In a significant move for the artificial intelligence and education technology sectors, AI-powered spoken English learning platform SpeakX has raised $16 million in a Pre-Series B funding round.[1][2][3] The investment was led by WestBridge Capital and saw participation from existing investor Elevation Capital and U.S.-based Goodwater Capital.[4][1][2] The round also attracted notable angel investors, including Ronnie Screwvala of upGrad and Shyamal Anadkat of OpenAI, signaling strong confidence in the company's generative AI-driven approach to language acquisition.[1][2][5] This fresh infusion of capital is earmarked to enhance the platform's AI technology, expand its team with top talent, and scale operations to meet ambitious growth targets.[5][6] SpeakX has set a remarkable goal to reach $100 million in revenue by the next year while maintaining profitability.[6]

The Gurugram-based company, founded in 2020 by Arpit Mittal and Anshul Gupta, has demonstrated a powerful trajectory since its pivot to an AI-first model.[7][8][1] Originally launched as Yellow Class, a platform for children's hobby classes, the startup rebranded to SpeakX in 2023 to focus entirely on conversational AI for English learning.[4][1][9] This strategic shift involved a significant restructuring, including downsizing the team from 200 to 20 employees, to sharpen its focus on its new mission.[6] The company's total funding now stands at $23.3 million over three rounds.[7] The platform has already achieved significant market traction, reporting over 1 million monthly learners and 200,000 active paying subscribers, leading to an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $7.5 million.[1][5] The company also claims to have been EBITDA-positive since April 2025.[5]

SpeakX differentiates itself in a crowded EdTech market by targeting a specific user need: helping individuals who have a foundational understanding of English but lack the confidence to speak fluently.[6][10] Its core technology leverages generative AI to create a non-judgmental and interactive learning environment.[6][11] The platform's AI tutor simulates real-world conversations, such as job interviews and workplace discussions, providing users with real-time feedback on pronunciation, grammar, and fluency.[1][12] This AI-native system offers adaptive learning paths tailored to individual proficiency levels, ensuring a personalized experience.[13][12][14] A key technological achievement is the system's ability to process bilingual sentences with high accuracy, catering to its primary user base.[6] Currently, 70% of SpeakX learners are Hindi-speaking, and the company plans to use the new funding to introduce support for other regional Indian languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, and Bengali, within the next year.[1][5]

The investment in SpeakX arrives at a time of significant growth in the global AI-powered language learning market. This market was valued at over $3 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow substantially, with some estimates predicting a compound annual growth rate of over 15% through 2035.[15] This growth is fueled by increasing globalization, the need for cross-border communication, and advancements in AI technologies like natural language processing that make learning more effective and accessible.[15][16] SpeakX's focus on spoken fluency addresses a critical gap, as proficiency in English is often linked to economic mobility and career advancement, particularly in markets like India.[1][11] The company's affordable subscription model, priced at around ₹300 per month (approximately $3.60 USD), has made it accessible to a wide demographic, including a significant user base from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.[4][14][17]

Looking ahead, SpeakX has laid out an aggressive roadmap for growth and innovation. The company aims to build a $300–$400 million business in India alone within the next two to three years and is targeting $12 million in annual EBITDA by 2026.[1][5] The fresh capital will be crucial in fueling product development and deepening its market penetration, particularly in smaller cities and towns across India.[10] Beyond its domestic market, SpeakX has ambitions for global expansion, with plans to enter regions like Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Europe.[4][14][18] By continuing to innovate its AI-native platform and expand its linguistic support, SpeakX is positioning itself to become a major player in the global EdTech landscape, empowering millions of learners to overcome language barriers and achieve their personal and professional goals.[14][11]