A

Aaru

AI-driven multi-agent forecasting platform

Researcher - Population Simulation

Full-Time
$200k - $600k/yr+ Equity participation
Mid
PhD
New York, NY, USA
In PersonMust be located in the New York City metropolitan area or open to relocation; five days in office per week.
AI & Machine LearningAI Research
H1B Sponsorship Available

About the job

Requirements
  • Deep experience with synthetic data generation, agent-based modeling, computational social science, or population simulation.
  • Interest in using large language models as a simulation substrate to produce structured behavioral outputs that withstand statistical scrutiny.
  • Ability to distinguish individual-level plausibility from distributional fidelity and reason carefully about simulation accuracy.
  • A PhD in machine learning, computational social science, cognitive science, statistics, psychometrics, or a quantitative field, or equivalent depth from industry research.
  • Ability to communicate clearly about results, including null or ambiguous findings.
  • Ability to work at high velocity without sacrificing rigor.
Responsibilities
  • Design and advance methods for synthesizing realistic agents from structured and unstructured profile data.
  • Build and evaluate simulation pipelines that produce population-level distributional accuracy across demographic, attitudinal, and behavioral dimensions.
  • Develop techniques for grounding agent behavior in real-world data sources, including surveys, behavioral traces, psychometric instruments, and domain-specific datasets.
  • Design hybrid architectures combining large language models with classical methods from computational social science, psychometrics, and survey methodology.
  • Build rigorous evaluation frameworks to measure simulation quality against known ground-truth distributions, such as the General Social Survey, census data, and proprietary panel data.
  • Identify and close gaps between simulated and observed population behavior through iterative experimentation.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience building systems that generate or evaluate synthetic populations at scale.
  • Experience with survey methodology, psychometrics, or demographic modeling.
  • Published work on agent-based simulation, synthetic data, or large-language-model-based behavioral modeling.
  • Experience in a high-velocity research environment where shipping matters as much as rigor.

About the company

A

Aaru

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Website

Aaru builds an AI platform that uses multi-agent simulations to forecast outcomes in domains like political polling, business strategy, and global issues. Its system creates virtual actors that mimic real-world behavior, runs many interacting scenarios on scalable cloud infrastructure, and converts results into probabilistic forecasts and scenario analyses. It differentiates itself by applying multi-agent simulation to forecasting, delivering deeper scenario testing at lower cost than traditional polling, and serving high-profile policy groups and Fortune 500 firms. Its goal is to broaden its forecasting reach beyond elections to address a wider set of societal and business challenges with AI-driven analytics.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Series A

Total Funding

$50M

Headquarters

New York City, New York

Founded

2024

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • EY’s September 30, 2026 alliance opens financial-services workflows and M&A testing.
  • Breakwater’s 40,000-investor quarterly creates recurring distribution into public-company investor-relations budgets.
  • Redpoint led Aaru’s $80 million Series A on April 22, 2026, funding expansion.

What critics are saying

  • Aaru’s reported ARR stayed below $10 million during its April 2026 unicorn round.
  • Listen Labs, Keplar, Outset, and CulturePulse target the same synthetic-research buyers.
  • If simulation accuracy slips, enterprise trust collapses and EY, Breakwater, and clients churn.

What makes Aaru unique

  • Aaru simulates thousands of AI agents from real behavioral outcomes, not surveys.
  • EY validated Aaru against its 2025 wealth study in one day, September 2026.
  • Breakwater’s July 2026 capital-markets product shows Aaru works beyond consumer research.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Relocation Assistance
  • Company Equity

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

4%

1 year growth

4%

2 year growth

2%
The Business Times
Oct 19th, 2026
US-based AI prediction 'unicorn' opens Singapore office to target regional customers.

