Open English, the leading English-learning platform in Latin America and the US Hispanic markets, has announced the acquisition of enguru, India’s leading mobile language-learning platform.
After establishing a strong foothold in the Americas with 24/7 live classes taught by native-speaking teachers and over 1.5 million students served, Open English successfully expanded into Spain and Turkey, and now hopes to replicate this success in one of the world’s largest English-learning markets.
With this acquisition, Open English and enguru target an emerging middle-class consumer who’s hungry for high-quality and affordable solutions accessible from wherever they are. To that end, Open English plans to combine their own best practices with enguru’s local expertise to capture a significant share of the English-learning market in India.
As a part of the deal, enguru will continue operating under the same name, both companies will benefit from leveraging the other’s experience, ultimately providing a better student experience throughout the Indian market.
Founded by Andrés Moreno, Open English provides live, online learning solutions for businesses, adults and children, as well as complementary digital skills training programs. The platform democratizes access to high quality English learning and opens doors to economic and social opportunities. The company is disrupting the brick-and-mortar language-learning market with a proprietary technology platform that offers unlimited, 24/7 access to live classes with native-speaking teachers.
Headquartered in Miami, FL, with offices in Mexico City, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Istanbul, and São Paulo, Open English leverages technology to enable access to the highest-quality human instruction anytime, anywhere. It claims to have enrolled 1.5 million students to date.
Commenting on the acquisition, Founder, Chairman & CEO of Open English, Andrés Moreno, said:
“We’re convinced that enguru’s mobile-first learning platform offers the best solution for Indian consumers through its combination of live interactive classes, self-paced lessons and gamified learning activities. Their emphasis on live classes as the center of the student experience syncs perfectly with Open English’s mission and belief that live instruction is the best and most effective way for students to learn English.”
enguru, co-founded by Arshan Vakil, Tahem Veer Verma and Udit Hinduja in 2015, offers live English classes for young adults and children through their Android apps. The Bengaluru-based startup’s mission is to ensure that access to English language training does not become an impediment to career opportunities. With over 16 million downloads and average monthly use of over 10 hours per paid student, the platform strives to help young adults improve their fluency and confidence through live classes and gamified learning activities.
Due to India’s multitude of spoken dialects, English has become one of the most commonly used languages in the workplace and a prerequisite to work in India’s fast-growing services sector. Additionally, the number of Internet users in India is expected to reach 900 million by 2025, providing a unique opportunity for the EdTech market, which is projected to reach USD $10.4 billion by 20251. This blend of growing internet penetration and a strong demand for English-learning, has created an optimal environment for Open English’s acquisition of enguru, a platform that’s reached over 16 million downloads across India.
Last year in August, enguru had raised an undisclosed amount in pre-Series A round from institutional and individual investors including Potencia Ventures, Bisk Ventures, LetsVenture, Ronnie Screwvala and Arihant Patni.
