Duolingo
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 2011
- Employees
- 501-1000
- Offices
- 9
About Duolingo
Duolingo develops mobile and web learning products that combine educational content, game mechanics, character animation and personalized software. Founded in Pittsburgh in 2011 by Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker, the company began with language learning and has expanded into literacy, mathematics, music and chess. Its flagship platform offers learning across more than 40 languages.
The learning experience centers on short, interactive lessons supported by daily streaks, experience points, leaderboards and illustrated characters. These elements connect curriculum progression with recurring practice, while artificial intelligence and machine learning help personalize the experience. The company combines educational software development with an internal animation and motion design capability that supports both its products and brand campaigns.
Learning products and assessment
Duolingo operates a freemium model, providing free learning supported by advertising, in-app purchases and optional subscriptions. Super Duolingo offers features including ad-free learning and review sessions. Duolingo Max adds generative AI features such as conversational roleplay, lesson explanations and interactive video calls, extending the platform's opportunities for guided practice.
Beyond its main learning platform, Duolingo ABC focuses on early childhood reading and literacy. Mathematics, music and chess broaden the company's subject coverage. Duolingo for Schools gives educators a free dashboard for assigning activities and monitoring student progress, connecting individual learning with classroom use.
The Duolingo English Test is a computer-adaptive online English proficiency assessment used for academic admissions. It combines remote proctoring and AI scoring and is accepted by thousands of higher education programs worldwide.
Animation and product design
Duolingo's visual identity includes Duo the Owl and an ensemble of illustrated characters used throughout lessons, product interactions and marketing. Its acquisitions of Detroit animation studio Gunner in October 2022 and motion design studio Hobbes in July 2024 brought their teams into its internal animation operations. This capability connects character performance, motion design and interactive product animation with the company's broader approach to gamified learning.
More about Duolingo
Adaptive learning and collaboration
- Duolingo's proprietary Birdbrain engine analyzes exercise completions to adjust item difficulty to individual learners' proficiency.
- In 2023–2024, the company deepened its collaboration with OpenAI to incorporate GPT-4 into Duolingo Max.
Founders and milestones
- The founders developed the company at Carnegie Mellon University. Luis von Ahn previously co-invented CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA; Severin Hacker is a Swiss engineer.
- A private beta launched in late 2011, followed by the public launch in June 2012.
- Duolingo completed its initial public offering in July 2021.
Education initiative following acquisition
Following Gunner's acquisition, its original founders created Gunner School, an independent, tuition-free motion design education initiative.
Notable credits
9 creditsOffices
Current and former locations of Duolingo
- 5900 Penn Avenue, Second Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15206, United StatesPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Pittsburgh office
HeadquartersGlobal corporate headquarters. The report identifies multiple leased facilities in Pittsburgh without separately identifying their premises.
- East Gongxiao Building, 28 Guandongdian Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing, ChinaBeijing, China
Beijing office
First international office, established in 2018/2019 and operating through Beijing Duolingo Technology Co., Ltd.
- Warschauer Platz 11-13, 10245 Berlin, GermanyBerlin, Germany
Berlin office
European technology and product office operating through Duolingo Germany GmbH.
- Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Bengaluru office
Satellite corporate leased premises.
- Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo, Japan
Satellite corporate leased premises.
- 5 Churchill Place, 10th Floor, London E14 5HULondon, England, United Kingdom
London office
Opened 2025
European headquarters operating through Duolingo UK Limited. The report also uses a Soho label for this office.
- Detroit, Michigan, United States
Duolingo Art Department
Internal animation and motion design studio formed through the integration of Gunner and Hobbes.
- 4 World Trade Center, 150 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10007New York, United States
New York office
Direct corporate office with dedicated leased office space.
- 1525 11th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122Seattle, Washington, United States
Seattle office
Capitol Hill technology and engineering branch, expanded from an earlier Bellevue engineering outpost.
- Bellevue, Washington, United States
Bellevue office
Former officeEarlier engineering outpost preceding the Seattle Capitol Hill office. No closure year is supplied.
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