Yoodli, an AI-powered communication training startup that builds technology aimed at assisting humans rather than replacing them with machines, has reached a valuation of more than $300 million, more than triple its level six months ago.
This valuation increase follows Yoodli’s $40 million Series B round led by WestBridge Capital with participation from Neotribe and Madrona. This follows a $13.7 million Series A round announced in May, bringing the startup’s total funding to nearly $60 million.
As AI tools proliferate in the workplace and fears of automation grow, Yoodli is repositioning itself. The four-year-old Seattle-based startup uses AI to run simulated scenarios such as sales calls, leadership coaching, interviews, and feedback sessions, giving users structured, repeatable practice to improve their speaking skills.
Varun Puri (pictured above, right), who previously worked in Google’s X division and worked on special projects for Sergey Brin, co-founded Yoodli in 2021 with former Apple engineer Esha Joshi (pictured above, left). He immigrated to the United States at the age of 18 and began noticing the challenges of communication after seeing how the difficulty of expressing ideas and speaking confidently affected students and young professionals (including himself) in countries such as India, he said in an interview.
Initially, Yoodli was intended to help people practice public speaking, but two out of three people struggle with this skill, Puri told TechCrunch, citing internal data. But the startup quickly saw users using the platform to prepare for interviews, make pitches, and have difficult conversations. This shift has seen Yoodli move from consumer products to enterprise training, and now offers AI role-play and experiential learning tools for go-to-market, partner certification, and management coaching.
“In the old world, companies trained their employees using static long-form content and passive videos that we all watched at four to five times the speed, just to make ends meet,” says Puri. “But that doesn’t mean you actually learned it.”
Companies like Google, Snowflake, Databricks, RingCentral, and Sandler Sales use Yoodli to train their employees and partners. The startup also sells its platform to coaching companies such as Franklin Covey and LHH, who can tailor the system to their own methodologies and training frameworks, Puri said. He added that the tool is not designed to replace a human coach, but to keep humans informed and provide personalized guidance.
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“I believe philosophically that AI can get you. Let’s take it from 0 to 8 or from 0 to 9,” Puri said. “But the pure essence of who you are and how you show up, and your authenticity and vulnerability that humans give you feedback on, is always there.”
The platform works with multiple large-scale language models, allowing users to run the platform on models such as Google’s Gemini or OpenAI’s GPT, depending on their preference. Businesses can also incorporate it into their existing software, or users can access it directly through a web browser. AI supports most major languages, including Korean, Japanese, French, Canadian French, and a list of Indian languages.
Yoodli does not offer a dedicated mobile app, which Puri says was a decision made to avoid adding extra steps for users during training sessions.
Puri declined to say how many people use the platform, but said Yoodli currently derives most of its revenue from enterprise customers. Between Series A and B rounds, Yoodli added that the number of role-plays performed on the platform and the total time users spend practicing increased by 50%. The company also said average recurring revenue has increased 900% over the past 12 months, although it did not provide specific numbers.
Yodri did not plan to raise more money immediately after the previous round, but it attracted unexpected investor interest and Westbridge led the latest round, Puri said. He noted that strong performance metrics, key accounts and senior hires helped attract investors. The company recently hired former Tableau and Salesforce executive Josh Vitello as chief revenue officer (CRO), former Remitly CFO Andy Larson as CFO, and former Tableau chief product officer (CPO) Padmashree Koneti as CPO.
While Yoodli is not alone in the market for AI-based communication tools, Puri told TechCrunch that the startup differentiates itself through deep customization and a focus on specific training areas, allowing companies to customize the system to fit their use cases and coaching methodologies.
The Seattle-based startup has about 40 employees. Puri said the funding will be used to expand Yoodli’s AI coaching, analytics and personalization tools, and grow its presence in corporate learning and professional development. The company also plans to hire talent in product, AI research and customer success, deepening its footprint in the U.S. while expanding into Asia-Pacific markets.
