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Welcome to the Lingoda Press Centre
Here you will find the latest news, updates and press releases from the acclaimed online language school
This is Lingoda
Our mission is to empower even the busiest people to master a language and unlock their potential – anytime, anywhere. We are revolutionising how languages are learnt by professionals worldwide, providing an outstanding learning experience with maximum flexibility.
Since its founding in 2013, over 80,000 students from nearly 200 countries have chosen to learn a language with Lingoda, benefitting from our live and online small group and private classes, available 24/7. With our platform, students have everything they need to achieve their learning goals and transform their lives.
Lingoda is based in Berlin, Germany and is led by an international team of almost 200 language enthusiasts from more than 30 countries.
Press releases
Lingoda Partners with Fest Virtual Cooking to Offer Free Language and Cooking Classes for the Holidays
The companies are partnering to provide individuals with the opportunity to become more in touch with another country, and are offering one month of language classes— 4 free group classes— after completing a cooking class.
Lingoda announces global initiative to honor teachers as they head back to school
Lingoda is inviting students from all over the world to create a post on social media about how a teacher changed their lives using the hashtag #LingodaThankATeacher. The post will serve as a nomination for the teacher and for the student themselves.
Lingoda announces initiative to aid the U.S.-Mexico border humanitarian crisis
Nearly 19,000 unaccompanied migrant children crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in March 2021 alone. To help foster families break down language barriers with the migrant children they host, Lingoda is offering free Spanish lessons to foster parents.
Lingoda announces $68 million growth equity investment from Summit Partners
The new funding will support Lingoda’s expansion in new markets; further enhance the company’s live classroom experiences, and accelerate the company’s already robust growth. Including this latest round of funding, Lingoda has raised more than $83 million (€70 million) since 2013.
Lingoda awards scholarships to young professionals affected by the pandemic
Lingoda has selected five lucky winners whose life-changing goals can be achieved through language learning. All winners have lost their main income due to the pandemic and will now be able to improve their language skills to ultimately increase their chances of gaining new employment.
Lingoda celebrates language learning as a life-changing experience with My Lingoda. My Success.
Lingoda asked its students to share the reasons why they chose to learn a language and the impact language skills have on their lives. Students submitted videos to share their success stories and how they were able to reach their goals with the help of Lingoda.
Speech waves to fluency: Lingoda launches a new brand identity
Today, Lingoda launches a new look, to create a bold, modern, and authentic brand in the language learning space. The idea is simple but effective: Lingoda’s new brand identity is highlighting the journey of learning a foreign language.
Lingoda announces the Lingoda Team Challenge: the future of online language learning
With this initiative, Lingoda goes against the grain of isolation dynamics by offering a program that combines collaborative teamwork, a sense of belonging and enjoyment to stimulate virtuous learning habits, motivation and perseverance.
Lingoda and Cambridge Assessment English join forces to revolutionise language assessments
Students can now take the Linguaskill from Cambridge test online with Lingoda, with results available within three working days, accepted by numerous employers, educational institutions and governmental bodies worldwide.
Lingoda supports offline schools worldwide during current crisis
Over 2000 fully digital lessons in English, German, French and Spanish are now accessible for free. Ranging from A1 to C1 CEFR levels, the curriculum covers a range of skills – grammar, speaking, reading, exercises – and topics of interest.
Lingoda Partners with Fest Virtual Cooking to Offer Free Language and Cooking Classes for the Holidays
The companies are partnering to provide individuals with the opportunity to become more in touch with another country, and are offering one month of language classes— 4 free group classes— after completing a cooking class.
Lingoda announces global initiative to honor teachers as they head back to school
Lingoda is inviting students from all over the world to create a post on social media about how a teacher changed their lives using the hashtag #LingodaThankATeacher. The post will serve as a nomination for the teacher and for the student themselves.
Lingoda announces initiative to aid the U.S.-Mexico border humanitarian crisis
Nearly 19,000 unaccompanied migrant children crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in March 2021 alone. To help foster families break down language barriers with the migrant children they host, Lingoda is offering free Spanish lessons to foster parents.
Lingoda announces $68 million growth equity investment from Summit Partners
The new funding will support Lingoda’s expansion in new markets; further enhance the company’s live classroom experiences, and accelerate the company’s already robust growth. Including this latest round of funding, Lingoda has raised more than $83 million (€70 million) since 2013.
Lingoda awards scholarships to young professionals affected by the pandemic
Lingoda has selected five lucky winners whose life-changing goals can be achieved through language learning. All winners have lost their main income due to the pandemic and will now be able to improve their language skills to ultimately increase their chances of gaining new employment.
