Liulishuo

Name

Liulishuo

Legal name

上海流利说信息技术有限公司

Website

https://liulishuo.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI-Powered English Language Learning Software

NAICS

Language Schools (61163)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Language Learning Apps & Self-Study Platforms (EDAFAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

AI-Powered Language Tutors, Chatbots & Speaking Practice Tools (EDAFAOAC), Online/Hybrid Adult ESL & Language Learning Platforms (EDAAACAK), Online Language Learning Platforms (Self-Paced) (EDAMAFAC)

Keywords

• AI English learning
• Speech recognition tutoring
• Adaptive language learning
• Corporate English training
• IELTS preparation app

Headquarters

HQ city

Shanghai

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Consumer Subscriptions: Subscription-based revenue from individual consumers using the flagship English Liulishuo app, Dongni English (懂你英语), Liuli Reading, and IELTS preparation app. Premium features require paid subscriptions (e.g., ¥99/month for Dongni English).
2. Corporate Training Solutions: B2B enterprise English training contracts providing AI courses, placement testing, customized curriculum, learning management, and progress reporting to corporate clients. Revenue from serving enterprise customers.
3. Enterprise Customization and SDK/API Licensing: Custom course development and SDK/API integration services for enterprise clients, embedding Liulishuo AI technology into client products and training systems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Liulishuo operates an AI-driven English language learning platform that combines mobile consumer apps (English Liulishuo app, DongNi Standard, IELTS Liulishuo/LingoIELTS, and Liuli Reading) with an enterprise corporate training solution. The platform's core is a proprietary AI English Teacher that uses deep learning, speech recognition, pronunciation evaluation, and adaptive curriculum modeling to deliver personalized, real-time English learning to Chinese-speaking consumers and corporate clients worldwide.

Product overview

Liulishuo (LAIX Inc.) operates a multi-product AI-powered English learning platform. The core offerings include the flagship English Liulishuo App (consumer mobile app), DongNi Standard AI Core Course (adaptive learning system with 8 proficiency levels), IELTS Liulishuo/LingoIELTS (specialized IELTS speaking simulator), and Liuli Reading/Liuli Reading (English reading app with news and books). For enterprise customers, the Corporate English Training solution provides SDK/API integration for embedding AI English learning capabilities into enterprise products and training systems. The platform leverages proprietary AI technologies including speech recognition, speech synthesis, adaptive learning, and natural language processing, unified by a deep learning engine that personalizes content delivery based on individual user performance data.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 流利说®英语 (English Liulishuo): Flagship English learning mobile app launched in 2013, featuring AI-powered speech recognition and scoring technology.
• 流利说®懂你英语®A+ (DongNi Standard)
• 流利说®阅读 (Liuli Reading)
• 流利说®雅思 (LingoIELTS)
• 流利说®企业英语培训 (Corporate Training)

Products and services

• English Liulishuo App Flagship mobile English learning app for individual consumers featuring real-time speech recognition and pronunciation scoring, gamified lessons built around short videos (movie trailers, TED talks, creative ads), and scenario-based courses covering business, travel, daily life, and school. Distributed globally on Apple App Store and Google Play and pre-installed on iPhones in Apple retail stores across China.
• DongNi Standard (懂你英语 A+) AI-powered adaptive English course system with 8 proficiency levels mapped to CSE, CEFR, TOEIC, and IELTS standards. Delivers personalized pronunciation correction, grammar feedback, and vocabulary development; pricing at ¥99/month for the standard personal plan including mobile AI course, study advisor, private foreign teachers, premium service, internal social network, supervisor management system, and TOEIC tutorials.
• IELTS Liulishuo (雅思流利说 / LingoIELTS) Mobile IELTS Speaking Test Simulator that recreates the authentic test environment, simulates multi-national virtual examiners (UK, French, American accents), and produces detailed test reports covering vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and fluency. Offers unlimited free mock exams for Chinese IELTS candidates.
• Liuli Reading (流利说阅读) English reading app providing daily curated articles from The Economist, The New York Times, and The Guardian plus over 70 copyrighted books, structured around Paul Nation's intensive and extensive reading theory for systematic skill development.
• Corporate English Training (企业英语培训) Enterprise English training solution offering AI courses, AI-powered placement testing, customized curriculum, learning management system with progress reporting, and SDK/API integration for embedding Liulishuo AI technology into corporate products and training systems. Serves 1,200+ enterprise customers with a reported 95%+ learner satisfaction rate.
• Corporate Liulishuo (企业流利说) Dedicated enterprise-branded deployment of the Liulishuo English learning platform used by corporations to deliver AI English training to their employees.

