"We found studying pretty impersonal and boring, and we spent a lot of time on TikTok and Instagram."

German entrepreneur Benedict Kurz was just 17 when he founded Knowunity in 2019 with three friends the same age. The company wanted to change how students acquired knowledge by adopting a peer-to-peer approach: students who were really good at a particular subject would explain the material to others.

These "knowers" would have their own influencer profiles and followers on the platform. Quizzes, index cards and mock exams were designed to make learning more exciting.

Knowunity also developed a "study companion" based on several different AI language models. It has access to millions of "knowers," enabling it to compile individual study plans and exercises.

"Our app is tailored to the students themselves, not teachers or schools," says Kurz.

Personal recommendation is an essential element of the business model. According to company data, from year five on, one in three schoolchildren in Germany already use Knowunity for studying, and so do many university students. It has more than 20 million users in 17 countries.

Now, the Berlin-based startup plans to expand, primarily to the US and Asia. Knowunity has raised more than €45 million ($52.3 million) in funding to do this.

In the last few years, the COVID-19 pandemic and ChatGPT have turned the education sector upside down. Investors have spotted the opportunities this has created, and their investment has enabled the Berlin learning platform to grow at a startling rate.

Many young people........

© Deutsche Welle