Language learning app Pratika has secured $35.5M in Series A funding led by Blossom Capital.

Praktika uses AI and avatars to create a “private tutor” experience. With 1.2 million active monthly users across 100 countries and having grown rapidly to almost $20m in annualized revenues in the last 12 months, Praktika is delighting audiences with a 4.8-star rating on app stores.

Learners can interact with “tutors” in a range of accents, including American, British, Asian, and Indian.

Founding team Adam Turaev, Anton Marin and Ilya Chernyakov previously co-founded Cleverbots, a conversational AI platform used by industry giants including Coca-Cola, Kimberly-Clark, and AstraZeneca. 

The funding will be used to improve the app experience, improve avatar accuracy, add new languages including Spanish, French and German, and establish new development hubs in Eastern Europe and the UAE, to enable Praktika to challenge existing world leaders.

Adam Turaev, CEO and co-founder of Praktika, said: “No-one should be held back by their struggles to master a language or culture. Praktika replicates a human tutor’s responsive interaction and psychological support using authentic voices and avatars. It’s a fun, affordable way to learn languages with bespoke tuition and customers love it. This funding fuels our mission to become the world’s leading language-learning app.”

Patrice Evra, angel investor and legendary footballer, said: “As a footballer who’s played all over the world, I know the importance of learning languages. Praktika has massive potential, particularly since it is culturally nuanced, and I’m excited to see them empower even more people to learn languages globally.”