Cluely, a bold new startup known for using artificial intelligence to help users “cheat” on job interviews, tests, and sales calls, has just raised $15 million in Series A funding. The round was led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, and the announcement was made with a high-energy video posted on X. Though the company did not confirm its valuation, sources close to the deal suggest it now stands at around $120 million. Neither the lead investor nor Cluely’s CEO, Roy Lee, responded to requests for comment on this valuation.
The company was launched earlier this year by 21-year-old Roy Lee and Neel Shanmugam, both of whom were suspended from Columbia University for creating an AI tool called “Interview Coder.” This tool, which was designed to help software engineers bypass technical interviews, was built to be undetectable. Despite this controversial beginning, Cluely appears to have found strong investor interest, raising $5.3 million in seed funding just two months before its Series A round. The seed round was led by Abstract Ventures and Susa Ventures.
Cluely claims to be profitable, and much of its buzz has been driven by Lee’s attention-grabbing presence online. His content, often provocative and sometimes outrageous, has been central to building Cluely’s brand. In one widely discussed video, Lee used a hidden AI assistant during a dinner date to lie about his age and pretend to know about art, raising questions about the ethics and limits of AI in everyday interactions.
That willingness to push boundaries is part of what makes Cluely stand out. The company recently planned a large after-party to coincide with Y Combinator’s AI Startup School. However, things got out of hand when nearly 2,000 people showed up, prompting the police to shut it down. According to Lee, the drinks are still waiting for the next party, a reflection of both the startup’s chaotic energy and its appeal among a young, curious tech crowd.
While Cluely’s methods have sparked concern, especially among educators and hiring managers, the startup’s rapid rise shows how quickly tools that blur the lines between assistance and deception can attract both funding and attention. Whether Cluely will continue to scale or face regulatory pushback remains to be seen, but for now, it is riding a wave of controversy, curiosity, and cash.
