Headout, home to the world’s best real-life experiences, has successfully completed its second ESOP buyback, reaffirming its belief that those building the company should benefit meaningfully from its growth. Funded entirely from the company’s balance sheet, the buyback saw participation from over 250 Headouters across its 11 global offices.

“Ownership isn’t just a philosophy at Headout — it’s a core operating principle we live by every single day,” said Varun Khona, Co-founder & CEO. “This second buyback is a celebration of the people who’ve helped us build this one-of-a-kind global experiences brand. Our journey has always been powered by belief, and this is how we honour the people who believe in our mission and make it real every day.”

He added, “Our ambitions are getting bolder. We want to 5x our scale in the next 18 months and to become an AI-first experiences company that will set the standard for what cutting-edge AI consumer applications look like. Given these lofty goals, it is critical that we live up to our operating principle of valuing our team. This buyback from the company’s balance sheet is our way of putting our money where our mouth is.”

Headout is growing and expanding at a rapid clip

The buyback follows a period of sustained momentum. Headout now serves over 40 million guests across 100+ cities, driving more than $3 billion in cumulative tourism impact. The company has grown tenfold in recent years, expanding across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and is in the middle of a rapid expansion spree towards 500+ cities in the coming 18 months.

A fresh wave of product launches is powering the next phase of growth. From ExperienceAI, Smart Pickups and Headout Theatre to Drops, Headout Now Pay Later, and Smart Pricing — the company is reimagining what it means to head out, for both travelers and experience providers. And with a new set of AI agentic solutions to augment physical real-world experiences landing this September, Headout is just getting started.

At Headout, equity is granted to every employee at the time of joining, and at key milestones throughout their journey, regardless of role or seniority. The company’s ESOP program is designed to reward long-term thinking, reinforce its value of ownership, and ensure that every Headouter has a real stake in the outcome. Its first buyback was conducted in 2022.