AI-Powered SpeakX.ai Secures ₹142 Crore Funding Round

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AI-Powered SpeakX.ai Secures ₹142 Crore as the daring AI-driven English learning startup closed a $16 million pre-Series B round. WestBridge Capital led the charge, joined by Elevation Capital, Goodwater Capital, and prominent angels like Shyamal Anadkat of OpenAI and Ronnie Screwvala of upGrad. This marks SpeakX.ai’s first major fundraising since its bold 2023 reinvention, pivoting from YellowClass a pandemic-born platform for kids’ hobby learning into a razor-focused, AI-powered English-speaking powerhouse.

Founded in 2020 by Arpit Mittal, SpeakX.ai has carved out a unique niche: highly personalized English speaking practice powered by generative AI. Think realistic conversation simulations that adapt to each learner’s style. The figures are striking: over 1 million monthly learners, 200,000 paying subscribers, and an ARR of $7.5 million. What’s more impressive? The company has been EBITDA-positive since April 2025, raking in around $150,000 monthly, with cumulative EBITDA surpassing $1 million in just five months.

The new funds will focus on supercharging AI capabilities, growing the team, and rolling out regional language support—Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, and Bengali within the year. Interestingly, 70% of SpeakX’s users are Hindi speakers, showing it’s making inroads far beyond just metros.

1. Introduction

1.1 Background of SpeakX.ai

AI-Powered SpeakX.ai Secures ₹142 Crore, but its origin story is a textbook example of entrepreneurial agility. In 2020, Arpit Mittal and Anshul Gupta launched YellowClass, an online platform offering hobby classes for children stranded at home during lockdowns. It quickly amassed two million monthly users. But as schools reopened, engagement nosedived. By early 2023, Mittal realized the model had run its course. In a bold, all-in pivot, he reinvented the company as SpeakX.ai, laser-focused on AI-powered spoken English.

1.2 The Pivot to AI-Powered English Learning

Why pivot? Mittal spotted a glaring gap: millions of Indians struggle with spoken English, a critical career skill. Generative AI offered a scalable solution. SpeakX.ai simulates real conversations, corrects pronunciation, refines tone, and boosts fluency in real time. Learners gain a low-pressure environment to practice confidently, a far cry from the stiff, static apps that leave users hesitant and frustrated.

2. Business Model and Revenue Generation

2.1 Subscription-Based Model

SpeakX.ai runs on a subscription model, offering AI-driven English learning at accessible prices. Learners get personalized lessons, instant feedback, and the flexibility to practice anytime. This ensures predictable revenue and enables reinvestment into technology and expansion a smart, sustainable approach.

2.2 Financial Performance

As of October 2025, SpeakX.ai serves over 1 million learners monthly, with 200,000 paying subscribers. Its ARR sits at $7.5 million. Since April 2025, it has been EBITDA-positive, earning roughly $150,000 per month and surpassing $1 million in cumulative EBITDA in just five months. For an Indian edtech startup in the post-pandemic era, these numbers are remarkable.

3. Funding and Investor Support

3.1 Recent Funding Round

In October 2025, SpeakX.ai raised $16 million in a pre-Series B round led by WestBridge Capital. Elevation Capital, Goodwater Capital, and angel investors like Shyamal Anadkat and Ronnie Screwvala joined the fray. The funding will turbocharge AI capabilities, expand the team, and roll out regional languages, a clear signal of the startup’s rapid scaling ambitions.

3.2 Previous Investments

Before this, SpeakX.ai had raised $7.3 million: a $1.3 million seed round from India Quotient and a $6 million Series A from Elevation Capital in 2021.

4. Product and Services

4.1 AI-Powered English Learning Platform

At its core, SpeakX.ai is an AI conversational tutor mimicking real-world interactions, job interviews, office discussions, casual chats. The platform evaluates speech, fluency, and tone, offering corrective guidance that feels human. This interactive, hands-on approach sets it apart from rigid, passive courses that often fail to build actual skills.

4.2 Regional Language Support

Though Hindi speakers dominate, SpeakX.ai plans to introduce Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, and Bengali in the coming year. This will enhance accessibility in non-metro areas, positioning SpeakX.ai as a pan-Indian solution for spoken English.

5. Market Opportunity and Industry Trends

5.1 Demand for Spoken English Skills

In India, English fluency is more than academic, it’s a ticket to upward mobility. Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are teeming with learners seeking practical English skills. SpeakX.ai meets this demand affordably and effectively with AI-driven coaching, filling gaps that traditional classrooms often ignore.

5.2 Growth of AI in EdTech

AI is revolutionizing edtech. Platforms like SpeakX.ai deliver adaptive learning, instant feedback, and scalable solutions that old-school methods can’t match. Its success demonstrates that AI can democratize language learning across India.

6. Competitors and Market Landscape

6.1 Direct Competitors

SpeakX.ai faces other English learning platforms, but its AI-powered conversational practice and real-time personalized feedback clearly differentiate it. Many traditional apps remain static, limiting actual skill-building.

6.2 Indirect Competitors

Indirect competitors include offline institutes and generic online courses. Structured, yes, but they cannot match the affordability, scale, or interactive AI experience SpeakX.ai provides.

7. Future Plans and Expansion

7.1 Regional Language Expansion

By adding Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, and Bengali, SpeakX.ai aims to extend AI-powered English learning to smaller cities and rural learners, where fluency is highly prized. This strengthens its claim as a truly pan-Indian platform.

7.2 Financial Goals

By 2026, SpeakX.ai targets ₹100 crore (~$12 million) annual EBITDA and aims to grow into a $300–400 million business in India within 2–3 years. Ambitious? Absolutely, but it reflects a vision that balances growth and profitability, a rare feat in edtech.

9. Learning for Startups and Entrepreneurs

SpeakX.ai’s journey is a masterclass in adaptability. Mittal’s pivot, market-focused strategy, and embrace of AI show that startup survival demands evolution, not stubbornness. Key takeaways: profitability, clear differentiation, and tech-led innovation are indispensable in India’s competitive startup ecosystem.

About Foundlanes

Foundlanes captures India’s startup pulse, and SpeakX.ai exemplifies AI and edtech converging to redefine learning. Investor confidence mirrors rising demand for scalable, personalized, and technologically advanced education solutions.