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Severin Hacker

Severin Hacker is a Swiss-born and entrepreneur best known as the co-founder and (CTO) of , Inc., a leading mobile platform that offers interactive lessons in languages, math, and music to over 135 million monthly active users worldwide as of September 2025. Co-founded with in August 2011, Duolingo revolutionized accessible learning by leveraging and crowdsourced data to deliver free, gamified , growing into a publicly traded company valued in the billions. Hacker holds bachelor's and doctoral degrees in . His early research influenced 's development as a tool for democratizing education through human-AI collaboration. Based in , Hacker has pursued interests beyond , including founding a roaster and investing in early-stage startups. As of 2025, Hacker's leadership at has positioned him on ' Billionaires list, reflecting the platform's sustained growth and his strategic focus on AI-driven innovation in edtech.

Early Life and Education

Early Life

Severin Hacker was born on July 6, 1984, in , , where he spent his formative years as a national. Raised in the small town of , located outside , Hacker grew up in an environment that provided early exposure to technology, as his family was among the few in the neighborhood with . His father, an entrepreneur, influenced his childhood aspirations, instilling a dream of founding his own company from a young age. This entrepreneurial family background, combined with Zug's culture of innovation and , contributed to his developing curiosity about technical fields. Hacker's passion for emerged in childhood through his fascination with video games, which he credits as the primary spark for his interest in technology. At around age 12 in 1996, driven by a desire to understand and build games himself, he taught himself programming and became deeply absorbed in the process. These self-directed hobbies, including tinkering with computers and experimenting with code, laid the groundwork for his lifelong pursuit of programming and laid the foundation for later explorations in .

Academic Background

Severin Hacker obtained his in from in 2006. The curriculum at provided a strong foundation in programming, algorithms, and , preparing students for advanced research in computational systems. Following his undergraduate studies, Hacker relocated to the to pursue doctoral research at (CMU), where he earned a Ph.D. in in 2014. His work was supervised by , a prominent researcher in human-computer interaction. Hacker's Ph.D. thesis, titled Duolingo: Learning a Language While Translating the Web, centered on human computation and techniques to enable collaborative learning and web translation. The project developed prototypes for AI-assisted tools that harnessed user interactions to generate translations, demonstrating effective learning outcomes comparable to instruction while scaling translation efforts through distributed human effort. During his graduate studies, Hacker contributed to several influential publications on human computation and machine learning applications. Notable works include "Matchin: Eliciting User Preferences with an Online Game," presented at the CHI 2009 conference, which explored gamified interfaces for gathering user data in crowdsourcing scenarios, and "Combining Human and Machine Intelligence in Large-scale Crowdsourcing," published in the Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems (AAMAS 2012), which proposed hybrid models integrating human and algorithmic decision-making for complex tasks. These contributions highlighted his focus on scalable, interactive systems blending human input with computational efficiency.

Professional Career

Pre-Duolingo Research

Severin Hacker's graduate research at centered on human computation and platforms, exploring ways to integrate with systems through engaging interfaces. Under the supervision of , Hacker contributed to early developments in Games with a Purpose (GWAP), a paradigm that uses online games to crowdsource solutions to problems intractable for computers alone, such as data labeling and tasks. This work built on extensions of systems like , von Ahn's 2007 invention for digitizing books via human verification challenges, by investigating broader applications of distributed human labor for training data. A key focus of Hacker's research involved developing algorithms for distributed problem-solving, particularly in areas like preference elicitation and game-based . In collaboration with von Ahn, he designed mechanisms to incentivize online participants to contribute structured data, such as rankings or annotations, which could support processing and models. These efforts emphasized scalable, low-cost methods for gathering high-quality inputs from diverse crowds, addressing challenges in where human judgment is essential. Hacker's most notable pre-Duolingo publication, co-authored with von Ahn, was the 2009 paper "Matchin: Eliciting User Preferences with an Online Game," presented at the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. The paper introduced Matchin, a two-player online game in which players predict which image (e.g., artwork or photographs) their partner will prefer from a pair, generating pairwise preference data that could be aggregated into comprehensive rankings using models like ELO and TrueSkill for probabilistic inference. This gamified approach collected 3,562,856 decisions from 14,993 players, demonstrating high engagement—average click every 3 seconds—and accuracy in predictions, with global rankings predicting behavior in 70% of cases and relative SVD at 83%. The work highlighted how fun, competitive elements like leaderboards and rapid feedback could motivate incentivized online labor, providing a prototype for collecting AI training data at scale without financial compensation. These contributions laid foundational concepts for using in human-AI interaction, influencing subsequent ideas in edtech by showing how playful tasks could double as productive data generation for computational goals, such as improving through crowdsourced annotations. Hacker's collaborations with von Ahn on these topics, including explorations of human computation for real-world applications, underscored the potential of voluntary, game-driven participation to bootstrap datasets.

