Stimuler, one of the latest D2C startups from India, is transforming the way millions of users across the globe improve their spoken English. Founded in 2022 by four IIT-BHU students – Akshay Akash, Anesh Srivastav, Ankit Kumar Pandey, and Akshat Baranwal – this direct-to-consumer India brand is tackling the fluency challenge faced by ESL learners through an AI-powered, voice-first app.
In a market where many edtech tools focus solely on literacy, Stimuler is focusing on fluency—the actual ability to speak English confidently and naturally. The Bengaluru-based startup simulates real phone conversations using AI, evaluates user responses, and delivers highly detailed feedback on multiple aspects like pronunciation, vocabulary, emotional tone, and fluency.
Unlike other language learning apps, Stimuler is built on a strong deeptech backbone. Its proprietary in-house audio AI infrastructure enables feedback across 15+ speech metrics. The feedback loop provides users with custom daily exercises tailored to their needs. This unique D2C business model has already attracted a global user base. Over 85% of the 60,000 paying users are from international markets including Latin America, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia.
Stimuler operates on a freemium model with premium plans starting at $3/month. The app is already used by over 4 million users globally, reinforcing its position as one of the fastest-growing D2C brands India has produced. Stimuler’s traction in international markets signals the strength of its D2C go-to-market strategy and solidifies its place in Indian D2C updates and D2C industry news.
After raising an initial $25,000 seed round from GradCapital in 2022, the company recently secured $3.75 million in a pre-Series A round led by Lightspeed and SWC. This VC-backed D2C brand aims to expand its core engineering team, scale product infrastructure, and drive user acquisition through platforms like TikTok in key regions.
“India is still maturing as a monetisable geography, but we believe it will become a key focus area in 3 to 4 years,” said Akshay Akash, co-founder of Stimuler. “We built Stimuler to ensure that no one misses out on global opportunities just because they lack fluent spoken English.”
The company’s growth story is also a testament to the broader D2C ecosystem India is nurturing. Stimuler’s voice-first AI tutor stands apart from competitors like Speak.com and Praktika by offering phoneme-level feedback tuned for regional accents. This makes the app especially powerful for emerging economies.
With D2C daily news increasingly covering edtech and voice AI, Stimuler’s innovation positions it well in global D2C market trends 2025. From premium AI-powered product design to creator-led community engagement, Stimuler is a rising force in the D2C startup news landscape. As D2C expansion plans take shape, this startup is building a global consumer brand from India—one AI-powered conversation at a time.
