Teuida

How Teuida Reached $130K MRR and 80K Downloads Monthly

February 28th, 2025

Founded By

Ji-woong Jang

Monthly Revenue

$130K

Founders

Profitable

Yes

Year Started

2020

Customer

B2C

Founded By
Ji-woong Jang: Monthly Revenue
$130K

Founders
1: Profitable
Yes

Year Started
2020: Customer
B2C

Who is Ji-woong Jang?

Jiwoong Jang, the founder of Teuida, moved to the U.S. in 2009, where he experienced the powerful impact of language learning, which inspired him to create Teuida to provide effective tools for learning languages.

What problem does Teuida solve?

Teuida makes it easy for K-culture enthusiasts to learn Korean in a way that feels like having real conversations, solving the problem of language barriers without the need to travel abroad.

Teuida App

How did Ji-woong come up with the idea for Teuida?

After moving to the US in 2009, Ji-woong Jang experienced how language skills opened doors to new opportunities, which led him to realize the transformative power of effective communication. Through this experience, he noticed that to truly benefit from foreign language skills, there must be a significant focus on speaking capabilities, which are often hindered by the cost and logistics of living abroad. Observing these barriers, he envisioned Teuida as a solution to overcome the economic and physical limitations of traditional language immersion, allowing learners to practice speaking through virtual simulations.

Ji-woong conducted research and noticed that most language learning apps focused on vocabulary and grammar but lacked an emphasis on speaking practice. By fostering interactive and contextually rich simulations, he identified a way to immerse learners in real-life conversational experiences with native speakers. Through developing this idea, he refined the approach by integrating pronunciation evaluation technology, ensuring learners not only practiced speaking but also received immediate feedback.

While building Teuida, Ji-woong realized the importance of providing access to cultural understanding alongside language learning. This realization became a cornerstone of the app's interactive features, allowing users to engage with Korean culture. The journey reaffirmed his belief that tools enabling genuine conversational practice within an accessible framework could significantly enhance the language proficiency and cultural appreciation of learners worldwide.

How did Ji-woong Jang build the initial version of Teuida?

Teuida was initially developed as a mobile application aimed at helping users learn Korean through interactive, simulated conversations. The development process involved creating a robust pronunciation evaluation engine that assesses users' pronunciation and guides them in real-time. This unique technology uses semantic recognition to determine the appropriateness of a user's spoken sentence within a given context, then matches this with a relevant response video to simulate a real conversation with a native speaker. The app was released in its first version by June 2020, a result of several months of focused development. The process was challenging, particularly in refining the speech recognition capabilities to ensure accurate feedback and creating realistic virtual interactions that convincingly convey aspects of Korean culture.

What were the initial startup costs for Teuida?

Seed Investments: In July 2021, Teuida received seed investments from companies such as Big Basin Capital, Seoul Business Agency, Bluepoint, Lotte Ventures, and Infobank.

What was the growth strategy for Teuida and how did they scale?

Teuida employs a unique 3-channel strategy using TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube to drive user engagement and app downloads. They manage different accounts targeting various audiences. For instance, their TikTok account @teuidaapp performs notably well with 55 million views, featuring diverse content including trends, Korean learning, and studio-produced videos. This strategy is replicated across Instagram Reels, providing a broader reach and varied audience engagement. YouTube is also utilized with long-form videos and Shorts, boasting 222K subscribers. Their content mixes educational elements with trendy and culturally curious facts, which appeal to a wide audience.

Why it worked: The combination of short, engaging videos with educational content taps into viewers' interest in learning while being entertained. The mixed-platform approach ensures that Teuida reaches users irrespective of their preferred social media network, expanding their potential user base significantly.

PR and Networking

Teuida actively participates in international events such as the Korea-U.S. Startup Summit to gain exposure and showcase its product. Such appearances help in building networks with global companies, venture capitalists, and potential customers. Winning awards, like the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy Award and recognition in the Global Edtech Startup Awards, has also contributed to their credibility and attractiveness to potential users and partners.

Why it worked: Attending high-profile events and securing awards boosts Teuida's visibility and reputation. This not only draws interest from potential users but also cements its standing in the edtech community, aiding in partnership and collaboration opportunities.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The company has formed partnerships that open new profit avenues, such as advertising deals with Korean cultural and cosmetic entities. These arrangements also involve offering premium gift vouchers, enhancing monetization strategies and customer retention.

Why it worked: Collaborations with entities that align with Teuida's brand and target audience, such as Korean cultural organizations, ensure a relevant and interested customer base. By tying the product closely with Korean culture, they effectively target users with a genuine interest in both the language and cultural context.

In-App Promotions and Offers

Teuida engages users through promotions, like releasing lifetime membership offers with substantial discounts, incentivizing long-term user retention. This gives users uninterrupted access to courses and native speaker conversations, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Why it worked: Offering premium content at discounted rates provides an incentive for users to opt for long-term commitment to the app. This strategy ensures continued engagement, reducing churn and stabilizing revenue through committed user payments.

What's the pricing strategy for Teuida?

Teuida offers a free language app with premium subscriptions starting at $9.99/month, potentially scaling users to their $199.99 lifetime membership for unlimited access.

What were the biggest lessons learned from building Teuida?

Leverage Social Media Strategically: Teuida tapped into multiple platforms like TikTok, IG Reels, and YouTube to effectively engage different audiences, proving the importance of diversifying social media strategies for wider reach.
Innovate Language Learning: By using interactive simulations, Teuida highlighted the importance of offering a unique learning experience that goes beyond traditional methods, making language acquisition more engaging and effective.
Adapt Based on Feedback: Teuida continuously refined their content formats and strategies across accounts, demonstrating how crucial it is to adjust based on audience preferences and feedback for growth and relevance.
Target Niche Audiences: By focusing on women interested in Korean culture, Teuida successfully tapped into a passionate and specific target market, showing that well-defined targeting can lead to higher engagement and customer loyalty.
Promote Cultural Understanding: Teuida emphasized not just language learning but also cultural understanding, reinforcing that immersing learners in cultural contexts enhances the learning process and fosters deeper engagement.

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