Group 1 - Preply raised $150 million in its latest funding round, increasing its valuation to $1.2 billion, nearly tripling its previous valuation [1] - The D round of financing was led by WestCap, bringing Preply's total funding to over $299 million [1] - Preply, founded in 2012, uses AI technology to match over 100,000 tutors with learners in 180 countries, offering more than 90 language types [1] Group 2 - The CEO, Kirill Bigai, stated that the company has achieved positive earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) since Q4 2024 [1] - Preply plans to use the new funding to expand its engineering department, particularly in its New York and London offices, and to develop personalized AI tools [1] - The company aims to hire over 100 core technical positions, including product managers, designers, engineers, and AI specialists [1] Group 3 - Allen Mask from WestCap will join Preply's board, with WestCap managing over $6 billion in assets and having previously invested in companies like Airbnb and StubHub [2] - Bigai emphasized the importance of finding investment partners who understand how to build enduring brands and support companies in later growth stages [4] - Preply's goal is to conduct an initial public offering (IPO), although no specific timeline has been disclosed [4]