YOODLI

Yoodli is a Seattle-based company that develops an AI-powered communication coaching and experiential learning platform built around "AI roleplays." Users choose or customize a conversation partner and speaking goals, speak with the AI as it asks context-aware follow-up questions, and then receive feedback on content, delivery and progress over time. Analytics include pacing, conciseness, filler words, sentence starters, body language and non-inclusive language, and earlier versions of the product used natural language processing to generate a transcript and analysis that stayed private to the user but could be shared with peers, mentors or coaches.

The platform is positioned for organizational use across go-to-market enablement, learning and development, partner enablement and corporate communications. Enterprise customers can upload their own content, methodology, brand guidelines and certification rubrics so that roleplays reflect internal best practices; the company says content auto-updates as learning material changes. Administrators can assign roleplays, simulate certification and credentialing, track progress across cohorts and export reports, and sync data with existing tools. A multi-persona capability simulates group presentations, buying-committee pitches and interview panels. Yoodli states it is SOC 2 Type 2 certified and GDPR compliant and maintains a public trust center.

With its December 2025 Series B, Yoodli described an expansion from AI roleplays into "experiential learning" more broadly — learning based on repeated realistic practice and personalized feedback rather than passive instruction such as slide decks and training videos — and said it would invest further in AI coaching, analytics and personalization.

Founding story

Varun Puri and Esha Joshi launched Yoodli in 2021 at the AI2 incubator in Seattle, spinning the company out of the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence. Puri had previously worked on special projects at Google and Joshi had worked at Apple; both are University of Washington alumni per UW's career center. The company frames its origin in personal experiences with speaking difficulties — overcoming a lisp, freezing in interviews, anxiety about speaking up in meetings — and in the premise that important conversations deserve real practice.

Business model

Yoodli sells its roleplay platform to organizations for team training, with a self-serve entry point for individuals to start roleplaying and a demo-request path for teams. Enterprise deployments involve uploading customer content and methodology, assigning roleplays, and reporting on performance and progress; some institutional access is sponsored by the institution, as with the University of Washington, where students, staff and faculty use Yoodli free via their university email. In 2022 the company said it was generating revenue but did not disclose its business model or valuation.

Sales of platform access to enterprises and institutions for employee and learner training, with individual users able to begin using the product directly; specific pricing is not detailed in available sources.

Traction

GeekWire reported in December 2025 that revenue had grown roughly 900% over the past year and headcount had tripled to more than 40 people, with total capital raised of nearly $60 million. Customers cited across sources include Google, Snowflake, Databricks, SAP, RingCentral, Korn Ferry, Sandler Sales, Pigment, LHH, Harness and the University of Washington. GeekWire also referenced the company being valued at more than $300 million. In 2022 the company said it was generating revenue without disclosing figures.

Latest developments

On December 2, 2025 Yoodli announced a $40 million Series B led by WestBridge Capital with participation from Neotribe and Madrona, arriving months after its May 2025 Series A and bringing total funding to nearly $60 million. Alongside the round, the company announced its expansion into experiential learning and said funds would go toward AI coaching, analytics and personalization, deeper enterprise features, expanded scenario libraries and coaching frameworks, and growth of its product, AI research and customer success teams. Reported metrics at the time included roughly 900% revenue growth over the prior year and headcount tripling to more than 40.