Lingokids
Lingokids (formerly Monkimun) is a Spanish educational technology company based in Madrid, Spain, founded in 2014 by Cristobal Viedma and Marieta Viedma. The company operates a children's learning app designed for children aged 2 to 8, using a proprietary methodology called Playlearning that blends play with structured curriculum development. As of 2026 the platform is trusted by over 200 million families in more than 190 countries, with more than 20 million children engaging with the app each month.
Origins
Cristobal Viedma studied computer science at the Polytechnic University of Madrid before going on to the Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship and KTH Royal Institute of Technology. He and his sister Marieta Viedma founded the company in San Francisco in 2014 under the name Monkimun, after identifying a shortage of quality digital content for young language learners. The app launched on 17 February 2016, built in partnership with Oxford University Press from the start. OUP's Head of Channels and Partnerships described the platform's ability to balance a structured curriculum with a genuinely fun environment as what set it apart from competitors.
Within a year of launch the app had reached two million registered families. In June 2017 the company raised $4 million in a seed round led by Holtzbrinck Ventures and JME Venture Capital, with Bessemer Venture Partners also participating. TechCrunch and EdSurge both covered the round independently, noting the Oxford University Press partnership as a key differentiator in a crowded market.
Growth (2018–2021)
In October 2018 TechCrunch reported a further $6 million Series A led again by Holtzbrinck Ventures, with Reach Capital, Gwynne Shotwell (President and COO of SpaceX) and several others joining as new investors. The round also included a €1.3 million grant from the EU's Horizon 2020 programme, bringing total funding past $11 million.
In September 2018 EnlightED, an international education technology organisation, selected Lingokids as one of the top 10 edtech startups in the world from over 600 across 40 countries. The recognition came at South Summit 2018 in Madrid.
In January 2019, Guillermo García Carsí, creator of the animated series Pocoyó, joined as Creative Director and redesigned the app's characters. In October 2020 Ravensburger Group led a $10 million round. During the COVID-19 pandemic Lingokids donated over 30,000 app licenses to schools and NGOs and partnered with UNICEF to provide free access codes to families in Latin America. Silicon Canals and EdSurge both covered the fundraise independently.
In June 2021 the company raised $40 million in a Series C led by GP Bullhound, with HV Capital and Ravensburger participating, bringing total funding to $65 million. The company reached EBITDA positive in 2020, an unusual achievement for a consumer app of its scale.
In 2022 Viva Technology included Lingokids in its annual ranking of the 100 next unicorn companies globally. That same year the platform grew by 50 percent, adding 20 million new families. It also launched its first physical product, a board game developed with Ravensburger, and became available as an Alexa skill through Amazon Kids.
Series D and current operations
In September 2025 Lingokids closed a $120 million Series D led by Bullhound Capital and General Catalyst's Customer Value Fund, with Nextalia Ventures among the participants. The round combined equity and go-to-market investment, bringing total funding to over $186 million. Kidscreen, the leading international trade publication for children's media, covered the raise independently and described Lingokids as the leading interactive app for kids in its segment.
Product
The app offers over 3,000 interactive activities, games, songs, videos and shows covering English, mathematics, literacy, science, STEM and social-emotional learning. Content adjusts to each child's pace through adaptive learning technology. It runs on iOS, Android, Amazon Fire Tablets and Huawei devices, is COPPA-compliant and carries no advertising.
Beyond its own original characters, the platform features content developed in partnership with Oxford University Press, NASA, BBC Earth, Disney and Moonbug Entertainment (whose Blippi character has one of the largest audiences on YouTube among young children). The company's Educational Advisory Board includes academics from the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Kansas and Northwestern University.
In June 2025 the company partnered with Animaj to bring Pocoyó content and exclusive games into the app.
In 2023 the company added a neurodiverse education section covering Autism Spectrum Conditions, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia. Alongside the app, Lingokids operates Lingokids Studios, Lingokids Podcasts and Lingokids Music Publishing. Its podcast series had accumulated over 3 million downloads globally by 2022.
In January 2026 Lingokids launched a Career Lessons series developed in collaboration with NASA STEM education resources, timed to coincide with the Artemis II mission.
Partnerships and social impact
The company has maintained partnerships with UNICEF, Save the Children, UNHCR, the Red Cross, the Pies Descalzos Foundation in Colombia, and the Queen Rania Foundation in Jordan. Corporate partners have included Oxford University Press, NASA, BBC Earth, Disney, Moonbug Entertainment, American Airlines, Spotify, Vodafone and T-Mobile.
Recognition
Lingokids has received over 30 industry awards. A selection:
- Selected as one of the top 10 edtech startups in the world by EnlightED at South Summit, Madrid (2018)
- Best Original Learning App at the Kidscreen Awards, two consecutive years (2022 and 2023)
- Language Learning App of the Year, EdTech Breakthrough Awards (2023)
- Named one of TIME Magazine's World's Best EdTech Companies (2024), selected from over 7,000 companies assessed by Statista
- Good Housekeeping Best Engaging Educational App (2023 and 2024)
- National Parenting Product Award (NAPPA) for Best Safe Learning App (2023 and 2024)
- Mom's Choice Awards Gold Level (2024 and 2025)
- Sensical SELECTION seal from Common Sense Media
- kidSAFE COPPA certification