Founding Duolingo

In 2009, while at (CMU), professor and his PhD student Severin Hacker began developing the foundational concept for what would become . The initial idea centered on a crowdsourced platform where users would learn languages for free by translating web content, with the generated translations sold to fund the service and make accessible without cost. By 2011, the project had evolved from a research initiative under CMU's Project Olympus into a comprehensive language-learning application, shifting emphasis toward gamified, interactive lessons while retaining the translation element. Duolingo was officially incorporated in August 2011, with Hacker serving as co-founder alongside von Ahn. The company secured $3.3 million in Series A later that year, led by and including investments from and , which supported initial development. A private beta launched in November 2011, followed by a public release in June 2012, initially offering courses in , , and for English speakers. Among the early challenges in building was creating a robust core to deliver adaptive lessons tailored to individual user performance, ensuring the platform could dynamically adjust difficulty and content to optimize learning efficiency. Hacker, leveraging his expertise in human computation from prior collaboration with von Ahn, led the technical efforts to implement this system, which used and performance data to personalize user paths from the outset. An conducted in 2012 by researchers Roumen Vesselinov and John Grego at the validated Duolingo's early effectiveness, finding that learners achieved the equivalent of a full university semester of introductory after approximately 34 hours of use, outperforming instruction in terms of time efficiency for basic proficiency.

Leadership at Duolingo

Role as CTO

Severin Hacker has served as (CTO) and a member of the at since co-founding the company in August 2011. In this role, he oversees the technology strategy and development, including the management of engineering teams responsible for product scalability and infrastructure. As CTO and board member, Hacker played a pivotal role in 's transition to a , contributing to the preparations and execution of its (IPO) on the stock exchange in July 2021 under the DUOL. The IPO valued the company at approximately $6.5 billion on debut and enabled further expansion, with Hacker continuing to guide post-IPO technological growth and operational enhancements. Under Hacker's leadership, Duolingo has managed a robust tech infrastructure capable of supporting massive user growth, reaching 135 million as of the third quarter of 2025. This has been essential for maintaining platform reliability amid global adoption. Hacker has also driven key strategic decisions to broaden Duolingo's scope beyond language learning, including the launch of math and courses in to leverage the platform's gamified approach for additional educational subjects. These expansions, initiated in the , reflect his focus on diversifying the company's technological offerings while ensuring seamless integration with existing systems.

Technological Innovations

Under Severin Hacker's technical leadership as co-founder and CTO, pioneered algorithms leveraging to create personalized lesson paths for users. These algorithms analyze user performance data from billions of daily exercises to dynamically adjust lesson difficulty, content sequencing, and review timing, optimizing retention and progression. Introduced in the platform's early versions upon its launch, this system draws on Hacker's background in from , where he developed the core technology alongside . In , shifted to an AI-first model under Hacker's oversight, automating content creation processes to generate new courses and exercises at scale. This transition replaced roles held by contract workers with generative tools, enabling faster iteration and reduced production costs, though it provoked significant backlash over job displacements and concerns about content quality. Hacker emphasized the strategic pivot in internal discussions, framing it as essential for building capabilities previously impossible, such as rapid expansion to 148 new units. A key milestone in this AI integration was the 2023 launch of Max, a premium subscription tier powered by that introduced interactive conversational practice features. Users engage in real-time dialogues with the , receiving personalized feedback to simulate native speaker interactions and address individual weaknesses. This innovation, spearheaded by Hacker's engineering teams, enhanced user engagement by blending traditional exercises with advanced . These technological advancements directly contributed to Duolingo's revenue growth, reaching $748 million in 2024—a 41% year-over-year increase—fueled by scalable AI-driven user engagement and subscription uptake. Early efforts also included a 2015 translation sales model, where user-generated translations powered a B2B service, laying groundwork for monetization before the focus shifted to ads and premiums. Hacker's innovations have enabled Duolingo to serve over 135 million monthly while maintaining pedagogical efficacy through data-informed personalization.

