AI startup Perplexity has made an unsolicited $34.5 billion all-cash offer to acquire Google’s Chrome browser from Alphabet Inc.
The bid comes just days before Judge Amit Mehta is expected to rule on remedies in the ongoing Google search antitrust case, which could force the tech giant to divest Chrome. If successful, the deal would give Perplexity access to over 4 billion Chrome users, representing nearly 67% of global internet browsing.
Perplexity, valued at around $18 billion, has reportedly secured backing from major venture capital firms and investors to fully finance the acquisition. The company pledged to keep Chrome’s open-source Chromium code intact, invest $3 billion over two years, and retain Google as the default search engine.
The three-year-old AI firm, led by CEO Aravind Srinivas, has previously made headline offers, including a proposal to merge with TikTok US earlier this year. Perplexity’s own AI-powered browser, Comet, is designed to automate tasks and enhance search, making Chrome a strategic asset in its push to challenge OpenAI and other AI-driven competitors.
While Google has not indicated any plans to sell Chrome and is appealing last year’s court ruling that found it held an unlawful monopoly in search, industry analysts note that regulatory pressure could keep acquisition talks alive.
Besides Perplexity, OpenAI, Yahoo, and Apollo Global Management have also expressed interest in acquiring Chrome should a sale become necessary.
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