AI-powered English learning startup SpeakX.ai raises Rs 142 crore from WestBridge, others

AI-powered English learning startup SpeakX.ai has raised $16 million (around Rs 142 crore) in a funding round led by WestBridge Capital, with participation from Goodwater Capital and existing investor Elevation Capital.

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The round also saw participation from noted angels Shyamal Anadkat of OpenAI and Ronnie Screwvala of upGrad.

This marks SpeakX’s first fundraise since its 2023 pivot from YellowClass, a children’s learning platform launched during the pandemic, to a new model centred on AI-driven spoken English learning.

The startup will use the fresh capital to strengthen SpeakX’s AI stack, expand into regional markets, and scale sustainably.

The startup's online platform uses generative AI to help users improve spoken English through simulated one-on-one conversations and instant feedback on pronunciation, fluency, and tone. It operates on a subscription-based model, designed for mass-market adoption. SpeakX currently works with Google Gemini after initially using OpenAI’s enterprise API, allowing faster and more adaptive conversational learning experiences.

SpeakX, which primarily serves Hindi-speaking users today, plans to add Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Marathi soon.

The startup currently records Rs 5 crore in monthly revenue and Rs 1.5 crore in profit, with more than 200,000 active paying subscribers and a 10 million-plus user base. Within the ongoing fiscal year, it has crossed Rs 10 crore in cumulative profit.

Founded in 2020 as YellowClass to offer online hobby classes during lockdowns, the company reached two million monthly users in its first year but saw engagement fall once schools reopened. In 2023, Mittal pivoted to English learning, downsizing from 200 employees to 20 and rebuilding the platform around AI-based spoken language improvement.