AI-based edtech startup SpeakX has brought cricket legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni on board as a strategic investor and brand ambassador. Founder Arpit Mittal confirmed the development and said Dhoni strongly identified with the company's mission, while the exact financial terms remain undisclosed. The celebrity backing forms part of a broader funding round that the company plans to raise next year.
Strategic investment and brand ambassadorship
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's association with SpeakX is intended to go beyond a traditional endorsement deal. Founder Arpit Mittal said the cricket legend understood the core business and connected with its mission before backing the company. The partnership is expected to give the platform greater visibility as it expands its user base.
SpeakX has not revealed the value of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's strategic investment or the terms attached to the arrangement. The company did confirm that his participation is part of a broader round that it plans to raise in the next financial cycle. While no further details about the round were provided, the announcement underscores the startup's efforts to attract influential backers.
Regional language expansion
SpeakX, formerly known as Yellow Class, is actively widening its footprint beyond its earlier Hindi-first approach. The platform now supports learners in Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Marathi, and it plans to deepen its presence in these languages. Founder Arpit Mittal observed that South India is currently showing stronger traction, which aligns with the company's regional expansion strategy.
In its initial phase, the startup's audience was largely restricted to Hindi-speaking users, who accounted for about 80 percent of its total audience. Today, users from regional language backgrounds make up roughly half of its user base, indicating a substantial shift in demand patterns. The company is now focused on serving multiple language communities rather than relying on a single dominant market.
From extracurricular platform to AI-powered English learning
SpeakX was founded in 2020 by Arpit Mittal as a platform offering free extracurricular and co-curricular classes across more than 40 categories. In November 2023, it pivoted and rebranded as SpeakX to focus on English-speaking skills for children in India and overseas. The shift was supported by generative AI, allowing learners to practice everyday conversations with an AI tutor.
According to the company, there is no human touchpoint on the platform except for customer support in select situations where the product cannot resolve an issue. This design is intended to make conversational practice more accessible and scalable through artificial intelligence. The freemium model includes a subscription priced at Rs 299 per month.
Business performance and upcoming plans
SpeakX currently has around two lakh active paid subscribers, with monthly paid user retention of approximately 30 percent. Founder Arpit Mittal said the startup became EBITDA profitable in FY26 and achieved a top line of Rs 45 crore. He is projecting revenue in the range of Rs 70 crore to Rs 80 crore for FY27.
The company is set to launch a business-to-business English-learning product in the coming months, expanding beyond its consumer offering. The new product will initially target sectors such as hospitality, pharmaceuticals and healthcare. This move is expected to create an additional revenue stream and broaden the startup's enterprise footprint across India.
Funding context
Before Dhoni's investment, SpeakX raised 16 million dollars in a pre-Series B round led by WestBridge Capital last year. The startup is backed by Elevation Capital, Goodwater Capital, Tidal Capital and Ronnie Screwvala, among others. In total, SpeakX has raised more than 20 million dollars to date, reflecting steady investor confidence.
SpeakX is positioning itself at the intersection of artificial intelligence, language learning and regional accessibility, with Dhoni's backing adding both credibility and visibility. The combination of a growing subscriber base, improving financial performance and new B2B initiatives suggests a broader ambition beyond consumer edtech. As the company prepares for its next funding round, its ability to sustain regional momentum and enterprise expansion will be closely watched.
Source: Inc42