Lightspeed Venture Partners Leads a Growth Investment in Profound for $96 Million

Profound, a New York-based marketing technology company, has successfully raised $96 million in a Series C funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. This investment elevates Profound’s valuation to $1 billion, marking a significant milestone just one day shy of its 18-month anniversary since inception.

The funding round saw participation from notable investors including Sequoia Capital, Kleiner Perkins, Saga VC, South Park Commons, and Evantic, bringing the total funding raised by Profound to over $155 million. The company is focused on building marketing infrastructure that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance brand discovery.

Profound has rapidly established itself as a critical platform for enterprises, serving over 500 customers, including more than 10% of the Fortune 500. Its clientele spans various sectors such as consumer packaged goods, financial services, retail, pharmaceuticals, consumer technology, and B2B technology, with prominent brands like Target, Walmart, and MongoDB among its users.

According to Sachin Patel, Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, “Profound Agents expand the product from visibility to autonomous execution, positioning them to define how marketing is done in an agentic world.” This statement underscores the strategic rationale behind the investment, as Profound aims to redefine marketing strategies in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.

The marketing sector is undergoing a significant transformation, with AI agents increasingly mediating brand interactions. As consumers rely on AI for brand recommendations, companies must adapt their marketing strategies to ensure they are understood and trusted by these systems. Profound’s platform enables marketers to not only monitor AI conversations but also to shape them, a shift that is crucial in the current market.

James Cadwallader, Co-founder and CEO of Profound, emphasized the importance of this shift, stating, “AI Search is the biggest platform shift in the history of marketing. As AI Agents act for consumers to research, compare, and transact, brands need their own Agents doing the same thing on the other side.”

Profound’s innovative approach includes customizable, autonomous agents that streamline the marketing process, collapsing the time between campaign concept and execution. These agents are designed to enhance productivity, with existing clients like Deel and Plaid already leveraging Profound’s technology to optimize their marketing efforts.

Looking ahead, Profound plans to integrate advanced AI technologies and expand its product offerings, further solidifying its position in the market. The acquisition by Lightspeed Venture Partners is expected to facilitate this growth, providing access to additional resources and expertise.

As the marketing landscape continues to evolve, Profound is poised to lead the charge in AI-driven marketing solutions, equipping brands with the tools necessary to thrive in a zero-click internet environment.