• Memrise

  Participated · Equity · Feb 2012

  Memrise offers a freemium language-learning product that combines machine learning with crowdsourced native-speaker clips to customise lessons and improve retention. The app delivers 20 language courses across online and mobile platforms and emphasises memorization techniques and real-world usage. Memrise has passed 35 million users globally and reported it tipped into profitability in Q1 of this year. Its paid tier starts at $4.90/month and adds features like grammar tools, pro chats, listening skills and learning analytics. The company plans to use new funding to expand its AI platform and add more features for users, and to move into larger offices in London. Memrise began in 2010 as a general learning platform before focusing on language learning. Memrise builds language-learning products that pair vivid visual “mems” with a spaced-repetition algorithm to accelerate vocabulary acquisition. The company launched CatAcademy, a series of mobile games, and released Cat Spanish as the first iOS app teaching 1,000 conversational phrases across 50 levels with conversation and audio modes. Cat Spanish charges £0.99/$0.99 and uses humorous cat imagery to boost attention and memory, reflecting Memrise’s analysis of over a billion learning events. Memrise reports learners average around 30 words an hour and says it has helped more than a million people learn over 200 languages in the past three years. The platform’s core product emphasizes typing, matching, listening and conversational tests with review sessions driven by its learning algorithm. Memrise was founded in 2010 and highlights its scientific approach to memory and learning in product design. Memrise is an online learning platform that brings together ideas from the science and practice of learning with game dynamics and a community element. Content is currently focused on foreign languages and SAT vocabulary and is continuously created and curated by the community. The platform uses friendly competition among members to incentivize learning. The company plans to use the newly raised capital to continue developing its platform, content and tools, adding mobile apps and more languages. Memrise was founded by Greg Detre and Ed Cooke and is currently hiring. It closed a $1.05M funding round in February 2012.

No current team members are available.