Language-Learning App Babbel Hits One Million Customers
Market leader for online language learning reaches one million active paying customers
Fast Company Magazine names Babbel as the most innovative education company worldwide and 48th most innovative company overall
Arne Schepker (CMO) and Martin Kütter (COO) round out management team
In 2007, Babbel set out to make language learning easy and accessible to everyone. One million paying customers later, the Berlin-based startup is one step closer to this goal. For a company operating a premium-only, subscription-based business model, such a milestone is certainly worthy of celebration.
Although Babbel recently published a large-scale survey into the motivations and learning habits of its users, this news marks the first time the company has disclosed such numbers.
Further cause for celebration comes in the form of a Fast Company feature which names Babbel one of the world’s 50 most innovative companies. Published annually, the index is widely considered to be an international who’s who of disruptive and creative organisations. Babbel also takes the top spot among the publication’s top ten innovative companies in education. The app sets itself apart from other online learning products by encouraging learners to apply their new skills from the very first lesson, quickly enabling them to become conversational in a new language.
“We’re very proud to be positively impacting the lives of so many people,” says Markus Witte, Founder and CEO of Babbel. “And this latest recognition from Fast Company really reinforces the global relevance of online language learning. That said, we’re really just beginning to scratch the surface of what’s possible.”
For Babbel, all signs point to continued product innovation and growth in 2016. The company, already synonymous with online language learning in much of Europe, is now targeting rapid expansion beyond its home markets. In support of this push, Babbel’s management team has been bolstered with world-class talent in the form of Arne Schepker (CMO) and Martin Kütter (COO).
Both new arrivals bring with them considerable experience: Schepker has previously served as VP of Brand Marketing at Zalando, prior to which he led P&G Switzerland’s marketing team. Kütter has more than 17 years of management experience, including spells as COO of Delivery Hero and Telefonica Germany.
About Babbel
Babbel develops and operates an ecosystem of interconnected online language learning experiences and is driven by the purpose of creating mutual understanding through language. This means building products that help people connect and communicate across cultures. The Babbel App, Babbel Live, Babbel Podcasts and Babbel for Business products focus on using a new language in the real world, in real situations, with real people. And it works: Studies by linguists from institutions such as Michigan State University, Yale University and the City University of New York demonstrated the efficacy of Babbel’s language learning methods.
The key is a blend of humanity and technology. Babbel offers more than 60,000 lessons across 15 languages, hand-crafted by nearly 200 didactics experts, with user behaviors continuously analysed to shape and tweak the learner experience. This results in constantly adapting, interactive content with live classes, games, podcasts and videos that make understanding a new language easy, from Spanish to Indonesian.
Because Babbel is for everyone, its team is as diverse as its content. From its headquarters in Berlin and its U.S. office in New York, 1000 people from more than 80 nationalities represent the backgrounds, characteristics and perspectives that make all humans unique. Babbel sold over 15 million subscriptions by creating a true connection with users.
More information: www.babbel.com
