San Francisco-based Novakid has swooped to acquire London EdTech Lingumi.
Novakid is an online school transforming how children aged 4-17 learn English while Lingumi, founded in 2016 and backed by top European investors – including Entrepreneur First and LocalGlobe – creates AI-assisted, interactive lessons for learners aged 2-6 years.
The partnership will bring hundreds of thousands of users to Novakid, which offers an affordable alternative to costly tutoring.
Since it was founded in 2017, Novakid has offered online English classes for children using an innovative curriculum with 25-minute learning blocks and trained educators. Their rapid growth led to a Series B raise of $35 million from prestigious firms that include Owl Ventures and Goodwater Capital, with the company achieving its profit targets in 2023.
Today Novakid has more than 70,000 active users in more than 50 countries.
Lingumi, meanwhile, has quietly become one of the most popular English learning apps across Asia, with over two million users for its English speaking and phonics courses, and an industry-leading 70% of its paying customers still taking lessons after 12 months.
“Acquiring Lingumi opens new doors for learners on the Novakid platform,” said Max Azarov, CEO and co-founder of Novakid. “Students can explore a learning ecosystem that combines AI-driven tools, self-paced learning apps, and live, online practice with native English teachers.
“This environment is enhanced with age-appropriate gaming features, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience.”
The deal value was not made public but is understood to have involved separating out Lingumi’s significant China business, which will be spun out and remain independent, and its remaining customer base, UK team and technology, all of which have been acquired by Novakid.
Toby Mather, CEO and co-founder of Lingumi, along with a team of eight will join Novakid as part of the deal to lead a new division, Novakid Junior. Services for existing Lingumi customers will continue, and Novakid customers can expect to receive a new self-led learning product, built using Lingumi’s technology platform, in early 2025.
Lingumi’s technology will bring multiple features to Novakid, including a self-serve learning game platform, AI-powered ‘smart conversations’ in English, and hundreds of interactive lessons. The team will also develop a new freemium app for younger learners.
“We’ve always focused on helping young learners achieve a meaningful English level through our courses,” said Mather. “We’ve never had a live teaching platform for them to ‘graduate’ to. With this partnership, we are now offering a complete curriculum and a variety of products for children of all ages, abilities, and with varying price points for parents.”