---
title: 'General / Opportunistic Application at Ello'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/general-opportunistic-application-ello-san-francisco-dxz9m8h18kvy'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-07'
---

# General / Opportunistic Application at Ello

- **Company:** Ello
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Posted:** 2022-07-12
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ello/2e6b7bbf-9b7a-4a41-93b6-896530daf732

## Job description

Don’t see the right role but still want to work at Ello? We’d love to hear from you. We’re always looking for exceptional people. If you don’t see an open role that matches your background, tell us what you’d want to do at Ello and why you’d be a great fit. We review every application and will reach out if there’s a match now or as new opportunities arise.

At Ello, diversity is a moral imperative and a competitive advantage. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, skin color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We plan and structure our interviews to assess skills and experience directly. If you need accommodations throughout the interview process, please contact recruiting@ello.com.

## About Ello

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Ello provides an AI-powered reading coach for children in kindergarten through third grade, using speech recognition and adaptive learning to improve literacy.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series unknown; raised $15M, Y Combinator Winter 2020 batch)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2020
- **Founders**: Catalin Voss (CTO), Dr. Elizabeth Adams (CEO), Tom Sayer (CXO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Educational technology (EdTech) / AI-powered literacy
- **Target customers**: B2C – parents of early readers (K–3rd grade); also expanding into schools and international markets
- **Mission statement**: "To unlock the limitless potential within all children."

## Products & Services
- **Ello App (AI Reading Coach)**: A subscription-based mobile app that listens to children read aloud, provides real-time corrections, encouragement, and adaptive book recommendations. Uses proprietary Adaptive Learn™ technology and world-leading child speech recognition.
- **Decodable E-Books**: A library of exclusive, phonics-leveled e-books designed to match a child’s reading ability. A free public library of 700+ e-books is also available.
- **Adaptive Learn™ Engine**: The proprietary AI system that personalizes instruction based on each child’s performance and interests.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding – $15M (raised in September 2023, per TechCrunch)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Y Combinator (Winter 2020 batch); lead investor(s) in the $15M round not specified in available sources
- **Growth Signals**: Team size of ~45 employees (as of YC profile); expanding internationally with a Product Manager role based in Nairobi, Kenya; recognized as a Public Benefit Corporation; cited as "world's first 1:1 AI teacher" and "world leading child speech recognition."

## Competitive Advantages
- **Proprietary AI engine (Adaptive Learn™)** that adapts to each child’s ability and interests in real time
- **World-leading child speech recognition** – built specifically for young voices and reading patterns
- **Science of Reading** – all content and coaching methods are grounded in decades of phonics and literacy research
- **Decodable books** – books are leveled to match the child’s phonics stage, unlike most children’s e-books
- **Evidence-based instruction** – co-founded by a clinical psychologist specializing in child development

## Strategic Focus
- **Global expansion** – establishing a presence in Nairobi, Kenya (job posting for Product Manager)
- **Deepening AI capabilities** – improving the 1:1 AI teacher experience and expanding the Adaptive Learn™ system
- **Scaling content library** – adding more decodable e-books and supporting pre-readers and higher grade levels
- **Building the team** – actively hiring for AI/ML, design, and product roles to support growth

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven**: Everyone at Ello is dedicated to solving one of the most important issues – ensuring all children learn to read, with a strong sense of purpose.
- **Culture of Care**: Small, tight-knit team that values honesty, empathy, and diversity; team members are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work.
- **Impact & Delight**: Work combines urgent social impact with making learning fun for children.
- **Work policy**: Hybrid/office presence in San Francisco and Nairobi; roles are listed with location requirements (e.g., Product Manager in Nairobi, AI/ML Engineer in SF).
- **Notable perks**: Not explicitly listed, but the company is a Public Benefit Corporation, and the engineering culture emphasizes AI/ML innovation and real-world impact.

## Sources
1. [ello.com](https://www.ello.com/)
2. [jobs.ashbyhq.com](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ello)
3. [ycombinator.com](https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/ello)
4. [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/07/ai-reading-coach-startup-ello-raises-15m/)
5. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/elloinc)

## Other roles at Ello

- [Lead Graphic Designer](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-graphic-designer-ello-san-francisco-0xdxvx8qpy8e) — San Francisco, CA
- [Creative Strategy Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/creative-strategy-lead-ello-san-francisco-9149ve2bpbhp) — San Francisco, CA
- [Kenya Growth Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/kenya-growth-lead-ello-nairobi-x6sw87kcakc1) — Nairobi, Kenya
- [AI/ML Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/ai-ml-engineer-ello-san-francisco-a57d125hq59c) — San Francisco, CA