User testing is important for many businesses —but traditional market research can be slow, expensive, and full of friction.
Synthetic Users is solving this problem.
Launched by founders Kwame Ferreira and Hugo Alves, Synthetic Users—a LIFT Labs portfolio company—offers advanced AI personas that simulate human behavior, emotions, and feedback at scale. The goal is to make deep, contextual user insight available instantly—and continuously.
“Companies can miss out on critical insights because research takes too long. We built a tool that gives you a mirror of your customer base—or your competitor’s—on tap.”
— Kwame Ferreira, CEO, Synthetic Users
Research That Thinks (and Feels) Like a Real User
At the heart of Synthetic Users is a multilayered engine that simulates how real users think, feel, and respond. The platform combines:
- Multiple large language models (LLMs), each selected based on its strength in different contexts. One model might excel at simulating B2B decision-makers, while another better captures consumer sentiment.
- Psychographic data that mirrors real-world personality types to ensure realistic behavior and perspective.
- An agent-based system that mimics how tone and trust evolve over the course of a conversation—just like in real life.
The result is a suite of personas that can role-play everything from a skeptical procurement officer to an excited first-time buyer. They never fatigue or flake—and Synthetic Users reports the company, 85–92% parity with real human insights.
That means companies can test new ideas, product features, or marketing messaging in minutes rather than weeks or months—without compromising the quality of insight.
Real Use Cases, Real Impact
Organizations across industries are already putting Synthetic Users to work. According to the company:
- A global pharmaceutical company now simulates interviews with hard-to-reach experts like oncologists and pathologists. A research process that once took three months now takes just a few hours.
- CPG brands use the platform to test packaging concepts, naming strategies, and brand positioning.
- Automakers explore pricing sensitivity and gauge potential buyer responses.
- Marketers refine emotional resonance and tone in their campaigns before launch.
“We’ve replaced slow, leak-prone processes with something secure and continuous.”
— Kwame Ferreira, CEO, Synthetic Users
What AI Can—and Can’t—Replace
Of course, no system is perfect. Real-time data continues to be a limitation. Simulating underrepresented populations can be difficult. And for certain edge cases or highly nuanced discussions, there’s still no substitute for human interaction.
But for many use cases, Synthetic Users offers a compelling alternative to traditional research—one that dramatically lowers the cost of curiosity.
A New Model for Smart Decision-Making
Synthetic Users isn’t just helping to build faster workflows. It’s building a new model for decision-making—one where deep user insight is more readily available, scalable, and just a prompt away.
In that sense, it’s not just an AI platform. It’s a tool for more agile decision-making—one synthetic interview at a time.