Lingoda celebrates language learning as a life-changing experience with My Lingoda. My Success.
Lingoda asked its students to share the reasons why they chose to learn a language and the impact language skills have on their lives. Students submitted videos to share their success stories and how they were able to reach their goals with the help of Lingoda.
Speech waves to fluency: Lingoda launches a new brand identity
Today, Lingoda launches a new look, to create a bold, modern, and authentic brand in the language learning space. The idea is simple but effective: Lingoda’s new brand identity is highlighting the journey of learning a foreign language.
Lingoda announces the Lingoda Team Challenge: the future of online language learning
With this initiative, Lingoda goes against the grain of isolation dynamics by offering a program that combines collaborative teamwork, a sense of belonging and enjoyment to stimulate virtuous learning habits, motivation and perseverance.
Lingoda and Cambridge Assessment English join forces to revolutionise language assessments
Students can now take the Linguaskill from Cambridge test online with Lingoda, with results available within three working days, accepted by numerous employers, educational institutions and governmental bodies worldwide.
Lingoda supports offline schools worldwide during current crisis
Over 2000 fully digital lessons in English, German, French and Spanish are now accessible for free. Ranging from A1 to C1 CEFR levels, the curriculum covers a range of skills – grammar, speaking, reading, exercises – and topics of interest.
In the news
Lingoda Partners with Fest Virtual Cooking to Offer Free Language and Cooking Classes for the Holidays
The companies will collaborate on a campaign centered around immersing oneself in a new culture by mastering a foreign dish and learning a new language.
‘I’m an Interpreter, and This Is My Secret Trick to Learning Languages Fast’
To become completely fluent like a native speaker, especially when it comes to mastering grammar and accents, some people even say that you should start learning before the age of 10,” says Mike Shangkuan, CEO of Lingoda.
Lingoda, an on-demand online language school with live instructors and Zoom classrooms, raises $68M
CEO Michael Shangkuan said the funding will be used both to continue enhancing its tech platform — with more tools for teachers and asynchronous supplementary material — and to widen its footprint in markets further afield such as the U.S.
57 Millionen Euro für Berliner Online-Sprachschule Lingoda
Zu einer ambitionierten Bewertung holt sich das acht Jahre alte Startup einen bekannten Investor an Bord. Zuletzt profitierte Lingoda stark von der Corona-Krise.
Enthusiastic, qualified instructors and solid teaching materials make these classes shine.
Lingoda’s classes are a wonderful addition to any adult language learning path you may be on and is a PCMag Editors’ Choice winner for language learning—if you want to study one of the languages it offers.
Take a $1,300, 90-day online language course from Lingoda for free
Lingoda has an incentive to help you complete an online language course — a $1,300 incentive, to be specific. If you successfully complete a 90-day Lingoda Sprint, Lingoda will refund you the entire cost of the course, up to $1,300.
Denn im Lockdown buchten viele Menschen lange aufgeschobene Kurse online. Aber trägt der Boom bis in die Post-Corona-Ära?
Als die Coronapandemie vor einem Jahr auch Deutschland erreichte und die Bundesregierung erste Schließungen verhängte, stellten sich Fabian und Felix Wunderlich, Gründer der Sprachschule Lingoda, auf das Schlimmste ein: „Wir waren sehr unsicher, fragten uns, wie sich die Krise auf unsere Buchungen auswirken würden“, erzählt Fabian Wunderlich.
Boom bei Online-Kursen: Warum jetzt so viele Deutsche eine Sprache lernen
Viele nutzen die Zeit im Lockdown, um neue Ziele zu erreichen, dazu gehört eben auch, eine neue Sprache zu lernen. Sei es, weil man ins Ausland ziehen möchte, weil es für die Karriere Sinn ergibt oder einfach nur, um eine neue Fähigkeit zu erlernen.
Meet The Disruptors: Michael Shangkuan of ‘Lingoda GmbH’
Mike has lived in six countries across four continents. Less known, he is a former natural bodybuilder and competed at several international competitions. He is a graduate of Yale University and he holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Sprachen lernen und Gutes tun: Wie Lingoda Menschen in Not helfen will
Die Idee: Durch eine gemeinsame Herausforderung werden Familie, Freunde und Kollegen zum gemeinsamen Lernen animiert. Dank des vollständig digitalen und flexiblen Ablaufs spielen Faktoren wie Zeit und Ort plötzlich keine Rolle mehr.
