Speak
Speak (Speakeasy Labs, Inc.) is an AI-powered language learning platform offering voice-first conversational practice through an AI tutor built on OpenAI's GPT-4 and Realtime APIs. It serves 15M+ consumer learners across 30+ countries and 200+ enterprise brands, reporting $100M annualized revenue in 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Speak does
Speak (legal entity Speakeasy Labs, Inc.) is an AI-powered language learning platform founded in 2016 by Connor Zwick (CEO, Harvard, ex-Thiel Fellow) and Andrew Hsu (CTO, Stanford, ex-Thiel Fellow) and headquartered in San Francisco. The company delivers a voice-first conversational AI tutor built on OpenAI's GPT-4 API and the OpenAI Realtime API, layered with a proprietary high-accuracy Speech Matching Pipeline that combines Automatic Speech Recognition with phonetic models, and an in-house Voice Agent Platform that powers Live Roleplays with low-latency, natural-turn-taking conversation. The pedagogical backbone is the proprietary 'Speak Method' loop — Learn (phrases native speakers use), Practice (repeat patterns until natural), Apply (real conversation with feedback) — supported by an AI-personalized curriculum engine that adapts in real time to learner goals, proficiency, and prior conversation performance.
The company sells primarily through a direct-to-consumer motion: a 7-day free trial on iOS, Android, and web converts into recurring monthly or annual subscriptions, with Gift Speak as a paid-acquisition variant. A secondary B2B motion, 'Speak for Business,' sells quote-based multi-year enterprise contracts with a dedicated L&D admin portal, custom content, and customer success, and has scaled to 200+ brands including KPMG and HD Hyundai. Reach extends across 30+ countries with 15M+ downloads, 25M+ personalized lessons generated in a single year, and 4.8 average app-store rating on 100K+ reviews; South Korea is the #1 market, with strong share in Japan and Taiwan, recent entry into the U.S., and an expanding footprint into mainland Chinese via a 2026 language launch. Speak is venture-backed (cumulative ~$160M raised from the OpenAI Startup Fund, Accel, Khosla Ventures, Founders Fund, and individual backers Sam Altman, Peter Thiel, Lachy Groom, Drew Houston, Jeff Weiner), reached unicorn status in December 2024, and reported $100M annualized revenue in late 2025 with 100%+ year-over-year growth.
Speak firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Speak
- Legal name
- Speakeasy Labs, Inc.
- Website
- https://speak.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Speak (Speakeasy Labs, Inc.) is an AI-powered language learning platform offering voice-first conversational practice through an AI tutor built on OpenAI's GPT-4 and Realtime APIs. It serves 15M+ consumer learners across 30+ countries and 200+ enterprise brands, reporting $100M annualized revenue in 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Speak industry classification
Industry- Product category
- AI Language Learning Software
- NAICS
- Language Schools (61163), Translation and Interpretation Services (541930), Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340), Other Sound Recording Industries (512290)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Conversational AI Platforms (chat/voice bots, orchestration) (HDAAAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Online Tutoring, Conversation Exchange & Language Coaching Platforms (EDAFAOAB), Pronunciation, Speech Recognition & Accent Training Tools (EDAFAOAG)
Keywords
Where Speak is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Speak business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Consumer subscriptions (Speak app): Recurring subscription revenue from individual language learners, accessed via iOS App Store, Google Play, and web. Offers a 7-day free trial that converts to paid plans (premium package referenced in user reviews). Generates the majority of Speak's revenue, with $100M annualized revenue reported in late 2025.
- Freemium trial funnel: 7-day free trial grants full access to all features, after which users convert to a paid subscription. Acts as the primary acquisition funnel.
- Speak for Business (B2B enterprise contracts): Enterprise SaaS contracts sold to corporate L&D teams for workforce English training. Includes a dedicated Customer Success function, Admin/L&D portal, custom content, and reporting. 200+ brands reported as customers, with KPMG and HD Hyundai named.
- Gift Speak: Gift subscription option for the consumer app, creating an additional paid acquisition channel.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | 7-day free trial with full feature access |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium consumer subscription (price not publicly disclosed) |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Speak for Business — Enterprise contract (quote-based) |
| Subscription | Annual | Gift Speak subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
Speak product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Speak is an AI-powered language learning platform delivered as a mobile and web app that focuses on getting learners to speak out loud with an AI tutor. It combines an expert-crafted curriculum with proprietary voice-first AI (built on OpenAI's GPT-4 and Realtime APIs) to deliver real-time, judgment-free conversational practice, pronunciation feedback, and personalized lessons across multiple languages including English, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, French, Italian, and Chinese.
Product overview
Speak is a single unified AI-powered language learning platform built around a proprietary Speak Method (Learn, Practice, Apply) and a conversational AI tutor. The core consumer product, Speak, anchors the offering, while Speak Tutor (the AI-powered tutor) and Live Roleplays (OpenAI Realtime API-powered voice conversations) are the primary AI modules that deliver personalized, conversational practice across multiple languages. Speak for Business is the dedicated enterprise extension of the same platform, adding an L&D Admin Portal, dedicated customer success, and Business English content for organizational deployments by 200+ brands.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Speak for Business: Enterprise / B2B offering of Speak's AI language tutor for organizational teams, with dedicated admin portal and customer success support.
