Mandarin-learning app operator LingoAce raised US$105 million in a funding round led by Sequoia Capital India to fuel its growth after pandemic-related lockdowns boosted demand for its service. Owl Ventures, Shunwei Capital and SWC Global took part in the Series C round, which brings the total raised this year to US$160 million, Singapore-based LingoAce said in a statement. Owl and Tiger Global led a US$55 million round earlier in the year. LingoAce targets children from 3 to 15 with an app designed to make it easy for parents to plan and monitor their learning. Its bookings have increased almost 4,000 per cent since the end of 2019, as the pandemic closed schools and other facilities, forcing children to study at home and forgo many after-school activities. “No one had built a global brand for Chinese language education,” LingoAce founder Hugh Yao said in emailed comments. “I saw an opportunity to build an immersive and effective language learning experience, especially for children growing up in families where Mandarin is not frequently spoken.” With Beijing cracking down on its domestic off-campus education providers , LingoAce may benefit as potential Chinese competitors face regulatory hurdles to expand their operations. LingoAce will use the fresh capital to boost hiring in the United States, Europe and Southeast Asia and to strengthen its curriculum and product. It also seeks to expand to English-language programmes and explore other subjects. Other online education services have capitalised on the increased use and acceptance of remote-learning tools during the pandemic. Language-learning app Duolingo raised US$521 million at a valuation of more than US$6 billion in July, while in India, tutoring service Vedantu became the country’s fifth education technology unicorn in September.