This Y Combinator startup is using AI to simulate how people react to brands. See the pitch deck it used to raise $5.35 million.

Artificial Societies, a London-based startup that emerged from Y Combinator's Winter 2025 batch, has successfully raised $5.35 million in seed funding. Founded in 2024, this innovative company has created a platform that utilizes artificial intelligence to generate personas, allowing businesses to assess how their products, marketing strategies, and branding might resonate with consumers. Co-founder and CEO James He explained to Business Insider that their approach involves AI agents engaging in conversations that replicate human interactions. "We strive to emulate an artificial society and observe its responses to various inputs, whether that be a marketing campaign or a product idea, and provide our clients with in-depth analysis," he stated. The startup caters to both individual and enterprise clients with its market research services. Looking to the future, He mentioned the potential application of their technology in policymaking. "In the long run, there is significant opportunity to assess different policies before committing to implementation and engaging in public consultations," he added. Navigating the fundraising landscape as first-time founders has been challenging, but He noted that their team leveraged their own technology to simulate the investment process. This preparation allowed them to effectively position their startup during pitches to venture capitalists. The seed funding round was spearheaded by Point72 Ventures, with contributions from angel investors linked to Google DeepMind, Strava, and Sequoia Scout. With this new capital, Artificial Societies aims to enhance its research capabilities for its simulation engine and intensify its distribution strategies. An exclusive glimpse at the pitch deck they used for this successful funding round reveals their strategic vision and objectives.