- Speak Tutor
Products and services
- Speak (Consumer App) AI-powered language learning app available on iOS, Android, and web that gets users speaking a new language through an expert-crafted, AI-personalized curriculum. Targets adult self-directed learners across 30+ countries, with localized experiences in English, Korean, Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, and Chinese.
- Speak for Business
Quantifiable outcome
- $100M annualized revenue (2025)
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Speak
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Speak technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability8 records
Feature6 records
Speak partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Washington Nationals (MLB)corePartnership announced April 2026 to 'build a bilingual clubhouse' — using MLB games as a real-world language-learning engagement surface for fans.
- OpenAIflagshipDeep technology partnership: Speak is built on OpenAI's GPT-4 API and is an early adopter of OpenAI's Realtime API and audio multimodality for conversational speaking practice. OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap is quoted on the B2B page praising the partnership as 'a powerful application of generative AI for language learning'.
- CheggminorHistorical acquirer of Speak founders' previous education product, Flashcards+ (the #1 education app, which was acquired by category leader Chegg). Reflects founders' prior exit in the education space.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Speak competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Duolingo: The largest AI-enabled consumer language-learning app globally with hundreds of millions of MAUs. Directly competes with Speak on AI tutoring, gamified lessons, and consumer subscriptions across the same languages; Speak's late-2025 U.S. market entry is explicitly framed as competing against Duolingo.
- Babbel: Subscription-based language learning app offering structured, expert-designed lessons across multiple languages. Direct competitor to Speak on consumer subscriptions and B2B workforce English training, with a more vocabulary-and-grammar-led curriculum versus Speak's speaking-first approach.
- Memrise: AI-augmented language learning app with native-speaker video clips and conversational practice features. Direct Speak competitor targeting the same consumer subscription segment with growing AI conversational features.
- Busuu: Subscription language-learning app (acquired by Chegg) combining AI personalization with community-based feedback from native speakers. Direct Speak competitor in consumer subscriptions and a relevant comp given its prior ownership by Speak founders' acquirer.
- Preply: Marketplace for human language tutors that has been layering AI-driven personalization and practice tools. Adjacent competitor to Speak in both B2C and corporate English training, with a hybrid human+AI model that Speak's pure-AI approach contrasts with.
- italki: Global marketplace connecting language learners with human tutors for one-on-one lessons. Competes for the same conversational-practice budget Speak targets, with a fully human model that Speak positions its AI tutor as a lower-cost, always-on alternative to.
Broad incumbents
- Rosetta Stone: Long-standing incumbent language learning platform with both consumer subscriptions and enterprise (Rosetta Stone for Enterprise) offerings. Competes with Speak on B2B corporate English training with broader language coverage but a less AI-native product.
Emerging players
- ELSA Speak: AI-powered English pronunciation coach focused on accent reduction and speaking fluency — a narrower overlap with Speak's speaking-first value proposition. Targets global English learners and competes on the voice/pronunciation evaluation dimension.
- BoldVoice: AI-driven English pronunciation and accent training app targeting non-native professionals. Overlaps with Speak's speaking focus with a narrower, B2C-focused offering and is a relevant emerging competitor in the AI speaking-tutor niche.
Regional players
- Cake: Korean-language learning app particularly strong in South Korea and Japan, focused on short-form video and AI-driven conversational English practice. A regional direct competitor in Speak's home Korean and Japanese markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Speak social profiles
Digital presenceSpeak financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Speak leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Speak subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Speak funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors18 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Speak M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Speak
What does Speak do?
Speak is an AI-powered language learning platform delivered as a mobile and web app that focuses on getting learners to speak out loud with an AI tutor. It combines an expert-crafted curriculum with proprietary voice-first AI (built on OpenAI's GPT-4 and Realtime APIs) to deliver real-time, judgment-free conversational practice, pronunciation feedback, and personalized lessons across multiple languages including English, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, French, Italian, and Chinese.
Is Speak a public or private company?
Speak is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Speak founded?
Speak was founded in 2016. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Speak based?
Speak is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Speak make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Consumer subscriptions (Speak app) is the primary driver. The others are freemium trial funnel, speak for Business (B2B enterprise contracts) and gift Speak.
Who are Speak's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Duolingo, Babbel, Memrise, Busuu, Preply and italki. Rosetta Stone is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are ELSA Speak and BoldVoice. Cake is listed as a regional player.
Does Speak have an API?
No public API is recorded for Speak.
What industry is Speak in?
Speak's product category is AI Language Learning Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAAAFAC, Conversational AI Platforms (chat/voice bots, orchestration), with a secondary code of EDAFAOAB, Online Tutoring, Conversation Exchange & Language Coaching Platforms. Its NAICS code is 61163.