Cluely’s rise has been anything but conventional. Founder Roy Lee, once suspended from Columbia University for creating an AI job interview aid, has now turned that same idea into a business valued in millions.
In just one week, Cluely’s annual recurring revenue (ARR) jumped from $3 million to $7 million after launching its Enterprise product.
Speaking with TechCrunch, Lee said, “Every single person who has a meeting or an interview is testing this out.”
What Cluely Does
Cluely uses AI to enhance virtual conversations during the meeting and after. It listens in on online meetings, takes notes in real time, suggests relevant questions, and provides helpful context.
These notes appear only to the user, remaining invisible to others on the call.
Users can see live updates, review key points mid-conversation, and stay focused without scrambling for notes.
Key features include:
- Real-time transcription
- Private question suggestions
- In-call note summaries
- Secure team management for businesses
- Additional enterprise-level controls
Viral Marketing
Cluely first gained attention through aggressive marketing. Its original slogan, “Cheat on everything,” drew criticism, but also drove traffic.
That attention led to major funding from Andreessen Horowitz, Susa Ventures, and Abstract Ventures.
The company has since rebranded with a softer tone: “Everything You Need. Before You Ask..… This feels like cheating.”
Despite its early controversy, the platform has drawn strong business interest.
One public company recently doubled its contract with Cluely to $2.5 million. Lee declined to reveal the name.
The startup now sits at the center of conversations about workplace AI tools.
Also read: How to Trick AI Detectors
The Big Deal About Meeting Notes
AI-generated meeting notes are not new. Competitors like Otter and Fireflies offer similar services. However, most only deliver transcripts after the meeting ends.
Roy Lee points out a key difference:
“You want to look back at (notes) in the middle of a meeting, and that is what we offer.”
Competition
Days after its enterprise launch, another company, Pickle, introduced a free, open-source alternative called Glass.
This tool offers similar functionality and quickly gained attention on GitHub. By midday, it had received over 850 stars and been forked more than 150 times.
Pickle describes itself as a “digital clone factory.” Whether Glass can match Cluely’s performance remains unclear.
Free tools often attract developers, but enterprise clients tend to favor reliability, support, and long-term value.
