Cluely, a startup that helps ‘cheat on everything,’ raises $15M from a16z
Cluely, a startup that claims to help users “cheat” on job interviews, exams, and sales calls, has raised a $15 million Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz, the company announced on Friday with a video posted on X.
Two investors who were not part of the deal tell TechCrunch they believe Cluely’s post-money valuation is around $120 million. Andreessen Horowitz declined to comment on that figure. Cluely CEO Roy Lee didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The startup was co-founded earlier this year by 21-year-old Roy Lee and Neel Shanmugam, who were suspended from Columbia University for developing an undetectable AI-powered tool called “Interview Coder” to help engineers cheat on technical interviews.
Cluely is profitable, according to Lee’s multiple posts on X and podcast appearances.
Lee’s provocative social media presence and highly produced controversial videos have helped to draw attention and create brand awareness for Cluely.
In April, for example, as TechCrunch previously reported, Cluely published a slick but polarizing launch video of Lee using a hidden AI assistant to lie to a woman about his age, and even his knowledge of art, on a date at a fancy restaurant.
Earlier this week, Cluely was hoping to throw a large after-party following Y Combinator’s AI Startup School, a two-day event. But the police shut down the festivities after around 2,000 people tried to enter the venue, Lee told TechCrunch. After they arrived, he told TC, “We did some cleanup, but the drinks are all there waiting for the next party.”
