AI Startup Perplexity Offers $34.5 Billion for Google Chrome

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Perplexity AI, led by Aravind Srinivas, made an unsolicited all-cash bid of $34.5 billion to acquire Google’s Chrome browser, a price far above its own $14 billion valuation. The offer comes as web browsers regain importance in the AI search race, providing access to billions of users and valuable search data.

Perplexity, which already operates an AI-enabled browser called Comet, plans to maintain Chrome’s open-source Chromium code, invest $3 billion over two years, and preserve the default search engine, pledging no equity component in the deal. The startup has raised around $1 billion from investors including Nvidia and SoftBank and stated multiple funds are willing to finance the offer.

Google has not commented and has no plans to sell Chrome, with regulatory pressure and an ongoing antitrust case possibly leading to a prolonged legal battle. Analysts note the sale could take years to resolve, with appeals potentially reaching the Supreme Court. Perplexity’s move follows previous high-profile offers, such as its bid for TikTok US in January, and highlights the growing competition in AI-driven search and browsers.

Anthropic Offers Claude AI Chatbot to U.S. Government for $1

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Anthropic, the AI startup backed by Amazon.com, announced it will offer its Claude AI model to the U.S. government for just $1. The move makes Claude one of several AI tools available to federal agencies at minimal cost, as startups compete for lucrative government contracts.

This announcement follows the inclusion of Claude, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and Google’s Gemini on the government’s list of approved AI vendors. CEO Dario Amodei stated, “America’s AI leadership requires that our government institutions have access to the most capable, secure AI tools available.”

OpenAI made a similar offer last week, providing ChatGPT Enterprise to participating federal agencies for $1 per agency for the next year. Anthropic’s initiative highlights the growing competition among AI companies to provide secure and advanced technologies to the U.S. government.

Bullish Prices IPO Above Range, Raises $1.11 Billion

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Bullish, the cryptocurrency exchange backed by billionaire Peter Thiel and owner of media outlet CoinDesk, has priced its U.S. initial public offering (IPO) at $37 per share, above its earlier target of $32–$33. The offering raised $1.11 billion from 30 million shares, valuing Bullish at $5.41 billion.

The IPO comes as U.S. equity markets see a rebound after more than two years of a dry spell. Other high-profile recent offerings include stablecoin issuer Circle Internet, whose shares have surged over 400% since its IPO in June, and design software maker Figma, which jumped 250% in its market debut two weeks ago.

Bullish, led by former NYSE president Tom Farley, operates a crypto exchange offering spot trading, futures, and derivatives, and is expected to begin trading on the NYSE under the ticker “BLSH” on Wednesday. Institutional investors such as BlackRock and Cathie Wood’s Ark Investment Management have committed to buy up to $200 million in shares. JPMorgan, Jefferies, and Citigroup are the IPO’s lead underwriters.

The listing reflects growing investor confidence in crypto, bolstered by U.S. President Trump’s July law creating a regulatory framework for stablecoins—a move widely seen as legitimizing the crypto industry.