US-based AI prediction 'unicorn' opens Singapore office to target regional customers. Startup Aaru is among a wave of tech firms entering the city-state, and is now hiring for commercial roles Annabeth leow. Published Mon, Oct 19, 2026 · 02:00 PM * Aaru's president and founder Ned Koh says the startup's Singapore office will enable it to grow its partnerships with global firms and woo Asia-Pacific customers. PHOTO: YEN MENG JIIN, BT [SINGAPORE] American startup Aaru, which uses simulations to generate "synthetic data" for market research, is among a slew of artificial intelligence firms that recently set up shop in Singapore. On top of the "phenomenal" access to infrastructure, talent and partnerships in Singapore, "we're seeing really an incredible interest and willingness to collaborate... in the context of the region", Ned Koh, who co-founded Aaru in 2024 at 19, told The Business Times. From Singapore, Aaru's first base outside New York City, he expects to serve the Asia-Pacific, from South-east Asia to Japan and South Korea - although he and regional general manager Arnaud Frade have ruled out a presence in Hong Kong or mainland China. The company declined to disclose specific headcount targets when asked, but Frade said that Aaru's Singapore outfit would be "on a continuous hiring phase" until end-2026. The focus, however, would be on recruiting for commercial rather than engineering roles. Sating regional demand. The company's Singapore subsidiary, Aaru Apac, was registered in the city-state in mid-September, with a paid-up capital of US$500,000, corporate records show. Its registered premises are in International Plaza, which typically houses virtual offices for companies, but Frade said it is putting the finishing touches on a shophouse space "in the heart of Tanjong Pagar" in Singapore's Central Business District (CBD). The Business Times turns 50. Five decades of milestones and moments that shaped Singapore's success story - told through our headlines. Explore BT50" The Singapore location will enable Aaru to expand its partnerships with global firms such as EY and investor Accenture, said Koh, who is now the startup's president. At the same time, Aaru aims to nab regional customers. Koh cited unspecified consumer packaged goods conglomerates in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia as examples. Sometimes called "silicon sampling", Aaru's business model taps swathes of data to create large numbers of AI personas that can imitate human behaviour in internal polls. It is not the only firm offering such services, but "our entire commercial framework... relies on the fact that we are the most accurate" in predictions, Koh said, when asked about competition. Aaru was dubbed a unicorn after a Series A funding round at the end of 2025 that saw some equity being raised on the basis of a US$1 billion valuation, media reports have said. Asked how that eye-watering figure could be justified, Koh replied: "We've been able to grow incredibly, incredibly quickly. That's obviously a contributing factor." Its foray into Singapore aside, Aaru is also opening new offices in San Francisco and London. Even as he was in town in early October to attend tentpole events such as the Forbes Global CEO Conference, the Milken Institute Asia Summit and the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, Koh said in response to BT's questions that Aaru is not actively pursuing fundraising at this point. The possibility of being acquired is "nothing that we're even remotely interested in", and going public in a listing is "way too far out" for him to have any idea about it, he said. Launchpad for tech. Of late, there has been strong momentum among AI firms that have picked Singapore as a regional hub: * Cognition, which automates software coding, came in April; * Rogo, which automates junior roles in financial institutions, landed in August; * Plaud, which markets an AI-enabled note-taking device for calls and meetings, debuted in September; and * Temasek-backed PhysicsX, which simulates industrial designs for manufacturers, made its entry in October. Anthropic, the developer of large-language model Claude, opened its Singapore office on Oct 14. The AI giant also inked a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Digital Development and Information to address areas such as AI safety. Real estate consultancy CBRE noted in an end-September report that technology and AI firms are an increasingly significant source of demand for office space; firms that did not have a presence in Singapore, or were operating out of flexible workspaces have been moving into dedicated offices in prime CBD properties. Calling the growth of international AI companies a "particularly compelling" phenomenon with staying power, David McKellar, CBRE head of leasing for Singapore, told BT: "This is a move that typically signals a longer-term commitment to a market. That cohort is growing, and Singapore appears to be their clear choice for a regional base in South-east Asia." Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services

PR Newswire
Sep 30th, 2026
EY announces alliance with Aaru to help organizations drive growth with greater confidence through behavioral simulation.

