Profound raises US$180 million as AI search marketing startup reaches reported US$1.8 billion valuation
The Series D, led by Sequoia and Kleiner Perkins, comes less than seven months after Profound’s US$96 million Series C.
Profound has raised US$180 million in a Series D funding round valuing the AI search marketing software startup at a reported US$1.8 billion, according to TechCrunch.
Sequoia and Kleiner Perkins led the round. Existing investors, including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Khosla Ventures and South Park Commons, also participated.
Profound launched about two years ago as an analytics platform and has since expanded into researching and creating marketing strategies for brands seeking to understand and improve their visibility in AI-generated search results.
The company operates in the emerging generative engine optimisation and answer engine optimisation sector, where startups are developing tools to help businesses understand how consumers discover brands through AI systems.
Profound says its revenue has tripled over the past six months and that it now has more than 1,000 enterprise customers. Its named customers include Comcast, The Estée Lauder Companies and Walmart.
The funding follows Profound’s US$96 million Series C, announced less than seven months earlier. The supplied material does not specify the basis of the reported valuation, investor ownership stakes or how the new capital will be used.
