Cathoven AI cuts language teachers’ grading workload

The startup has created a smart helper that also helps students learn faster.

Language teachers from more than 50 universities worldwide no longer have to spend two hours daily checking students’ writing tests, thanks to a Hong Kong startup that has cut the process to as little as 10 minutes.

Founded in 2022, Cathoven AI has developed a grading tool that evaluates writing tests based on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Its clients include Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Southern California.

“Teachers often lack the time to provide detailed feedback and reports,” Summer Long, co-founder and chief marketing officer at Cathoven AI, told Hong Kong Business. “Sometimes, the best you can expect would be like one to two sentences or three sentences maximum.”

“As a result, students might wait for one to three days for the feedback. But language learning relies heavily on repetition and instant feedback,” she pointed out.

Writing tests uploaded on the Cathoven AI platform are assigned a band score, the same rating system used to assess IELTS takers’ English proficiency.

Cathoven AI’s tool not only provides a band score for writing tests but also offers tailored feedback to help learners advance. For instance, if a learner scores 6.5, the feedback will focus on helping them get a 7 instead of aiming for the highest score.

By grading tests in line with IELTS standards, Cathoven AI ensures superior scoring accuracy over its competitors, Long said. Existing tools on the market are also limited to analysing vocabulary difficulty and can’t review sentence-level complexity.

The startup aims to extend its accuracy to more features, including speaking tasks, in 2025 by refining its AI models using feedback from teachers. Its team of linguists, language teachers, and AI experts are now training its proprietary AI model.

The startup’s IELTS grading system has helped it gain traction on social media, boasting 60,000 followers and attracting investors. As of January 2025, the startup had raised $7.8m (US$1m), which Long said would be used for further development.

Cathoven AI would remain focused on a single niche now — assessment and evaluation — but has not ruled out revisiting lesson planning, which was the company’s original focus, Long said.“ We want a whole package that teachers can use.”

Users can subscribe to Cathoven AI’s platform for $101 (US$13) a month with a single license, which lets teachers upload and grade one student test at a time. The startup also offers tailored business plans for teachers who need bulk uploads.