Preply has raised $150 million in a Series D funding round led by WestCap, valuing the global language learning marketplace at $1.2 billion and marking its transition into unicorn territory.
The round, for which Goldman Sachs International acted as sole placement agent, will be used to accelerate product development, expand Preply’s AI and data capabilities and fuel international growth as the company seeks to reshape education through personalised, tutor-led learning supported by artificial intelligence.
Founded as an online language tutoring marketplace, Preply now connects more than 100,000 tutors with learners in 180 countries, offering one-to-one lessons across more than 90 languages. Its model blends human instruction with an AI-powered tutoring co-pilot designed to track progress, surface insights and automate administrative tasks, allowing tutors to focus on teaching and learners to progress faster.
The funding comes amid strong growth in global demand for language learning. According to data from HolonIQ, around 1.8 billion people worldwide are currently working towards proficiency in a second language. The global direct-to-consumer language learning market is forecast to reach $227 billion by 2035, following threefold growth over the past five years.
Since its Series C round, Preply has more than tripled the number of bookable tutors on its platform and expanded its offering by adding more than 40 new languages. Over the past year, the company has continued to improve profitability and has become EBITDA positive.
Alongside WestCap, the round was supported by existing investors including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Horizon Capital. WestCap’s team, which has previously backed and scaled global marketplaces such as Airbnb and StubHub, will work closely with Preply as it enters its next phase of growth.
Kirill Bigai, co-founder and chief executive of Preply, said the investment underlined the company’s belief that the future of education lies at the intersection of human connection and AI.
“We feel extremely fortunate and deeply responsible for shaping how people will learn in the future,” Bigai said. “We connect learners with the world’s best tutors, amplified by AI, bringing learning efficiency to a level that was previously unreachable. This partnership will help us continue to innovate and create opportunities for people everywhere to progress in their lives.”
Preply said it would use the fresh capital to expand its product and engineering teams, deepen its AI-driven personalisation and accelerate global expansion to reach more learners and tutors. The company is positioning itself against fully automated learning platforms by doubling down on human-led instruction, using AI as an enabler rather than a replacement.
Research published in Preply’s 2025 Efficiency Study, conducted with LeanLab Education, found that 96 per cent of learners believe real conversations with human tutors are essential to their progress, while 97 per cent said such interactions were key to building confidence. The study also found learners progressed up to three times faster on Preply compared with average benchmarks, with one in three advancing a full CEFR level within 12 weeks.
Allen Mask, a partner at WestCap and former senior executive at Airbnb, who will join Preply’s board, said the platform was setting a new benchmark for personalised education at scale.
“Learners thrive when real human instruction is supported by technology,” he said. “Preply has the market-leading product, experienced leadership and vision to shape how people communicate globally.”
The Series D brings Preply’s total funding to around $299 million to date, reinforcing investor confidence in its growth trajectory. With a growing global footprint and a focus on measurable learning outcomes, the company says it is well positioned to cement its role as a category leader in human-led, AI-enabled education.
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Preply raises $150m at $1.2bn valuation to scale human-led, AI-enhanced learning
