Simile raises $200M at $2B valuation 5 months after $100M Series A

Simile, a startup that creates synthetic users for marketing and product research, has raised a $200 million Series B funding round at a $2 billion valuation, according to the company. The round was led by Greenoaks with participation from Index Ventures, Hanabi, Bain Capital Ventures, A*, Factory, Definition, and CVS Health Ventures. This comes just five months after Simile emerged from stealth and announced a $100 million Series A led by Index Ventures.

The funding will support Simile's mission to simulate human behavior for research purposes. The startup's technology is used by customers such as CVS Health, which also participated in the round through its venture arm. Simile's synthetic users are designed to help companies conduct market and product research more efficiently.

The rapid valuation increase highlights investor confidence in AI-powered simulation tools. Simile was founded by Joon Sung Park, a Stanford PhD graduate whose dissertation involved a project called "Smallville," where AI agents carried out simulated human lives, including holding parties. The startup's stated mission is to simulate "all eight billion people on earth, accurately and honestly."

Other startups in the synthetic user space have also attracted venture capital. Aaru, for example, raised a Series A round in December at a $1 billion valuation. Simile's latest round underscores the growing interest in AI-driven research tools, despite skepticism about fully replicating human unpredictability.

Simile plans to use the new capital to scale its operations and expand its customer base. The company's rapid fundraising pace reflects the competitive landscape for AI startups seeking to capitalize on enterprise demand for innovative research solutions.