Cluely Built on the Controversy of Cheating Chose to Embrace It First

Cluely has been a startup that began with controversy and has stayed there by design. Founded by Roy Lee and Neel Shanmugam, the company first came into the spotlight after the duo were suspended from Columbia University for building an AI-powered tool that quietly helped engineers pass technical interviews. What many saw as a violation of academic integrity became the foundation of a business idea that has now attracted some of the biggest names in venture capital. Credits: Columbia Spectator Within months of the incident, Cluely closed a $5.3 million seed round, followed by a $15 million Series A funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. According to two investors familiar with the deal, the company is now valued at approximately $120 million. “The point of Cluely is to