AI learning app Gizmo reaches 13 million users and $22 million investment

Since its launch in 2021, Gizmothat An educational platform powered by artificial intelligence Which turns student notes into interactive study materials, and has attracted more than 13 million users across more than 120 countries. This is a big jump from the platform’s more than 300,000 users when TechCrunch last covered it in 2023.

As user adoption increases, investor interest follows suit. The company recently secured $22 million in Series A funding, it said advertisement Tuesday.

The funding will be directed toward expanding Gizmo’s engineering and artificial intelligence teams, as well as expanding its presence in the US university market. The company, which had just seven employees before the increase, plans to increase headcount to about 30 employees, CEO Petros Christodoulou told TechCrunch.

The company’s momentum comes at a time when student behavior is changing. Academic performance in the United States has reached a historic low, according to a new report 2025 National Assessment of Educational Progress. Excessive screen time and decreased attention spans have been observed Previous studies As contributing factors.

Additionally, with many young learners drawn to platforms like TikTok and YouTube, the biggest challenge edtech startups face is how to maintain engagement. Gizmo is betting that gamifying learning may be the answer.

Designed for teens and young adults, Gizmo believes its appeal lies in using game mechanics to stimulate interaction. Features like leaderboards, streaks, a limited daily life for incorrect answers, and the ability to challenge friends are designed to keep users coming back.

Other microlearning platforms have also gained traction in recent years, such as Anki, Quizlet and Nibble, along with newcomers such as Yuno and I knowwhich all attempted to redirect screen time habits into productive learning. However, for a small educational app like Gizmo to grow this much interest in just a few years is noteworthy. For comparison, Yuno touts 1 million app downloads, while Knowt has more than 7 million users.

Shine Capital led the Series A round, with participation from Ada Ventures, Seek Investments, GSV, and NFX, which previously led Gizmo’s $3.5 million seed round.