While most startup founders spend weeks perfecting pitch decks, Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas takes a different approach — he lets AI handle investor queries. The AI startup last raised $73.6 million at a $520 million valuation, according to reports by The Information.

 

Speaking at Berkeley Haas, Srinivas revealed that he hasn’t created a traditional pitch deck since Perplexity’s Series A round in March 2023, when the company raised $25.6 million. Instead, he relies on written memos, live Q&A sessions, and, most notably, AI-generated responses to secure funding.

 

“Series A was the only time I made a pitch deck. For every other round, I just write a memo and say, ‘You can ask whatever you want in a Q&A,’” Srinivas explained. For context, a pitch deck is a brief presentation, typically 10–20 slides, designed to give investors an overview of the business.

 

AI-Driven Fundraising

 

Srinivas shared an example from a recent funding round that highlights his AI-first strategy. After a Zoom call, he received a detailed follow-up email from investors full of questions. He copied the email into Perplexity and instructed the AI, “Answer it like Aravind.”

 

The AI drew from his public statements, blog posts, and YouTube interviews to craft comprehensive answers in his voice. “I looked at the AI response and thought, ‘Damn, I don’t think I could have done as good a job as this,’” Srinivas admitted.

 

He then sent the AI-generated responses to the investor, adding, “See if this suffices. If not, I can provide more context.” The approach worked: Srinivas recalled, “They said this is wonderful, and they wired the money the next day.”