Artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI is reportedly in advanced discussions to raise $500 million in a fresh funding round that could value the company at $14 billion.The investment round is expected to be led by venture capital firm Accel, the report added.
Backed by tech giant Nvidia, Perplexity AI offers an AI-powered search platform that provides concise and real-time information summaries to users, positioning it as a competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.
The surge in interest surrounding generative AI tools has fuelled investor appetite for startups in the space, with companies like Perplexity gaining traction for their potential to deliver accurate, swift responses across a range of queries.
Earlier in March, Reuters reported that the company was seeking to raise between $500 million and $1 billion, at a valuation of up to $18 billion. This marks a rapid rise for Perplexity, which raised funding at a $9 billion valuation just last year.
In a move that could significantly broaden its reach, Apple is also reportedly considering adding Perplexity as a search option within its Safari browser. If implemented, this integration would expose the startup’s AI tools to millions of users globally.
The latest funding effort underscores Perplexity’s growing profile in the fiercely competitive AI sector, as it seeks to establish itself among the leading players redefining how people search for and consume information online.