Yoodli, the Seattle startup turning awkward practice conversations into polished workplace skills, just secured a $40 million Series B led by Westbridge. The fresh capital puts the young company at the center of a fast-heating race to build AI tools that can coach humans in real time — without the pressure of another person watching.
The raise, first reported to Axios Pro, gives Yoodli a serious boost as enterprises hunt for AI that can actually improve performance, not just automate tasks. And communication is one of those human problems companies spend millions trying to fix every year.
A Training Tool Built for the Real Messiness of Work
Yoodli’s pitch is simple: let people rehearse tough conversations — a sales pitch, a stakeholder meeting, a job interview, even an uncomfortable feedback talk — with an AI that doesn’t judge and doesn’t get tired.
The system listens, measures tone, clarity, filler words, pacing, and structure. Then it fires back specific coaching moments and suggested rewrites, almost like having a personal comms trainer on standby. The company calls it an “AI role-play platform”, and in a world of static training videos, it feels refreshingly interactive.
Momentum Before the Money
Yoodli entered 2025 with momentum. It had already raised a $13.7 million round earlier in the year and pushed “AI role-plays” into enterprise workflows — especially in sales onboarding, leadership development, and interview prep.
The founders, CEO Varun Puri and co-founder Esha Joshi, frame the tool as a “batting cage for conversations.” It’s a tidy metaphor for any worker who has ever botched a pitch and wished for a safe rehearsal first.
Why Investors Are Betting Big
Westbridge’s lead role signals how bullish investors have become on real-time communication coaching. Most companies still struggle to train employees in a scalable way. Workshops are expensive. E-learning feels outdated. And managers often don’t have the time or skill to coach effectively.
AI can fill those gaps — if it’s precise, private, and secure. Yoodli promises enterprise-grade compliance, which could explain the acceleration in customer interest across GTM teams and HR departments.
What This Round Means Next
With $40M now in the tank, expect Yoodli to expand deeper into enterprise sales, add more industry-specific role-play templates, and invest heavily in language models tuned for high-stakes conversations. Integrations with CRMs and learning platforms also seem inevitable as customers push for tighter workflow fit.
The bigger story: training is shifting from one-off sessions to continuous, personalized coaching. If Yoodli executes, it won’t just be another AI startup — it could become the default prep tool for anyone facing an important conversation.
Conclusion
AI can’t replace human communication, but it might finally help people get better at it. Yoodli’s $40M bet suggests the market is ready.