Language Learning Software Developers in the UK - Market Research Report (2014-2029)
London, United Kingdom
Last Updated: August 2024
SIC SP0.035Revenue
£143.7m
Past 5-Year Growth
Profit
£X.Xm
Employees
1,131
Businesses
57
Wages
£XX.Xm
Language Learning Software Developers in the UK industry analysis
The language learning software industry has boomed, with revenue estimated to hike at a compound annual rate of 17.9% over the five years through 2024-25. Its successful performance is partially due to the industry's infancy, with most language learning platforms being less than 10 years old. Language learning apps surged in popularity among consumers, providing a cheaper alternative to traditional face-to-face courses while offering greater flexibility to users concerning the time they are willing or able to dedicate to language learning. The number of start-up developers has increased markedly, with many companies attracting funding from venture capital companies and private investors. This allowed software developers to expand their research and development budgets and make enormous strides in developing advanced language learning software technology.
Trends and Insights
- Rapid growth for language learning platforms. The pandemic accelerated user adoption, with developers experiencing surges in users and tripling of active global user bases during lockdowns.
- Language learning games gain prominence. Interactive software tools like language learning games surged in popularity during the pandemic, offering enjoyable and engaging methods for mastering terminology and grammar rules.
- London dominates UK language software scene. The capital's high economic activity, skilled workforce, and government-backed initiatives like East London Tech City attract startups, investment, and international firms.
- High entry barriers challenge newcomers. New entrants face significant obstacles, such as established competitors and building customer trust, making it difficult to penetrate the language learning software market.
Industry Overview
Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 17.9 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated £143.7m in 2024.
Trends and Insights
As software is increasingly transferred digitally, overseas developers are able to easily penetrate the industry
- Large international competitors include US-based Rosetta Stone, Duolingo and the German platform, Babbel.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Industry outlook (2024-2029)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Software is surging within schools as hardware continues to be utilised within education
- Language learning software has become very popular among amateurs wanting to learn languages through interactive apps and platforms. Still, it is increasingly the chosen option for many language schools, pre-tertiary schools and other educational institutions that offer language classes.
Biggest companies in the Language Learning Software Developers in the UK
| Company | Market Share (%)
2025 | Revenue (£m)
2025 |
|---|---|---|
Busuu Ltd | 26.8 | |
Memrise Ltd | 8.3 | |
Lingumi Ltd | 2.1 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 4 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Language Learning Software Developers in the UK
Products & Services
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Language learning games, Language courses and Online practices with native speakers. Language learning games is the largest segment of the Language Learning Software Developers in the UK.
Trends and Insights
Language learning games make up almost half of the industry's software offerings
- Language learning games provide an interactive and fun tool to approach language learning, including grammar quizzes, vocabulary games, fill-in-the-blank exercises and crossword puzzles.
- More insights available in the full report
Widen you competitive advantage with related industries
Competitors
- Online Education & Training in the UK
Complementors
- Software Publishing in the UK
- Software Development in the UK
- Speech & Voice Recognition Software Developers in the UK
International industries
- Software Publishing in the US
- Language Learning Software Developers in the US
- Software Publishing in Canada
- Software Publishing in Australia
- Software Development in Ireland
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
Companies in this industry develop software and smartphone apps that teach users a foreign language. Various software features include speech-recognition technology, online practice sessions with native speakers and language learning games.
What's included in this industry?
Language learning gamesLanguage coursesOnline practices with native speakersLanguage exchanges platformsFlashcardsCompanies
Busuu LtdMemrise LtdLingumi LtdPurchase this report to view all 4 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
EDTECHFREEMIUM SUBSCRIPTION MODELSOFTWARE AS A SERVICEHARDWAREINTELLECTUAL PROPERTYIndustry Code
SIC 62.01 - Language Learning Software Developers in the UK
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
Rapid growth for language learning platforms. The pandemic accelerated user adoption, with developers experiencing surges in users and tripling of active global user bases du...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Language learning games gain prominence. Interactive software tools like language learning games surged in popularity during the pandemic, offering enjoyable and engaging met...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2024
- Product innovation level
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2024
- Major market segmentation in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
London dominates UK language software scene. The capital's high economic activity, skilled workforce, and government-backed initiatives like East London Tech City attract sta...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
- Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of employees in each region in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
High entry barriers challenge newcomers. New entrants face significant obstacles, such as established competitors and building customer trust, making it difficult to penetrat...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
Busuu dominates with global reach and premium content. Its extensive user base and partnerships with renowned publishers like The New York Times bolster its market leadership...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
- Overview of Busuu Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Memrise Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Lingumi Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for one additional company
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Busuu Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Memrise Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Lingumi Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description, key data and performance trends for one additional company
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
GDPR dominates industry regulation. Stricter data protection rules require explicit user consent, ensuring ethical handling of sensitive information.
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
Rising profit is expected amid persistent losses. Despite many language software developers operating at a loss in 2021, surging revenue and increasing sales are predicted to...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Liquidity Ratios (2018-2022)
- Coverage Ratios (2018-2022)
- Leverage Ratios (2018-2022)
- Operating Ratios (2018-2022)
- Assets (2018-2022)
- Liabilities (2018-2022)
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
- Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Average Wage (2014-2029)
- Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
- Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2014-2029)
- IVA (2014-2029)
- Establishments (2014-2029)
- Enterprises (2014-2029)
- Employment (2014-2029)
- Exports (2014-2029)
- Imports (2014-2029)
- Wages (2014-2029)
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in the UK include:
- Office for National Statistics
- Office for Budget Responsibility
- Bank of England
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Language Learning Software Developers in the UK industry in United Kingdom in 2024?
The market size of the Language Learning Software Developers in the UK industry in United Kingdom is £143.7m in 2024.
How many businesses are there in the Language Learning Software Developers in the UK industry in 2024?
There are 57 businesses in the Language Learning Software Developers in the UK industry in United Kingdom, which has grown at a CAGR of 12.2 % between 2019 and 2024.
Has the Language Learning Software Developers in the UK industry in United Kingdom grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Language Learning Software Developers in the UK industry in United Kingdom has been growing at a CAGR of 17.9 % between 2019 and 2024.
What is the forecast growth of the Language Learning Software Developers in the UK industry in United Kingdom over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Language Learning Software Developers in the UK industry in United Kingdom is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Language Learning Software Developers in the UK market in United Kingdom?
The biggest companies operating in the Language Learning Software Developers market in United Kingdom are Busuu Ltd, Memrise Ltd and Lingumi Ltd
What does the Language Learning Software Developers in the UK in United Kingdom include?
Language learning games and Language courses are part of the Language Learning Software Developers in the UK industry.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Language Learning Software Developers in the UK in United Kingdom?
The company holding the most market share in United Kingdom is Busuu Ltd.
How competitive is the Language Learning Software Developers in the UK industry in United Kingdom?
The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Language Learning Software Developers in the UK industry in United Kingdom.
