scenario.[30]

Preply Business

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The company offers Preply Business, a corporate language training program. The service provides one-on-one tutoring and tracks attendance, proficiency development, and progress toward learning objectives.[5] Preply Business is used by more than 200 companies, such as Datadog, GroupM, and Bain.[2][5]

Awards and recognition

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In May 2020, Preply won "The Revenue Hack of 2020" at the Ukrainian Startup Awards.[31]

In 2024, Preply was included in VivaTech’s list of the "Top 100 Next Unicorns".[32]

In 2025, it was listed among the “Most Transformational Growth Companies in Digital Learning and Workforce Skills” by the GSV 150.[33]

References

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  1. ↑ "Home page". Preply. Preply. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Renbarger, Madeline (August 29, 2023). "How Preply became one of the largest online language learning startups in the world". Business Insider.
  3. ↑ "Preply: Learn languages". Apple App Store.
  4. ↑ "Preply: Learn any language - Apps on Google Play". Google Play.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Lomas, Natasha (March 30, 2020). "Online tutoring marketplace Preply banks $10M to fuel growth in North America, Europe". TechCrunch. Cite error: Unknown parameter "0" in <ref> tag; supported parameters are dir, follow, group, name (see the help page). Cite error: The named reference "TechCrunch" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  6. 1 2 Ghosh, Shona (March 9, 2021). "Language-learning marketplace Preply raises $35 million led by Silicon Valley investors". Business Insider.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Tucker, Charlotte (March 10, 2021). "Barcelona and Kyiv-based Preply raises €29.4 million to grow its online language learning platform". EU-Startups. Cite error: Unknown parameter "startups" in <ref> tag; supported parameters are dir, follow, group, name (see the help page).
  8. ↑ Ghosh, Shona (March 30, 2020). "Language lesson marketplace Preply closed $10 million just before COVID-19 hit and is now seeing a 50% spike in business". Business Insider. Cite error: Unknown parameter "insider" in <ref> tag; supported parameters are dir, follow, group, name (see the help page).
  9. ↑ "Built for the learner: Kirill Bigai built Preply to replace one-size-fits-all language tools". The Key Executives. 6 August 2025. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  10. 1 2 3 "Ukrainian online tutoring platform Preply enters Polish market". Ukraine Digital News. February 2, 2015.
  11. 1 2 Rogers, Stewart (July 24, 2018). "Preply raises $4 million to help young professionals speak in 40 languages". VentureBeat. Cite error: Unknown parameter "beat" in <ref> tag; supported parameters are dir, follow, group, name (see the help page).
  12. ↑ "Preply Raises $1.3M for Global Private Tutoring Marketplace". EdSurge. June 14, 2016. Cite error: Unknown parameter "0" in <ref> tag; supported parameters are dir, follow, group, name (see the help page).
  13. ↑ Krasnikov, Denys (July 25, 2018). "Ukrainian online tutoring platform Preply raises $4 million". Kyiv Post. Cite error: Unknown parameter "post" in <ref> tag; supported parameters are dir, follow, group, name (see the help page).
  14. ↑ ""We plan to open an office in the U.S. in 2020," Kirill Bigai, Preply". AIN. 30 March 2020. Cite error: Unknown parameter "0" in <ref> tag; supported parameters are dir, follow, group, name (see the help page).
  15. ↑ "Preply Online Teaching Conference 2024: Highlights". Bridge TEFL. 19 June 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  16. ↑ Diaz, Jaclyn (March 25, 2022). "Have a message of support for Ukraine projected on Poland's Warsaw Spire building". NPR.
  17. ↑ "Ukrainian edtech company Preply raises $50M investment in round C". InVenture. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  18. ↑ "Ukrainian-founded startup Preply delivers 5,000 messages of hope". Grit Daily. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  19. 1 2 3 Browne, Ryan (July 19, 2023). "Ukrainian-founded Duolingo rival Preply banks $70 million to push into A.I." CNBC. Cite error: Unknown parameter "0" in <ref> tag; supported parameters are dir, follow, group, name (see the help page).
  20. ↑ Lunden, Ingrid (July 13, 2022). "Ukrainian startup Preply beats the geopolitical odds with $50M to grow its language learning platform". TechCrunch. Cite error: Unknown parameter "0" in <ref> tag; supported parameters are dir, follow, group, name (see the help page).
  21. ↑ Maffei, Lucia (April 4, 2022). "Brookline startup that helps find language tutors files for $19.5M fundraise". American City Business Journals. Cite error: Unknown parameter "0" in <ref> tag; supported parameters are dir, follow, group, name (see the help page).
  22. ↑ Maffei, Lucia (October 26, 2023). "Why this language startup went with a NYC HQ instead of Boston". American City Business Journals. Cite error: Unknown parameter "0" in <ref> tag; supported parameters are dir, follow, group, name (see the help page).
  23. ↑ "Preply Expansion: London Office and Growth". The Odessa Journal. 15 July 2024.
  24. ↑ "Ukrainian edtech Preply launches a campaign to support the Ukrainian language and culture". AIN. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  25. ↑ "Preply Reviewed: A Comprehensive Look at the Language Learning Platform". Latin Times. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  26. ↑ "Preply Reviewed: A Comprehensive Look at the Language Learning Platform". Latin Times. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  27. ↑ "Preply Review". PCMag. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  28. ↑ "Preply Reviewed: A Comprehensive Look at the Language Learning Platform". Latin Times. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  29. ↑ "Preply Review". PCMag. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  30. ↑ "Preply announces new AI-powered features". EdTech Innovation Hub. 15 July 2025. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  31. ↑ "TechUkraine news - Winners of the Ukrainian Startup Awards 2020". Techukraine. June 1, 2021. Cite error: Unknown parameter "ukraine" in <ref> tag; supported parameters are dir, follow, group, name (see the help page).
  32. ↑ "Top 100 Next Unicorns". VivaTech. 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  33. ↑ "GSV 150". ASU+GSV Summit. 2025. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
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