·  Darwinbox completes  Rs 86 Cr ESOP buyback, benefiting 350+ employees globally.

·  Largest liquidity event in company history, across 11 international offices.

·  AI-led HRtech leader serves 4M+ employees across 130 countries, with 58% YoY revenue growth.

Darwinbox, the Hyderabad HRtech unicorn, has completed a  Rs 86 crore ESOP buyback successfully, its biggest employee liquidity event so far and the third within four years. More than 350 employees spanning 11 offices globally have been beneficiaries of this exercise.

What makes this buyback unique is that it was not initiated by outside investors. Rather, Darwinbox decided to use its internal capital to reward employees, part of a larger movement by mature startups to reward employee wealth creation first.

"Ever since we were founded, our philosophy has been crystal clear those who create value must own it," declared Jayant Paleti, Co-founder, Darwinbox. "This buyback is a continuation of our intent to inculcate ownership and reward our people even as we strive for innovation and global scale."

Established in 2015, Darwinbox provides cloud-based Human Capital Management (HCM) software covering the entire employee life cycle, fueled by AI-powered experiences. It presently serves more than 4 million employees of over 1,000 businesses in 130+ countries and has investors such as KKR, Partners Group, TCV, Microsoft, Salesforce Ventures, Peak XV, and Lightspeed.

In January 2024, Darwinbox raised $140 million in a nearly all-secondary funding led by KKR and Partners Group, valuing the company at almost $950 million. The new capital is being applied to build its AI-driven HR tech infrastructure stronger.

Also Read:Fantail Raises Rs 13.75 Crore to Modernize Surat's Textile Hub,Eyes Global MMF Leadership

Some of the significant product innovations are:

• MCP Server: A trusted entry point for AI agents to view sensitive HR data.
• Darwinbox Sense: A generative AI application with 40+ smart HR functions.
• Multi-country payroll: Now available in 10 more geographies.

Supported by its innovation-driven roadmap and robust enterprise adoption, Darwinbox's FY24 revenue increased by 58% YoY to  Rs 392 crore. The company is expecting similar growth in FY25, as it expands further globally and continues to reimagine the future of work with AI.