Perplexity AI offers $34.5bn for Google’s chrome browser

AI startup Perplexity has made an unsolicited all-cash offer of $34.5 billion to acquire Alphabet’s Chrome browser, in what is seen as a bold yet low bid for one of the world’s most widely used web browsers. The three-year-old company, led by CEO Aravind Srinivas, has a valuation of about $14 billion and has so far raised around $1 billion from backers including Nvidia and Japan’s SoftBank.
Perplexity, which launched its own AI-powered browser called Comet, said acquiring Chrome would give it access to the browser’s over three billion users, boosting its position in the AI search race. The company pledged to keep Chrome’s underlying open-source code, Chromium, intact, invest $3 billion over two years, and maintain its default search engine.The offer comes amid growing regulatory pressure on Google. The U.S. Justice Department has sought Chrome’s divestiture as part of remedies in its search antitrust case, with a federal judge expected to rule on the matter later this month. Google, which plans to appeal last year’s ruling that found it held an unlawful monopoly in online search, has not put Chrome up for sale according to information.
Perplexity did not disclose funding details for the bid, though sources indicated multiple investment funds are willing to finance the deal fully. Analysts remain skeptical, noting that Google is unlikely to part with Chrome, a critical asset in its AI strategy, especially as it integrates features like AI-generated search summaries.Other potential suitors for Chrome include OpenAI, Yahoo, and Apollo Global Management. Rival search engine DuckDuckGo’s CEO Gabriel Weinberg has estimated Chrome could be worth at least $50 billion if Google were compelled to sell.

(Business Correspondent)