Loading organizations...
§ Private Profile · Brooklyn, NY, USA
Online language learning provider with live instructor-led group and one-on-one classes for individuals, businesses, and all proficiency levels.
Fluent City is a Brooklyn, New York based educational technology company that provides online language learning through live group classes, individual conversational lessons, and customized corporate training programs. The digital platform utilizes artificial intelligence tools to support vocabulary and grammar acquisition across more than twenty different languages, catering to individual learners, groups, and enterprise clients. Operating with a global workforce of approximately 97 employees, the organization has historically served over 20,000 students and generates an estimated $74 million in annual revenue. Prior to its strategic acquisition by Cricket Media, the enterprise secured $5.5 million in total venture funding across two financing rounds from institutional backers including Lerner Investments, Learn Capital, and New Ground Ventures. Fluent City transitioned to a fully online instructional model after operating as a physical language school, and the company was founded in 2011.
Fluent City has raised $6.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Fluent City has raised $6.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Fluent City has raised $6.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $3.0M Series A in October 2017.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2017 | $3M Series A | — | Costanoa Ventures, Noodle, Plaid, Unusual Ventures, Venture Highway, XFactor Ventures, Greg Badros, Jack Larson, John Katzman, Matthew Hanson, Nick Hammerschlag, Michael Cohen, ZAC Zeitlin, WorldQuant Ventures, ZG Ventures | Announced |
| Sep 1, 2016 | $3M Seed | Lerner Investments | Noodle, Brad Hargreaves, Matthew Brimer, 1776, Learn Capital, ZAC Zeitlin | Announced |
Fluent City has raised $6.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Fluent City's investors include Costanoa Ventures, Noodle, Plaid, Unusual Ventures, Venture Highway, XFactor Ventures, Greg Badros, Jack Larson, John Katzman, Matthew Hanson, Nick Hammerschlag, Michael Cohen.
Fluent City is an edtech company offering interactive online language learning courses focused on conversational proficiency in 11 languages, including Spanish, French, Italian, Arabic, Portuguese, German, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Hebrew, and English.[1][2][4][5] It serves individuals, businesses, educational institutions, and now adults through partnerships like Cricket Media, providing group classes starting at $399 per course, one-on-one lessons from $49/month, and corporate training via live Zoom sessions enhanced by AI-driven vocabulary and grammar modules.[2][4][5][7] The platform solves the problem of ineffective, isolated app-based learning (e.g., Duolingo) or rigid traditional methods (e.g., Rosetta Stone) by emphasizing real-time teacher-led conversations and peer practice for practical communication skills.[4][5] Founded in 2011 and based in Brooklyn, New York, it has raised $5.5M in funding, with the last round of $3M in 2017, and reports $74M in revenue while operating across U.S. cities and online.[1][2][6]
Fluent City was founded in 2011 by Ben Rohrbach, an edtech enthusiast focused on reinventing language learning, starting by building on existing communities rather than from scratch to accelerate growth.[5] Rohrbach's career interest in edtech led to a platform emphasizing communicative proficiency over full fluency, using proprietary textbooks and live sessions.[5] Early traction came from offline classes in cities like NYC, Chicago, Philadelphia, DC, and Boston, expanding online from 2016 with flexible pricing for sessions, subscriptions, and corporate programs.[5] A pivotal acquisition by Cricket Media integrated it into their ecosystem, enhancing kids' and adults' offerings previously under NeuABC and NeuLingo, while maintaining its core live-instructor model.[7]
Fluent City rides the edtech boom in personalized, AI-augmented learning, accelerated by remote work and globalization post-pandemic, where demand for practical language skills in business and cultural exchange surges.[2][5][7] Its timing capitalizes on Zoom's ubiquity and AI advancements in natural language processing, filling the gap between solo apps (lightweight but shallow) and in-person classes (inflexible), especially for corporate upskilling in a multicultural workforce.[4][5] Market forces like rising remote corporate training and parental interest in multilingual kids favor its model, influencing the ecosystem by partnering with media firms like Cricket to expand access and blending human instruction with tech for hybrid learning trends.[7]
Fluent City is poised to scale through AI refinements and corporate partnerships, potentially expanding languages or integrating VR for immersive conversations amid growing global business needs.[2][5][7] Trends like AI personalization and hybrid work will shape its path, evolving from startup to edtech staple by deepening B2B offerings and leveraging acquisitions for broader demographics. As language barriers fade in a connected world, Fluent City's conversation-first approach positions it to redefine accessible proficiency, building on its $5.5M-funded foundation for sustained growth in interactive edtech.[1][5]