New York-based startup Profound has raised $35 million in Series B funding, led by Sequoia Capital with continued participation from investors including Kleiner Perkins, Khosla Ventures, Saga VC, and South Park Commons. This brings the company’s total funding to $58.5 million, underscoring strong investor confidence in Profound's AI-first approach for brand visibility.
Founded less than a year ago, Profound has quickly gained traction, counting over 500 enterprise clients and supporting more than 2,000 marketing professionals daily. Early clients include notable names such as Ramp, US Bank, Indeed, MongoDB, DocuSign, and Chime.
A Platform for the AI-First Search Era
Traditional SEO tactics like keyword optimization and backlinking are loosening their grip as AI assistants—ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others—emerge as the new default gateways for information discovery. With AI now driving a substantial share of product research and web queries, visibility in AI-generated responses has become essential for brands.
Profound’s platform offers marketers a command center that monitors how AI systems reference their brand, generates content tailored to AI response formats, and deploys intelligent marketing workflows. According to Sequoia Capital, Profound is emerging as critical infrastructure in this shifting paradigm.
Rapid Growth & Market Momentum
In just months, Profound has moved from its Series A to Series B, signaling accelerated growth. The startup’s revenue has reportedly climbed from six-figure levels to eight figures in this period, showcasing both demand and efficacy in its solutions.
James Cadwallader, Profound’s co-founder and CEO, says the platform empowers marketers to influence how AI systems describe their products—without requiring large teams. Investors emphasize that search is shifting from blue links to AI answers, and companies need to win on the AI stage if they wish to remain visible.
Strengthening the AI Marketing Toolbox
Funds from the Series B round will be directed toward enhancing Profound’s agentic workflow capabilities, scaling content generation features, and facilitating global expansion as brands across regions adapt to AI-driven consumer behavior.
The startup positions itself as more than analytics—it is “read/write,” meaning it reveals how brands appear in AI responses and actively enables marketers to shape those responses. Its engine processes billions of signals, delivering AI-optimized content with minimal manual effort.
What It Means for the Industry
Profound’s rapid rise reflects a broader shift in digital marketing—one driven by AI-first consumption. For brands, visibility in AI-generated search is no longer optional; it’s foundational to engaging customers in the channels they increasingly use.
For marketers, this translates to redefining their approach—from traditional SEO to AI visibility optimization. Success hinges on platforms that can monitor AI conversations, generate response-ready content, and deploy dynamic workflows to capture attention where it matters most.
Investors believe that AI assistants will become the primary interface for consumers and that Profound is well-positioned to help brands remain relevant in this evolving landscape.
Final Word
Profound’s $35 million Series B reflects the urgency of the shift in how consumers discover brands—toward AI-driven answers rather than search listings. With proven results, enterprise adoption, and a vision for agentic marketing tools, the startup offers a timely solution for brands seeking to navigate the AI-first future of visibility.
In a world where AI assistants are increasingly the gatekeepers, Profound aims to ensure that brands are not only visible but effectively heard.