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The round, co-led by Index Ventures and Benchmark, brings total funding to $350 million for the startup founded by 23-year-old Noah Shinn
Instinct, an AI assistant startup run by 23-year-old founder Noah Shinn, is raising a $250 million Series B at a $2.5 billion valuation, Shinn told The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. Index Ventures and Benchmark are co-leading the round, which brings Instinct's total funding to $350 million.
The startup is operated by Spear Street Technology, a San Francisco company Shinn founded in 2025 after leaving Sierra, the customer service AI company. The new round caps a rapid fundraising run: the company's valuation has climbed from $50 million to $2.5 billion in a matter of months, according to Forbes. Earlier backers include Conviction Partners and Greenoaks.
Instinct allows users to reach an AI bot by phone or text message and hand off tasks such as drafting email replies, keeping calendars in order, arranging travel, and coordinating home services. Users link the product to messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and iMessage as well as their email, and the AI can carry out real-world transactions on their behalf. Shinn described the product as "a one-stop shop to do almost everything," telling the Journal that some users have used it to buy homes and find apartment rentals. The app is in private beta and not available to the public.
