AI startup Instinct has raised $250 million in a Series B round, bringing its total funding to $350 million and pushing its valuation to $2.5 billion, the company confirmed to The Wall Street Journal. The round was co-led by Index Ventures and Benchmark.
Founded just last year, Instinct is led by 23-year-old founder Noah Shinn and operates under the company Spear Street Technology. The startup offers an AI assistant designed to help users manage daily tasks by connecting to their apps and devices, allowing communication through texts and calls.
Shinn said on social media that he was pleased with how early users had put Instinct to work, citing examples such as planning cross-country road trips, ordering groceries, buying concert tickets, canceling unwanted subscriptions, and even organizing a wedding.
Despite its rapid rise and enthusiastic early adopters, Instinct remains in private beta and has faced controversy over privacy concerns. Users online have raised alarms about the app’s broad permission requirements and terms of use, which some found invasive given the level of access the assistant demands to function across a user’s personal accounts and devices.
