Perplexity AI eyes $20B valuation in new funding round after Chrome bid

Perplexity AI, the brains behind an AI-driven search engine, is gearing up for a fresh funding round that could catapult its valuation to a cool $20 billion. This move comes hot on the heels of its audacious $34.5 billion play to snag Google Chrome from under Google's nose.

This latest valuation marks a $2 billion leap from its July 2025 fundraise, where it was pegged at $18 billion. Since January 2024, Perplexity's worth has skyrocketed by a jaw-dropping 3,746%, from a modest $520 million.

In a bold move, Perplexity threw down a $34.5 billion gauntlet to buy Google Chrome, a browser caught in the crosshairs of an antitrust showdown with Google. A US district court's impending ruling might just force Google to part ways with Chrome, shaking up the web search dominance game.

But Perplexity isn't the only player eyeing Chrome. OpenAI, the powerhouse behind ChatGPT, along with heavyweights like Apollo Global Management and Yahoo, are also rumored to be in the mix.

With an annual recurring revenue hitting $80 million and 22 million monthly active users, Perplexity is on a tear, according to DemandSage. Yet, when Cointelegraph reached out, both Perplexity and Google kept their cards close to their chests.

The AI frenzy is now spilling into the web search arena. AI models, including ChatGPT and Gemini, are increasingly leaning on web-sourced info to beef up their credibility with citations.

OpenAI has already teased plans to launch a web browser to rival Chrome, while Perplexity has debuted its own AI browser, Comet. But it's not all smooth sailing; browsers like Chrome have been prime targets for hackers, with incidents ranging from zero-day exploits to plugin scams making headlines.