AI assistant startup Instinct raises $250M at $2.5B valuation

Aug 27, 2026

AI assistant startup Instinct, led by 23-year-old CEO Noah Shinn, has raised $250 million in a Series B funding round co-led by Index Ventures and Benchmark. The round values the year-old startup at $2.5 billion, bringing its total funding to $350 million. While early users praise Instinct's ability to automate tasks like grocery shopping and subscription management, the startup faces growing scrutiny over its extensive data permissions and terms of service.

Instinct Series B funding round

▪The Series B funding round announced on August 26, 2026, values Instinct at $2.5 billion and brings the startup's total funding to $350 million.
▪Instinct's website hints that the startup plans to use its newly raised capital to purchase additional computing infrastructure.
▪AI assistant startup Instinct, officially Spear Street Technology Inc., raised $250 million in a Series B funding round co-led by Index Ventures and Benchmark.
▪Instinct previously raised $100 million from an investor consortium that included Conviction Partners and Greenoaks.

AI assistant task automation

▪Instinct users have used the assistant to automate tasks such as planning road trips, buying groceries and concert tickets, canceling subscriptions, and buying a house.
▪Instinct is an AI assistant designed to organize everyday tasks, allowing users to connect apps and devices and communicate via text messages or calls.
▪Instinct can connect to applications like Gmail to manage calendars, send emails, and automate complex multi-step workflows.

User privacy concerns

▪Instinct has faced scrutiny and controversy from early adopters over its extensive app permission requests and terms of service that allow model training on user data.
▪Instinct founder Noah Shinn stated that his development team is actively working to address the cybersecurity and data privacy concerns raised by users.

Invite-only beta access

▪Instinct is currently available in a closed, invite-only private beta format that requires users to join a waitlist or receive an invitation.
▪Instinct entered the consumer AI scene in February 2026 by launching its invite-only private beta program.

Noah Shinn founder profile

▪Instinct was founded in 2025 by 23-year-old Noah Shinn, who serves as the startup's Chief Executive Officer.
▪Instinct founder Noah Shinn previously worked at Sierra Inc., an AI startup led by former OpenAI board chair Bret Taylor.