AI voice technology startup ElevenLabs has made headlines by launching a $100 million tender offer, enabling employees to sell their shares at a remarkable $6.6 billion valuation—doubling the company’s worth in just nine months. (Source: Bloomberg)
Major Liquidity Event for Staff
The new tender offer, announced this week and co-led by Sequoia Capital and ICONIQ Growth, gives ElevenLabs employees who have been with the company for at least one year a chance to monetize the shares they’ve helped build in value. This opportunity, which follows a growing trend among fast-growing AI startups, allows employees to benefit from the company’s rapid success without waiting for a public listing or IPO.
Spectacular Growth Behind the Surge
Founded by Piotr Dabkowski (formerly of Google) and Mati Staniszewski (ex-Palantir), ElevenLabs has experienced astonishing growth since its launch. In January 2025, ElevenLabs’ Series C funding round valued the company at $3.3 billion. Just nine months later, ElevenLabs’ valuation has doubled due to explosive demand for AI-generated voice and audio solutions, bringing annual recurring revenue from $100 million in late 2024 to $200 million in just ten months. The company has rapidly expanded its team from 77 employees last year to over 330 globally.
Why This Matters in AI and Startup Ecosystems
With AI startups fiercely competing for top talent, these lucrative tender offers are becoming more common. They enable companies to attract and retain skilled workers by letting them realize immediate financial rewards for their efforts. This also serves to increase investor confidence, allowing new institutional and private investors to enter the company’s cap table.
ElevenLabs’ strategic move places it in the same league as OpenAI and other generative AI giants, which have used similar programs to balance aggressive growth and employee retention.
For employees, this tender represents a major milestone—giving them not only financial upside but also validation of their role in building one of the sector’s most valuable private AI startups.