Philosophy and Impact

Learning Retention Strategies

Severin Hacker has emphasized making language learning "fun" through gamification elements such as streaks, leaderboards, and push notifications, which are designed to foster daily habits and boost user engagement at Duolingo. These features draw on principles of behavioral psychology to create a sense of accomplishment and urgency, encouraging consistent practice without overwhelming users. By 2024, this approach contributed to Duolingo reaching 34.1 million daily active users, demonstrating the scale of its impact on habit formation. Hacker's retention philosophy is deeply rooted in behavioral psychology, incorporating systems to reinforce and at optimal intervals for retention, alongside micro-lessons that deliver bite-sized content to sustain without fatigue. He has highlighted how these methods prioritize habit-building over rote , ensuring users return regularly while progressing effectively. Notifications serve as gentle nudges to maintain momentum, aligning with psychological triggers for routine establishment. Under Hacker's leadership as CTO, Duolingo employs data-driven iterations to refine features like and podcasts, rigorously testing them for improvements in long-term user adherence through experiments and engagement metrics. These audio and narrative formats extend learning beyond traditional exercises, providing immersive practice that enhances retention by simulating real-world application. Hacker has shared in interviews that such innovations are essential for keeping education engaging over extended periods. In public statements up to 2025, Hacker has advocated for designing education to be "addictive yet effective," noting that Duolingo's retention rates rival those of popular games due to thoughtful that motivates without manipulation. He stresses balancing enjoyment with pedagogical rigor to ensure outcomes, as discussed in reflections on the platform's evolution.

Broader Contributions to EdTech

Severin Hacker has been a prominent advocate for free and accessible education, emphasizing Duolingo's core mission to develop high-quality learning resources that are universally available without cost barriers. Through strategic partnerships with organizations like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Duolingo has extended free language learning and English proficiency testing to refugee populations, enabling greater access to higher education for underserved communities worldwide. These initiatives have supported over 117,000 students since 2018 by providing fee waivers and resources tailored to displaced learners, thereby addressing global inequities in language acquisition. Hacker has contributed significantly to the discourse on artificial intelligence in education, particularly through keynote addresses in 2025 that explored AI's potential for personalized learning experiences and the ethical considerations of automating educational tools. In a May 2025 talk, he discussed how AI can adapt curricula in real-time to individual needs, drawing from Duolingo's implementations to argue for scalable, equitable personalization. Later that year, at the WSJ Technology Council Summit in September, Hacker addressed ethical automation, advocating for AI systems that prioritize user privacy and bias mitigation in edtech applications. Under Hacker's technical leadership as CTO, expanded beyond language courses to include math and music in 2023, pioneering formats that integrate interactive exercises across subjects to enhance user engagement and skill transfer. This shift has influenced broader edtech trends, encouraging competitors to adopt similar app-based, gamified approaches for diverse educational content, as evidenced by Hacker's presentations at events like Duocon where he outlined the vision for comprehensive, tutor-like digital platforms. Duolingo's gamified model, shaped by Hacker's innovations, has been recognized as an industry benchmark for effective in , with reports citing its efficacy in boosting retention and motivation through elements like streaks and rewards. Hacker has been referenced in analyses of edtech transformations, highlighting how the platform's data-driven has set standards for accessible, high-impact learning tools that outperform traditional methods in user adherence.

Awards and Recognitions

Early Career Honors

In 2014, , co-founded by Severin Hacker as , received the Crunchie Award for Best Education Startup from , recognizing the platform's innovative approach to free language learning through and crowdsourced translation tasks that made education accessible without traditional costs. That same year, Hacker was named one of MIT Technology Review's , honored for his pioneering use of in to translate the while teaching languages, thereby addressing both educational inequities and the need for multilingual online content. In 2016, , led by Hacker as CTO and CEO , received the Tech 50 Startup of the Year Award from the Technology Council, acknowledging their advancements in , particularly the development of for Schools, which enabled teachers to track student progress in using data-driven insights.

