The Venture
Praktika is an immersive language-learning platform that utilizes generative AI avatars to provide personalized, one-on-one tutoring experiences. The company’s original value proposition is to offer the high quality of a private human tutor with the 24/7 convenience and affordability of a mobile app. By simulating natural “human-to-human” interactions, including varied accents, emotional nuance, and real-time feedback, Praktika aims to bridge the gap between traditional language learning and real-world fluency.
The platform currently supports nine languages and has achieved significant market traction, attracting over 20 million users and nearly $20 million in annual revenue.
The Entrepreneur
Adam Turaev is an entrepreneur who studied both Business Administration and Machine Learning at the Higher School of Economics. His early career in brand management and digital analytics at global firms like Bosch and Sanofi provided a foundation in professional operations and data-driven strategy. Prior to founding Praktika, he co-founded Cleverbots, a conversational AI company that reached over $2 million in annual recurring income.
Turaev’s motivation is rooted in his personal experience as an immigrant who had to navigate several new countries and languages to unlock career opportunities. This personal experience provided him with a unique insight into the perspective of his target learners, driving his vision to transform language education for, in his own words, “the next billion students.”
The Players
Turaev founded Praktika with Anton Marin (CTO) and Ilya Chernyakov (CPO), both of whom were key leaders at Cleverbots. This history of successful collaboration is a significant indicator of team stability and shared vision. Marin in particular brings strong technical credentials with a Master’s in Data Science and AWS (Amazon Web Services) Solutions Architect certification.
The company has attracted top-tier backing, most notably a $35.5 million Series A investment led by Blossom Capital. The involvement of Ophelia Brown (Managing Partner at Blossom Capital) suggests access to high-level strategic guidance. Furthermore, the presence of individual investors like Carles Reina (from ElevenLabs) is highly strategic, as ElevenLabs is a leader in AI voice technology, a core component of Praktika’s avatar experience.
My Reflection
As someone who has also lived in a number of countries that speak languages other than my native language, I have first-hand experience with the frustrations that led Turaev to conceive of both Cleverbots and Praktika. Language learners often have declarative knowledge of their target language that is magnitudes more advanced than their procedural knowledge, and it is apps like praktika that really help learners bridge this gap.
Turaev’s entrepreneurial spirit inspires me in a few ways. First, using his own experiences to recognize gaps in existing tools. Second, incorporating multimodal AI into Praktika just before the AI boom shows innovative initiative and foresight that I realize I need to improve in myself. Lastly, I’m inspired by a more generic quality that all entrepreneurs such as Turaev exhibit: a willingness to devote oneself to a strong idea and follow through with it. I’ve personally had many innovative ideas that I thought would succeed, and that I subsequently did not follow up on, only to later discover someone else succeeded with the same idea.
AI Usage statement: ChatGPT was used to search for founders and companies. NotebookLM was used to compile information from sources.
I do believe that Adam Turaev is a good example of a strong role model for aspiring entrepreneurs. He took what was a personal challenge, the learning of new languages while living in different countries, and turned it into a successful business that really addressed a market need. His experience and training in both Business Administration and Machine Learning is a strong asset that allowed him to combine technical expertise with innovative thinking and business design. He built strong partnerships and surrounded himself with talented people with a common vision. Turaev is a great example of how personal insight, innovation, teamwork, and demonstration can be combined to build a successful venture!
Adam Turaev strikes me as someone who built a venture from genuine personal experience rather than simply trying to enter the growing AI education market. Reading about his background, it is easy to see how his experience as an immigrant shaped the creation of Praktika. He seems to understand the frustration of knowing parts of a language but not feeling confident enough to use it naturally in real conversations.
Something that resonated with me is Praktika’s focus on bridging the gap between knowing a language and actually speaking it. Many language apps help users memorize vocabulary or complete short exercises, but Praktika appears to place more value on conversation, confidence, pronunciation, and real-world fluency. That approach feels more authentic because language learning is not just about getting answers right; it is about being able to communicate with another person.
I also liked that Praktika uses AI in a way that feels practical and purposeful. The avatars give learners a chance to practise without feeling judged, while still receiving feedback and support. His story is a reminder that strong educational ventures often come from people who deeply understand the problem they are trying to solve. Although AI language tools are becoming a crowded market, I think Praktika stands out because it addresses a real learner need and makes language practice more accessible, personal, and engaging.