Varun Puri
Varun Puri is the CEO and cofounder of Yoodli, an AI startup focused on sales training, manager coaching, public speaking, and interview preparation. He previously served as Entrepreneur in Residence at the Allen Institute for AI and held roles at Google, Infosys, and Intuit.
Yoodli Expands to 60-Person Headquarters at Seattle’s Pier 70, Growing from Three Offices
Yoodli expanded from three offices to a 60-person headquarters at Seattle’s Pier 70, demonstrating the advantages of operating within a connected AI and flexible workspace ecosystem.
Seattle Startup Yoodli Scores Free FIFA World Cup Broadcast Ad with Cardboard Sign at Pier 62
Seattle startup Yoodli used a cardboard sign to get its name and web address featured on Fox Sports' live FIFA World Cup broadcast from Pier 62. This guerrilla marketing effort was a spontaneous move by Yoodli's team during the 2021-founded company's participation at AI House events nearby.
Seattle-Based AI Startup Yoodli Doubles Workforce Amid $120M Fundraising by AI House Incubator
Seattle is attracting AI startups like Yoodli, which develops AI speech-coaching software and recently doubled its staff to about 100 employees. Yoodli originated from the AI2 Incubator (now AI House) on Seattle's waterfront, which has raised around $120 million since 2020 to fund emerging startups.
Allen Institute for AI, Carbon Robotics, DAT Freight & Analytics, Humanly, and Yoodli Named 2026 GeekWire Workplace of the Year Finalists
The 2026 GeekWire Awards Workplace of the Year finalists include Allen Institute for AI, Carbon Robotics, DAT Freight & Analytics, Humanly, and Yoodli, recognized for building exceptional workplace cultures based on core values like trust and openness. The award ceremony occurs on May 7 in Seattle, with public voting open through April 16.
Seattle AI Startup Yoodli Raises $40M, Valuation Hits $300M, Shifts to Enterprise Experiential Learning
Seattle startup Yoodli, which offers AI-powered conversation coaching software, has tripled its valuation to about $300 million following a $40 million funding round announced just eight months after a $13.7 million raise. The company is shifting focus from consumer public speaking to enterprise experiential learning, partnering with firms like SAP and Google to improve employee communication skills.
Seattle AI Startup Yoodli Raises $40M Series B Led by WestBridge Capital Amid 900% Revenue Growth
Seattle AI startup Yoodli raised $40 million in a Series B round led by WestBridge Capital, after reporting 900% revenue growth and tripling its staff to over 40. The company offers AI-powered conversational practice software used by major clients like SAP and Google, and plans to expand into experiential learning.
Seattle Startups Yoodli and A-Alpha Bio Appoint New C-Suite Execs, TiE Seattle Names Siddhartha Srinivasa as President
Seattle startups Yoodli, A-Alpha Bio, and MoxiWorks have added senior executives, including Andy Larson as Yoodli's CFO and Troy Lionberger as A-Alpha Bio's chief business officer, while TiE Seattle appointed Siddhartha Srinivasa as president. These moves highlight growth and leadership shifts in the Seattle tech sector, with companies focusing on AI, biotech, and robotics.
Yoodli Raises $13.7M to Expand AI Roleplay Software Helping Enterprises Enhance Employee Communication Skills
Yoodli, founded by CEO Varun Puri, has raised $13.7 million to grow its AI roleplay software that helps employees improve communication skills through interactive speech analysis and feedback. The startup, spun out of AI2 in 2021, is shifting focus to enterprise clients and has increased revenue fivefold in eight months.
Neotribe-led $13.7M Series A in Yoodli to Expand AI Roleplay Enterprise Platform Serving Google, Databricks and More
Neotribe Ventures led a $13.7 million Series A in Yoodli, an AI roleplay enterprise platform that helps users rehearse high-stakes conversations with real-time feedback; existing investors including Madrona, Cercano, AI2 and Neotribe (who previously invested) highlighted Yoodli’s enterprise traction with customers like Google, Databricks, RingCentral, Snowflake and BDO. The funding will expand sales, customer success, and engineering while improving personalization and realism in roleplays to address communication training gaps at scale.
Seattle AI Startup Yoodli Raises $13.7M to Enhance Sales Pitch Training with Generative AI
Seattle-based AI startup Yoodli raised $13.7 million to advance its generative AI platform that helps sales teams practice pitches by simulating conversations and providing communication feedback. Founded in 2021 by Varun Puri and Esha Joshi, Yoodli serves companies like Databricks and RingCentral and partners with Toastmasters and Korn Ferry.
GeekWire Awards 2024 Startup of the Year Finalists Auger, CalmWave, Clearbrief, Oleria, and Yoodli Showcase AI-Driven Innovations
The five finalists for the GeekWire Awards’ Startup of the Year—Auger, CalmWave, Clearbrief, Oleria, and Yoodli—are all leveraging AI to enhance their products and internal processes, utilizing automation and AI-driven insights across diverse sectors such as supply chain, healthcare, legal, web3, and communications. Their CEOs shared how AI empowers their companies to innovate and improve customer experiences.
Varun Puri, Ex-Google X Speech Coach, Launches Yoodli AI Communication Coach to Boost Career Confidence
Varun Puri, former Google X speech coach and CEO of Seattle-based startup Yoodli, developed an AI communication coach to help individuals improve speaking skills and build confidence for career advancement. The Shift AI podcast highlights his insights on overcoming workplace communication biases with AI-powered, judgment-free feedback.
Seattle AI Startup Yoodli Launches Speech-Analyzing Dating Coach to Boost Users' Communication Skills
Seattle startup Yoodli has launched an AI-powered dating coach that analyzes speech and visual cues to help users improve their communication skills and confidence for dating. The tool offers real-time feedback and personalized coaching, aiming to reduce social anxiety and enhance conversational abilities ahead of Valentine’s Day.
Seattle Startup Yoodli Launches AI VC Pitch Coach to Help Founders Practice Investor Presentations
Seattle startup Yoodli launched an AI-powered VC pitch coach that helps startup founders practice investor presentations by simulating various VC question personas and providing detailed feedback. The tool aims to reduce pitch preparation anxiety and lessen mentors' workload, offering five free practice sessions before subscription fees start.
GeekWire returns in person for 2022 Awards at Showbox SoDo, honoring 60+ finalists across 15 categories with 16,000+ votes
GeekWire held its first in-person GeekWire Awards in three years at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, honoring 60+ finalists across 15 categories with over 16,000 community votes and appearances by local tech leaders and entertainers.
Yoodli unveils AI speech-coaching platform, opens beta waitlist and raises $1M pre-seed from AI2 and Madrona
Seattle startup Yoodli launched an AI-enabled platform that analyzes users' speech delivery and offers improvement tips, and is opening a beta waitlist while announcing a $1 million pre-seed round. The spinout from AI2 is founded by Ehsan Hoque, Esha Joshi and Varun Puri, who aim to help people communicate more effectively and access opportunities.
Organizations
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Education
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Claremont McKenna College Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Economics · 2012–2016
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Sanskriti School High School · 1999–2012
