Drops
Drops is a gamified mobile language learning app offering vocabulary and phrase training across 55+ languages through 5-minute daily sessions, serving individual self-learners, children, and brand/enterprise partners via a freemium subscription model. It operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kahoot! following a 2020 acquisition.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersTallinn, Estonia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Drops does
Drops is a gamified mobile language learning platform operating across 55+ languages through short, visually-driven daily sessions of approximately five minutes. The product combines spaced-repetition, visual mnemonics, and contextual learning to teach vocabulary and phrases, with companion apps Scripts (for character-based writing systems such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) and Droplets (for children and teens). The core technology stack is built on React Native for cross-platform mobile deployment, with AI features layered on top using open-source ASR models hosted via Hugging Face and Meta's open-source Llama model as the primary LLM provider for pronunciation assessment (Speak Practice) and AI-assisted custom lesson generation.
The company operates a freemium business model: the basic app is free with limited daily learning time, while Premium subscriptions are offered on monthly, yearly, and one-time lifetime tiers, unlocking unlimited learning time, offline access, all content, and exclusive gameplay modes. Distribution occurs primarily through the iOS App Store and Google Play Store worldwide, supplemented by web access via languagedrops.com, a 2019 partnership with Global Eagle Entertainment for in-flight entertainment, and post-acquisition access to educational institutions and corporate buyers through parent company Kahoot!'s distribution network (Drops for Schools and Drops for Business). Customer segments include individual self-learners (primary), children and parents via Droplets, enterprise and brand partners, educational institutions, and a Ukrainian Refugee Program offering free year-long Premium access.
Drops is incorporated in Estonia as PlanB Labs OÜ and has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kahoot! (Oslo: KAHOT) since November 2020, when it was acquired for up to $50 million. The company employs approximately 30 people and claims a community of 50+ million language learners with a 4.8/5 app store rating across 300,000+ reviews. Founder Frederik Cordes remains as Chief Product Officer and General Manager, preserving product continuity post-acquisition.
Drops firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Drops
- Legal name
- PlanB Labs OÜ
- Website
- https://languagedrops.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Drops is a gamified mobile language learning app offering vocabulary and phrase training across 55+ languages through 5-minute daily sessions, serving individual self-learners, children, and brand/enterprise partners via a freemium subscription model. It operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kahoot! following a 2020 acquisition.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Drops is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tallinn
- HQ country
- Estonia
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Drops business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Premium Subscriptions: Freemium model with tiered Premium subscriptions (Monthly, Yearly, Lifetime) that unlock unlimited learning time, ad-free experience, offline access, all content, and exclusive gameplay modes. Basic version is free with limited daily learning time.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Premium - Rolling monthly subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Yearly Premium - Rolling annual subscription |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Lifetime Premium - One-time purchase |
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Basic - Limited daily access |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Drops product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Drops is a gamified mobile language learning application offering vocabulary and phrase acquisition across 55+ languages through short 5-minute daily sessions. It uses spaced-repetition, visual association, and mnemonic techniques to deliver bite-sized lessons, with AI-powered pronunciation assessment and custom content generation. The platform offers freemium access with Premium subscriptions unlocking unlimited learning time, offline access, and exclusive gameplay modes.
Product overview
Drops is a gamified language learning platform developed by PlanB Labs OÜ (a Kahoot! company) that offers vocabulary and phrase learning across 55+ languages through short, engaging daily sessions. The core Drops app serves as the main product, supplemented by two companion apps: Scripts (for learning character-based writing systems) and Droplets (for children and teens). Premium subscription tiers unlock unlimited time, offline access, and exclusive content. The platform integrates AI features including Speak Practice (pronunciation assessment) and Custom Content (AI-assisted lesson creation). Drops also offers B2B solutions through Drops at Work and Drops at School programs, alongside a Ukrainian Refugee Program providing free Premium access.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Droplets: A companion app designed to support kids and teens in learning foreign languages through engaging, gamified content.
- Scripts
Products and services
- Drops Core App The main Drops language learning application offering vocabulary and phrase learning through gamified 5-minute daily sessions across 55+ languages. Includes 5,000+ words and phrases, pronunciation practice, grammar content, and multiplayer modes using spaced-repetition and visual association techniques.
- Drops Premium Paid subscription tier offering unlimited learning time, ad-free experience, offline access, all game modes, all content, and exclusive gameplay features. Available as monthly, yearly, or lifetime one-time purchase plans.
- Scripts Companion app for learning to write character-based languages and languages with different writing systems such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
- Droplets Companion app designed specifically for kids and teens learning foreign languages. Offers age-appropriate content and interface with parent-controlled settings through a parental companion app.
