{"version":1,"type":"story","url":"https://digestai.news/story/vals-raises-40-million-series-a-to-expand-ai-benchmarking","json":"https://digestai.news/story/vals-raises-40-million-series-a-to-expand-ai-benchmarking.json","markdown":"https://digestai.news/story/vals-raises-40-million-series-a-to-expand-ai-benchmarking.md","slug":"vals-raises-40-million-series-a-to-expand-ai-benchmarking","headline":"Vals raises $40 million series a to expand AI benchmarking","summary":"Vals, a startup founded in 2024 to improve AI model evaluation, says current benchmarks are outdated and often serve more as PR tools than real performance measures. Co‑founder Rayan Krishnan, 25, describes the company’s approach as testing models on industry‑specific tasks such as law, finance, coding, mental health, cybersecurity, bio‑security, and even compliance with the Geneva Convention. By keeping test materials private, Vals aims to prevent models from being trained to cheat on public benchmarks.\n\nThe firm secured a seed round last year from 8VC and Bloomberg Beta, then raised $40 million in a series A led by Andreessen Horowitz. Krishnan reports revenue is now eight times what it was a year ago and the team has grown from eight to 25 employees, with plans to add 10‑15 more and move to a larger office. Vals also launched a program offering model evaluations to federal agencies, positioning its benchmarks as a key factor in AI companies’ investment and regulatory decisions.","keyPoints":["Vals raised $40 million series a led by Andreessen Horowitz after a seed round from 8VC and Bloomberg Beta.","Revenue is now eight times last year; staff grew from eight to 25 employees.","Benchmarks assess industry‑specific tasks like law, finance, coding, and Geneva Convention compliance."],"whyItMatters":"Industry‑focused benchmarking gives AI developers reliable performance data, influencing model selection, investment decisions, and regulatory scrutiny, shaping AI adoption.","category":{"slug":"business","name":"Business & Funding","url":"https://digestai.news/category/business"},"entities":{"companies":["Vals","Andreessen Horowitz","8VC","Bloomberg Beta","Palantir","Microsoft"],"models":[],"people":["Rayan Krishnan"]},"firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-19T13:00:00Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-19T13:00:00Z","sourceCount":1,"hasPrimarySource":false,"sources":[{"outlet":"TechCrunch AI","title":"Vals, backed by Andreessen Horowitz, is looking to become the gold standard for AI benchmarking","url":"https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/19/vals-backed-by-andreessen-horowitz-is-looking-to-become-the-gold-standard-for-ai-benchmarking","publishedAt":"2026-09-19T13:00:00Z","type":"press","primary":false,"lead":true}],"sourceNotes":null,"discussions":[],"thread":null,"cite":{"text":"Digest AI, \"Vals raises $40 million series a to expand AI benchmarking\", 19 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/vals-raises-40-million-series-a-to-expand-ai-benchmarking","publisher":"Digest AI","title":"Vals raises $40 million series a to expand AI benchmarking","datePublished":"2026-09-19T13:00:00Z","url":"https://digestai.news/story/vals-raises-40-million-series-a-to-expand-ai-benchmarking"},"generatedBy":"Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record.","license":"Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse"}