Ex-Googler’s Yoodli triples valuation to $300M+ with AI built to assist, not replace, people

Yoodlian AI-powered communications training startup, has reached a valuation of more than $300 million – more than triple its level six months ago – as it builds technology intended to help people rather than replace them with machines.

The valuation increase follows Yoodli’s $40 million Series B round, led by WestBridge Capital with participation from Neotribe and Madrona. It comes after one Series A round of $13.7 million announced in May, bringing the startup’s total funding to nearly $60 million.

As AI tools spread into workplaces and fuel fears of automation, Yoodli is positioning itself differently. The four-year-old Seattle-based startup uses AI to run simulated scenarios – including sales calls, leadership coaching, interviews and feedback sessions – and provides users with structured, repeatable exercises to improve their speaking skills.

Varun Puri (pictured above, right), who previously worked at Google’s He became aware of communication challenges after moving to the US at the age of 18 and seeing how difficulties in expressing ideas or speaking with confidence affected students and young professionals from countries like India – including himself – Puri said in an interview.

Initially, Yoodli was intended to help people speak in public — a skill that two in three people struggle with, Puri told TechCrunch, citing internal data. However, the startup soon saw users turning to the platform to prepare for job interviews, sales pitches, and difficult conversations. That shift has taken Yoodli from a consumer-oriented product to enterprise training, and now it offers AI role-playing and experiential learning tools for go-to-market enablement, partner certification and management coaching.

“In the old world, companies trained people using static, long-form content or passive videos that we would all watch at 4x-5x speed, just to get the job done,” says Puri. “But that doesn’t mean you’ve learned it.”

Companies such as Google, Snowflake, Databricks, RingCentral and Sandler Sales use Yoodli for employee or partner training. The startup also sells its platform to coaching companies like Franklin Covey and LHH, who can tailor the system to their own methodology and training frameworks, Puri said. He added that the tool is not designed to replace human coaches, but to keep a human involved in delivering personalized guidance.

“I believe philosophically that AI can get you, let’s call it a zero to an eight or a zero to nine,” says Puri. “But the pure essence of who you are and how you come across, and your authenticity and vulnerability that a human being gives you feedback on, will always exist.”

The platform works with multiple major language models, meaning users can use it with models such as Google’s Gemini or OpenAI’s GPT, depending on their preference. Companies can also embed it into their existing software, or users can access it directly through a web browser. The 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, a decision Puri says was made to prevent users from adding extra steps during training sessions.

Puri did not reveal how many people use the platform, but said most of Yoodli’s revenue now comes from corporate customers. He added that between Series A and B rounds, Yoodli saw a 50% increase in the number of roleplays performed on the platform and in the total time users spent practicing. The startup also said that average recurring revenue increased by 900% over the past twelve months, although no specific figures were provided.

Yoodli didn’t plan to raise more money so soon after the last round, but saw unexpected interest from investors, with WestBridge leading the latest raise, Puri said. He noted that strong performance metrics, key customers and senior employees helped attract investors. The startup 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.

Yoodli isn’t alone in the market for AI-based communications tools, but Puri told TechCrunch that the startup differentiates itself with deep customization and a focus on specific training verticals, allowing companies to tailor the system to their use cases and coaching methods.

The Seattle-headquartered startup has about 40 employees. Puri said the latest funding will be used to expand Yoodli’s AI coaching, analytics and personalization tools and grow its presence in entrepreneurial learning and professional development. The company also plans to hire across products, AI research and customer success, and expand into markets in the Asia Pacific region while deepening its footprint in the US.