Duolingo has snapped up London animation studio Anibuilt, a move designed to supercharge the creative muscle behind its wildly popular language learning app.
The Pittsburgh-based company confirmed the acquisition this week, though financial terms stayed under wraps. Anibuilt, founded in 2010, built its name on expressive motion systems, character animation, and product storytelling for heavyweights like Dropbox and LEGO.
The studio’s entire team now folds into Duolingo’s in-house design operation. They will tackle product innovation, growth experiments, and fresh creative initiatives across the business. The deal also plants a bigger flag for Duolingo in the UK, extending its talent reach beyond American borders.
Mig Reyes, Duolingo’s Head of Design, framed motion design as essential to how learners understand, enjoy, and return to the platform daily. “Anibuilt has built a reputation for exceptional creative craft,” he said. “Bringing their team into Duolingo is an investment in the people and capabilities that will help us build even better learning experiences.”
Jen Judd, Anibuilt’s co-founder, echoed that enthusiasm. She described the studio’s mission as sharing joy through thoughtful design and animation. “We’ve always believed it’s the thoughtful moments that leave a lasting impression,” Judd said. “Great design and bringing personality into every pixel can make technology feel more human.”
The acquisition lands just days after Duolingo posted second-quarter revenue of €258.95 million, an 18.35% year-over-year jump. Daily active users climbed 23% to 58.7 million.
Meanwhile, Duolingo framed the deal as a bet on human creativity even as artificial intelligence reshapes software development. The company argued that exceptional creative talent remains a critical differentiator, one that keeps millions of learners motivated through intuitive, delightful experiences.
