ISSEN is an AI voice tutor for language learning. Built by Y Combinator Fall 2024 founders Mariano Sorgente and Anton Apostolatos, the app holds free-flowing spoken conversations in 50+ languages, adapts to a learner's level and interests, and lets users tune the tutor's speaking speed, patience, and accent. It targets intermediate-to-advanced self-study learners who want real conversation practice without booking a human teacher, and runs on a B2C subscription across web, iOS, and Android.
Parrot is a San Francisco-based, Y Combinator (Fall 2025) language-learning app that works like TikTok for Spanish. Learners swipe through short, native-speaker videos with tappable subtitles and an AI tutor, absorbing the language through comprehensible input rather than flashcard drills. The company positions itself as the app that actually produces speakers, aiming to turn idle scrolling into real conversational fluency.