AI learning app Gizmo levels up with 13M users and a $22M investment

Since its debut in 2021, Gizmo, an innovative AI-driven learning platform, has rapidly gained traction, amassing over 13 million users from more than 120 countries. This impressive growth marks a dramatic increase from the mere 300,000 users reported when the platform was last featured in TechCrunch earlier this year. As interest from users swells, so too does the enthusiasm from investors. Recently, Gizmo announced it has secured $22 million in Series A funding, which will be allocated towards enhancing its engineering and AI teams, as well as expanding its footprint in the U.S. college market. According to CEO Petros Christodoulou, the company plans to grow its workforce from seven to around 30 employees in the wake of this investment. The surge in Gizmo's popularity coincides with a concerning trend in U.S. education, where academic performance has reached historic lows, as noted in the 2025 National Assessment of Educational Progress. Factors such as excessive screen time and diminishing attention spans have been identified as contributing issues. With many young learners captivated by platforms like TikTok and YouTube, edtech startups face the ongoing challenge of maintaining user engagement. Gizmo aims to tackle this issue by gamifying the learning experience. Targeted at teenagers and young adults, the platform incorporates game mechanics to enhance engagement. Features such as leaderboards, daily challenges, limited lives for incorrect answers, and the ability to compete with friends are designed to keep users returning. In recent years, other micro-learning platforms like Anki, Quizlet, and Nibble have also gained popularity, alongside newer competitors like Yuno and Knowt, all striving to convert screen time into productive learning. However, Gizmo's rapid ascent in user interest over such a short period is particularly noteworthy. For context, Yuno has achieved 1 million downloads, and Knowt has surpassed 7 million users. The latest funding round was spearheaded by Shine Capital, with additional backing from Ada Ventures, Seek Investments, GSV, and NFX, which had previously led Gizmo's $3.5 million seed round.