Cluely Raises $15M From a16z to Help Users ‘Cheat on Everything’
▼ Summary
– Cluely, a startup offering AI tools to “cheat” in job interviews and exams, raised a $15M Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz.
– Investors estimate Cluely’s post-money valuation at $120M, though Andreessen Horowitz declined to confirm this figure.
– The startup, co-founded by suspended Columbia students, previously raised $5.3M in seed funding two months prior.
– Cluely’s controversial marketing, including polarizing videos and social media presence, has driven brand awareness.
– A planned after-party for Y Combinator’s AI Startup School was shut down by police due to overcrowding with 2,000 attendees.
Cluely, the controversial startup offering AI-powered assistance for job interviews, exams, and sales calls, has secured $15 million in Series A funding led by prominent venture firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). The announcement, made via a video on X, marks another milestone for the company just two months after raising $5.3 million in seed funding from Abstract Ventures and Susa Ventures.
Industry sources familiar with the deal suggest the startup’s post-money valuation now sits around $120 million, though neither a16z nor Cluely’s leadership has confirmed this figure. CEO Roy Lee, who co-founded the company earlier this year with Neel Shanmugam, remained unavailable for comment.
The founders gained notoriety after being suspended from Columbia University for developing “Interview Coder,” an AI tool designed to help engineers bypass technical interviews undetected. Despite the controversy, Lee claims Cluely is already profitable, a point he’s emphasized repeatedly on social media and podcast interviews.
Provocative marketing tactics have played a key role in Cluely’s rapid rise. A polished but divisive launch video in April showed Lee using hidden AI assistance to deceive a date about his age and art knowledge at an upscale restaurant. The stunt fueled debates about ethics while simultaneously boosting brand visibility.
The startup’s momentum continued this week when an attempted after-party for Y Combinator’s AI Startup School drew an overwhelming crowd of roughly 2,000 people, forcing police to shut it down. Lee later joked about the chaos, hinting at plans for future events.
With fresh funding and a growing reputation—for better or worse—Cluely appears poised to expand its disruptive approach to professional and academic challenges. Whether the backlash will hinder its trajectory remains to be seen.
(Source: TechCrunch)
