Reaching fluency in English is tough for non-native speakers, as they deal with subtleties like slang and idioms, challenging their expressive clarity. Yurii Rebryk and Stanislav Beliaev, experts in machine learning, created Fluently – an AI-based app to help non-native professionals improve their language skills with feedback after each video call.
The Minds Behind the App
Yurii, holding a master’s degree in machine learning from the Higher School of Economics, has shown his expertise in artificial intelligence at Nvidia, where he developed the Centaur text-to-speech model using transformer-based architecture, a significant contribution to the Nvidia OpenSeq2Seq framework. He also worked on machine learning projects for self-driving cars at Lyft Level 5, before transitioning to entrepreneurship.
Stanislav was conducting machine learning research at NVIDIA, developing the QuartzNet, a lightweight automatic speech recognition (ASR) model, known for its cost-effectiveness and optimized Nvidia GPU performance. This model is widely adopted in the tech industry, impacting tens of millions of users. At Google, he supported the Google Accelerated Science team in research efforts. Stanislav’s work is referenced in over a thousand research papers, highlighting his impact in the field.
The two masterminds have known each other for ten years. One of their first collaborations was at Myna Labs, a deep tech startup. They built a mobile app that relies on AI models to make people look and sound like celebrities in real time.
The Coaching App
Yurii and Stanislav founded Fluently, an AI-powered speaking coach app that provides instant, personalized feedback on speech and language skills after each call on any meeting platform. It helps non-native English speakers improve pronunciation, fluency, and vocabulary in real-world communication scenarios. Their company has received grants from Y Combinator, the most famous early-stage startup accelerator.
Fluently is crucial for professionals working in English-speaking environments, especially for non-natives needing basic English help or those with strong accents that make their speech difficult to understand. Moreover, Fluently’s AI technology adapts to the specific needs and progress of each user. For busy professionals, this means that the feedback is not only instant but also highly relevant to their particular areas of improvement. The app pinpoints common errors and helps users to quickly refine their speaking skills.
Revolutionizing the Way People Learn Languages
Yurii and Stan, both non-native English speakers, created Fluently to address the language challenges they and millions of others face. The app is currently waitlisted, but interested users can apply for closed beta access on the company’s website.
About the Author
Ernest Gillman is a technical writer for his tech clients. He develops instruction manuals for their product lines and creates diagrams for practical how-to guides.