Sylvi raises £350k from angel investors and Episode 1 to expand its conversational AI language app
The super angel round was led by Claire Nooriala, Amir Nooriala, and Simon Murdoch.
Share allotment filed at Companies House
Sylvi is a UK-based edtech startup that provides an AI-powered language learning application focused on conversational fluency.
Sylvi has secured £350k in a super angel funding round led by Claire Nooriala, Amir Nooriala, and Simon Murdoch, alongside Solo Investments. The edtech startup will direct the capital towards scaling its user base in core markets, rolling out support for additional languages, and forming strategic partnerships. This brings the company's total funding to £384k since its inception.
Founded out of personal frustration with traditional gamified apps that fail to deliver real-world conversational skills, Sylvi pairs real-time AI conversation practice with live corrections and social features. The company recently launched personalised lesson plans and has achieved over £60k in annual recurring revenue since introducing paid subscriptions.
From the founder
"Tom assumed Amy would do all the talking. But she froze. That’s when it hit him — language apps weren’t preparing people for real conversations. Unless you’re an academic, speaking is the goal. So, being a good boyfriend and an AI enthusiast, he built a tool for Amy to practise her French using conversational AI. It completely changed the game for her."
Sam Brown
Head of Product and Growth at Sylvi
Investor perspective
"We back early-stage companies solving meaningful problems with the potential to reshape their category. Sylvi stands out for its mission to build genuine conversation confidence in language learning – a space long dominated by shallow engagement metrics. Tom is a standout founder who built the business with disciplined unit economics from day one. With strong LTV-to-CAC and growing ARR, Sylvi is combining purpose with performance. We (ClaireandAmir.com) are excited to support their journey and are delighted to lead this round."
Claire Nooriala
Founding Partner, Claire Nooriala
Use of funds
- 01Expand into international markets
Investors
Claire Nooriala
Claire Nooriala
Amir Nooriala
Simon Murdoch
Episode 1
Claire Nooriala
Haylo Ventures
Sarah Yates
Solo Investments