Yoodli's $300M+ Leap: AI That Trains People-Not Replaces Them
AI replacing jobs gets the headlines. Yoodli is doing the opposite. The Seattle startup's valuation tripled to 300M+ in six months by helping people communicate better-at scale.
Founded by former Google X engineer Varun Puri and former Apple engineer Esha Joshi, Yoodli uses AI role-plays to simulate sales calls, leadership coaching, interviews, and feedback sessions. The result: structured, repeatable practice that turns communication into a measurable skill.
What's Different About Yoodli's Approach
Yoodli isn't a video course you watch at 4x. It's hands-on practice with AI that plays the counterpart you're preparing for-prospect, manager, candidate, or direct report-then gives instant feedback and repetitions.
The platform meets users where the stakes are: go-to-market enablement, partner certification, and management coaching. Companies customize scenarios to match their playbooks, so training reflects how they actually operate.
Traction Behind the $40M Series B
- 900% growth in annual recurring revenue over the last 12 months
- 50% increase in role-plays between funding rounds
- Enterprise wins with Google, Snowflake, and Databricks
- Executive hires from Tableau, Salesforce, and Remitly
The round was led by WestBridge Capital, with participation from Neotribe and Madrona. It follows a $13.7M Series A just months earlier-pulled forward by outsized demand.
Why Enterprises Choose Yoodli
Lecture-style training checks a box. Yoodli's experiential approach builds muscle memory.
- Technology Companies: Google, Snowflake, Databricks (employee communication training)
- Sales Organizations: RingCentral, Sandler Sales (pitch practice and coaching)
- Coaching Firms: Franklin Covey, LHH (custom frameworks and certifications)
Under the Hood: Multi-Model, Enterprise-Ready
Yoodli runs on multiple large language models, letting teams choose the best fit for each use case-from Google Gemini to OpenAI GPT. That flexibility matters for performance, languages, and compliance.
- Supports major languages: Korean, Japanese, French, and several Indian languages
- Enterprise integrations for embedding into existing systems
- Web-based access (no app required) to reduce friction
- Deep customization to match company methodologies
Human First, AI Assist
Puri's stance is clear: AI can get you from zero to eight or nine. Humans still provide the nuance-authenticity, presence, context-that closes the loop.
- AI scales the reps; coaches deliver personalized guidance
- Feedback tracks measurable progress while preserving individual style
Team Upgrades That Signal Intent
- Chief Revenue Officer: Josh Vitello (Tableau, Salesforce)
- Chief Financial Officer: Andy Larson (Remitly)
- Chief Product Officer: Padmashree Koneti (Tableau)
What This Means for IT & Development Teams
Expect questions about data security, model selection, and integration. Yoodli's multi-model design helps with regional compliance and latency, while web-first access simplifies rollout.
- Plan SSO and provisioning early; map roles to content access
- Select models per use case (e.g., multilingual markets vs. domain depth)
- Instrument outcomes: call conversions, time-to-ramp, manager QA scores
- Integrate with LMS/CRM to auto-trigger role-plays on key events
What This Means for PR & Communications
Media training becomes repeatable. Teams can practice tough interviews, crisis briefings, and message pivots without calendar wrangling.
- Build scenarios for hostile questions, bridging statements, and tone control
- Standardize executive messaging while keeping personal delivery
- Review transcripts and feedback to coach on clarity and concision
How to Pilot AI Communication Training in 30 Days
- Week 1: Define 3 high-stakes scenarios (e.g., demo handoff, renewal save, press Q&A). Set success metrics.
- Week 2: Configure role-plays; connect SSO; pick models for language/latency needs.
- Week 3: Run cohorts of 20-50. Require two reps per scenario with manager reviews.
- Week 4: Compare outcomes vs. baseline: win rate, time-to-first-meeting, message consistency scores. Decide scale-up.
Roadmap and Expansion
With ~40 employees and fresh capital, Yoodli plans to deepen AI coaching, analytics, and personalization. The company is growing product, AI research, and customer success teams.
Expansion will focus on enterprise learning and professional development, with entry into Asia-Pacific while increasing U.S. presence.
FAQs
- Who founded Yoodli? Varun Puri (ex-Google X) and Esha Joshi (ex-Apple).
- Which companies use Yoodli? Google, Snowflake, Databricks, RingCentral, and coaching firms like Franklin Covey.
- Who led the Series B? WestBridge Capital, with participation from Neotribe and Madrona.
- What makes it different? Human-centric training, deep enterprise customization, and support for multiple LLMs.
- Where is it based? Seattle, Washington.
Practical Next Steps
- IT/Enablement: shortlist scenarios and metrics before vendor calls
- PR/Comms: convert your media brief into role-play scripts and scoring rubrics
- Ops: align L&D, Sales, and Comms on a single weekly practice cadence
Resources
AI won't replace your best people. It will make average practice unavoidable-so your best becomes the norm.
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