EY announces alliance with Aaru to help organizations drive growth with greater confidence through behavioral simulation. Sep 30, 2026, 09:00 ET * Improves decision speed and accuracy by leveraging Aaru's proprietary statistical engine to simulate human behavior at scale, sharing actionable insights in hours. * Expands value creation by engaging hard-to-reach populations and providing enterprises with deeper insight to evaluate complex decisions. * Turns foresight into growth by converting behavioral intelligence into transformational outcomes, supported by EY US' sector experience and domain data. LONDON, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - The EY organization announces an alliance between Aaru, a leading AI behavioral simulation company, and Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) to help organizations evaluate complex decisions with greater speed and confidence through predictive insights grounded in human behavior. The Alliance pairs Aaru's simulation technology with EY US' industry and functional capabilities, allowing CxOs to see how populations respond before executing strategy. Organizations today face growing pressure to make bolder and more informed decisions on shorter timelines. In an increasingly dynamic marketplace, traditional market research can be costly, time-intensive and limited in its ability to accurately predict real-world behavior. Aaru's statistical engine generates populations of AI agents that represent a defined audience of interest, while EY US helps organizations translate those insights into actionable business strategies. Together, EY US and Aaru are working with organizations in the financial services sector to test marketing messages, product and pricing offers, sales and services strategy, and impacts of mergers and acquisitions. The result is decision velocity, with greater confidence and precision. The predictive accuracy of the technology has been validated across customers globally, including with EY US. This Alliance follows a blinded, rigorous validation against EY US' own 2025 Global Wealth Management study, in which Aaru replicated six months of fieldwork, 3,600 investors and more than 30 markets in a single day. Justin Singer, EY-Aaru Alliance Leader, EY US, says: "Too often, organizations invest in transformation without clear visibility into the outcomes they can expect. The EY-Aaru Alliance changes that by helping leaders to simulate, validate and optimize decisions before committing resources. Together, we help organizations move from insight to action with greater confidence, speed and measurable impact." Ned Koh, President and Co-Founder of Aaru, says: "Ultimately, every business exists to monetize behavior, and our mission is to help enable the enterprise to make better decisions. We're excited to share this vision with EY US and expand its aperture to provide for clients at the same time." About EY EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society and the planet, while building trust in capital markets. Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow. EY teams work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions. Fueled by sector insights, a globally connected, multi-disciplinary network and diverse ecosystem partners, EY teams can provide services in more than 150 countries and territories. All in to shape the future with confidence. EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com. This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients. About Aaru Aaru is a behavioral simulation platform. Trained directly on real-world behavioral outcomes, Aaru predicts how populations will act more accurately and in a fraction of the time of traditional research, including in hypothetical scenarios that are otherwise impossible to test. Leading global enterprises in financial services and consumer retail use Aaru to test growth strategies, product innovation and market response. Learn more at aaru.com. SOURCE EYGS LLP

DailyTech
Sep 10th, 2026
Listen Labs drops $1.5B deal as Salesforce eyes $2B buyout.

Listen Labs drops $1.5B deal as Salesforce eyes $2B buyout. AI market research startup Listen Labs has backed out of a signed $125 million funding round after tech giant Salesforce opened talks to acquire the company for nearly $2 billion. Listen Labs had already signed a term sheet for a Series C round led by Menlo Ventures, which placed its valuation at $1.5 billion. However, the startup walked away before the deal could close. Insiders say the sudden shift happened because Salesforce came forward with an acquisition proposal. According to a report, Salesforce is considering buying the startup for around $2 billion. Founded in 2023 by Harvard graduates Florian Jüngermann and Alfred Wahlforss, Listen Labs uses AI to replace traditional market research. Its software conducts automated voice and video interviews with customers, then turns those conversations into practical research reports for businesses. The company already serves major clients, including Microsoft, Canva, Anthropic, and Sweetgreen. Listen Labs currently generates roughly $30 million in annual revenue, about three times more than its main competitor, Simile. The rivalry between both companies appears to have driven this decision. In late July, Simile raised $200 million at a $2 billion valuation in a round led by Greenoaks. That deal set a new price standard for AI market research tools, likely pushing Listen Labs to demand a higher valuation for itself. Listen Labs plans to return to private investors and target a valuation of at least $2 billion, if the buyout talks with Salesforce fall through. However, some analysts say paying $2 billion for a startup making $30 million a year means paying 67 times its annual revenue, a price they believe might be too steep even for Salesforce. Meanwhile, the startup has grown over the past year. In January, Listen Labs raised $69 million in a Series B round led by Ribbit Capital, with support from Sequoia, Conviction, and Pear VC, which valued the business at $500 million at the time. Listen Labs operates in a growing sector alongside competitors like Outset, Keplar, and Aaru. While Listen Labs focuses on interviewing real humans with AI, rivals like Simile and Aaru use AI models to simulate how buyers might respond without speaking to actual customers. As at the time this report was filed, Listen Labs, Salesforce, Menlo Ventures, and Simile have all declined to comment publicly on the matter.

