Seattle-based public speaking platform Yoodli has raised $6.7 million, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Yoodli filed the notice on Tuesday. The company didn't respond to multiple requests for more information. Yoodli, which aims to help users prepare for a big speech, interview or presentation, launched out of stealth earlier this year with $1.1 million from both the Allen Institute and Madrona Venture Group.
"We've all been in situations the night before a presentation, interview, salary negotiation or whatever, where we are talking out loud to a mirror, a stopwatch, a camera or a spouse. We're pacing back and forth trying to memorize our slides," Yoodli co-founder Varun Puri previously told the Business Journal. "The dream behind this is can we build technology to help people practice and improve their communication skills without the pressure of an audience."
Yoodli launched last year, spinning out from the Allen Institute for AI. The website allows users to rehearse a speech and receive automated feedback on pacing, volume and filler words, among other factors important to public speaking. Yoodli also features games users can play to help them improve their speaking skills. Puri earlier this year told the Business Journal the company was pre-revenue, and the company in April had under 10 employees, all of whom were based in Seattle.
Esha Joshi, Yoodli's other co-founder, worked at Apple for more than four years as a product manager and software engineer. Puri, meanwhile, had worked on special projects for Google, including with the tech giant's "moonshot factory," or X, to help bring internet to sub-Saharan Africa.
Joshi previously told the Business Journal the company chose its name to be fun and playful.
"We believe that public speaking doesn't need to be anxiety-inducing," Joshi wrote in a message. "Try saying Yoodli three times in a row and you won't be able to help but smile. It's also a spin on yodeling, which is a type of voice exercise."
