London startup Artificial Societies, emerging from Y Combinator’s Winter 2025 cohort, has raised $5.35 million to develop AI-driven platforms that mimic human social interactions, aiding businesses and policymakers in testing strategies and policies in virtual environments.
Artificial Societies, a London-based startup emerging from Y Combinator’s Winter 2025 cohort, has secured $5.35 million in seed funding to advance its innovative AI-driven platform designed to simulate human social dynamics. Founded in 2024 by James He, a computational social scientist from Cambridge, and Patrick Sharpe, an applied behavioural scientist experienced with large-scale business experiments, the company aims to revolutionise how businesses test products, marketing strategies, and branding before real-world deployment.
The core of Artificial Societies’ technology lies in generating AI personas that mimic real human interactions. These AI agents engage with each other in simulated environments to reflect how social influence and group dynamics unfold in response to marketing messages or product propositions. This enables their customers to gain predictive insights into how their content will be perceived and interact within target audiences, thus refining strategies and reducing risks associated with real-world launches. James He explained to Business Insider that the platform captures “that artificial society, and how it will respond to any input,” providing valuable analytic feedback to clients.
One of the company’s first products, Reach, specifically simulates a user’s LinkedIn audience, allowing the testing of content virality within a professional network. This concept attracted attention during Y Combinator’s Winter 2025 Demo Day, where Artificial Societies stood out among 160 startups, particularly for its predictive capabilities in simulating the spread and impact of LinkedIn posts. This approach aligns with a growing trend among startups focusing on AI tools that optimise performance and audience engagement, rather than developing the underlying AI agents themselves.
The recent seed round, which raised $3.35 million led by Point72 Ventures, alongside $2 million from angel investors linked to Google DeepMind, Strava, and Sequoia Scouts, will be directed towards expanding Artificial Societies’ research talent pool and enhancing their simulation engine. The company also plans to intensify its distribution efforts to reach wider markets. He noted how their own AI-powered simulation tools aided in navigating a challenging fundraising environment as first-time founders, helping them strategically position the startup to venture capitalists.
Looking beyond commercial applications, Artificial Societies envisions their technology playing a significant role in policymaking. By creating simulated societies, the platform could evaluate policy proposals before committing resources to implementation or public consultation, potentially shaping more informed decision-making processes in government and public sectors.
In sum, Artificial Societies is poised at the intersection of AI, behavioural science, and market research, leveraging sophisticated simulations to empower businesses and policymakers alike with data-driven foresight into human social behaviour and content reception.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
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The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
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Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is current, with the latest funding round announced in August 2025. No evidence of recycled or outdated content was found. The report is based on a recent press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were identified. The content has not appeared elsewhere more than 7 days earlier. The inclusion of updated data without recycling older material justifies a higher freshness score.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
The direct quote from James He, “that artificial society, and how it will respond to any input,” was found in the original press release. No identical quotes appear in earlier material, indicating potentially original or exclusive content.
Source reliability
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative originates from a reputable organisation, AOL, which adds credibility. However, the presence of a press release as the primary source introduces a slight uncertainty, as press releases can sometimes present information in a biased manner.
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The claims made in the narrative are plausible and align with known developments in AI-driven market research. The report includes specific factual anchors, such as names, institutions, and dates, enhancing its credibility. The language and tone are consistent with the region and topic, and the structure is focused and relevant. The tone is professional and typical of corporate communications.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is current, original, and sourced from a reputable organisation. The claims are plausible, well-supported, and presented in a professional manner. No significant credibility risks were identified.
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