IntelPro
Sep 10th, 2026
AI research startup Listen Labs scrubbed a $1.5B funding round for Salesforce talks.

AI research startup Listen Labs scrubbed a $1.5B funding round for Salesforce talks. Listen Labs walked away from a signed Series C term sheet from Menlo Ventures, sources say. Listen Labs, a market research startup that uses voice AI to conduct customer interviews, recently signed a term sheet for a $125 million Series C at a $1.5 billion valuation, with Menlo Ventures set to lead the round, according to several people with knowledge of the matter. But that round never closed, the people said. Listen Labs walked away from the signed term sheet, a rare occurrence in the venture world and one that is generally frowned upon, according to VCs. The financing likely collapsed because of acquisition talks with Salesforce. The CRM giant has recently held talks to buy Listen Labs for around $2 billion, Business Insider reported. The discussions are not finalized, however, and may not result in a deal, the outlet notes. Listen Labs is one of the leading startups in the rapidly growing field of automating customer research with AI. The three-year-old startup has about $30 million in annualized revenue, about three times more than Simile, a competing startup that predicts human behavior, according to two people familiar with the companies' financials. In late July, Simile announced that it had closed a $200 million Series B at a $2 billion valuation led by Greenoaks - likely setting a new valuation benchmark for Listen Labs, one person said. If talks with Salesforce collapse, several VCs told TechCrunch that they expect Listen Labs to return to market and target a valuation of $2 billion or higher. While acquiring Listen Labs could strengthen Salesforce's AI capabilities by using the startup's AI to help predict customer needs, the CRM giant may ultimately decide that paying a 67 times revenue multiple is too steep a valuation, according to a person with experience negotiating exits to Salesforce. Listen Labs, Salesforce, Menlo Ventures, and Simile did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Listen Labs was co-founded in 2023 by Florian Jüngermann, a former German national champion in competitive computer programming, and Alfred Wahlforss, who previously founded a staffing startup called Bemlo. The two met while pursuing master's degrees at Harvard. Listen Labs' AI develops survey questions and interviews customers over audio or video. The resulting conversations are then packaged into reports and PowerPoint presentations, similar to those traditionally produced by human market researchers. Fortune 500 companies rely on this type of research to gauge customer needs and satisfaction with their brands and products, but traditional market research is expensive and can take weeks to complete. Listen Labs' technology helps reduce the time and cost of these projects, enabling companies to quickly understand how customers are reacting to product changes and iterate on them more efficiently. The startup's customers include Microsoft, Canva, Anthropic, and Sweetgreen. Listen Labs and Simile aren't the only startups using AI to disrupt the customer research market. Besides Simile, competitors in the space include Outset, Keplar, and Aaru. While some platforms automate interviews with real humans, others startups - like Aaru and Simile - take a synthetic approach, using AI to simulate human behavior and predict responses without interviewing anyone at all. Listen Labs was previously valued at $500 million when it announced a $69 million Series B round in late January led by Ribbit Capital, with participation from returning backers Sequoia, Conviction, and Pear VC.

The Montreal Gazette
Jul 17th, 2026
Breakwater Capital Markets and Aaru launch first-of-its-kind predictive intelligence layer for global Capital Markets.

Breakwater Capital Markets and Aaru launch first-of-its-kind predictive intelligence layer for global Capital Markets. Inaugural Study Leverages Leading Edge Technology for Simulating Audiences to Survey Unprecedented Scale and Range of Key Investor Audiences WASHINGTON - For public-company boards and management teams, visibility into investor positioning is critical and materially more difficult to assess across investor types at scale. Today, Breakwater Capital Markets and Aaru announced the launch of Conviction...