PITTSBURGH, Aug.  13, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Duolingo, Inc. (NASDAQ:DUOL), the world&#39;s leading mobile learning platform, announced today it has acquired Animade, a London-based animation and motion design studio

DUOL

Duolingo Invests in World-Class Motion Design with Acquisition of Animade

Duolingo Expands Design Studio with Animade Acquisition to Boost Product Experience

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    <h3>Information</h3>
    <p>PITTSBURGH, Aug.  13, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Duolingo, Inc. (NASDAQ:DUOL), the world&amp;#39;s leading mobile learning platform, announced today it has acquired Animade, a London-based animation and motion design studio</p>
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  <section data-block="ai-summary-paragraph">
    <h3>AI Summary</h3>
    <p>Duolingo announced it has acquired Animade, a London-based animation studio, to strengthen its Design Studio and UK presence. The move emphasizes design-led product experiences as AI accelerates software development. By adding Animade&#039;s motion design and storytelling capabilities, Duolingo aims to improve user engagement, retention, and growth experiments over the long term.</p>
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  <section data-block="ai-summary-bullets">
    <h3>Key Points</h3>
    <ul><li>Duolingo acquires Animade to expand Design Studio and UK footprint.</li><li>Animade adds motion design and product storytelling capabilities.</li><li>Deal strengthens creative talent and accelerates product innovation without disclosed terms.</li><li>Acquisition aligns with AI-driven design emphasis to improve learning experiences.</li><li>UK presence amplified as Animade joins Duolingo&#039;s Design Studio.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="companies-mentioned">
    <h3>Companies Mentioned</h3>
    <ul><li><strong>Duolingo (DUOL)</strong>: Acquires Animade to strengthen Design Studio and UK presence; potential uplift in product experiences.</li><li><strong>Animade (ANMD)</strong>: London-based animation studio; private company joining Duolingo; expands motion design capabilities.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="category">
    <h3>M&amp;A</h3>
    <p>M&amp;A driven corporate development; fits Duolingo&#039;s strategy to bolster design, storytelling, and user engagement through acquisitions.</p>
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  <section data-block="market-moving">
    <h3>Market-Moving</h3>
    <ul><li>Acquisition expands design capabilities and UK footprint, potentially elevating user engagement.</li><li>No financial terms disclosed; execution risk and integration costs may affect near-term margins.</li><li>Improved storytelling and motion design could boost adoption and monetization over time.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="key-facts">
    <h3>Key Facts</h3>
    <ul><li>Aug. 13, 2026: Duolingo announces acquisition of Animade.</li><li>Animade is a London-based animation and design studio.</li><li>Animade was founded in 2010.</li><li>Animade will join Duolingo&#039;s Design Studio.</li><li>Duolingo trades on NASDAQ under ticker DUOL.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="trading-thesis">
    <h3>Trading Thesis</h3>
    <p>Long DUOL: design-led product enhancements from Animade integration likely to lift engagement over 12–24 months.</p>
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<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/styles/gnw_nitf.css"></link><p>PITTSBURGH, Aug.  13, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Duolingo, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/DUOL">DUOL</a>), the world&#39;s leading mobile learning platform, announced today it has acquired Animade, a London-based animation and motion design studio recognized for its work in product storytelling, brand, interactive experiences, and character animation. The acquisition expands Duolingo&#39;s Design Studio, strengthening a capability that has become increasingly important to delivering engaging product experiences and accelerating innovation.</p>  <p>&#34;Great products aren&#39;t defined only by what they do, but by how they make people feel,&#34; said Mig Reyes, Head of Design at Duolingo. &#34;Motion design has become a core part of how we help learners understand, enjoy, and return to Duolingo every day. Animade has built a reputation for exceptional creative craft, and bringing their team into Duolingo is an investment in the people and capabilities that will help us build even better learning experiences.