About us
A science-based approach to human performance
Turning verbal communication and composure under pressure into a measurable, repeatable practice.
Meet the founders
Building the practice platform for high-stakes professional conversations.
Amit KasliwalFounder & CEO (INSEAD Alumnus | 2x TEDx Speaker)
In a 16-year corporate career with leadership roles at Ford Motor Company, Hero Group, and The Times Group, Amit saw communication mistakes in high-stakes meetings cost multi-million-dollar deals. He also saw that while organizations spent billions on leadership development, executive coaching stayed expensive and limited to the C-suite.
An INSEAD Executive Program Alumnus and 2x TEDx Speaker on AI transformational leadership and capability building, Amit founded Dehurdle to make realistic AI voice simulations available to every frontline professional.
Vishal VermaCo-Founder & CTO (IIT Delhi Alumnus)
Vishal studied robotics, physics, and complex systems engineering at IIT Delhi, which shaped his approach to high-throughput, low-latency distributed systems. Three years preparing for the Indian Civil Services exams broadened his knowledge of economics, public policy, governance, and institutional incentives.
Vishal designed Dehurdle's core technology stack: the real-time voice streaming pipeline, the Zero Voice Retention privacy engine, speaking pace and delivery analysis, and the agent layer behind Lumi, the AI coach. He also serves as Dehurdle's designated Data Protection Officer under India's Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act 2023.
Outside Dehurdle, Vishal plays competitive chess and publishes independent research on AI systems and physics at vishalvermalabs.com.
Our backers
Why professors and executives invested in Dehurdle.
In my decades of teaching leadership development, I've seen a persistent problem. We know that live simulation practice is incredibly effective at bridging the gap between knowing sales strategy and actually executing it under pressure. But historically, it's been unscalable—reserved only for the C-Suite. The 'Holy Grail' of our field is democratizing interactive simulations across the entire enterprise. When I looked at Dehurdle, I didn't just see another training tool; I saw the secure, scientific infrastructure needed to finally make continuous voice practice accessible at scale.
Professor, INSEAD
As a former global corporate executive now deeply engaged in generative AI, I was drawn to Dehurdle's systematic approach to daily sales and leadership simulations. By providing regional-accented AI personas and immediate vocal pacing feedback, Amit and the team have built a science-based platform that expands access to high-stakes conversation practice while preserving its lifelike, human essence.
Global Marketing Leader
I believe Dehurdle is solving a critical problem extremely thoughtfully, by combining low-latency voice AI with objective competency scorecards. The founding team has great complementary skills, commitment to building something worthwhile and responsible to customers. This is why I think they will win in the long term.
Angel Investor
