MS Dhoni invests in AI edtech SpeakX as brand ambassador
Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been onboarded as a strategic investor and brand ambassador at AI-based English-tutoring startup SpeakX, founder and CEO Arpit Mittal told Inc42.
Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. The investment is part of a larger funding round the company plans to raise next year.
SpeakX, which rebranded from Yellow Class in November 2023, focuses on English-speaking skills for children in India and overseas. GenAI helped in the pivot, with the startup helping learners practice everyday conversations with an AI tutor.
There is no human touchpoint on the platform, except customer support in specific cases when the product is unable to resolve a user’s issue.
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The startup follows a freemium model and has around 2 Lakh active paid subscribers, with paid user retention at around 30% on a monthly basis. Its subscription is priced at ₹299 per month.
The company, which earlier followed a Hindi-first approach, now caters to users across Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Marathi. Users speaking regional languages account for half of SpeakX’s user base, with stronger traction in South India.
Mittal claims SpeakX became EBITDA profitable in FY26, with its top line touching the ₹45 Cr mark. The company is projecting ₹70-80 Cr in revenue for FY27 and is set to launch a B2B English-learning product in the coming months targeting the hospitality, pharmaceuticals and healthcare sectors.
SpeakX has raised over $20 Mn to date, including a $16 Mn pre-Series B round led by WestBridge Capital last year. Its other backers include Elevation Capital, Goodwater Capital, Tidal Capital and Ronnie Screwvala.
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