AI startup You.com is in discussions to secure new funding at a valuation of $1.4bn, The Information reported.

The Palo Alto-based startup, which focuses on AI search for business, plans to use the funds to bolster its AI assistant offerings.

This development follows its shift from general-purpose AI search to work-related task assistance.

The talks come after You.com’s $50m Series B round in 2024, which included investments from Day One Ventures, DuckDuckGo, Gen Digital, Georgian, NVIDIA, Salesforce Ventures and SBVA.

This round increased its total funding to $99m, elevating its valuation to between $700m and $900m.

You.com gained attention with the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, capitalising on the interest in AI-powered search. However, interest waned as competitors such as Microsoft’s AI-infused Bing and Google’s advanced search responses gained traction.

In response, You.com repositioned itself as an AI assistant to enhance productivity while maintaining internet search capabilities.

Founded in 2020 by former Salesforce AI leads Richard Socher and Bryan McCann, You.com now highlights its ability to summarise information, answer questions, and support daily workflows.

Richard Socher, CEO and chief scientist, said that the platform can generate text, write code, and interact with various tools for precise results, though he did not comment on the current fundraising plans.

You.com offers a premium plan at $15 per month (billed annually), providing access to AI models and productivity features, slightly undercutting competitors like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, which charge $20 monthly.

In addition to its consumer-facing AI assistant, You.com is expanding into the enterprise market.

The company provides a suite of AI tools, including agents and APIs, to help organisations enhance employee productivity and explore new revenue opportunities.