Gecipi completes Series B funding round totaling 660 million JPY

Gecipi, which operates the online English conversation platform "e-Supi!" that teaches English through gaming, announced the completion of its Series B final round on October 28. This brings the total amount raised in Series B, including loans, to 660 million JPY. The specific amount from the final round and the details of the investments and loans have not been disclosed.

Existing shareholder Japan Venture Capital made additional investments, while new investors, including Kyoto Capital Partners, Colopl Next, SBI Okasan Alternative Investment, Resona Bank, and Japan Finance Corporation, joined as underwriters and lenders.

"e-Supi!" enhances English speaking skills through online lessons while playing games such as Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox. Utilizing voice chat on the Discord app, groups of 3 to 4 participants can join sessions lasting 80 minutes each. The monthly fee for four lessons is 10,890 JPY (including tax). The company boasts over 200 bilingual coaches.

The firm explained that they started "e-Supi!" to address the reduction in learning opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, while gaming time at home increased. Since its launch, the platform has recorded over 600,000 lessons taken, with a retention rate exceeding 96% and cumulative customer reviews surpassing 95,000, achieving a score of 4.8 out of 5 as of September this year.

In addition to individual offerings, Gecipi has launched an educational DX program targeting local educational institutions called "e-Sports English Conversation e-Supi! Municipal Program," which has already been adopted by several municipalities. Classes using "e-Supi!" have been conducted at Washimiya Elementary School in Kuki City.

For professionals, Gecipi offers a program designed to enhance conversational skills using English knowledge from school, called "Reskilling e-Sports English Conversation," while corporate clients can customize lessons based on their needs regarding cost, number of participants, and frequency. The funds will be used to expand immersive educational DX initiatives, develop new educational services, and strengthen hiring and organizational structure.

Reported by BRIDGE.