Profound, a startup building marketing software for AI search results, announced on Tuesday that it has raised $180 million in a Series D round at a $1.8 billion valuation. This funding arrives less than seven months after the company secured a $96 million Series C. Sequoia Capital and Kleiner Perkins led the investment, while existing backers including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Khosla Ventures, and South Park Commons also participated. Launched two years ago as an analytics platform, the firm has since expanded to assist companies in researching and creating strategies for how AI systems help consumers discover brands.
The investment reflects growing demand for tools that help businesses adapt to generative engine optimization and answer engine optimization. Profound claims its revenue tripled in the last six months, supported by over 1,000 enterprise customers such as Comcast, The Estée Lauder Companies, and Walmart. These figures indicate that major brands are actively seeking ways to maintain visibility as AI search becomes the primary method for finding information.
- Revenue increased threefold in six months
- Over 1,000 enterprise customers secured
- Major clients include Comcast and Walmart
