Cluely, a startup that openly markets its AI-powered tools as a way to “cheat” during job interviews, exams, and sales calls, has secured $15 million in Series A funding.
The round was led by Silicon Valley giant Andreessen Horowitz, the company announced on Friday via a video posted on X (formerly Twitter).
While the company did not disclose its valuation, two sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch that Cluely’s post-money valuation stands at approximately $120 million. Andreessen Horowitz declined to comment on the figure.
This latest funding comes just two months after Cluely raised $5.3 million in seed capital from Abstract Ventures and Susa Ventures.
The company was co-founded earlier this year by Roy Lee, 21, and Neel Shanmugam, who both made headlines after being suspended from Columbia University. The suspension stemmed from their creation of “Interview Coder,” an AI-powered tool designed to help engineers cheat on technical interviews.
Despite the controversy, Cluely claims to be profitable, and Lee’s high-profile online persona—often defined by edgy videos and provocative commentary—has helped the brand gain attention. One such video, released in April, showed Lee using a hidden AI assistant on a date to deceive a woman about his age and knowledge of art.
The company has continued to make waves offline as well. Earlier this week, Cluely attempted to host a party following Y Combinator’s AI Startup School in San Francisco. According to Lee, the event was shut down by police after around 2,000 people tried to attend.