AI-driven coding tools such as Cursor, Replit, Claud Code and Lovable help developers to write many rules code every day to send products faster. App -makers, however, still have to rely on sending full beta versions of their apps or the use of simulation software to gauge how upcoming functions will work.
BlockA company that comes from Stealth enables developers to use AI to simulate different userspersona’s to test the functions of an app and to learn how to make their apps better.
The company was founded by Tom Charman and Olivia Higgs in 2024. Both have been serial entrepreneurs and also worked together on startups in areas, including travel And doctrine.
To date, the startup has collected $ 7.5 million over two rounds. The $ 5 million seed round was led by Mac Venture Capital, with the participation of people who work at Discord, Google, Meta, Apple, Snapchat and Pinterest. Blok’s pre-seed round was with a protagonist with the participation of Rackhouse, Ryan Hoover’s Weekend Fund and Blank Ventures.
Marlon Nichols, who manage general practitioners in Mac daring capital, said that Blok is often compared with Otptimizly and Amplitude, but those tools are more reactive. He said that Blok extracts them by offering a predictive test layer for apps.
“We have supported Blok because we believe that the product development is at a bending point. Teams are sent faster than ever, but they still make critical decisions based on A/B tests and intestinal instinct. The simulation of block -flips of block that modeling -so that teams have the possibility of predicting user -mail.
Higgs said that the need for testing increases as the complexity of interfaces has increased over time. She said they interviewed more than 100 product engineers to understand problems that product teams are confronted with.
“There is a real need for increased tests because the bar for visual interfaces is a lot higher. We see people with technology communicating via chat, so if you introduce visual user interface [elements] In the mix you have to ensure that you do not introduce an unnecessary friction in the workflow of a user, “she said.
Charman said that both large and small companies have different problems. Although small companies do not have cohorts to test their products and get live feedback, large companies want to avoid filling functions in their apps and make them awkward.
“We try to reach a place where companies do not have to release their functions on an experimental basis and wait a few weeks or months for the results,” he said.
When a customer starts working with Blok, they upload their event log details of Amplitude, Mixpanel or Segment. Blok then carries out behavioral modeling and makes various users people for app makers to test. These personas would treat approximately the majority of the user base of an app.
The development team then submits a FIGMA design and experiment details – including the hypothesis they want to test and the user objective they want to achieve – to blow, and the user personal behavior then try to perform the simulation many times. Ultimately, Blok will show insights about how users would use a certain function and give recommendations.
These insights contain a general report of the experiment and details about what went well and what can be improved. Teams can also look at a character-wise report and suggestions. In addition, because it is 2025, there is a chatbot where you can ask questions about your experiment.
Blok has brought his product behind a waiting list and collaborates with a first set of customers, who largely develops solutions in Finance and Healthcare. The startups said that these areas are ideal for aiming because they cannot release bad experiments in public and play a lot with the product.
The startup charges companies through a Saas model, but it is also to find out how the calculation costs can balance. The company strives to achieve millions of income this year and to open up to more customers.
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