Speak
Speak is an AI-powered language learning app that provides conversational practice and feedback. The company has raised $152M, most recently in a Series C round in December 2024, and employs 313 people.
The growth story
Speak grew from 93 to 313 employees between 2022 and 2026, raising $152M along the way, most recently a Series C in December 2024.
About
Speak offers an AI tutor that simulates one-on-one language practice through conversation and structured lessons. The app targets the 2 billion people worldwide learning languages, focusing on speaking skills rather than traditional grammar-first approaches.
The company has scaled rapidly since its 2017 founding, reaching over 300 employees. Its $152M in funding includes backing from major investors like Accel and Founders Fund, suggesting strong investor confidence in its AI-driven approach to language education.
Founders and leadership
Engineering makes up the largest function at Speak, with 46 employees. The company is led by a San Francisco-based team that has grown the organization to over 300 staff since its 2017 founding.
The Speak org chart
Connor Zwick (CEO) leads 60 mapped leaders with 2 direct reports. Click +N to expand a team; names link to the person’s public profile.
Departments, and which ones grew
Headcount by function: Engineering 49 (+40% YoY), Marketing 35 (+35% YoY), Education 33 (+22% YoY), Business Development 26 (+24% YoY), Sales 26 (+117% YoY), Media and Communication 23 (-8% YoY).
Talent flow
Speak draws talent primarily from tech companies like Square, Amazon, and TikTok. Alumni have gone on to roles at OpenAI and Bessemer Venture Partners, among others. The workforce includes graduates from top schools like UC Berkeley and Harvard.
Most common previous employers of Speak staff: Square (8), Amazon (6), TikTok (6), WeWork (6), Lyft (5), Thumbtack (5). Former Speak employees most often moved to Minari Crew (2), OpenAI (2), Canals (1), Bessemer Venture Partners (1), Metropolis Technologies (1), Factorial Funds (1).
Alumni worth knowing
The Speak mafia
Speak alumni have founded 9 companies, including Calm (737 employees) and HackerHouse Campus (17 employees). Other startups include Studdy, Otherkind, and Traffic Machine, showing a trend toward education and productivity tools.
10Yamil Quispe Silva, was Growth intern until 2024Michael Lam, was Product - AI Tutor until 2023Vanessa Bahk, was Senior Product Designer until 2024Gayoung Park, was Growth Advisor until 2023
Austin Wisdom, was Content Production Manager until 2022
Mingyu Jeong, was Growth Marketing Manager until 2025
Inpyo Hong, was Partnership lead until 2024
Yash Adkar, was Business Lead Development (AI-ML Intern) until 2025Hiring now
Web traffic
Traffic mix: 13% direct, 57% search, 11% social, 1% paid.
What this company is made of
Most common skills at Speak: Microsoft Office (70), Project Management (64), Leadership (58), Public Speaking (58), Social Media (56), Communication (54), Research Skills (54), Microsoft Excel (49).
Where the team actually sits
Speak people are concentrated in California, United States (72), San Francisco Bay Area (22), Seoul, South Korea (19), Tokyo, Japan (9).
Search footprint
Speak attracts about 15,040 organic search visits a month, traffic worth roughly $33K a month if bought through ads. It gained 2,313 ranking keywords and lost 1,881 in the last period.
What employees say
- Compensation
- 3.00 / 5
- Career opportunities
- 2.00 / 5
- Senior management
- 3.00 / 5
- Work-life balance
- 2.00 / 5
Frequently asked
Speak has 313 employees as of September 2026.
Speak has raised $152M in total, most recently a Series C round in December 2024.
Speak was founded in 2017 by Andrew Hsu.
Connor Zwick (CEO) sits at the top of Speak's reporting structure, with 2 direct reports.
The most common previous employers of current Speak staff are Square (8 people), Amazon (6 people), TikTok (6 people).
Former Speak employees most often move to Minari Crew (2), OpenAI (2), Canals (1).
At least 9 companies have a founder who previously worked at Speak, including Calm, HackerHouse Campus, Studdy.
Speak attracts about 15,040 organic search visits a month, worth roughly $33K a month in equivalent ad spend.
The most common skills among Speak staff are Microsoft Office, Project Management, Leadership, Public Speaking, Social Media.
Speak staff are concentrated in California, United States (72), San Francisco Bay Area (22), Seoul, South Korea (19).
Speak has about 49 people in Engineering, up 40% over the past year, as of September 2026.
Speak has about 35 people in Marketing, up 35% over the past year, as of September 2026.
Computed from 193 current and 98 former Speak profiles, as of September 2026. Source: Crustdata.
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