Krux
February 16, 2026
Simile Raises $100M to Predict Human Behavior with AI
Published: February 16, 2026 at 4:47 AM
Updated: February 16, 2026 at 4:47 AM
100-word summary
Simile emerged from stealth with a $100 million Series A led by Index Ventures, backed by AI heavyweights Fei-Fei Li and Andrej Karpathy. The Stanford-affiliated startup builds AI agents that predict human behavior in any situation—from consumer purchases to corporate earnings calls. CVS Health is already testing the platform to optimize store layouts and inventory decisions. Beyond retail, Simile's tech simulates litigation outcomes, policy changes, and business scenarios. As behavioral prediction moves from theory to enterprise reality, companies gain a crystal ball for decision-making—raising questions about how deeply AI will reshape strategic planning across industries.
What happened
Simile emerged from stealth with a $100 million Series A led by Index Ventures, backed by AI heavyweights Fei-Fei Li and Andrej Karpathy. The Stanford-affiliated startup builds AI agents that predict human behavior in any situation—from consumer purchases to corporate earnings calls. CVS Health is already testing the platform to optimize store layouts and inventory decisions. Beyond retail, Simile's tech simulates litigation outcomes, policy changes, and business scenarios.
Why it matters
As behavioral prediction moves from theory to enterprise reality, companies gain a crystal ball for decision-making—raising questions about how deeply AI will reshape strategic planning across industries.