Preply, a language learning platform that combines human teachers with artificial intelligence (AI) assistants, closed a Series D funding round, securing $150 million in funds led by WestCap, a strategic operating and investment company with more than $6 billion in assets under management.
Goldman Sachs International acted as the sole placement agent in the transaction. This funding round values the company at $1.2 billion, which, according to company spokespeople, is the main achievement of this edtech founded in Kiev, Ukraine.
Preply’s platform connects more than 100,000 tutors with students in 180 countries to provide one-on-one lessons in more than 90 languages. It is powered by a unique combination of human-led instruction and its suite of AI-powered tutoring co-pilots. “Preply is redefining the way people learn through high-quality, flexible, and personalized learning experiences designed to drive real progress with every lesson,” the company highlights.
The platform has offices in Barcelona, London, New York, and its native Kiev. It should be noted that it operates remotely in virtually all Latin American countries, with Mexico being “a strategically important market and part of the user community since the early years of the company’s international expansion, largely due to its 100% digital nature,” spokespeople said in a written interview.
With the recent round of capital, the spokespeople said, they seek to “consolidate their growth in key markets, including Mexico, by strengthening their community of tutors, incorporating new technological tools, and continuously improving the learning experience. The company is constantly evaluating growth opportunities in Latin America, in line with its global strategy.”
Market for Preply
Since its launch in November 2012, Preply has impacted more than 800,000 students worldwide. In Latin America, it competes strongly with another former unicorn (because it has been a public company since 2021): Duolingo, an app that has grown more than 30% year-on-year and has 120 million active users per month. Duolingo was also founded in 2012 by Guatemalan Luis von Ahn and Swiss Severin Hacker.
There is also strong competition from Open English, one of the most recognized platforms in Latin America for learning English with 24/7 live classes and native teachers. Founded in Venezuela by Andrés Moreno in 2007, it now has around 3 million users.
Preply reported that since its Series C funding round, it has tripled its number of available teachers and expanded its offering by adding more than 40 new languages to the platform. It also shared that in the last twelve months, the company improved its EBITDA profitability financial indicator to become EBITDA positive.
The edtech company highlights that its competitive advantage in the market is—unlike other learning platforms that increasingly rely on automation—the human connection of its teachers, supported by AI co-pilots.
Preply conducted a 2025 Efficiency Study, in partnership with the non-profit research organization LeanLab Education, which revealed that 96% of students consider learning with a human tutor and engaging in real conversations to be essential to their progress, while 97% said these interactions were key to increasing their confidence.
This is in a context where, according to the global education data platform HolonIQ, the global direct-to-consumer language learning market is estimated to reach US$227 billion by 2035, having already tripled its growth in the last five years, with long-term forecasts indicating sustained and exponential growth in the coming years.
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