AEO startup Profound reaches unicorn status with $180M Series D round
Marketing technology company Profound has raised a $180 million Series D funding round at a $1.8 billion valuation, less than seven months after its previous funding round.
Profound, a company that builds software helping brands appear in AI-powered search results, announced on Tuesday that it has raised $180 million in a Series D funding round, valuing the company at $1.8 billion.
The round was led by venture capital firms Sequoia and Kleiner Perkins, with participation from existing investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Khosla Ventures and South Park Commons. The new funding comes less than seven months after Profound's $96 million Series C round.
From analytics to marketing strategy
Founded two years ago, Profound originally launched as an analytics platform. Since then, the company has expanded its offerings to help businesses research and build marketing strategies. The platform is designed to help companies understand how AI tools influence the way consumers discover their brands.
Profound operates in a fast-growing segment of startups known as GEO and AEO — generative engine optimization and answer engine optimization. Companies in this space work to help their clients' products and services surface within the AI systems that consumers increasingly rely on for search.
Rapid growth
The company reports that its revenue has tripled over the past six months. Profound now counts more than 1,000 enterprise customers, including major brands such as Comcast, The Estée Lauder Companies and Walmart.
