Preply’s $1.2B Valuation Highlights Ukrainian Tech Resilience
In a powerful signal of both market confidence and national perseverance, language learning platform Preply has officially joined the unicorn club—reaching a $1.2 billion valuation after closing a $150 million Series D funding round. Founded in 2012 in Kyiv and now headquartered in the U.S., Preply has not only achieved EBITDA profitability for the past year but also maintained its Kyiv operations throughout Russia’s ongoing invasion. The milestone underscores how Ukrainian tech startups are not just surviving—but thriving—on the global stage, even amid wartime adversity.
For users searching “Is Preply profitable?” or “How is Preply using AI?”, the answers are clear: yes, and thoughtfully. Unlike competitors that lean heavily into automation, Preply insists AI will augment—not replace—its network of 100,000 human tutors. That balance between innovation and humanity may be exactly why learners keep coming back.
From Kyiv Garage to Global Unicorn
Preply’s origin story reads like a modern tech fairy tale—except it’s real, and it’s unfolding against the backdrop of one of Europe’s most devastating conflicts. What began as a side project by co-founders Kirill Bigai, Serge Lukyanov, and Dmytro Voloshyn has evolved into a platform serving millions of learners across 190+ countries. Early backing from Horizon Capital and Techstars Berlin helped fuel international expansion, but it was the company’s steadfast commitment to its Ukrainian roots that set it apart.
Even as missiles struck cities just hours from its Kyiv office, Preply kept hiring, supporting employees, and refining its product. “We never considered leaving,” CEO Kirill Bigai told TechCrunch. “Kyiv is not just our birthplace—it’s part of our DNA.”
That loyalty has paid off. Investors—including returning firms like Hoxton Ventures and Owl Ventures—see more than a language app; they see a resilient, globally scalable business with deep cultural intelligence and operational grit.
AI That Serves Humans, Not Replaces Them
In an era where “AI-first” often means “human-last,” Preply is taking a different path. While Duolingo faced criticism for pivoting aggressively toward automation, Preply is doubling down on its core differentiator: real, certified tutors offering personalized instruction. AI, according to Bigai, exists to “amplify human potential”—not erase it.
Already, the platform uses machine learning to generate post-lesson summaries, suggest homework exercises, and—most critically—match learners with tutors based on goals, learning style, schedule, and even personality. This isn’t just convenience; it’s pedagogical precision. A busy executive preparing for a German business trip gets paired with a tutor who specializes in corporate fluency, while a teenager learning Japanese for anime gets someone versed in pop culture and casual speech.
“We’re building the future of education: human-guided and amplified by AI,” Bigai said. And with new AI roles opening in Barcelona, London, New York—and Kyiv—the company is investing heavily in making that vision a reality.
Profitability Without Compromise
Reaching unicorn status is impressive. Doing so while turning a consistent profit is rare—especially in edtech, where many startups burn cash chasing growth. Preply’s EBITDA profitability over the last 12 months signals a mature, sustainable business model built on recurring subscriptions, high tutor retention, and low customer churn.
Part of that success stems from empowering tutors as true partners. Unlike gig platforms that treat workers as disposable, Preply offers training, performance analytics, and tools to help instructors build their own micro-businesses. Many tutors earn full-time incomes through the platform, with top performers pulling in six figures annually.
This ecosystem approach creates a virtuous cycle: better tutors attract more learners, which generates more revenue, which funds better AI and support tools—further elevating teaching quality. It’s a model that scales without sacrificing soul.
Ukrainian Tech’s Defiant Moment
Preply’s rise isn’t happening in a vacuum. It’s part of a broader renaissance in Ukrainian tech, long underestimated but now impossible to ignore. Despite war, blackouts, and displacement, Ukraine’s IT sector exported over $7 billion in services in 2025, and companies like GitLab, People.ai, and Grammarly—all with Ukrainian co-founders—continue to shape Silicon Valley.
What makes Preply unique is its refusal to hide its origins. While some startups rebrand or relocate entirely, Preply proudly lists Kyiv as one of its four global offices. The company sponsors local hackathons, funds digital literacy programs, and even converted part of its office into a shelter during air raids.
“Every line of code we write is an act of resistance,” one Kyiv-based engineer told us anonymously. “We’re proving that creativity can’t be bombed out of existence.”
What’s Next for the Language Learning Giant?
With fresh capital in hand, Preply plans to expand into adjacent verticals—think professional certification prep, academic tutoring, and even soft skills coaching like public speaking or cross-cultural communication. All will follow the same playbook: human-led, AI-enhanced, and deeply personalized.
Internally, the focus is on talent. The company aims to hire dozens of AI researchers and product engineers in 2026, with a special emphasis on inclusive hiring in Kyiv. “War hasn’t dimmed our ambition,” Bigai said. “If anything, it’s sharpened it.”
For learners, this means smarter matching, richer lesson content, and faster progress—all without losing the human connection that makes language learning meaningful. After all, you don’t just learn a language to pass a test. You learn it to connect, to understand, to belong.
A Symbol of What’s Possible
Preply’s $1.2 billion valuation is more than a financial milestone. It’s a testament to what happens when technology, empathy, and resilience converge. In a world increasingly skeptical of AI hype and corporate detachment, Preply offers something refreshingly rare: innovation with integrity.
As classrooms go digital and borders blur, the demand for authentic human connection—facilitated by smart tools, not replaced by them—will only grow. Preply isn’t just riding that wave. It’s helping to build it, one lesson, one tutor, and one defiant Kyiv coffee break at a time.
