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While startup founders usually spend weeks crafting the perfect pitch deck, Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas says he instead lets his own AI answer investor questions to secure funding. The AI startup had last raised $73.6 million at a $520 million valuation, according to a report by The Information.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u200bIn an interaction with Berkeley Haas, Srinivas<\/a> revealed that he hasn’t created a pitch deck since Perplexity completed its Series A round in March 2023, when the startup raised $25.6 million. Instead, Srinivas says he has been relying on written memos, live Q&A sessions, and most remarkably, AI-generated responses to close subsequent funding rounds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u200b”Series A was the only time I made a pitch deck. I’ve never done a pitch deck for any of the other Perplexity funding rounds,” Srinivas told the audience. “I just write a memo, and I tell them you can do a Q&A and ask whatever you want.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u200bFor those unfamiliar with startup fundraising conventions, a pitch deck is a brief presentation which is typically around 10\u201320 slides and is designed to provide investors with a comprehensive overview of the business.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u200bPerhaps the most striking example of his AI-first fundraising approach came to light during Perplexity<\/a>‘s most recent funding round. After fending off questions during a Zoom call with potential investors, Srinivas received a lengthy follow-up email packed with detailed questions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\u200bAI Pitch That Helped Close a Funding Round<\/h2>\n