Move over generic homework solvers, this AI tutor tracks mastery

This article is a part of Startup Spotlight, a series that features young, up-and-coming startups.

Photo credit: Michael Yang/Sovi AI

Former math teacher Michael Yang once designed a custom curriculum for art students who disliked traditional math. One student used linear regression to prove wearing makeup did not affect grades.

She won a school-wide argument, showing Yang that students learn best when material connects to their personal interests. He launched Sovi AI to scale this personalized approach.

😟 Problem

Education often relies on standardized curricula, while individualized tutoring remains expensive for many families. At the same time AI homework solvers offer quick answers, but a single response does not necessarily help students build lasting understanding or address gaps in their knowledge.

💡 Solution

Sovi AI operates as an always-available learning companion for high school and college students. The platform continuously tracks mastery levels, learning preferences, and academic goals. It uses multimodal AI to adapt study materials to individual needs.

The platform processes multimodal student inputs to generate custom study tools:

• Input via chat, photos, uploaded materials, or lecture recordings.
• Customized explanations, practice exercises, and challenges.
• Gamified learning experiences based on current mastery levels.

Image credit: Sovi AI

📊 Market size

The company targets high school and college students across English-speaking markets before expanding globally. Management projects a path to 10 million monthly active users by 2027. The platform builds for a multi-year customer lifetime across a student’s academic career.

🤝 Team

• Michael Yang. Founder and CEO. He is a former high school math teacher with over five years of experience building AI education products. He previously held leadership roles at education apps Gauth and Question.AI.

🚀 Traction

• Acquired over 1 million users since launching in late 2025.
• Achieved over 1,000% growth in 2026, with 70% organic user acquisition.
• Reached the top 10 in the education category across 21 countries.
• Maintains 38% Day 1 and 49% Week 1 retention rates.

🏆 Competition

Existing study tools like Gauth and Photomath began as homework solvers before adding AI features. Sovi AI built its infrastructure entirely around multimodal AI from inception. The platform focuses on persistent mastery tracking rather than one-off answers.

💰 Financials

🚩 Risks