Want to speak German? How to overcome the challenges holding you back
Of all the challenges that can come with being an expat, learning the language can be the most frustrating – and we don’t just mean the difficulties of dealing with der, die and das.
Learn German with Lingoda
The Language Marathon is all about building habits that will lead to real results. This isn’t just a marketing ploy, it really works! If you can commit to a 3, 6 or 12-month online course, you’ll see significant progress without life getting in the way of learning.
We are a Bona Fide Language School, reveals Michael Shangkuan CEO at Lingoda
At Lingoda, we offer online, live language classes available 24/7 in English, Business English, German, Spanish, and French with over 1,000 qualified, native-speaking teachers.
Why should you learn a language online during a global pandemic?
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of insecurity for everyone, especially around work. Lingoda, the number one trusted online language school, explains why, now more than ever, learning a language could help you open new doors.
10 European language learning startups
Based in Berlin, Lingoda is a replacement of the traditional classroom. As an online language school, it offers English, Spanish, German and French courses with native speakers. Users are able to choose between one-to-one or group classes and get instant access to Lingoda’s digital curriculum.
How much Americans would pay to ‘be good in bed’
A study conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Lingoda.com looked into the dreams and desires of 2,000 Americans and found that the average respondent is willing to part ways with $5,694.20 to instantly be able to speak a foreign language.
Linkedin benennt die 25 „gefragtesten Startups”
Die Auswahl der Top 25 folge dem Verhalten von mehr als 575 Millionen Linkedin-Mitgliedern in vier Bereichen, heißt es von Linkedin.
Lingoda Partners with Fest Virtual Cooking to Offer Free Language and Cooking Classes for the Holidays
The companies will collaborate on a campaign centered around immersing oneself in a new culture by mastering a foreign dish and learning a new language.
‘I’m an Interpreter, and This Is My Secret Trick to Learning Languages Fast’
To become completely fluent like a native speaker, especially when it comes to mastering grammar and accents, some people even say that you should start learning before the age of 10,” says Mike Shangkuan, CEO of Lingoda.
Lingoda, an on-demand online language school with live instructors and Zoom classrooms, raises $68M
CEO Michael Shangkuan said the funding will be used both to continue enhancing its tech platform — with more tools for teachers and asynchronous supplementary material — and to widen its footprint in markets further afield such as the U.S.
57 Millionen Euro für Berliner Online-Sprachschule Lingoda
Zu einer ambitionierten Bewertung holt sich das acht Jahre alte Startup einen bekannten Investor an Bord. Zuletzt profitierte Lingoda stark von der Corona-Krise.
Enthusiastic, qualified instructors and solid teaching materials make these classes shine.
Lingoda’s classes are a wonderful addition to any adult language learning path you may be on and is a PCMag Editors’ Choice winner for language learning—if you want to study one of the languages it offers.
Take a $1,300, 90-day online language course from Lingoda for free
Lingoda has an incentive to help you complete an online language course — a $1,300 incentive, to be specific. If you successfully complete a 90-day Lingoda Sprint, Lingoda will refund you the entire cost of the course, up to $1,300.
Denn im Lockdown buchten viele Menschen lange aufgeschobene Kurse online. Aber trägt der Boom bis in die Post-Corona-Ära?
Als die Coronapandemie vor einem Jahr auch Deutschland erreichte und die Bundesregierung erste Schließungen verhängte, stellten sich Fabian und Felix Wunderlich, Gründer der Sprachschule Lingoda, auf das Schlimmste ein: „Wir waren sehr unsicher, fragten uns, wie sich die Krise auf unsere Buchungen auswirken würden“, erzählt Fabian Wunderlich.
Boom bei Online-Kursen: Warum jetzt so viele Deutsche eine Sprache lernen
Viele nutzen die Zeit im Lockdown, um neue Ziele zu erreichen, dazu gehört eben auch, eine neue Sprache zu lernen. Sei es, weil man ins Ausland ziehen möchte, weil es für die Karriere Sinn ergibt oder einfach nur, um eine neue Fähigkeit zu erlernen.
Meet The Disruptors: Michael Shangkuan of ‘Lingoda GmbH’
Mike has lived in six countries across four continents. Less known, he is a former natural bodybuilder and competed at several international competitions. He is a graduate of Yale University and he holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Sprachen lernen und Gutes tun: Wie Lingoda Menschen in Not helfen will
Die Idee: Durch eine gemeinsame Herausforderung werden Familie, Freunde und Kollegen zum gemeinsamen Lernen animiert. Dank des vollständig digitalen und flexiblen Ablaufs spielen Faktoren wie Zeit und Ort plötzlich keine Rolle mehr.
