Perplexity AI offers $34.5bn to acquire Google Chrome

AI-powered search engine Perplexity AI has made an unsolicited offer of $34.5bn to acquire Alphabet's Chrome browser.

Perplexity's CEO, Aravind Srinivas, is known for aggressive acquisition strategies, as evidenced by the company's previous offer for TikTok US.

Tech industry's giants such as OpenAI and Yahoo, alongside Apollo Global Management, are also showing interest in Chrome.

Alphabet is yet to respond to the bid, and Chrome is not currently up for sale.

The technology conglomerate plans to appeal a US court ruling that found it held an unlawful monopoly in online search.

The Justice Department's case against Google includes a potential Chrome divestiture as a remedy, which could influence the outcome of Perplexity's offer.

Despite not disclosing its funding plan, Perplexity has raised approximately $1bn from investors including Nvidia and SoftBank.

The company claims that multiple funds are ready to finance the deal in full.

Perplexity's proposal, which notably lacks an equity component, aims to maintain user choice and address future competition concerns.

However; analysts are sceptical about Google's willingness to part with Chrome, considering its strategic importance to the company's AI initiatives, according to Reuters.

The legal landscape also presents challenges, with a federal ruling on the Google search antitrust case expected soon.

Perplexity, with its own AI browser Comet, aims to harness Chrome's more than three billion users to strengthen its position against larger competitors.

The company has committed to keeping Chrome's underlying code, Chromium, open source and plans to invest $3bn over two years while maintaining Chrome's default search engine, as per a term sheet seen by Reuters.

In July 2025, Perplexity AI obtained new funding, bringing its valuation to $18bn. The company secured $100m in fresh capital as an extension of a previous round.

"Perplexity AI offers $34.5bn to acquire Google Chrome" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand.

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