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.