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Voxy

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Voxy
Company typePrivate
IndustryE-Learning
Founded2010
HeadquartersNew York, NY
Key people
Paul Gollash, Founder & CEO

Gregg Carey, Co-founder

Katharine Nielson, PhD., Chief Education Officer
Websitewww.voxy.com

Voxy is a web-based English eLearning company providing institutions with an adaptive, dynamic curriculum and personalized instruction.[1][2][3] Voxy has three million users in more than 20 countries, and has been rated the #1 education app in 23 countries.[4] Voxy was founded in February 2010 by Gregg Carey and Paul Gollash. The company is headquartered in NoHo, New York City, and also has an office in São Paulo, Brazil.[1][5][6][7]

History

Voxy officially launched at TechCrunch Disrupt 2010 in San Francisco.[1] The executive chairman of the Voxy board is Timothy Murray.[8] PhD linguist Katharine B. Nielson is the chief education officer.[9][10][11] In 2014, after receiving increased interest in the Voxy platform from several universities, Voxy expanded its offerings to corporations and educational institutions. Voxy software is used by universities, language institutes, and corporations in countries including Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, the United States and Spain.[12]

In 2013, Voxy partnered with Pearson PLC to expand to more countries including China.[4][13][14] The company developed an online English course for Internet multinational Terra Networks.[15]

Voxy’s biggest market is Brazil.[12] Prior to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Voxy distributed its English language-learning platform to 40,000 affiliates of the car service 99Taxis.[16][17]

In 2014, Voxy announced a partnership with Brothers For All, a South African nonprofit dedicated to providing educational support to ex-inmates of the South African prison system and at-risk youth.[18] Voxy donated free software licenses to the new Brothers For All study center in Langa, South Africa, giving students in an underserved community full access to Voxy’s platform and credits to enroll in live group classes.

In December 2015, Voxy received a patent for its customized keyword extraction process for second language learning.[19]

Product

Voxy is built on the principles of task-based language learning, and tailors every single course based on learners’ daily performance, proficiency levels, personal goals, and interests.[14][20] The Voxy curriculum uses authentic content that is relevant to learners, including up-to-date news articles from leading publishers, English songs, videos of people accomplishing daily tasks, and audio recordings of real-life situations.[1][2]

Voxy delivers a fully integrated web and mobile platform that syncs across all of a user’s devices.[12][21][22] The platform includes live in-product instruction through one-on-one tutoring sessions and group classes with certified teachers who provide real-time feedback.[23] Voxy also offers advanced reporting, dashboard visualization, and performance analytics to keep track of how learners are doing. To assess proficiency level at the beginning of the program, Voxy uses its own proprietary test, the Voxy Proficiency Assessment™ (VPA™). Learners can retake the VPA™ every three months to measure their improvement, and courses will automatically adapt to updated proficiency levels.

Voxy has pioneered numerous innovations in contextual learning, including the use of natural language processing tools and geo-location.

Funding

In its Series A round, Voxy received $4.1 million in funding from investors including Weld North, New York City Investment Fund (NYCIF), Seavest Inc., Contour Venture Partners, and ff Venture Capital.[6][12]

Voxy received $2.3 million in funding from return investors including ff Venture Capital, Contour Venture Partners, and Seavest Capital Partners in a Series A-2 round in 2012.[24]

In 2013, Voxy received $8.5 million from Pearson in a Series B with participation from Rethink Education.[1][14]

Awards and recognition

Business Insider named Voxy one of the 10 best U.S. technology companies to work for in 2012,[25] and Internet Week New York named Voxy one of the top 30 places to work in the New York City tech industry in 2014.[26]

In 2015, Voxy was recognized as an Academics' Choice Award Winner for "Smart Media."[27]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Matthew Lynley (September 28, 2010). "Voxy teaches languages through news and text messages". Venture Beat. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Elaine Rita Mendus (September 24, 2012). "Voxy Music turns songs into English lessons". Maswired. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  3. ^ "5 Startups Transforming Online Education". Mashable. July 27, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  4. ^ a b Christina Farr (August 2, 2013). "Voxy gets $8.5M for its English-language learning apps". Venture Beat. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  5. ^ "Company Overview of Voxy, Inc". bloomberg.com. Bloomberg LP. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  6. ^ a b Huhman, Heather (21 February 2012). "The Hottest 10 Startups To Watch In NYC This Year". businessinsider.com. Business Insider Inc. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  7. ^ "Voxy". crunchbase.com. AOL Inc. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  8. ^ "Timothy Murray Joins Voxy's Board of Directors as Executive Chairman". PR Newswire. May 24, 2016.
  9. ^ Nielson, Katharine (8 May 2014). "Three Surprising Ways to Use Technology to Learn a Language". forbes.com. Forbes, Inc. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  10. ^ Lopate, Leonard (27 June 2014). "Some Tips on How To Learn a Foreign Language". wnyc.org. New York Public Radio. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  11. ^ Nielson, Katharine (12 June 2013). "Online Language Learning in the Workplace: Maximizing Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Timeon-Task" (PDF). icelw.org. The International Conference on E-Learning in the Workplace. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  12. ^ a b c d Paul Gladder (July 16, 2012). "Interview: Language Learning Startup Voxy Focusing On Growth In Brazil, Latin America". Wired Academic. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  13. ^ Mott, Nathaniel (2 August 2013). "Voxy is a different English teacher for the new global economy". pando.com. Pando Daily. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  14. ^ a b c Ki Mae Heussner (August 3, 2013). "Language learning heats up: Voxy gets $8.5M to help the world learn English". Gigaom. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  15. ^ "Terra lança cursos de inglês personalizados em parceria com a Voxy.com". Noticias.terra.com.br. 2 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  16. ^ Zax, David (20 May 2014). "Ahead of the World Cup, Voxy Rolls Out English Language Learning for Brazilian Cabbies". fastcompany.com. Mansueto Ventures, LLC. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  17. ^ Feltman, Rachel (16 May 2014). "A language app is getting Brazil's taxi drivers in shape for the World Cup". qz.com. Atlantic Media. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  18. ^ Voxy (December 10, 2014). "Voxy Partners With Brothers For All In Helping Ex-Inmates Prepare For Digital World" (PDF). Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  19. ^ "Voxy Patents Innovative Approach to Second Language Learning". PR Newswire. 22 December 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  20. ^ Hyder, Shama (8 September 2014). "15 Tech Companies Taking NYC By Storm". forbes.com. Forbes Inc. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  21. ^ "Mobile app Voxy helps Latinos learn English". Maswired. August 1, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  22. ^ "Startups Aim to Bring Education Industry Into 21st Century". Fox Business. January 5, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  23. ^ "Immigrants Must Learn English Fast". Huffington Post. November 23, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  24. ^ "Language Learning Startup Voxy Raises a $4 M. Round from ff Venture Capital, Contour, and Seavest". Beta Beat. March 26, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  25. ^ Heather R. Huhman (March 17, 2012). "The 10 Best US Tech Companies To Work For In 2012". Business Insider. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  26. ^ Jenny Chang, Mark McArthur (October 17, 2014). "Internet Week Unveils Its First-Ever List Of 30 Best Places To Work In New York City Tech Industry". Internet Week. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  27. ^ "Voxy". Academics' Choice. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
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