AI startup Simile has raised a $200 million Series B, lifting its valuation to $2 billion just five months after its $100 million Series A. The round was led by Greenoaks, with continued backing from Index Ventures and participation from several other investors.
The company builds simulated users for marketing and product research, giving teams a faster way to test ideas and explore customer behavior. Its approach is rooted in the work of Stanford PhD graduate Joon Sung Park, whose earlier research explored AI agents that could act out believable human-like lives in a virtual setting.
Simile's ambition is to model consumer behavior at scale, offering a new layer of insight for product teams that want to prototype, refine, and validate concepts before launch. While human decision-making remains complex, synthetic research is emerging as a practical tool in the broader AI landscape.
As more startups explore this space, synthetic-user platforms may become a key part of how companies design products and understand audiences in the years ahead.
