Stimuler Bags $3.75 Mn To Strengthen Its AI-Led English Tutor

AI-powered edtech platform Stimuler has raised $3.75 Mn (around INR 31.9 Cr) in its pre-Series A round led by Lightspeed and Singapore-based SWC Global. The round also saw participation from M Venture Partners, Rebright Partners, Force Ventures, gradCapital and Operators Studio. 

Stimuler plans to use the fresh capital to boost its in-house AI infrastructure, expand its tech team, and bolster distribution. 

Founded in 2022 by Akshay Akash, Akshat Baranwal, Ankit Kumar Pandey, and Anesh Srivastav, Stimuler offers a voice-first AI tutor to help speakers improve their English speaking skills. The startup claims to have users in more than 150 countries, predominantly in Latin America, Southeast Asia and India. 

Speaking with Inc42, Akash said that speakers can chat with Stimuler’s in-house AI bot Sara to get feedback on pronunciation, vocabulary, fluency and other aspects of speech. The cofounder added that the platform is designed for people who have a working knowledge of English and are looking to further enhance their skills in the language. 

Stimuler claims to have over 4 Mn app downloads across Android and iOS, with more than 45,000 paid users. While some features of Stimuler’s app are free to use, others need a subscription. 

Going forward, the Bengaluru-based startup plans to use a part of the capital to expand its reach in Latin America and Southeast Asia. “Priority markets for us are Latin America, followed by Indonesia and India. So, the idea is to scale distribution capabilities in these regions,” added Akash.

The startup is also looking to expand its tutoring service beyond English to other predominant languages in the next few years. However, there are no immediate plans for it. 

“As of the next couple of years, the focus is primarily English and then we can explore other languages at some levels,” asserted Akash. 

Stimuler competes against the likes of Speak.com and Praktika in the international market. 

The GenAI Facelift For Edtech

Stimuler’s fundraise comes at a time when the Indian edtech space, despite being marred by the funding winter for the past couple of years, has been witnessing a rebound, of sorts, on the back of GenAI. 

The likes of PhysicsWallah, upGrad and Unacademy are leveraging the emerging tech to build personalised curriculum and tailored content recommendations, supporting educators in developing teaching strategies and chatbots to answer queries of students. 

New-age tech companies are also emerging on the edtech scene with products that help automate grading systems, handle grievances, and swiftly resolve user queries. 

Just last month, AI-driven upskilling platform WeSkill secured an undisclosed amount in a pre-seed funding round from a clutch of high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) and strategic investors at a valuation of INR 40 Cr. In March, AI-powered admissions startup Ambitio also raised $2 Mn in its seed funding round led by BLinC Invest.

Notably, more than 200 GenAI startups call India home and have raised more than $1.2 Bn in funding since 2020. As per Inc42 data, the homegrown GenAI market is projected to become a $17 Bn opportunity by 2030.