How Buddy.ai Became the Leading AI Tutors for Kids Worldwide with Co‑Founder Ivan Crewkov

Send us a text Ivan Crewkov is the CEO and Co-Founder of Buddy.ai, the leading AI tutor for kids under 12, reaching over 20 million students annually from all over the world. Buddy is not just a chatbot. It’s an AI-powered talking animated character in a mobile app teaching English as a foreign language to students all over the world.  Buddy is unique because it operates in a highly regulated environment where most off-the-shelf AIs like Chat GPT can"t be used. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:From voice AI experiment to global learning companionBuilding child-focused speech recognition in a regulated spaceBlending gaming, storytelling, and education to engage kidsBuddy.ai’s growing adoption in classrooms worldwideThe future of Buddy.ai as a personalized, adaptive tutor ✨ Episode Highlights:  [00:02:11] Ivan Crewkov’s journey from building smart speakers to founding Buddy.ai. [00:04:24] Designing Buddy.ai as more than a chatbot—a gamified, lovable learning companion. [00:07:27] How kids around the world discover and champion Buddy.ai themselves. [00:11:02] Expanding Buddy.ai into classrooms in Latin America and beyond. [00:16:41] Building proprietary speech recognition for children where others struggled. [00:20:56] Buddy.ai’s unexpected role in speech therapy for kids with special needs. [00:25:50] Why Buddy is designed as a study buddy, not an authority figure. [00:33:37] Using generative AI to accelerate content creation and storytelling. [00:39:00] Guardrails for safe, child-centered AI companions. [00:42:01] Lessons EdTech can learn from the entertainment and gaming industries. 😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! Follow our Podcast on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicSign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead. As a tech-first company, Tuck Advisors has developed a suite of proprietary tools to serve its clients better. Tuck was the first firm in the world to launch a custom GPT around M&A. If you haven’t already, try our proprietary M&A Analyzer, which assesses fit between your company and a specific buyer. To explore this free tool and the rest of our technology, visit tuckadvisors.com.