From Startup Failure to Educational Innovation
In 2014, Ivan Crewkov moved his family from Siberia to the United States as his startup, Cubic.AI, was preparing to launch a smart speaker on Kickstarter. However, Amazon’s Echo launch a week earlier rendered Cubic.AI unable to compete, leading Crewkov to eventually sell the company. While the experience was a setback, it introduced a new challenge: Crewkov’s daughters, native Russian speakers, needed to learn English in their new environment. This challenge inspired his next venture, Buddy.ai, an AI-powered tutoring platform focused on teaching English as a second language to children.
Crewkov’s observation that traditional online tutoring often relied on scripted responses led him to envision an AI character that could replicate a similar experience, providing interactive lessons and real-time feedback. His eldest daughter became the first test user, and the concept evolved into Buddy.ai—a multimodal, animated conversational tutor designed for children.
The AI Tutor Experience
Buddy.ai combines artificial intelligence with gamified learning to make language acquisition engaging for young learners. The app works as a subscription service, offering interactive lessons that adapt to each child’s skill level. By integrating animation, speech recognition, and conversational AI, Buddy.ai helps children practice English through interactive dialogue, making the learning process both entertaining and educational.
Training the AI presented significant challenges, particularly because it needed to accurately interpret the voices of children learning a new language. Crewkov noted the complexity of supporting diverse accents and language backgrounds, citing examples of a 4-year-old Brazilian child learning English alongside a 4-year-old Arabic-speaking child. To overcome regulatory barriers like the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA) in the U.S., Buddy.ai initially collected data in regions with fewer restrictions, gradually building models capable of recognizing and responding to various linguistic inputs.
Global Reach and Growth
Since its launch, Buddy.ai has grown significantly. The app now approaches 55 million downloads and serves more than 22 million students annually. Beyond individual users, the platform is expanding into schools in countries such as Brazil, allowing educators to incorporate AI-assisted English lessons into classroom settings.
The company recently raised an \$11 million seed round led by BITKRAFT Ventures, with participation from One Way Ventures, J Ventures, and Point72 Ventures. Crewkov emphasized that the funding would be directed toward product development, including hiring a head of game design and a head of UX design to enhance the app’s interactivity and usability.
Gamification and User Engagement
A distinguishing feature of Buddy.ai is its use of gamification. Children interact with the AI as if it were a game, completing challenges, earning rewards, and engaging in playful conversation. This approach significantly increases motivation and retention, as users are not just learning English—they are actively participating in a fun and immersive experience. Crewkov noted that most downloads are driven by children eager to engage with Buddy as a game, demonstrating the effectiveness of combining education with entertainment.
Competition and Market Position
Buddy.ai operates in a growing edtech market where other companies, such as Univerbal and Loora, are also leveraging AI for language learning. However, Buddy.ai’s focus on children learning English as a second language helps it stand out. By offering a product that is both age-appropriate and linguistically adaptive, the company addresses a critical gap in the market: providing consistent, high-quality English practice for young learners where human tutors are limited.
Crewkov believes that AI tutors will complement traditional education, enabling children to practice daily and reinforcing lessons provided by human teachers. The hybrid approach aims to maximize learning outcomes by combining the scalability of AI with the guidance of educators.
Future Plans and Expansion
Looking ahead, Buddy.ai plans to expand its language offerings beyond English and strengthen its partnerships with schools worldwide. The company is also committed to further improving the AI’s capabilities, focusing on understanding nuances in children’s speech and enhancing interactivity through advanced gamified experiences.
With the infusion of seed funding, Buddy.ai aims to accelerate development, refine its educational models, and continue scaling its reach. The company envisions a future where AI tutors provide consistent, accessible, and engaging language learning for children globally, helping bridge gaps in education and addressing the shortage of available teachers.
Conclusion
Buddy.ai demonstrates how AI and gamification can transform education by providing children with personalized, interactive, and engaging language learning experiences. By combining advanced voice recognition, adaptive AI, and game-like interactions, the platform is not only helping children learn English effectively but also reshaping the way educational technology can support teachers and learners worldwide.
