Preply Raises $150 Million to Shape the Future of Education through Human-Led, AI-Enhanced Learning
Led by WestCap, the Series D Round Values the Company at $1.2 Billion and Marks the Next Chapter for Personalized, High-Quality Learning at Scale
NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Preply, the #1 global language learning marketplace, today announced the closing of its Series D round, securing $150 million in funding led by WestCap, a strategic operating and investing firm with over $6 billion in assets under management. Goldman Sachs International acted as sole placement agent in the transaction. The latest funding round values the company at $1.2 billion, marking a significant milestone in Preply's mission to make transformative learning experiences accessible to people around the world.
A pioneer in online language learning, Preply's platform connects more than 100,000 tutors with learners in 180 countries, facilitating one-on-one lessons in more than 90 languages. Powered by a unique combination of human-led instruction, paired with its AI-supported tutoring co-pilot suite, Preply is redefining how people learn through high-quality, flexible and tailored learning experiences designed to drive real progress with every lesson.
Preply's Series D fundraise comes at a time when an estimated 1.8 billion people, or roughly one in every four people worldwide, are actively striving to achieve proficiency in a second language, according to global education data platform HolonIQ. It's estimated that the global direct-to-consumer language learning market will reach $227 billion by 2035, and has already delivered 3X growth over the last five years, with long-term forecasts indicating sustained, exponential growth in years to come.
Since its Series C raise, Preply has more than tripled its number of bookable tutors and expanded its offering by adding over 40 new languages to the platform. In the last twelve months the company continued improving EBITDA and became EBITDA positive.
With this capital, and the support of new and existing investors, including The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Horizon Capital, among others, Preply will strengthen its commitment to delivering the world's most personalized learning experiences at scale. The company plans to advance its AI and data capabilities, expand its product and engineering teams to enhance the platform experience, and accelerate its global growth to reach more learners and tutors across the globe as it reshapes the traditional education system. The WestCap team, with its strong track record of building and scaling global marketplaces such as Airbnb and StubHub, will help Preply further deepen its impact worldwide.
"We feel extremely fortunate and deeply responsible for shaping how people will learn in the future," says Preply co-founder and CEO Kirill Bigai. "Today, we connect people with the world's best tutors, amplified by AI, bringing learning efficiency to a level that was previously unreachable. We are happy to partner with the WestCap team, who has deep expertise in helping founders to build legendary world-changing brands. This investment will help us to continue to innovate at the intersection of human tutoring and AI, creating opportunities everywhere for people to connect, belong, succeed, and ultimately to progress in their lives no matter where they are in the world."
As other learning platforms increasingly turn to automation, Preply remains committed to the power of human connection, using AI to enable and enhance tutor-driven learning and support its tutoring co-pilot suite. In fact, Preply's 2025 Efficiency Study, conducted in partnership with the nonprofit research organization LeanLab Education, revealed that 96% of learners consider learning with a human tutor and engaging in real conversations as essential to their progress, while 97% said these interactions were key to boosting their confidence.
The study also found that learners progressed up to 3x faster with Preply when compared to average benchmarks, with one in three learners moving up a full CEFR level in just 12 weeks. This indicates that human guidance remains a powerful driver of meaningful learning, and can be supercharged when paired with AI, like Preply's tutoring co-pilot, which tracks progress, delivers actionable insights, and automates administrative tasks, enabling tutors to focus on teaching and learners to more quickly reach their goals.
"Preply is setting a new standard for personalized education at scale, and the opportunities are virtually limitless," says Allen Mask, Partner at WestCap and former senior executive at Airbnb, who is joining the Preply board. "Data shows that learners thrive when real human instruction is supported by technology, and in today's increasingly connected world, there is a real demand for democratizing access to high-quality learning in a modern and effective way. Preply has the market-leading product, the experienced leadership team, and the vision to shape how people communicate globally."
This latest round brings Preply's total funding to approximately $299 million to-date, underscoring long-term investor confidence in the company's mission and growth trajectory. With continued momentum across its global marketplace, Preply is well positioned to expand its impact, build on its proven learning outcomes, and further establish itself as the category leader in human-led, AI-enabled learning.
For more information, visit Preply.com.
ABOUT PREPLY
Preply is the human-led, AI-enabled language learning platform building the future of learning. With a global network of more than 100,000 tutors teaching over 90 languages, we are the category leader and the largest online marketplace that brings human tutors together with learners from 180 countries, supporting them with always-on, AI-powered tools to deliver real progress with every lesson.
Our mission is to create life-changing learning experiences by powering real progress through personalized learning, motivation, and high-quality tutoring at scale. We believe that we are uniquely positioned to become the company that understands human learning better than anyone else on the planet.
ABOUT WESTCAP
WestCap is a strategic operating and investing firm that partners with visionary leaders to build generational businesses. Our team is comprised of seasoned industry leaders and entrepreneurs who guide companies through the most pivotal stages of growth. Some of our notable investments include Airbnb, StubHub, Klarna, Ipreo, Addepar, Hopper, iCapital and GoodLeap. The firm has offices in New York, San Francisco and London. For more information, please visit www.westcap.com.
CONTACT
Lauren Doyle
Global PR & Communications, Preply
[email protected]
SOURCE Preply
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