Darwinbox Completes 3rd ESOP Buyback in 4 Years, Reinforcing Commitment to Share Success with Employees

Hyderabad, Telangana, India & San Francisco, United States – Business Wire India Darwinbox, a leading global provider of AI-powered HR technology, has successfully completed an INR 86 crore Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) buyback, the third such program in just four years. Over 350 employees spread across the company’s 11 global offices in India, North America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, benefited from this buyback round.

This marks Darwinbox’s third buyback in just four years, reflecting the company’s continued commitment to rewarding the people behind its growth and building shared success as it scales globally.

“At Darwinbox, we’ve always believed that those who help build value should share in it. Even as we invest deeply in innovation and global growth, we remain equally committed to creating meaningful outcomes for our people. This buyback, like the ones before, reflects our belief in sharing success with our people and building a culture of ownership,” said Jayant Paleti, Co-founder, Darwinbox.

“Talent has always been at the heart of what we do at Darwinbox, and we’ve been intentional about ensuring they grow with the company—not just in impact, but also in wealth creation. Some of the best minds from the industry have joined us to help shape the future of work. As we double down on R&D to power an AI-first world, we’re excited to welcome great talent on this journey,” said Chaitanya Peddi, Co-founder at Darwinbox.

In March 2025, Darwinbox added global private equity giants Partners Group and KKR to its cap table through a $140 million deal—further strengthening its position to lead on two critical fronts: deep technology innovation and global market expansion.

That momentum is evident in a series of breakthrough AI product launches. Darwinbox recently became the first-ever HCM platform globally to launch an MCP (Model Context Protocol) Server, enabling any compatible AI agent to interact securely with HR data and workflows on the platform. The company’s GenAI engine, Darwinbox Sense, now delivers over 40 embedded AI capabilities, driving smarter decisions and elevated experiences. Darwinbox also recently rolled out a multi-country payroll solution across 10 new geographies within the last year, solidifying its capability to serve complex global organizations.

Darwinbox powers modern HR technology experiences for over 4 million employees across 1000 enterprises, from large conglomerates to high-growth tech companies. Brands like Starbucks, McDonald’s, AXA, Cigna, WeWork, Airtel, and Vedanta trust the platform to power their people strategies at scale.

The trust of its customers is paralleled by analyst recognition. Darwinbox has been named a Customers’ Choice on Gartner Peer Insights for four years in a row. It is also the youngest and only Asian company to be recognized as a Challenger in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Cloud HCM Suites for enterprises with over 1,000 employees, validating its growing global influence in a space long dominated by legacy players.

About Darwinbox Founded in 2015, Darwinbox is a global HR tech leader that empowers enterprises to better manage their talent with new-age employee experiences and disruptive AI-powered technology. Its cloud-based Human Capital Management (HCM) software caters to an organization's HR needs across the entire employee lifecycle. Darwinbox is trusted by over 4 million employees from more than 1000 enterprises across 130 countries. Darwinbox has been backed by global investors like KKR, Partners Group, TCV, Microsoft, Salesforce Ventures, Peak XV, Lightspeed and Endiya Partners among others.

To View the Image, Click on the Link Below: Darwinbox Co-founders - Left to Right - Rohit Chennamaneni - Chaitanya Peddi - Jayant Paleti - Vineet Singh (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire India and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.).

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