Edtech company SpeakX, earlier known as Yellow Class, has taken a major step toward employee wealth creation with the launch of its first ESOP buyback program worth $1 million. The company designed this initiative to reward team members who contributed to its growth and to give them early liquidity — something most early-stage startups delay until much later in their journey.
A Buyback That Directly Benefits the Team
SpeakX structured the buyback so that 15 of its 20 employees can unlock value from their stock options. This proportion reflects the company’s long-standing commitment to employee ownership. The leadership team strongly believes that wealth creation should not remain limited to top executives or late-stage tenured employees. Because of this philosophy, the company created a structure where most team members hold meaningful equity.
The timing of this buyback plays a crucial role. SpeakX recently closed a $16 million pre-Series B funding round, and the new capital allows the company to strengthen its ownership structure. Instead of waiting for a large exit event or an IPO, the company chose to give employees a chance to realize gains much earlier.
A Unique ESOP Structure Focused on Access and Longevity
Many startups design ESOP plans that favor senior leaders or long-tenured managers. SpeakX does the opposite. The company extends ESOPs across all departments so that every team member can share in the company’s financial success. Employees qualify for ESOPs after they complete two years with the company, and they also receive a 10-year exercise window, which offers significant flexibility.
This long exercise window reduces pressure on employees who need time to decide when to exercise their stock options. Many high-growth startups set narrow exercise windows of 90 days, which often forces employees to let go of valuable ESOPs. SpeakX avoids that problem and encourages long-term ownership through a model that aligns with employee financial well-being.
The company also links a portion of its new stock grants to performance, tenure, and long-term commitment. With this structure, SpeakX ensures that motivated and committed team members receive the maximum benefit from its equity pool. This performance-linked approach also creates a merit-driven culture that rewards actual outcomes rather than only seniority.
Strong Investor Confidence and Steady Capital Foundation
SpeakX has built its capital base steadily over the years. Until now, the company has raised a total of $23.3 million. This includes early support in the form of $1.3 million in seed funding led by India Quotient. Later, in 2021, the company closed a $6 million Series A round led by Elevation Capital. The recent $16 million pre-Series B round marks a significant milestone, showing strong investor confidence in the company’s pivot, growth metrics, and product adoption.
With each round, SpeakX also expands its ESOP pool. Currently, the 20-member team collectively holds 6% equity, and this figure will grow as the company raises additional rounds. SpeakX positions its team as long-term partners in its growth journey, and the buyback reinforces that philosophy.
A Pivot That Transformed Product Direction and Market Reach
SpeakX did not always operate as an AI-led English learning platform. During its early years as Yellow Class, the company functioned as a live-learning platform that focused on multiple categories. In 2023, the company made a strategic pivot to an AI-powered English learning app. This shift allowed SpeakX to pursue a much larger market with a scalable product that did not rely on live instructors.
This pivot also allowed SpeakX to sharpen its core mission: make English learning easier, more accessible, and more affordable for learners across regions and economic backgrounds. By introducing a fully automated solution, the team created a product that could scale globally without compromising personalization and quality.
The company currently offers its app in India and select international markets. It also plans to expand across Asia and the Middle East, two regions where the demand for English learning continues to grow rapidly.
Technology That Mimics Real Conversations and Builds Confidence
SpeakX uses advanced AI tools to simulate real-world conversations. The platform helps learners practice English in an environment that feels natural and supportive. It also offers automated speech correction and multilingual support, which allows learners from diverse backgrounds to improve quickly.
The app reports high user engagement, with learners spending about 15 minutes per session. This strong engagement suggests that learners find the content easy to use and valuable for daily practice.
Business Metrics That Signal Strong Health
SpeakX has also shared important business performance indicators that reveal strong unit economics. The company reports:
- CAC payback in one day — meaning it recovers customer acquisition cost almost immediately.
- 3.7x LTV/CAC within six months — a strong ratio that indicates sustainable growth and efficient use of capital.
- 35% retention at Month 3 — a solid retention figure for a consumer-facing educational app.
These numbers highlight the effects of the company’s pivot to an AI-powered model. They also justify the investor confidence that SpeakX continues to attract. The product engages users, retains them long enough to deliver value, and creates an attractive long-term revenue model.
A Culture That Values Ownership and Early Reward
The ESOP buyback plays a central role in shaping SpeakX’s culture. Instead of viewing ESOPs as long-term promises that may or may not materialize, SpeakX treats them as active tools for real wealth creation. The leadership believes that employees deserve early wins, especially when they help the company navigate transitions, support pivots, or build products from scratch.
By offering early liquidity, the company encourages employees to think of themselves as stakeholders rather than only team members. This mindset strengthens engagement and drives a deeper level of commitment across teams.
The buyback also sends a message to future hires. Top talent often looks for companies that treat employees fairly and transparently. SpeakX establishes itself as an organization that values long-term partnerships and rewards contributions proactively.
The Road Ahead
SpeakX continues to invest in AI-driven learning, global expansion, and long-term team ownership. With this ESOP buyback, the company signals strong financial health and a clear commitment to creating real value for its people.
As the company expands its presence across Asia and the Middle East, its team-centric philosophy and efficient business model place it in a strong position to scale responsibly. Employees stand at the center of this vision, and the buyback marks the beginning of a new era where early team members grow along with the company.
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