Sylvi raises £350k angel round to scale conversation-first language app

Sylvi, the language learning app focused on conversation, today announces it has successfully closed a £350,000 super angel funding round. The round was led by prominent angel investors Claire Nooriala (ex-VP Snap) and Amir Nooriala (ex-COO OakNorth Bank), alongside Simon Murdoch - who sold language learning community FriendsAbroad to Babbel and serves as Managing Partner of Episode 1 Ventures, with previous angel investments in Shazam and Zoopla, and Solo Investments (the family office of LADbible founder Solly Solomou). This positions Sylvi to accelerate growth of its revolutionary approach to language learning through real conversation practice.

Born from a personal frustration when founder Tom Standen watched his girlfriend Amy struggle to order coffee in Paris despite a 600 day streak on Duolingo, Sylvi is transforming how people learn to speak new languages. The app focuses on addressing the critical gap between studying vocabulary and gaining real-world speaking confidence.

Since launching paid subscriptions in H2 2024, Sylvi has achieved remarkable traction with over £60k in annual recurring revenue. The app maintains strong unit economics with lifetime value exceeding customer acquisition costs, while earning a 4.7/5 App Store rating.

Sylvi's approach centers on the core insight that people don't learn to speak by memorising words - they learn by speaking them. Learning words in context through actual conversation practice is far more effective than memorising random words or sentences in isolation. The app combines AI-powered corrections, translations and explanations with the ability to have real conversations with other learners, friends, and family - the WhatsApp for language learners. Sylvi’s newest feature - personalised lesson plans - positions it at the forefront of the wider industry shift towards personalised education.

The founding team combines technical, commercial and marketing expertise. Tom Standen - who left his role at McKinsey to build Sylvi from scratch himself - leads, with Sam Brown - former consultant - heading up commercial efforts, and Amy Cameron - the original inspiration for the app - leading marketing initiatives.

Unlike traditional language learning apps that optimise for engagement metrics and streaks, Sylvi optimises for confidence and ability to hold conversations in their target language. The app has cultivated a collaborative community where members actively shape the product through feedback and ideas, driving genuine language learning progress rather than superficial gamification.

We back early-stage companies solving meaningful problems with the potential to reshape their category. Sylvi stands out for its mission to build genuine conversation confidence in language learning - a space long dominated by shallow engagement metrics. Tom is a standout founder who built the business with disciplined unit economics from day one. With strong LTV-to-CAC and growing ARR, Sylvi is combining purpose with performance. We (ClaireandAmir.com) are excited to support their journey and are delighted to lead this round.

Claire Valoti, Founding Partner at Haylo Ventures

I've seen both the potential and the pitfalls in language learning technology, having built and sold FriendsAbroad to Babbel. People learn by practicing conversation, not memorising words, and Sylvi’s approach addresses this fundamental challenge I observed in traditional language apps. Tom and his team have built something that truly bridges the gap between study and real-world conversation confidence - exactly the kind of innovation the language learning space needs.

Simon Murdoch, Partner at Episode 1 Ventures

We’re thrilled to be an investor in Sylvi. Sylvi is helping people become conversationally fluent, and they have the ability to build a tribe with their members, not just a user base. We've had the pleasure of getting to know the team, and cannot wait to see the company go from strength to strength.

Sarah Yates, Head of Family Office at Solo Investments

With the support of these incredible angels, we're now positioned to scale our conversation-first approach and help thousands more learners bridge the gap between language study and confident real-world communication.

Tom Standen, Co-founder & CEO

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