Instinct, a startup founded in 2022 and led by 23-year-old Noah Shinn, has achieved a significant valuation of $2.5 billion following a recent funding round, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. The company raised $250 million in a Series B funding round, bringing its total funding to $350 million. This round was co-led by venture capital firms Index Ventures and Benchmark.
Instinct offers an AI assistant that users can connect to their apps and devices, communicating with it via text and calls. The company, operated by Spear Street Technology, claims the assistant can efficiently organize users’ lives. Founder Noah Shinn expressed enthusiasm about early user experiences, noting that users have utilized Instinct for tasks such as planning road trips, purchasing groceries and concert tickets, and canceling subscriptions. However, the startup has faced some controversy due to privacy concerns, with users expressing worries about the app’s extensive permissions and potentially invasive terms of use. Despite being in private beta and featuring a lo-fi website, Instinct has garnered attention within the tech community. Source