EBRD invests US$ 20 million in Ukrainian-founded learning marketplace leader, Preply

• EBRD invests $20 million in Ukrainian online language learning platform
• Equity investment will help company develop technology, scale operations worldwide
• Project promotes resilience by supporting a Ukrainian business affected by the war

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is investing US$ 20 million in Preply, a Ukrainian education technology company and global marketplace for online language learning. This transaction underscores the EBRD’s commitment to supporting innovation in Ukraine’s private sector despite the full-scale war Russia launched there in 2022.

Preply, which connects learners and tutors across more than 90 languages, has grown rapidly in recent years and now serves millions of learners, with over 100,000 bookable tutors globally. The EBRD’s investment is part of a larger round that will enable Preply to accelerate research and development activities in Ukraine, including AI-driven innovations to enhance personalised learning experiences.

By providing equity financing in Ukraine, where the private equity market shows almost no activity given lack of interest from both domestic and international investors, the equity investment extends the Bank’s support to the country by helping preserve Ukraine’s position as a hub for technology talent. The investment also contributes to the resilience of financial markets by increasing private equity penetration.

“By backing Preply, the EBRD is reinforcing Ukraine’s innovation ecosystem, supporting high-value job creation, and enabling a home-grown technology leader to compete globally,” said Holger Muent, EBRD Director for Telecommunications, Media and Technology.

“This investment will help us to continue to innovate at the intersection of human tutoring and AI, creating opportunities to develop cutting-edge technology in Ukraine, and to help people everywhere to connect, belong, succeed, and ultimately to progress in their lives, no matter where they are in the world.”

The EBRD is Ukraine’s largest institutional investor. Since the Russian invasion in 2022, the Bank has significantly increased its investment volumes, deploying more than €8.5 billion in the country to support energy security, vital infrastructure, food security, trade and the private sector.