Recent Achievements

In 2024, Severin Hacker received the Swiss Impact Award from Swiss Consul General in , Ambassador Niculin Jäger, recognizing his contributions to global access through Duolingo's innovative language-learning platform. The award highlights Hacker's role in expanding accessible to millions worldwide, leveraging technology to democratize learning opportunities. Duolingo earned a spot on Fast Company's 2025 list of the World's Most Innovative Companies, crediting Hacker's leadership as CTO for driving AI-powered advancements that fueled the platform's user growth and feature expansions. This recognition underscores the company's transformation into an AI-centric education tool under his technical guidance. Throughout 2025, Hacker engaged in prominent , including a YouTube discussion on building an AI-first culture at , where he explored the shift toward generative in content creation and personalization. He also addressed edtech challenges, such as backlash against automation in a May interview on 's impact on future learning, emphasizing ethical integration of technology in . Under Hacker's technological oversight, achieved a significant with 2024 revenue exceeding $748 million, marking a 40.8% year-over-year increase driven by AI-enhanced user engagement and subscription growth.

Investments and Ventures

Key Investments

Severin Hacker has established himself as an active through his venture vehicle, hacker.capital, focusing on early-stage startups that leverage technology to address practical challenges in , , , and mobility. His portfolio emphasizes innovative solutions with potential for scalable impact, often in sectors intersecting with consumer needs and operational efficiency. One of Hacker's notable investments is in IAM Robotics, a specializing in autonomous mobile robots for warehouse automation and fulfillment operations. The technology enables efficient by coordinating human-robot interactions, supporting on-demand in and environments. Hacker's backing, as part of early funding rounds, underscores his interest in that enhance productivity without displacing workers. Hacker also supported ViaHero, a platform that connects travelers with local experts to create personalized itineraries tailored to individual preferences and off-the-beaten-path experiences. By travel planning from residents, ViaHero disrupts traditional booking models, offering customized recommendations for destinations worldwide. His investment in the company's seed stage highlights a commitment to tech-enabled services that foster authentic cultural engagement. In the realm of intellectual property and business tools, Hacker invested in Brainbase, an AI-powered platform for knowledge management and licensing administration. The tool automates the tracking, monetization, and collaboration on brand assets and intellectual property, streamlining workflows for enterprises. This seed-round participation reflects Hacker's focus on AI applications that democratize access to complex business processes. Additionally, Hacker holds stakes in Gridwise, an analytics platform designed for rideshare and delivery drivers, providing insights into earnings, market demand, and expense tracking across services. The app helps users optimize routes and maximize profitability in dynamic urban environments. His involvement in the seed funding round demonstrates support for data-driven tools that empower independent workers. Hacker's portfolio further includes AbiliLife, a developer of assistive devices aimed at improving for individuals with disabilities, particularly Parkinson's patients. Products like the Calibrace orthotic address postural instability and issues through innovative, patient-centered design. This investment aligns with broader themes of accessible technology, echoing principles from his edtech background in making tools inclusive for diverse users.

Other Business Activities

In addition to his investments, Hacker founded Above Ground Coffee, a specialty coffee roaster based in , in January 2025. The company focuses on high-quality, sustainably sourced beans and direct trade practices. Severin Hacker has actively engaged in industry panels and initiatives addressing the integration of in education technology, particularly amid growing concerns over ethical implications and user backlash in 2025. In September 2025, he participated as a speaker at the Wall Street Journal's Technology Council Summit in , where he elaborated on Duolingo's shift to an AI-first strategy, the associated controversies regarding job impacts and content quality, and strategies for measuring 's long-term value in edtech innovation. His contributions emphasized balancing rapid adoption with responsible development to mitigate ethical risks in tools. As a Swiss-born , Hacker has maintained strong connections to European tech networks, including advisory-like engagements with academic institutions. In January 2025, he joined a discussion panel at —his undergraduate alma mater—as part of the ETH Ambassadors program, sharing experiences on scaling edtech ventures and fostering interdisciplinary innovation in AI-driven education. This event highlighted his role in bridging Swiss research ecosystems with global startup ecosystems, promoting collaborative initiatives in and accessible learning technologies. Hacker's philanthropic efforts extend to supporting foundational research in , with ties to business-oriented goals of advancing educational outcomes. In 2025, he contributed a $100,000 gift to the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at , funding studies on brain plasticity led by Professor Mark Bear, to explore mechanisms underlying effective and retention beyond commercial applications. This initiative aligns with his broader advocacy for free, globally accessible through non-corporate channels, including partnerships with academic foundations.

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