Duolingo Acquires London Animation Studio Animade to Boost Creative Capabilities
Duolingo is the Pittsburgh-based language learning platform, has acquired Animade, a London-based animation and motion design studio. Animade is well known for its work in brand storytelling, interactive experiences, product design, and character animation.
The acquisition will strengthen Duolingo’s in-house design studio and enhance its creative capabilities. This will help the company create more engaging and interactive experiences for its users.
The companies have not revealed the financial details of the deal.
“Great products aren’t defined only by what they do, but by how they make people feel. Motion design has become a core part of how we help learners understand, enjoy, and return to Duolingo every day. Animade has built a reputation for exceptional creative craft, and bringing their team into Duolingo is an investment in the people and capabilities that will help us build even better learning experiences,” said Mig Reyes, Head of Design at Duolingo
“Since day one, Animade has been on a mission to share joy through thoughtful design and animation. I can’t think of a more exciting place to continue that mission than at Duolingo,” said Jen Judd, co-founder of Animade.
“We’ve always believed it’s the thoughtful moments that leave a lasting impression, and that great design and bringing personality into every pixel can make technology feel more human. We’re thrilled to join a company that shares our passion for creativity, craft, and building products that genuinely bring people joy,” she added.
Duolingo is best known for its language-learning app and has become one of the world’s most popular language-learning platforms. It is also the highest-earning education app on both Google Play and the Apple App Store. Its interactive lessons, daily streaks, and friend challenges make learning more fun and engaging.
The acquisition comes shortly after Duolingo announced its second-quarter 2026 results. The company reported revenue of €258.95 million ($298.45 million), an 18.35% increase compared with the previous year. Duolingo also reached 58.7 million users, with daily active users growing by 23% year over year.
The deal is part of Duolingo’s plan to strengthen its creative team as it competes with the growing number of AI-powered education platforms.
Duolingo also sees the acquisition as a way to invest in human creativity while AI is changing how software is developed. The company believes that strong creative talent is still important for building simple, enjoyable, and engaging products that keep millions of learners motivated.