Quantifiable outcome

• 746 learners improved at least one CEFR level after average of 36.88 hours of AI Teacher learning; 72% showed score improvement (British Council study)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability11 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• China International Import Expo (CIIE) / 上海市人民政府flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Official volunteer training provider for the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai (2018), organized by the Ministry of Commerce and Shanghai Municipal People's Government. Liulishuo created a dedicated English language training program, providing tailor-made oral English courses to more than 5,000 volunteers.
• Sina Yangfan Plan (新浪扬帆计划) and WABC无障碍艺途minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Charity event 'Don't Be Afraid, I'm Here' launched in June 2018 to improve psychological welfare of left-behind children. Over 100,000 people participated, collecting over 250,000 English fairy tale recordings for left-behind children.
• New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)flagshipOthers · 1 January 2018LAIX Inc. (ticker: LAIX) listed on the NYSE on September 27, 2018, making it the first 'AI + Education' listed company in China.
• Teach for China (美丽中国)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Educational charity partnership launched in November 2017. During the 'You Learn 5 Minutes, We Donate One AI English Course' event, users donated one AI English course to Teach for China students for every 5 minutes of learning. 48,087 users participated, donating 157,232 courses equivalent to ~2,000 rural students receiving one year of AI English courses.
• G20 Hangzhou Summit / 杭州市志愿者工作指导中心flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Official language training provider for the 11th G20 Leaders' Summit in Hangzhou (2016). Liulishuo's AI English teacher provided professional and systematic English training to over 4,000 volunteers, helping them improve English proficiency to better serve the summit.
• Cun.Taobao Summer Camp (农村淘宝暑期夏令营)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Technical support provider for the 'My Hometown' English Voice Acting Contest organized by Cun.Taobao Summer Camp in 2016. 50,000 rural children participated in the English voice acting competition.
• WildAid (野生救援)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental partnership helping WildAid spread the message 'When the buying stops, the killing can too.' Liulishuo created English courses based on WildAid's animal protection documentaries for its users, supporting wildlife conservation education.
• Rural Education Support Partner Organizations (西部阳光基金会, 浙江杭州志愿者工作指导中心, 共青团中央志愿汇, etc.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 18+ educational charity organizations supporting Liulishuo's Smart English Cloud Class and Rural Teachers Support Plan programs. Includes Western Sunshine Foundation, Zhejiang Hangzhou Volunteer Work Guidance Center, Communist Youth League Central Committee 'Volunteer Hub' Project, Yunnan Cangyuan County Education Bureau, Shanghai Zhen'ai Dream Public Welfare Foundation, and others. These partners help deploy AI English courses to rural schools and teachers across China.
• Enterprise Training Corporate Clients (1,200+ companies)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 1,200 enterprise clients use Liulishuo's corporate English training solutions. Services include AI placement testing, customized curriculum, SDK/API integration, learning management, and progress reporting. Sectors include finance, pharmaceuticals, automotive, and general business.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Duolingo: Duolingo is the world's largest mobile language-learning platform (NASDAQ: DUOL), offering freemium app-based courses across 35+ languages with adaptive learning, gamification, and AI-driven personalization. It is the closest global comparable to Liulishuo on consumer app distribution, freemium monetization, and AI tutoring, though Liulishuo specializes narrowly in English-for-Chinese-speakers with deeper speech-pronunciation capability.
• Babbel: Babbel is a leading subscription-based language-learning app (Babbel GmbH, Berlin) covering 14+ languages with structured curriculum and AI-assisted features. It is directly comparable to Liulishuo on paid subscription model, mobile-first language instruction, and targeting adult self-learners, though Babbel focuses on European/romance languages and serves global rather than Chinese-accented learners.
• Elsa Speak: Elsa Speak is an AI-powered English pronunciation and speaking app for non-native speakers with a particular focus on Asian markets. Its speech-recognition-driven pronunciation coaching, mobile-first delivery, and target learner (Asian professionals/learners) make it one of the closest feature-by-feature peers to Liulishuo's English Liulishuo app and DongNi adaptive course.
• NetEase Youdao (有道): Youdao is a NYSE-listed Chinese AI-driven edtech company from NetEase offering dictionary/translate apps, K-12 and adult learning products, AI learning hardware, and online courses. It overlaps Liulishuo on Chinese AI-driven consumer learning, education SaaS, and AI tutoring infrastructure, though Youdao's content portfolio is broader and includes K-12.
• iTutorGroup (TutorABC / VIPABC): iTutorGroup operates TutorABC/VIPABC online English tutoring platforms serving Chinese adult and corporate learners, and was acquired by Ping An. It is a direct peer to Liulishuo on enterprise English training, corporate SaaS, and the broader Chinese adult English education market, though it leans on human tutors rather than AI-native architecture.
• 51Talk (China Online Education Group): 51Talk is a NYSE-listed Chinese online English education platform offering 1-on-1 live tutoring with Filipino teachers plus an AI-adapted curriculum for kids and adults. It is directly comparable to Liulishuo on Chinese online English education and on a NYSE ADR listing, though 51Talk's model is more human-tutor-heavy and K-12-leaning.
• Memrise: Memrise is a UK-based language-learning app using spaced repetition, video clips of native speakers, and AI features for vocabulary/speaking. It is a direct peer to Liulishuo on consumer mobile language learning, gamified self-study, and the freemium-to-subscription funnel, though Memrise is globally distributed and does not specialize in Chinese-accented English.
• VIPKid: VIPKid was a leading Chinese 1-on-1 online English tutoring platform connecting Chinese K-12 students with North American teachers — a peer in the Chinese online English education space on consumer scale, AI-augmented tutoring, and Chinese-market focus. Post Double Reduction it pivoted/scaled back, but it remains the most directly comparable K-12 Chinese English-ed peer in scale and category.

Emerging players

• Speak (Speak.com): Speak is an emerging AI-English tutor app that uses speech recognition and LLMs to give learners open-ended speaking practice with personalized feedback — a direct emerging competitor to Liulishuo's AI English Teacher approach. It is comparable on AI-driven speaking practice and freemium consumer learning, but targets Korean and other Asian markets from a US/Asia base and benefits from newer LLM architectures.

Broad incumbents

• New Oriental Education (Koolearn / New Oriental): New Oriental Education & Technology Group is China's largest private education conglomerate, with Koolearn (East Buy) delivering online English and test-prep courses. It overlaps Liulishuo on Chinese adult English learning, online test prep (IELTS/TOEFL), and corporate training, but as a broad incumbent across K-12, overseas study consulting, and live broadcasting rather than a focused AI-native app.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/6409666
• Xx.com/lingochamp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors9 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 Liulishuo