What Lingoda does

Lingoda GmbH is a Berlin-headquartered, privately held online language school founded in 2013 that delivers live, teacher-led group and individual classes via a video-based online platform. It offers structured curriculum across five core languages — English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian — mapped to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) from A1.1 through C2, with automated CEFR certification awarded to learners who complete 90% of coursework at each level. The product surface extends beyond live classes to include the Language Sprint™ intensive programme for accelerated proficiency, the Lingoda Campus self-serve hub (LingoTalks, LingoQuiz, LingoLibrary), free placement tests for level assessment, and the Lingoda Launchpad social impact programme targeting newcomers integrating into the German workforce.

The company operates a subscription-based revenue model with monthly and annual billing tiers across multiple package options, sold exclusively through self-serve digital channels and its own localized multi-language websites. Go-to-market is primarily product-led: free placement tests and a multi-language educational blog in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Russian drive organic SEO acquisition, supplemented by partnerships such as UNiDAYS (student discounts) and LinkedIn (bundled within Launchpad). Lingoda serves a horizontal mix of consumer personas — career-focused professionals, university students, and skilled-labour newcomers to Germany — with no disclosed enterprise customers and no B2B logo concentration.

Across nine disclosed funding rounds totaling approximately $83M since 2013, Lingoda most recently closed a $68.2M Series D in April 2021 led by Summit Partners with participation from Grazia Equity. The company reports a headcount range of 1,001–5,000, which includes a large population of contract native-speaker teachers alongside a central product, engineering, and operations team in Berlin. Lingoda is incorporated in Germany as Lingoda GmbH and is led by CEO Dominic Rowell, with founders Fabian Wunderlich and Felix Wunderlich, chairman Matt Goldberg, and functional leadership across product and engineering.

Name

Lingoda

Legal name

Lingoda GmbH

Website

https://lingoda.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Lingoda is a Berlin-based online language school offering live, native-speaker-led classes in English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian, structured to CEFR standards, serving career-focused professionals, students, and newcomers integrating into the German workforce through a subscription-based D2C platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Language Learning

NAICS

Language Schools (611630)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

General Language Schools & Institutes (EDAMAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Language Proficiency Exam Prep (CEFR, TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test, PTE) (EDANACAD), Language Learning Centers (ESL/EFL & World Languages) (EDANAHAG)

Keywords

• Online language learning
• Live language classes
• CEFR certification programs
• Language subscription school
• Intensive language sprints

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Subscription-based Online Courses: Monthly and annual subscription plans providing access to live group and individual language classes across multiple language offerings

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lingoda is an online language school that delivers live, teacher-led group and individual classes in English, German, Spanish, French, and Italian to adult learners worldwide. Curriculum is structured around CEFR levels A1.1 through C2, with automatic CEFR-aligned certification issued when a learner completes 90% of a level (around 45 lessons). The platform supplements its live classes with intensive Language Sprint™ tracks, free placement tests, a Lingoda Campus learning hub (LingoTalks, LingoQuiz, LingoLibrary), and a social-impact Lingoda Launchpad programme for newcomers to Germany.

Product overview

Lingoda is an online language school headquartered in Berlin, Germany, offering live online language courses across six languages: English, Business English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian. The core product is the online language school platform with structured courses aligned to CEFR levels (A1 through C2). Key products include the Language Sprint™ intensive programme for rapid progress, the Lingoda Campus platform featuring LingoTalks, LingoQuiz, and LingoLibrary for supplementary learning, and the Lingoda Launchpad social impact programme. The platform provides CECRL certification upon course completion, placement tests for level assessment, and extensive blog resources for learning support. The company operates across multiple language markets with localized content in English, German, French, Spanish, Russian, and Italian.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lingoda Launchpad: A programme offering free German language classes, a new laptop, and LinkedIn Premium membership to help newcomers integrate and advance their careers in Germany.

Products and services

• Lingoda Online Language School

Quantifiable outcome

• CECRL certification upon completing 90% of coursework (approximately 45 lessons per level)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• LinkedInminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2025Lingoda Launchpad program includes one-year LinkedIn Premium membership as part of the prize package for selected recipients, providing career networking and job search tools to newcomers learning German in Germany.
• UNiDAYSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStudent discount partnership offering reduced pricing on Lingoda subscriptions for verified students through the UNiDAYS platform.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Babbel: Berlin-based subscription language learning platform offering courses in 14 languages. Direct competitor to Lingoda with similar D2C subscription model and multi-language coverage, though Babbel leans self-paced rather than live classes.
• italki: Global marketplace connecting language learners with online tutors for 1-on-1 lessons. Directly comparable to Lingoda's live class format, though italki uses a tutor marketplace model rather than employing instructors directly.
• Preply: Online language tutoring marketplace offering 1-on-1 lessons with native speakers across 50+ languages. Directly competes with Lingoda's live, instructor-led model with similar target customers (professionals, immigrants, career-focused learners).
• Verbling: Online platform for live language lessons with vetted native-speaking teachers. Comparable to Lingoda in live class delivery and teacher-led model, though smaller scale and narrower language coverage.
• Duolingo: Freemium mobile-first language learning app with hundreds of millions of users. While the delivery model (gamified self-paced app) differs from Lingoda's live classes, Duolingo competes for the same learner dollars and increasingly bundles paid tiers with conversation features.
• Cambly: On-demand 1-on-1 English conversation platform connecting learners with native English tutors. Similar live, instructor-led model targeting the same career-focused and international learner segments.
• Busuu: Subscription language learning platform offering self-paced courses plus community features across 14 languages. Competes with Lingoda for self-motivated adult learners, particularly in Europe.

Broad incumbents

• EF Education First: Global education company offering language training, academic programs, and cultural exchange across 100+ countries. Overlaps with Lingoda in online language courses but operates at much larger scale across multiple education verticals.
• Rosetta Stone: Long-established subscription language learning platform with self-paced courses in 25 languages. Competes for the same consumer language learning dollar but uses a self-study model rather than live classes.

Regional players

• Open English: Online English language school targeting Latin American professionals with live classes and structured curriculum. Comparable live-class format and CEFR-aligned progression, but focused on Spanish-speaking markets rather than Lingoda's European footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lingoda

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds9 records

Investors7 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lingoda