Language learning marketplace Preply just crossed the $1 billion valuation threshold, raising $150 million in a Series D round that marks a major milestone for the 14-year-old company. Coming just as Preply hit EBITDA profitability, the funding signals strong investor confidence in a platform that's betting on a hybrid future where AI amplifies rather than replaces its 100,000 human tutors.
Preply just became a unicorn. The language learning marketplace closed a $150 million Series D round that values the company at $1.2 billion, marking a watershed moment for a startup that's managed something rare in edtech - actually reaching profitability while scaling. "The future of learning is going to be human-guided and amplified by AI," CEO Kirill Bigai told TechCrunch, laying out how the company plans to walk that tightrope.
It's a delicate balance. Duolingo learned that the hard way last year when its pivot to become an AI-first company triggered significant backlash from contractors, reminding the industry that automation can have real consequences. For Preply, tutors aren't just a feature - they're the core differentiator that's kept the company growing since 2013. So the company is drawing a firm line: AI won't replace instructors, but it can make them better.
According to Bigai, Preply is already weaving AI into features like automated lesson summaries and homework generation. More crucially, the startup uses machine learning to match learners with tutors that best fit their learning style and goals. These aren't flashy moves, but they're the kind of behind-the-scenes infrastructure that keeps retention rates high and lets instructors scale their impact. The new funding accelerates this work - Preply is now actively hiring AI talent across its four offices in Barcelona, London, New York, and notably, Kyiv.
That last detail matters more than it might initially seem. Preply is headquartered in the U.S., where Bigai and his cofounders first launched the business. But they're Ukrainian, and they've made a deliberate choice to keep substantial operations in Kyiv throughout Russia's invasion. Out of Preply's 750 total employees, approximately 150 work from the Ukrainian office. They do this while regularly sheltering from Russian strikes and dealing with recurring power outages in a freezing winter that's been particularly brutal this year. "Our office has different generators so we have electricity, Internet, and the office is warm and it's open 24/7 so any Ukrainian team member can come to the office at any time," Bigai said.
It's a commitment that reflects something deeper about how the war has shaped Preply's culture. Bigai spoke with genuine admiration for his team's resilience. "Ukrainians are going through very challenging times, and it builds a significant resilience and creativity," he said. "I think the fact that the company went through this experience - and how so many people helped other people - made us stronger, more resilient, more creative." These aren't the kind of sound bites most founders make, but Bigai seemed to mean it. Having operations in an active war zone changes how you think about uncertainty and adaptation.
With this funding round, Preply joins a small but growing cohort of Ukrainian unicorns. Grammarly got there first with a $1 billion raise from General Capital in 2025. Fintech-IT Group also recently crossed the threshold. It's notable given the context - that these companies can reach that scale while their founders are managing international operations amid active conflict speaks to the underlying strength of Eastern European tech talent.
The Series D was led by WestCap, the growth equity firm founded by Laurence Tosi, the former CFO of Airbnb. That pedigree matters. Bigai didn't explicitly rule out a public offering. "WestCap has phenomenal experience in taking companies public, which is one of the things that we will continue to think about," he told TechCrunch. He was careful to note there's no timeline or concrete IPO plans yet, but bringing in a partner with a track record of guiding startups through public markets isn't an accident.
Preply's journey is interesting because it demonstrates how sustainable unit economics and profitability can actually strengthen a company's negotiating position with investors. The company didn't need this capital desperately - it was already profitable. That changes the dynamic. This round is about acceleration and ambition, not survival. For a Ukrainian company operating in wartime, that's its own kind of victory.
Preply's unicorn status represents more than just another edtech funding milestone - it's validation that sustainable business models and responsible AI integration can coexist, and that founders can build ambitious global companies while maintaining deep commitments to their home countries. As the language learning market becomes increasingly crowded with AI-powered alternatives, Preply's bet on human tutors amplified by technology, rather than replaced by it, offers a blueprint for how edtech can scale without losing what made it work in the first place.
