Duolingo acquires majority of team at London studio NextBeat

Language learning platform Duolingo has acquired the majority of the team at London studio NextBeat for an undisclosed fee.

The developer only spun-off from Supercell’s Space Ape earlier this year as the Clash of Clans maker folded the rest of the company’s operations into Supercell London.

23 members of the NextBeat team will now join Duolingo and establish the company's first official presence in the UK. 

Duolingo said the deal was part of plans to invest in making its music course as fun as any mobile game. Duolingo Music is said to have attracted millions of learners since its beta launch.

NextBeat will continue to operate as a company, co-founder Simon Hade, who is joining Duolingo, told PocketGamer.biz. The developer will stay in business and continue operating titles like Beatstar and Country Star with seven to eight remaining staff.

"Redefining how people learn"

“Learning should be just as engaging as playing a great game, whether you’re practicing a new language or playing a favorite song,” said Duolingo chief business officer Bob Meese. 

“This is a strategic bet on talent. The NextBeat team brings deep mobile gaming and music industry expertise, which will make our music course and the entire Duolingo platform more delightful, immersive, and effective.”

NextBeat CEO Simon Hade added: “From day one, it was clear that Duolingo and NextBeat share the same values: putting learners first, obsessing over great design, and never taking ourselves too seriously. 

“Joining forces means we can bring our passion for music and play to a platform that is redefining how people learn.”

PocketGamer.biz spoke to Simon Hade earlier this year about NextBeat's plans and "music-first" future.