Buddy.ai is using AI and gaming to help children learn English as a second language

Buddy.ai leverages AI to teach children English using gaming elements.

: Buddy.ai, founded by Ivan Crewkov, uses an AI character to help children learn English through interactive methods. Despite challenges such as compliance with COPA and understanding varied accents, Buddy.ai has reached 55 million downloads and 22 million students yearly. The company recently raised $11 million in a seed round led by BITKRAFT Ventures. Crewkov plans to enhance product development and expand language offerings.

Buddy.ai was founded by Ivan Crewkov after his initial startup, Cubic.AI, fell through when Amazon launched its Echo smart speaker. Inspired by his daughter's struggles learning English, Buddy.ai was born as a conversational character tutor for children. The project faced challenges with market entry, regulation compliance, and training AI to understand children's varied voices.

Despite these challenges, Buddy.ai succeeded with 55 million downloads and serving over 22 million students annually. Crewkov and his team navigated through 186 potential investors before securing an $11 million seed round led by BITKRAFT Ventures. BITKRAFT Ventures was sought for its expertise in gaming, aligning with Buddy.ai's playful learning approach appealing to children.

The capital from the seed round will go toward product enhancement, hiring design leads, and adding more languages. Crewkov's vision includes Buddy.ai becoming a hybrid educational tool complementing teachers with ample practice opportunities. Other companies like Univerbal and Loora are in the same field, but Buddy.ai focuses specifically on helping children learn English.

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