AfterQuery Becomes Y Combinator’s Fastest Unicorn, Valued at $3.2 Billion

AfterQuery, a rising company specializing in AI training data, has reportedly secured funding that elevates its valuation to $3.2 billion, just five months after announcing a $30 million Series A funding round that set its worth at $300 million in April.

This remarkable advancement reflects an astonishing increase of over 10 times in less than six months, and as noted by Y Combinator partner Gustaf Alströmer, it signifies the fastest rise to unicorn status for any startup in the accelerator’s history. The founders of AfterQuery, ages 22 and 23, were part of Y Combinator’s Winter 2025 cohort just 18 months prior.

In April, the San Francisco-based company reported an annual revenue run rate of $100 million and highlighted its partnerships with leading laboratories. Its noteworthy clientele includes major firms like Nvidia, Legora, and Korea’s AI lab Motif Technologies.

AfterQuery is at the forefront of a new generation of startups inspired by Mercor and Scale, collaborating with professionals such as doctors and lawyers for model training. Rather than merely delivering accurate responses, AfterQuery strives to empower models and agents to function like experienced experts, effectively executing tasks—what the company describes as “encoding the patterns, decisions, and reasoning of the world’s most skilled practitioners.”

Forbes was the first to cover this funding round, and AfterQuery has yet to provide immediate comments in response to inquiries.