Inside a16z’s $15M Bet on Cluely: Lead Investor Bryan Kim Reveals All

Bryan Kim, Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), focuses on early-stage investments in consumer and application-layer AI. He has invested in some of the most prolific consumer companies like: Captions, ElevenLabs, BeReal, Function Health, and more.One of his recent investments is viral phenomenon, Cluely, a controversial San Francisco-based AI startup founded by Roy Lee. Cluely has raised over $20M to date, with their most recent $15M investment from Bryan at a16z. Cluely is building an invisible desktop assistant to help you “cheat on everything.”We talk about:• The wild backstory behind investing in Cluely & ElevenLabs• Why he calls momentum “the moat” in the AI era• What it takes to raise a Series A today• How context makes AI products infinitely better, and harder to replaceBrought to you by:Brex—The modern finance platform, combining the world’s smartest corporate card with integrated expense management, banking, bill pay, and travel. As a Sourcery listener, you can unlock up to $500 toward Brex travel or $300 in cash back, plus exclusive perks to help you move even faster: https://brex.com/sourceryKalshi—The largest prediction market and the only legal platform in the US where people can trade directly on the outcomes of future events: https://kalshi.com/sourceryFourthwall—The #1 way to sell merch online — Fourthwall is the easiest way to launch a fully branded merch store—used by big brands like MKBHD, Acquired, & even the Smithsonian. 100+ products. No upfront cost. Visit Fourthwall to start today: https://fourthwall.com/Follow Sourcery for the latest updates!https://www.sourcery.vc/Connect with us:1. Bryan Kim: https://x.com/kirbyman012. Molly O’Shea: https://x.com/MollySOShea3. Sourcery: https://x.com/sourceryvc(00:00) Trailer(01:04) Welcome Bryan Kim & Cluely Intro(02:26) How Bryan Met Roy Lee(07:00) The $15M Bet On Cluely(09:58) Cluely’s Hype Media Strategy(14:18) Momentum Is The Moat(20:37) Brex’s Full-Stack Product Suite(22:26) Chasing ElevenLabs Across the Globe(26:04) Function Health & Preventive AI(32:39) Why Creative AI Tools Are Exploding(34:54) Deepfakes, Risks & Regulating AI(38:08) Startup Exits, Liquidity & What’s Changing(43:50) Do Post-2024 Startups Scale Faster?(49:04) OpenAI Usage beating Social Media?(51:58) The 3 Metrics Bryan Looks For(58:07) Growth vs. Profitability: Where We Are Now(01:02:00) Will Tech Layoffs Keep Rising?(01:04:35) What’s Next for Consumer AI(01:05:49) Will Roy Lee Become a Billionaire?(01:06:57) Jony Ive × OpenAI: New Ambient Device?(01:09:56) Waymo, Robotaxis & the Future of Cities(01:11:47) Final Thoughts: It’s Time to Build