Artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI has made an unsolicited $34.5 billion offer to acquire Google’s Chrome browser, according to CNBC. The bid, which exceeds Perplexity’s own $18 billion valuation from July, is reportedly backed by several investors willing to finance the acquisition.
Google has not commented on the proposal, first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Perplexity, known for its AI-powered search engine that delivers concise answers with source links, recently launched its own AI-based browser called Comet.
The offer comes amid intense competition in the generative AI space, with major players like Meta and OpenAI aggressively hiring top engineering talent. Both tech giants and startups are investing heavily in infrastructure to develop and operate large language models. Earlier this year, Meta explored acquiring Perplexity, but no deal was reached.
Perplexity’s move follows a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) proposal requiring Google to divest Chrome after an antitrust ruling found the company held an illegal monopoly in internet search. The DOJ argued that removing Chrome from Google’s control would level the playing field for rival search engines. Google has called the proposal “wildly overbroad” and has not outlined its next steps.
This is not the first ambitious acquisition attempt by Perplexity. In January, it proposed merging with TikTok amid U.S. government pressure on ByteDance to divest the platform, but the plan has yet to materialize.
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