Preply, the world’s largest online language learning marketplace, has closed a $150 million Series D funding round led by WestCap, a strategic operating and investing firm managing over $6 billion in assets. Goldman Sachs International served as sole placement agent for the transaction. The round values the company at $1.2 billion, representing a major step forward in Preply’s mission to democratize access to transformative learning experiences worldwide.

The investment comes as Preply continues to grow its global platform, which now connects more than 100,000 tutors with learners across 180 countries. The marketplace offers one-on-one instruction in over 90 languages, combining expert human tutors with AI-powered tools that track progress, deliver insights, and handle administrative tasks. This approach allows tutors to focus on what they do best: teaching.

Meeting Surging Global Demand for Language Education

The timing reflects massive market opportunity. According to global education data platform HolonIQ, approximately 1.8 billion people (one in four worldwide) are actively working to become proficient in a second language. The direct-to-consumer language learning market has already grown threefold over the past five years and is projected to reach $227 billion by 2035, with sustained exponential growth expected beyond that.

Since its Series C round, Preply has more than tripled its number of available tutors and added over 40 new languages to the platform. In the past twelve months, the company reached EBITDA profitability while continuing to improve its margins.

“We feel extremely fortunate and deeply responsible for shaping how people will learn in the future. 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.”

Preply co-founder and CEO Kirill Bigai

Expanding AI Capabilities While Keeping Humans at the Core

The new funding will support several strategic priorities. Preply plans to advance its AI and data infrastructure, expand its product and engineering teams to improve the platform experience, and accelerate global growth to reach more learners and tutors. WestCap brings relevant expertise, having helped scale global marketplaces including Airbnb and StubHub.

While many competitors lean heavily into automation, Preply maintains its focus on human connection. The company uses AI to support, not replace, tutor-led instruction through its tutoring co-pilot suite. Recent research validates this approach. Preply’s 2025 Efficiency Study, conducted with nonprofit research organization LeanLab Education, found that 96% of learners consider working with a human tutor and engaging in real conversations essential to their progress. Another 97% said these interactions were critical for building confidence.

The study also revealed impressive learning outcomes. Learners progressed up to three times faster with Preply compared to average benchmarks, with one in three learners advancing a full CEFR level in just 12 weeks. The data suggests that human instruction, when paired with AI tools that handle progress tracking and administrative work, creates powerful results.

Building on Proven Market Leadership

Founded to reimagine how people learn languages, Preply has established itself as the category leader in human-led, AI-enabled education. The platform’s combination of flexibility, personalization, and quality has resonated with learners seeking effective alternatives to traditional classroom settings and purely automated apps.

“Preply is setting a new standard for personalized education at scale, and the opportunities are virtually limitless. 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.”

Allen Mask, Partner at WestCap

Strong Investor Backing Fuels Long-Term Vision

This Series D round brings Preply’s total funding to approximately $299 million. The round includes participation from new and existing investors, including The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Horizon Capital, among others. The sustained investor support reflects confidence in Preply’s business model, leadership, and growth trajectory.

With continued momentum across its global marketplace, Preply is positioned to expand its impact and further establish its category leadership in personalized, tutor-driven learning enhanced by AI technology.

Origianl Creator: Ekaterina Pisareva
Original Link: https://justainews.com/industries/education-and-edtech/preply-raises-150m-series-d-to-scale-ai-powered-learning/
Originally Posted: Wed, 21 Jan 2026 13:11:42 +0000