Want to speak German? How to overcome the challenges holding you back
Of all the challenges that can come with being an expat, learning the language can be the most frustrating – and we don’t just mean the difficulties of dealing with der, die and das.
Learn German with Lingoda
The Language Marathon is all about building habits that will lead to real results. This isn’t just a marketing ploy, it really works! If you can commit to a 3, 6 or 12-month online course, you’ll see significant progress without life getting in the way of learning.
We are a Bona Fide Language School, reveals Michael Shangkuan CEO at Lingoda
At Lingoda, we offer online, live language classes available 24/7 in English, Business English, German, Spanish, and French with over 1,000 qualified, native-speaking teachers.
Why should you learn a language online during a global pandemic?
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of insecurity for everyone, especially around work. Lingoda, the number one trusted online language school, explains why, now more than ever, learning a language could help you open new doors.
10 European language learning startups
Based in Berlin, Lingoda is a replacement of the traditional classroom. As an online language school, it offers English, Spanish, German and French courses with native speakers. Users are able to choose between one-to-one or group classes and get instant access to Lingoda’s digital curriculum.
How much Americans would pay to ‘be good in bed’
A study conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Lingoda.com looked into the dreams and desires of 2,000 Americans and found that the average respondent is willing to part ways with $5,694.20 to instantly be able to speak a foreign language.
Linkedin benennt die 25 „gefragtesten Startups”
Die Auswahl der Top 25 folge dem Verhalten von mehr als 575 Millionen Linkedin-Mitgliedern in vier Bereichen, heißt es von Linkedin.
Quick Facts
2013
Lingoda Founded
80k+
Students served
1500+
Qualified, native speaking teachers
24/7
Class Availability
550k
Classes per year
4
Languages taught
Executive team
Michael Shangkuan, CEO
Mike Shangkuan is an EdTech entrepreneur, fitness fanatic,and polyglot, speaking six languages – English, German, Spanish, French, Chinese and Japanese. As a pioneer in language learning, he is the CEO of Lingoda GmbH, one of Europe’s leading online language schools, where he is in charge of the company’s strategy and daily business. Previously, he held the position of CEO of Terra Education, a B-corp offering life-changing service learning summer programs to teens in Africa, South America, and Asia. Mike has lived in six countries across four continents. He is also a former natural bodybuilder and competed at several international competitions. He is a graduate of Yale University and he holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Fabian Wunderlich, CFO / Co-Founder
Fabian founded Lingoda together with his brother Felix. As its CFO, he is responsible for Business Analysis, Strategy, Finance, Accounting, Controlling, and Investor Relations. Born and raised in a family of teachers, Fabian has lived in the US, China, France, the UK, Brazil and, of course, his native Germany. Fabian led Lingoda as CEO in the first 5 years, where it was recognized as Top 10 Language Learning Companies Globally (Crunchbase) and Top 25 Startups in Germany (Linkedin).
Felix Wunderlich, VP Sales & Partnerships / Co-Founder
Felix founded Lingoda together with his brother Fabian. Since the company’s founding in 2013, Felix has managed almost all departments at Lingoda, and he is currently covering the roles of VP Sales & Partnerships and Managing Director. His background is in the offline language school market where he has worked as a Department Head for one of the leading chains of offline language schools in Europe.
Stefan Ludwig, VP of Engineering
As VP of Engineering, Stefan is responsible for Lingoda’s technological backbone. He leads and guides a remote team of engineers in their mission in building a superior platform for Lingoda’s students and teachers to connect across the world. He has been with Lingoda since the company’s founding in 2013, where he has thrived in his passion for experimenting with new technologies. Stefan studied Computer Science with Economics (Wirtschaftsinformatik) at the Technical University of Darmstadt.
Stephen Yang, VP Product
Stephen is a Taiwanese American who moved to Berlin at the beginning of 2017. As the VP of Product at Lingoda, Stephen is responsible for driving the product strategy to help make our vision of empowering anybody to master a language a reality. Before joining Lingoda, he held positions in the EdTech industry at Skillshare and Mobility space at Omio and Circ. He is a graduate of Columbia University where he studied Environmental Engineering and was on the varsity swim team.
