Language learning app Sylvi raises £350k in super angel round as it plans to scale its AI-powered conversational practice

Sylvi, a language-learning app focused on conversation practice, has announced it has successfully closed a £350,000 super angel funding round, led by prominent investors.

The Sylvi team

Sylvi was created after its founder Tom Standen watched his girlfriend Amy struggle to order a coffee in Paris, despite a 600-day strong streak on leading language app Duolingo. Sylvi focuses on addressing the gap between studying vocabulary and gaining real-world speaking experience.

The app combines AI-powered corrections, translations and explanations, allowing users to have real conversations with other learners, friends and family. Sylvi has recently added personalized lesson plans for its users.

Rather than optimizing for engagement metrics, Sylvi aims to optimize for ability to hold conversations in the target language. 

Founder Standen comments: “With the support of these incredible angels, we’re now positions to scale our conversation-first approach and help thousands more learners bridge the gap between language study and confident real-world communication.”

Since its launch in 2024, Slyvi has gained more than £60,000 a year in recurring revenue and maintains strong unit economics, while earning a 4.7 rating on Apple’s App Store.

Prominent investors at Sylvi include Claire Nooriala, ex Vice-President at Snap Group, and Amir Nooriala, ex-COO at OakNorth Bank and entrepreneur Simon Murdoch. 

Claire Valoti, Founding Partner at Haylo Ventures and former Vice-President of International for Snap, adds: "We back early-stage companies solving meaningful problems with the potential to reshape their category. Sylvi stands out for its mission to build genuine conversation confidence in language learning - a space long dominated by shallow engagement metrics."

Simon Murdoch, Managing Partner at VC firm Episode 1 Ventures, adds: “I've seen both the potential and the pitfalls in language learning technology, having built and sold FriendsAbroad to Babbel. People learn by practicing conversation, not memorising words, and Sylvi’s approach addresses this fundamental challenge I observed in traditional language apps. Tom and his team have built something that truly bridges the gap between study and real-world conversation confidence - exactly the kind of innovation the language learning space needs.”