Fundraising Fox

Speak

YC W17

San Francisco, US · 40 employees · Hiring · 14 known investors

Speak is an AI-powered language learning platform that uses a proprietary curriculum to teach users conversational language through personalized lessons, practice exercises, and real-time interaction with a tutor.

Also known as Inc. · Speakeasy Labs

AI & Machine LearningConsumerEdTechSocialArtificial IntelligenceEducationUnited States of AmericaAmerica / CanadaPartly Remote

Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (W17)

AHAndrew Hsu
Andrew Hsuin𝕏FounderAndrew Hsu is a cofounder and CTO at Speak.

Investors · 14

AccelPalo Alto · $1.6M – $70M
Angel Collective Opportunity FundSan Francisco
Collaborative FundNew York · $500K – $1M
Firebolt Ventures Management Company, LlcPalo Alto
GSV VenturesSan Francisco · $250K – $15M
Khosla VenturesMenlo Park · $5K – $50M
Next Play VenturesMenlo Park · $100K – $5M
Standard CapitalSan Francisco
The Venture CollectiveMiami Beach · $100K – $500K
Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K
Kearny JacksonreportedSan Francisco · $200K – $2M
Lachy Groomreported
Sound VenturesreportedSanta Monicavia Ashton Kutcher · inferred

Also in the syndicate · 1

OpenAI

Funding

SEC filings, press & company announcements

$16M disclosed across 1 of 5 rounds · 2023–2025

Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.

Founder mafia

2 people who came through Speak went on to found or lead other companies.

Matt GreenSoftware EngineerFounded DenormalizedMichael LamProduct - AI TutorFounded Studdy

Competitors · 1

by search overlap
Naver finance1553 shared keywordsNaver Financial is the fintech arm of South Korean internet group Naver Corp., set to absorb Upbit operator Dunamu.

Companies competing with Speak for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.

In the news

How AI Language Learning App Speak Is Taking On Duolingoforbes.com · Nov 2025Speak Secures $78 Million in Series C Funding, Reaches $1 Billion Valuation to Revolutionize AI-Powered Language Learning - Fundraise Insiderfundraiseinsider.com · Jan 2025Speak Secures $78 Million in Series C Funding, Valuation Hits $1 Billion - WOWTALEen.wowtale.net · Dec 2024AI Language Startup Speak Hits Unicorn Status After Raising $78M Series Cnews.crunchbase.com · Dec 2024OpenAI-backed Speak raises $78M at $1B valuation to help users learn languages by talking out loud | TechCrunchtechcrunch.com · Dec 2024OpenAI-Backed Language Tutor Startup Doubles Value to $1 Billion - Bloombergbloomberg.com · Dec 2024Language learning app Speak nets $20M, doubles valuation | TechCrunchtechcrunch.com · Jun 2024AI startup Speak raises $16 million in latest funding led by Lachy Groom | Reutersreuters.com · Aug 2023

Frequently asked questions

What does Speak do?
Speak is an AI-powered language learning platform that uses a proprietary curriculum to teach users conversational language through personalized lessons, practice exercises, and real-time interaction with a tutor.
Who founded Speak?
Speak was founded by Andrew Hsu.
Who are Speak's investors?
Speak's investors include Accel, Angel Collective Opportunity Fund, Collaborative Fund, Firebolt Ventures Management Company, Llc, GSV Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Next Play Ventures, Standard Capital and 5 more.
How much funding has Speak raised?
Speak has disclosed $16M raised across 1 of its 5 known rounds.
Where is Speak headquartered?
Speak is headquartered in San Francisco, US.