Global language exchange platform connecting 35M+ learners across 300+ languages
Tandem operates a peer-to-peer language learning marketplace with 35 million members. The engineering footprint—PHP, Go, Swift, Kotlin Multiplatform across iOS and backend—reflects a multi-platform mobile-first product. Active projects center on microservices migration, distributed system scaling, and Kotlin Multiplatform adoption, paired with reliability and observability work, indicating the infrastructure challenges that come with a platform of this scale. Hiring velocity is accelerating across engineering, product, and marketing, with leadership gaps being filled.
Notable leadership hires: Head of Product
Tandem is a Berlin-based language learning community founded in 2015 that connects language learners globally for peer-to-peer conversation practice. The platform supports learning in over 300 languages, including sign languages, indigenous languages, and constructed languages. The core product is a mobile marketplace application (iOS and Android) that pairs learners for real-time chat and media exchange. The company operates a freemium model with a base of 35 million registered members. Technical operations run on AWS and Azure, with a 11–50 person team based in Germany.
Backend: PHP and Go. Mobile: Swift, Objective-C, UIKit, and SwiftUI on iOS; Kotlin and Kotlin Multiplatform for cross-platform development. Infrastructure: AWS and Azure, with CI/CD pipelines.
Primary focus: migrating from monolithic to microservices architecture, scaling distributed systems for high traffic, and modernizing legacy iOS code. Secondary: Kotlin Multiplatform development, iOS accessibility, real-time chat/media infrastructure, and AI tool adoption.
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