Serena De Maio, Chief Growth Officer
As Chief Growth Officer of Lingoda, Serena is responsible for the strategy and planning of the Sales & Marketing departments across all markets. Prior to joining Lingoda, Serena gained 15 years of experience in beauty, fashion, food, retail and the entertainment industry. She has held several senior management positions in the marketing and sales departments of multinational corporations, such as Procter & Gamble, where she led the commercial and marketing strategy of 40 European markets and founded three startups in the fashion, food design and management training industry. Italian by birth and Swiss by adoption, Serena studied general management and marketing in France and taught marketing strategies to MBA students in leading European universities for several years. Fluent in Italian, English, French and Spanish, she sometimes mixes up several languages in one sentence.
Erik Heilert, Head of Operations
As Head of Operations, Erik is in charge of Lingoda’s teacher acquisition and support, as well as student support and operational efficiency. Having spent more than 15 years outside of his native Sweden, he has collected extensive international know-how in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry working with market leaders in hospitality, automotive, technology and fashion. Leading international teams of more than 50 nationalities across national borders made him an avid proponent of cultural diversity and cross-cultural communication and a wholehearted opponent of unnecessary bureaucracy. Now based in Berlin, his favorite German phrase is “Sind wir schon da?”
Jennifer Schoepe, Head of People & Culture
Jenni is Lingoda’s Head of People & Culture: she is responsible for all HR-related aspects of the company, such as HR strategy and planning, recruiting, culture & development, and the management of specific resources such as HR Business Partners. Truly passionate about all people-related topics, Jenni gained several years of experience in the HR departments of other startups such as Urban Sports, where she held the role of Head of HR, and large European digital companies such as Zalando and Booking.com. To develop her international experience, she also worked for three years in HR in Canada; before that she graduated from Business Administration in Berlin. Outside of work, she enjoys good food and devoting her time to crafts.
Media assets
Please find here all our logos (different sizes and formats in a zip file).
Please find here our guidelines.
Please find here the pictures of our platform.
Please find here the pictures/pdf presentations of our learning materials.
ABOUT LINGODA
Lingoda is one of the top online language schools. Founded in Berlin, Germany in 2013, we provide convenient and accessible online language courses in German, English, Business English, Spanish and French to over 80,000 students worldwide. Our private and small group classes are taught by over 1,500 qualified, native-speaking teachers. With almost 550,000 classes available per year and accessible 24/7, our mission is to empower even the busiest people to master a language and unlock their potential — at any time, from anywhere.
We believe in a communicative approach to language learning: mastering a language means being able to speak it with confidence. Our CEFR-focused learning materials are designed by linguistic experts and focus on meaningful topics that are applicable to our students’ interests, careers and everyday lives. Thanks to our extensive rotating roster of teachers and our small group classes, students are exposed to a variety of regional accents and expressions within the same language and have the opportunity to practise speaking in every lesson.
Our diverse team includes over 200 international professionals from 30 countries speaking 40 languages. In 2021, Crunchbase listed Lingoda among the top 3 language learning companies globally. We have a score of 4.5 on Trustpilot and 75% of our reviews are rated as ‘excellent’ because we offer a high-quality and authentic learning experience that helps students achieve their learning goals and transform their lives. Visit www.lingoda.com to find out more.
MEDIA INQUIRIES
Susanne Börensen
International PR Manager
susanne.boerensen@lingoda.com
press@lingoda.com
Awards & accolades
2021 – The Europas Awards
Lingoda was named Hottest EdTech Startup in The Europas Awards.
2021 – The EdTech Awards
Lingoda won The EdTech Cool Tool Award for Best Language Learning Solution.
2021 – The EdTech Breakthrough Awards
Lingoda was named Overall Language Learning Company of the Year in The EdTech Breakthrough Awards.
2021 – Crunchbase
Lingoda ranks among the top #3 language learning companies globally and the top #10 Berlin-based companies with up to 250 employees.
2020 – The Europas Awards
Lingoda was a finalist in the Hottest EdTech Startup category in The Europas Awards.
2018 – LinkedIn Top Startups
Lingoda was named among the 25 most sought-after startups in Germany.
2021 – The Europas Awards
Lingoda was named Hottest EdTech Startup in The Europas Awards.
2021 – The EdTech Awards
Lingoda won The EdTech Cool Tool Award for Best Language Learning Solution.
2021 – The EdTech Breakthrough Awards
Lingoda was named Overall Language Learning Company of the Year in The EdTech Breakthrough Awards.
2021 – Crunchbase
Lingoda ranks among the top #3 language learning companies globally and the top #10 Berlin-based companies with up to 250 employees.
2020 – The Europas Awards
Lingoda was a finalist in the Hottest EdTech Startup category in The Europas Awards.
2018 – LinkedIn Top Startups
Lingoda was named among the 25 most sought-after startups in Germany.
Get in touch
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