Stimuler’s $3.75 Mn round was led by Lightspeed and SWC Global, with participation from MVP, Rebright Partners, Force Ventures, gradCapital, and Operators Studio.
The startup will use the funding to scale its AI infrastructure, grow its tech team, and expand distribution.
Stimuler provides a voice-first AI tutor to help users enhance their English speaking skills, with users in over 150 countries.
AI-powered edtech platform Stimuler has secured $3.75 million (approximately INR 31.9 crore) in a pre-Series A round led by Lightspeed and Singapore-based SWC Global. The round also saw participation from MVP, Rebright Partners, Force Ventures, gradCapital, and Operators Studio.
The funds will strengthen Stimuler’s in-house AI infrastructure, grow its tech team, and expand distribution efforts.
Founded in 2022 by Akshay Akash, Akshat Baranwal, Ankit Kumar Pandey, and Anesh Srivastav, Stimuler offers a voice-first AI tutor designed to help users improve their English speaking skills. The platform serves users across 150+ countries, with a strong presence in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and India.
In a conversation with Inc42, cofounder Akshay Akash shared that users can interact with Stimuler’s AI tutor, Sara, to get feedback on pronunciation, vocabulary, fluency, and more. The app is designed for users who already understand English and want to improve their skills further.
Stimuler has crossed 4 million app downloads across Android and iOS, with over 45,000 paid users. While some features are free, others require a subscription.
The Bengaluru-based startup plans to use part of the new funding to grow its key focus markets in Latin America, Indonesia, and India. Akash said the goal is to scale distribution in these regions.
While Stimuler may add support for other major languages in the future, its current focus remains on English. The platform competes with global players like Speak.com and Praktika.
GenAI Breathes New Life Into Indian Edtech
Stimuler’s latest fundraising comes amid a gradual revival in India’s edtech sector, which has been navigating a prolonged funding slowdown. The turnaround is primarily driven by the rise of generative AI, also known as GenAI.
Major players like PhysicsWallah, upGrad, and Unacademy are increasingly adopting GenAI to personalize learning paths, recommend tailored content, support educators with teaching strategies, and deploy chatbots to handle student queries.
At the same time, newer startups are entering the space with AI-powered solutions for automating grading, managing student grievances, and resolving queries in real-time.
Last month, WeSkill, an AI-based upskilling platform, raised an undisclosed pre-seed round from high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) and strategic investors, reportedly at a valuation of INR 40 crore. In March, AI-driven admissions platform Ambitio secured $2 Mn in seed funding led by BLinC Invest.
India is home to over 200 GenAI startups, which have raised over $1.2 Bn since 2020. According to Inc42, the domestic GenAI market is projected to reach $17 Bn by 2030.
Read also – Israeli AI Code Optimization Firm Lightrun Secures $70M Funding