- Drops for Business B2B partnership offering including custom content integration for brands, special offers for communities, and content creation services for corporate language training programs.
- Drops for Schools Educational institution licensing program for schools and academic settings to use Drops language learning content for classroom language instruction.
- Ukrainian Refugee Program Free one-year Premium subscription offered to Ukrainian refugees to help them feel at ease in new surroundings without language barriers. Includes Ukrainian language support in the app.
Quantifiable outcome
- Learners progress 2x faster on average with Drops Premium
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Drops
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Drops technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
AI capability3 records
Feature3 records
Drops partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.
- Kahoot!flagshipIn November 2020, Kahoot! acquired Drops for up to $50 million, making Drops a Kahoot! company. Kahoot! is the world's leading game-based learning platform with a mission to make learning awesome. The acquisition enables Drops to leverage Kahoot!'s distribution network across schools and corporations while maintaining its focus on language learning innovation.
- Amber LiuminorK-pop idol Amber Liu (of f(x)) collaborated with Drops to create a custom Korean language course. The partnership brought her fanbase to the platform and provided culturally authentic content for Korean learners.
- Global EaglecorePartnership to provide Drops language learning content through Global Eagle's in-flight entertainment platform. Allows airline passengers to access language learning during flights, expanding Drops' reach in travel and hospitality contexts.
- Hugging FacecoreDrops uses Hugging Face as its main LLM provider for AI features, utilizing the open-source Llama model (by Meta). Drops integrates with Hugging Face through its backend infrastructure to process AI features without sending user data. Open-source ASR models hosted via Hugging Face power the Speak Practice pronunciation assessment feature.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Drops competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- italki: Marketplace for 1:1 online language tutors across many languages. Represents the human-tutor alternative to Drops' AI-driven Speak Practice, appealing to learners seeking deeper conversational fluency.
- HelloTalk: Language exchange app connecting native speakers for practice. Complementary to Drops' vocabulary focus — serves the conversational practice gap that Drops addresses via AI rather than human tutors.
Direct peers
- LingoDeer: Language learning app particularly strong in Asian languages (Japanese, Korean, Chinese), structurally similar to Drops' Scripts companion app. Direct overlap in target learner and gamified vocabulary approach.
- Babbel: Subscription language learning app focused on conversational proficiency. Targets adult learners with structured curricula — directly comparable to Drops' premium subscription product and similar mobile-first delivery.
- Mondly: Freemium language learning app with daily lessons, AR/VR features, and 40+ languages. Closely matches Drops' mobile-first, bite-sized session model and broad language portfolio.
- Memrise: Vocabulary-focused language learning app using spaced repetition and video clips of native speakers. Closely aligned with Drops' science-backed retention methodology and freemium mobile experience.
- Duolingo: The leading gamified language learning app, directly competing with Drops across vocabulary, grammar, and now conversation. Both target self-learners via mobile-first freemium models; Duolingo operates at much larger scale but shares the same core mechanic.
- Busuu: Subscription language learning platform with structured courses and community feedback. Comparable to Drops in freemium consumer model, with overlap in B2B/enterprise distribution via McGraw-Hill partnership.
Broad incumbents
- Pimsleur: Audio-based language learning method focused on speaking and pronunciation. Comparable to Drops' Speak Practice AI feature; operates as an established subscription/one-time-purchase alternative.
- Rosetta Stone: Long-established language learning brand offering immersive instruction across many languages. A broader incumbent with overlapping language portfolio; competes in the same consumer and institutional segments as Drops.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Drops social profiles
Digital presenceDrops financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Drops leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Drops subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Drops funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Drops M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Drops
What does Drops do?
Drops is a gamified mobile language learning application offering vocabulary and phrase acquisition across 55+ languages through short 5-minute daily sessions. It uses spaced-repetition, visual association, and mnemonic techniques to deliver bite-sized lessons, with AI-powered pronunciation assessment and custom content generation. The platform offers freemium access with Premium subscriptions unlocking unlimited learning time, offline access, and exclusive gameplay modes.
Is Drops a public or private company?
Drops is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Drops founded?
Drops was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Drops based?
Drops is headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia, in the Europe region.
How does Drops make money?
One revenue line is on record: premium Subscriptions.
Who are Drops's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are italki and HelloTalk. Direct peers are LingoDeer, Babbel, Mondly, Memrise, Duolingo and Busuu. Broad incumbents are Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone.
Does Drops have an API?
No public API is recorded for Drops.