Awari

Overview

Awari began in Brazil in 2018 as a UX-design school built around practical projects and one-to-one mentorship from working technologists. It expanded into data, programming, product, marketing, and corporate training, joined Y Combinator's Winter 2021 batch, and reported more than 100,000 learners by 2024.^[1][2][3]

Awari proved demand and grew revenue, but its two most valuable assets scaled differently. The course catalog and subscription could reach thousands; reliable expert mentorship and consumer distribution remained labor-intensive. Fluency Academy bought 100% of Awari in March 2024, paired the catalog with its influencer channels, and absorbed the team. The independent company ended while the product continued as Awari by Fluency and later Fluency Skills.^[4][5]

Image 1 / 2

Founding Story

Fabio Muniz learned product design outside a formal program. He began freelancing from Jundiaí as a teenager, then spent time in New York, San Francisco, and Washington. His client and employer record included NBC, Viacom, Google, Shogun, Toptal, and Candidate Labs.^[1][6]

In the United States, Muniz saw working designers teach at bootcamps and schools such as General Assembly and Designlab. He began teaching design himself in 2016. An offer to lead a design team back in Brazil at the end of 2017 exposed the shortage of candidates with practical UX skills. Muniz declined the role, but the hiring problem became Awari's starting point.

Muniz told Exame: “Embora tenha recusado a oferta, no início de 2018, a Awari surgiu como uma proposta de formação na área de UX Design, que combinava o ensino prático e mentoria individual de especialistas do mercado.”^[1] He started with individual design courses, then built longer tracks with live sessions, projects, career coaching, and mentors from technology companies.

The public record names Muniz as the sole founder and does not describe a cofounding team. In a 2021 interview, he admitted that the company structure lagged behind the opportunity. Asked what he would change if starting again, Muniz said: “Com certeza eu teria estruturado um time muito mais cedo e teria preenchido algumas vagas com mais senioridade.”^[6]

Awari's early differentiators were concrete. Mentorship was scarce in Brazilian online technology education, the detailed curriculum exceeded weekend bootcamps, and the first course cost roughly R$1,100 when in-person options cost much more. The company later added a money-back job guarantee, career interview practice, and employer connections. Its ambition widened from teaching UX to replacing expensive graduate degrees for technology workers.

Timeline

• 2016: Muniz begins teaching design after seeing working professionals teach at United States bootcamps.^[6]
• 2018: Awari launches with practical UX-design training and individual mentorship.^[1]
• 2020: Awari reports R$1.1 million in annual revenue.^[7]
• Early 2021: The company raises R$2 million, joins YC's Winter batch, and reports 1,180 students, 270 mentors, and R$410,000 in monthly revenue by April.^[8]
• November 2021: Awari changes from per-course enrollment to an annual subscription with course, mentoring, and career-consultation credits.^[7]
• February 2022: Awari reports more than R$7 million of 2021 revenue and raises another R$3.5 million. It plans more courses, nearly 150 employees, and expansion into Chile, Mexico, and Colombia.^[7]
• March 2024: Fluency Academy acquires 100% of Awari for an undisclosed price. Awari reports 15,000 paying and more than 100,000 total learners.^[3][4]
• 2024-2026: The product continues as Awari by Fluency and Fluency Skills. Its corporate page now directs buyers to Fluency Corporate.^[5][9]

What They Built

Awari combined a course platform with a managed network of instructors, mentors, and career advisers. A learner chose a track in UX/UI design, data, programming, product management, marketing, or people management. Recorded material supplied the base knowledge. Live classes, assignments, and a final project added deadlines and portfolio evidence. One-to-one sessions connected the learner with professionals from companies such as Nubank, Bradesco, Google, Magalu, Itaú, Ambev, and AWS.^[3]