perplexity
San Francisco AI company founded in 2022 that runs an answer engine with cited sources, the Comet browser and an API. It plans to list in 2028, TechScoop reported.
Industry: AI answer engine | Location: San Francisco, United States | Founded: 2022 | Total Funding: USD 73.6M
About perplexity
Perplexity is an artificial intelligence company headquartered in San Francisco that runs an answer engine, which responds to questions in natural language with cited sources. Its terms of service name Perplexity AI, Inc. as the operating company, and its careers page lists offices in the United States, London, Berlin and Belgrade.
Wikipedia dates the company's founding to 22 August 2022 and names Aravind Srinivas, Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho and Andy Konwinski as its founders. Srinivas is chief executive, as TechScoop reported in June 2026. According to Wikipedia, the search engine launched on 7 December 2022 and Srinivas previously held research roles at OpenAI and Google DeepMind.
Perplexity's website lists Search, Computer, the Comet browser, an API Platform and Deep Research, with a free tier, a Pro plan at $20 a month, a Max plan and enterprise pricing on request. TechCrunch reported that Comet launched in July 2025, and MENA Startup Digest reported that it became free worldwide in October 2025. In October 2026 it said Computer now runs fully local on Mac.
In August 2025 Perplexity offered Google $34.5 billion in cash for Chrome, an unsolicited bid that TechCrunch reported. In November 2025 it agreed to pay Snap $400 million in cash and equity to power search in Snapchat; Snap said in May 2026 that the companies had amicably ended the relationship in the first quarter.
Perplexity announced a $73.6 million Series B led by IVP in January 2024, bringing its total raised to $100 million at that point. Bloomberg, cited by TechCrunch, reported a $100 million extension in July 2025 at an $18 billion valuation, and The Information reported in September 2025 that a $20 billion valuation was finalised.
Outlook Business reported on 24 August 2026 that Nvidia was in talks to invest in a round that could value Perplexity above $30 billion, a deal not yet completed, and that annualised revenue had passed $750 million, according to The Information. Srinivas has said Perplexity plans to go public in 2028, TechScoop reported. The company's security page lists SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification.
Leadership
- Aravind Srinivas, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer