Profound Raises $180 Million to Help Brands Win in AI Search

Profound has raised a $180 million Series D at a $1.8 billion valuation, less than seven months after closing a $96 million Series C. Sequoia and Kleiner Perkins led the new round, with Lightspeed Venture Partners, Khosla Ventures and South Park Commons also participating.

The two-year-old startup builds marketing software designed to help brands understand and improve how they appear in AI-generated search results. Profound began as an analytics platform and has since broadened its product to include research and marketing-strategy tools.

Its software is aimed at companies trying to understand how consumers discover brands through AI systems. That puts Profound in the growing generative engine optimization and answer engine optimization market, where businesses are developing ways to improve visibility across AI-powered search experiences.

Profound says its revenue has tripled over the past six months. The company also says it now serves more than 1,000 enterprise customers, including Comcast, The Estée Lauder Companies and Walmart.

The latest financing gives Profound a unicorn valuation only months after its previous funding round, while providing additional capital as it expands beyond analytics into a broader set of tools for brands navigating AI-driven discovery.

This analysis is based on reporting from TechCrunch.

Image courtesy of Profound.

This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy and quality.