Yoodli, a Seattle-based startup that provides an AI communication platform for professionals, has reached a valuation of over $300 million following a $40 million Series B round led by WestBridge Capital, with participation from Neotribe and Madrona. This follows a $13.7 million Series A round earlier this year, bringing total funding to nearly $60 million.
The company focuses on helping users improve public speaking, interview skills, sales pitches, and leadership coaching. Yoodli uses AI to run realistic role-play simulations, giving structured and repeatable practice without replacing human coaches.
Varun Puri, co-founder of Yoodli along with former Apple engineer Esha Joshi in 2021, previously worked at Google’s X division. He says the platform addresses communication challenges, especially for international students and young professionals adjusting to new work environments.
Enterprise Growth Drives Adoption
Yoodli initially launched as a consumer-facing public speaking tool but quickly pivoted to enterprise adoption. Companies including Google, Snowflake, Databricks, RingCentral, and Sandler Sales now rely on the platform for employee and partner training. Coaching firms such as Franklin Covey and LHH integrate Yoodli with their own methodologies.
The platform works with multiple large language models, including Google Gemini and OpenAI GPT, and supports embedding into enterprise software or direct browser access. Yoodli also supports multiple languages, including Korean, Japanese, French, Canadian French, and several Indian languages.
Human Guidance Remains Central
Puri emphasized that the platform enhances rather than replaces human coaching. AI can help users reach advanced levels, but human feedback remains essential for authenticity and growth. Yoodli does not offer a mobile app to avoid disrupting the learning experience and keep training streamlined.
Funding and Leadership Updates
Between Series A and B, Yoodli saw a 50 percent increase in the number of role-plays run and total user engagement time. Recurring revenue grew by 900 percent over 12 months, though exact figures were not disclosed.
Recent hires include Josh Vitello as CRO, Andy Larson as CFO, and Padmashree Koneti as CPO. Strong performance metrics, enterprise adoption, and senior hires contributed to the successful Series B round.
Scaling Globally
The funding will expand AI coaching, analytics, and personalization tools, particularly in enterprise learning and professional development. Yoodli plans to hire across product, AI research, and customer success teams while expanding into the Asia-Pacific market and deepening its U.S. presence.
The startup has roughly 40 employees and continues to focus on vertical-specific training and customization for enterprise clients.
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