AI-driven search startup Perplexity is reportedly engaging in talks to secure up to $1 billion in a funding round that would value the company at $18 billion. According to Bloomberg, which cites an insider, Perplexity has achieved an annual recurring revenue of $100 million. This proposed funding round would effectively double its valuation from $9 billion reported in December, following a significant leap from a valuation of $1 billion in April 2024.
As competition in the AI search sector intensifies, Perplexity is expanding its efforts to maintain its market position. Recently, competitor Anthropic integrated web search capabilities into its consumer AI chatbot, Claude, while Google rolled out an early version of its chat-based AI search engine, AI Mode, to a limited audience earlier this month. These advancements signal the growing rivalry in the AI-powered search landscape, prompting Perplexity to evolve its strategies.
To adapt to the increasingly crowded market, Perplexity is exploring new avenues. The startup has hinted at the launch of an innovative “agentic” browser named Comet and is enhancing its enterprise solutions. This includes the introduction of an AI search engine designed specifically to assist businesses in efficiently retrieving information from their internal documents.
As interest in this funding round builds, we have reached out to Perplexity for further comments regarding these rumors and will provide updates when more information becomes available.