&#34;</p>  <p>Founded in London, Animade has built an international reputation for creating expressive motion systems, interactive experiences, and product storytelling for some of the world&#39;s leading technology companies and brands. The team will join Duolingo&#39;s Design Studio, increasing the company&#39;s capacity to support product innovation, Growth experiments, and new creative initiatives across the business. The acquisition also expands Duolingo&#39;s creative presence in the UK, reinforcing its continued investment in world-class talent.</p>  <p>&#34;Since day one, Animade has been on a mission to share joy through thoughtful design and animation,&#34; said Jen Judd, Co-Founder of Animade. &#34;I can&#39;t think of a more exciting place to continue that mission than at Duolingo. We&#39;ve always believed it&#39;s the thoughtful moments that leave a lasting impression, and that great design and bringing personality into every pixel can make technology feel more human. We&#39;re thrilled to join a company that shares our passion for creativity, craft, and building products that genuinely bring people joy.&#34;</p>  <p>As AI continues to accelerate how software is built, Duolingo believes exceptional human creativity remains a critical differentiator. By investing in world-class design talent, the company is strengthening its ability to create intuitive, delightful experiences that help millions of learners stay motivated and achieve their goals.</p>  <p><strong>About Duolingo</strong><br></br>Duolingo is the leading mobile learning platform globally. Its flagship app has organically become the world&#39;s most popular way to learn languages and the top-grossing app in the Education category on both Google Play and the Apple App Store. With technology at the core of everything it does, Duolingo has consistently invested to provide learners a fun, engaging, and effective learning experience while remaining committed to its mission to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available.</p>  <p><strong>About Animade</strong><br></br>Animade is an animation and design studio based in London with a love for character, distilled design and pixel-perfect motion, creating expressive work for brands and agencies of all sizes. We’ve been helping our partners solve creative challenges since our doors opened in 2010. We believe in the power of character. Our designs and animations are packed with personality and thoughtful moments that leave a lasting impression.</p>  <p><strong>Contact Information</strong><br></br><br></br><strong>Investors:</strong><br></br>Deborah Belevan<br></br><a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=ugn_iQT5qOgA-_mBFphHPuZJudr6d0nusoTGT05DbXDIwvzVQWOCja40ZdP_PikW5uOAGZsVBcGqA2EmOIts0huGpyth7q7BB7bQOabjObkzfJ18gHH8g-kpWZxfim5pX2032c3XXQVF4spHNuWCB49ZM5NG2AsQRAEg1tQyFrpAnPOWfI1mbRUjZEoOuSmIrELVGbptdbeHVqSigjHeoOQmlWNJ9_Xd5Vs2GHe_E4k=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ir@duolingo.com</a><br></br><br></br><strong>Media:</strong><br></br>Michelle Scully<br></br><a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=208Hd7re0OBNNh7VePxBeq14W9kgSdPtzzBaqvBYzqOFlCw-l7caPNQtMkxrmtb2unJ9YIVegVv4An7WA3aO4aVnk0Bbmnw4OMWdfRsaDTusdu6qj0Q-wEJQSC6MSlQAJ_06R3DAQZtdZZcMrikqrgMcRQu81-zXeWd_4Ilb1mDVa0NJCiKz_Z9i2PKiAoTGdOr_y3AIIb5-fo65V7RMACRI3mfBCUzW5tORH_R1-IHlF5Lk3EMEF8IlohTGHab8-JG9ZqEYfk9qE9q94QxVuA==" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">press@duolingo.com</a></p> <img alt="" class="__GNW8366DE3E__IMG" src="https://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ti?nf=OTgwODkwMiM3NzczMzIzIzIyMTAwMDY="></img> <br></br><img alt="" src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/NDVjMzc2NjAtNzI5MS00NDRhLWJkMDgtNzZjMmUzNTU5MWY1LTEyMjE1NTktMjAyNi0wOC0xMy1lbg==/tiny/Duolingo-Inc-.png" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></img><p><a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c55ff6f8-d0f8-46c9-ac3b-ec3182cf93e3"><img src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/c55ff6f8-d0f8-46c9-ac3b-ec3182cf93e3/small/duolingo-logo-png.png" border="0" width="150" height="35" alt="Primary Logo"></img></a></p>

Duolingo announced it has acquired Animade, a London-based animation studio, to strengthen its Design Studio and UK presence. The move emphasizes design-led product experiences as AI accelerates software development. By adding Animade's motion design and storytelling capabilities, Duolingo aims to improve user engagement, retention, and growth experiments over the long term.

News insight

Duolingo Invests in World-Class Motion Design with Acquisition of Animade

AI summary

Sentiment rationale

Key facts

M&A