Edtech startup LingoAce raises US$6m led by Sequoia India

CHINESE language learning platform LingoAce has raised US$6 million in a Series A+ round led by Sequoia India, the startup announced in a press statement on Monday.

Shunwei Capital joined the round as a returning investor. It had previously invested US$7 million in Series A capital into LingoAce in June.

LingoAce will use the fresh funding to accelerate its expansion in South-east Asia, as well as to build its technology capabilities and recruit talent. The Singapore-headquartered startup has offices in Beijing and Wuhan, as well as in Los Angeles. It plans to expand to Jakarta and Bangkok.

Founded in 2017, it has a team of in-house curriculum specialists who tailor globally-accredited syllabus in line with China and Singapore's education ministries. It has more than 2,000 certified teachers and 420 employees globally.

LingoAce's platform features multimedia and gamification features and artificial intelligence-powered tools. It claims to have delivered lessons to more than 100,000 registered students across 80 countries.

Hugh Yao, founder and chief executive of LingoAce, said: "These funds come at an opportune time as we expand to meet rising demand in the region amidst the current pandemic.

"We see tremendous opportunities to continue developing our online Chinese learning platform as well as growing our footprint, while streamlining our growth and setting up our additional education research centre in Singapore."