Instinct reportedly in talks to raise at $10 billion valuation
AI assistant startup Instinct, founded by 23‑year‑old Noah Shinn, announced a soft launch this summer and quickly attracted venture‑capital interest. The company secured $250 million in funding at a $2.5 billion valuation, on top of a prior $100 million raise, according to a company spokesperson. Instinct is invite‑only for VCs and has been praised by investors such as Six Point Ventures.
Key points
- Instinct raised $250 million at a $2.5 billion valuation, adding to a prior $100 million round
- The startup is reportedly seeking a new raise at a $10 billion valuation
- Instinct competes with Meta’s Muse assistant and faces rival funding dynamics with Town
The startup, which grew out of Shinn’s research on AI agents and the Reflexion technique, now competes with Meta’s Muse assistant. Meta’s AI chief Alexandr Wang has mocked Instinct as “Insect,” while Shinn’s rivals at Town received funding from Index Ventures and Conviction, which reportedly pulled back after Shinn complained. Instinct is reportedly in talks to raise new capital at a $10 billion valuation, as reported by The Information. The company remains free to users but experiences lag due to high demand.
The story so far
3 episodes →- Instinct reportedly in talks to raise at $10 billion valuationthis story
Profile of Noah Shinn, founder of AI assistant Instinct, who soft-launched it as an invite-only site for VCs, and is reportedly fundraising at a $10B valuation
businessinsider.com · 23 September 2026Loading the full article…
This text was published by businessinsider.com and written by Charles Rollet, Pranav Dixit. It is reproduced here with attribution so you can read it in full; the rights remain with the publisher. Read it at the source ↗
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