After 19 years of building one of the best (language) learning apps, Anki founder Damien Elmes is stepping back. On February 2nd, Elmes announced on the Anki forum that AnkiHub, an edtech company that grew out of Anki, will be taking over.
Why The Shift Happened
Damien started Anki in 2006 to build a learning tool that actually works. He used spaced repetition: a learning technique where you review information at increasing intervals. The method made Anki a staple in language learning; our founder, Dhawal Shah, used it to learn Japanese, and I came across it while researching alternatives to Duolingo.
Today, the platform has crossed 10 million downloads on Google Play Store and was the 5th most downloaded app on the App Store in 2024, all without marketing or complex subscription plans.
But according to Elmes, the growth “led to unsustainably long hours and constant stress, which took a toll on my relationships and well-being.” The deep, focused work that drew him to Anki had “mostly fallen by the wayside.” Something needed to change.
Elmes had turned down investors for years, consciously staying away from the “enshittification” common in VC-funded ventures. When AnkiHub reached out to collaborate more closely, he suggested they take over the entire Anki operations.
AnkiHub, founded by Nick Flint (known online as The AnKing) and Andrew Sanchez, began as a deck-sharing platform for medical students. A 2024 survey of U.S. medical students found 86.2% use Anki, with 66.5% using it daily, and the AnKing Step Deck has been downloaded over 300,000 times.
Elmes believes that AnkiHub managed to scale faster, so the team is better positioned to take Anki to the next level. Elmes will stay involved at a sustainable level while stepping back from daily operations.
AnkiHub’s Next Moves
AnkiHub is still working through governance details and building a roadmap for platform improvements.
David Allison, a long-time core contributor to AnkiDroid (Anki’s free Android version) will also join full-time during the transition.
AnkiHub’s current priorities include improving UI/UX to make Anki more approachable, building tools for non-technical users, and expanding support beyond medical and language learning into other fields.
The Promise – No Enshittification
AnkiHub has promised no “enshittification.” The team says Anki’s core values will be intact: respect for users, no manipulative monetization, and a focus on building learner-friendly tools.
Anki will remain open source, pricing won’t change, and there are no outside investors involved. Since Anki and AnkiHub are profitable, there’s no pressure to squeeze users for revenue. The principles that Anki was built on, stay put, for now.
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