3 months Ago
This was before OpenAI showed an interest in buying the Chrome // antitrust train took off, and it marks a new front in the browser wars. The move coincides with a U.S. court ruling last year that found Google was running an unlawful monopoly in the search market.
In connection with that case, regulators sought the divestiture of Chrome and other services, as well as a request to Google to share search data with rivals.
Backing and Strategic Goals
Still, questions remain about how a deal of that size would be funded, and Perplexity CEO Dmitry Shevelenko told TechCrunch the takeover will have full backing from "three large investment funds." There is no recognition from Google; on the other hand, for them to listen to an offer for Chrome.
Perplexity's signature product is an AI-powered search platform that provides direct, fact-based answers with original sources.
In fact, the firm more recently rolled out its AI browser Comet. Once released, it will be considered leapfrogging to navigate greater technology and web space.
If the company acquired Chrome, it would nab a huge user base that could be directed toward integrating its AI-driven services.
An AI and Browser Showdown
The surprise bid from Perplexity is yet another testament to the fierce competition that has defined the AI industry, as both Meta and Elon Musk-backed OpenAI have been seen poaching top talent with astronomical salaries and incentives.
Meta has previously reached out to Perplexity with an acquisition offer earlier this year, but those talks wound up going nowhere.
This newest offer marks the most aggressive move yet for Perplexity, which has pledged to take on the largest companies in search and Web browsing.
The acquisition, if it goes through, could have massive implications on the competitive landscape and potentially combine one of the most powerful browsers on the Internet with state-of-the-art AI capabilities.
Now the ball is in Google´s court, and observers are likely to feel increasingly jumpy as this daring challenge incrementally triggers more negotiations — or maybe even a little auction frenzy.
