Lee's controversial social media presence and high-quality video productions have significantly contributed to Cluely's brand recognition.

Co-founder Roy Lee gained notoriety after being suspended by Columbia University for an earlier version of Cluely that was used for cheating.

Cluely, a San Francisco startup focused on providing AI tools to assist users in 'cheating' on job interviews, exams, and sales calls, has successfully raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz.

This latest funding round follows a previous seed funding of $5.3 million raised just two months earlier, showcasing the company's rapid growth trajectory.

The post-money valuation of Cluely is estimated to be around $120 million, although this figure has not been officially confirmed by Andreessen Horowitz.

Cluely promotes itself as a solution for users looking to 'cheat on everything', which raises significant ethical questions about its services.

The technology behind Cluely is described as an 'undetectable' AI that analyzes users' screens and provides real-time answers.

Originally launched earlier in 2025, Cluely positioned itself as a tool for software engineers to cheat in job interviews, although it has since removed direct references to this use case from its website.

Lee, along with co-founder Neel Shanmugam, both 21 years old, was previously involved in creating an AI tool named 'Interview Coder' aimed at helping engineers cheat during technical interviews.

Cluely has reported profitability, as indicated by Lee's posts on social media and various podcast appearances.

In addition to the new funding, Cluely plans to hire 50 'growth interns' tasked with creating engaging content for TikTok.

Bryan Kim, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, praised Lee for his bold vision and willingness to challenge conventional boundaries.