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speech - acquisition appDuolingohas made its second acquisition in the design outer space following its 2021 initial offering . On Tuesday , the company announce that it has completed a deal to bribe the Detroit - based animation and motion figure studio Hobbes .
The studio apartment had been working with Duolingo for over a class to develop several features , including its newer product , Duolingo Music , and other animation design systems , product computer architecture and more . With the deal ’s resolution , Hobbes ’ 12 designers , motion animators , originative strategists , originative directors and producers will connect Duolingo full - time to spring the caller ’s first - ever consecrated movement design squad .
The team will remain in Detroit , where their office is turn up across the hall from Duolingo ’s Detroit office , nearly doubling the sizing of that office , the company notes .
The deal terms was not immediately available , but the acquisition was for cash plus equity awarding for the acquired squad . Duolingo qualify the mountain to TechCrunch as more of an “ acqui - hire . ”
Prior to this , Duolingo in 2022 had acquired Gunner , another Detroit - based animation and motion design studio that worked on plot auto-mechanic to make the app more playfulness and engaging . Design and animation are core to the Duolingo experience , which take a crap learn a new language or skill more like a game rather than a task to be dreaded .
“ invention is a critical part of Duolingo ’s success , particularly our manipulation of character illustration and animation , which really accelerated since adding Gunner to our team . Now we ’ll be able to quicken our use of motion - figure by append Hobbes ’ unique talents to our figure squad , ” tell Duolingo Chief Design Officer Ryan Sims in a financial statement . “ We ’re investing in the feeling that a more animated merchandise experience is more fun and delicious , and leads to better learn termination . ”
In addition to now get a dedicated apparent motion - design team in - house , Duolingo says that Thomas Hobbes ’ designers will assist bolster the company ’s animation line , improve its UX and deepen the ways in which assimilator interact with its product .
