CapitalG, the growth stage equity arm of internet and technology conglomerate Alphabet, provided $30m in series F funding for US-based language learning platform Duolingo on Wednesday at a $1.5bn valuation.
Spun out of Carnegie Mellon University in 2009, Duolingo operates a free-to-use language learning platform that uses gamification techniques to teach more than 30 different languages. Its courses range from major languages such as Spanish, Chinese and Arabic, to Navajo, Scottish Gaelic and Klingon.
The company also offers a platform for use in schools that enables teachers to track the progress of their students, as well as an English language certification test, artificial intelligence-powered bots for practice and a flashcard-based study tool called Tinycards.
Duolingo will put the series F funding toward research and development efforts and recruitment. It has now raised $138m in equity financing in total. Venture capital firm Drive Capital led its last round, a $25m series E in 2017 that valued the company at $700m.
CapitalG (then known as Google Capital) had already led Duolingo’s $45m series D round in 2015 when it was joined by existing investors Union Square Ventures, New Enterprise Associates and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers as well as private investors Ashton Kutcher and Tim Ferris.
Laela Sturdy, general partner at CapitalG, said: “Duolingo has been adding users and revenue at an impressive pace, continuing to solidify their position as the number one way to learn a language globally.
“The team has demonstrated that sticking to their mission of providing free education is not only good for the world, but it is also good for business. We are thrilled to continue to support them in this next stage of growth.”
