Simile, a startup that creates AI-simulated users for marketing and product research, has raised $200 million in a Series B funding round at a $2 billion valuation. The rapid fundraising, only five months after its $100 million Series A, highlights investors’ strong interest in AI tools intended to model consumer behaviour, although the company’s ambition to simulate every person on Earth remains highly speculative.

Greenoaks led the round, joined by existing and new backers including Index Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures and CVS Health Ventures; CVS is also a customer. Founded by Stanford PhD graduate Joon Sung Park, whose earlier “Smallville” project simulated AI agents’ social lives, Simile joins rivals such as Aaru in attracting large valuations for synthetic-user research products.