Clapingo, an on-demand English tutoring platform where young working professionals can practice conversations live with various tutors across the country, recently raised an undisclosed amount as part of its Pre-Series in equity investment from prominent investors, including Biswa Kalyan Rath (Comedian and Writer), Sandeep Aggarwal (Droom and Shopclues), Appurv Gupta (Comedian and Satirist), and Foundership HQ.
Co-founded in 2021 by Sameer Agrawal and Abhishek KG, Clapingo stands out with its unique vision to transform a potential demographic disaster into a demographic dividend. The platform offers innovative and personalized English tutoring, empowering individuals to enhance their communication skills for more excellent professional and personal success on the world stage. With Clapingo’s peer-led and tutor-led models, students can interact and practice with one another while utilizing an AI teaching assistant. Learners can access limitless one-on-one practice sessions for a monthly fee of just 999 rupees, making it an affordable and effective solution for English fluency.
Speaking about the company, Sameer Agrawal and Abhishek KG, Co-founders of Clapingo, said:
At Clapingo, we aim to boost India’s growth by making English fluency accessible to all. With 30% of Indians struggling with broken English, a significant cause of unemployment, and 95% of employers prioritizing strong communication skills, fluent speakers earn 34% more. Our struggle as top engineering students unable to secure MNC jobs due to poor communication skills inspired Clapingo’s creation. We aspire to be the household name for English fluency, believing 1:1 human interactions are key. We are grateful for investor support, marking a significant milestone in our journey.
The startup’s mission addresses a critical need: only 2% of Indians speak fluent English, while 30% manage with ‘broken English,’ and 97% of Indian engineers lack the necessary English skills for high-end jobs. With a Total Addressable Market (TAM) of $45 billion, Clapingo aims to seize this vast opportunity by empowering individuals to enhance their communication skills and boost their confidence.
Commenting on the fundraising, Biswa Kalyan Rath, Investor and Stand-up Comedian, stated:
During college, I struggled with English and felt self-conscious. Enhancing my fluency through interactions with native speakers was pivotal for my career, and I am immensely grateful for it. Investing in Clapingo is my way of supporting others who face similar challenges. I am excited to see Sameer and Abhishek scale Clapingo, empowering more people to speak English confidently.
Clapingo is currently active in India and the Middle East and plans to expand into Southeast Asia. Additionally, the platform intends to advance its product and improve the accuracy of its AI in the near future. Its growth trajectory is impressive: the company achieved approximately 1.5 crores in revenue in 2021, 8 crores in 2022, and 14 crores in 2023. This year, the organization has set an ambitious revenue target of 80 crores, demonstrating its dedication to rapid expansion and a more significant impact.
With this significant funding, Clapingo is strategically poised to enhance its product, particularly by developing the fluency report system on the platform, ensuring customers receive prompt and precise feedback. The funds will also be channelled into marketing efforts to attract more users and significantly expand the user base, driving Clapingo’s growth and impact in the market. This demonstrates the platform’s potential to attract more investors and accelerate its expansion.
