In an escalating AI arms race, startup Perplexity has set its sights on a new prize: Google’s Chrome browser. The company has launched a bold $34.5 billion bid, hoping to acquire Chrome before Google is potentially forced to sell it as a remedy in its high-profile U.S. antitrust case. The U.S. government has proposed such a sale to address Google’s illegal monopoly on internet search.
Perplexity’s bid, though unsolicited, puts it in a direct contest with rival OpenAI, which has also expressed interest in the browser. Despite its own $18 billion valuation, Perplexity has confidently stated that it has secured full financial backing for the deal. The company’s Chief Business Officer has confirmed that “multiple large investment funds have agreed to finance the transaction in full,” addressing widespread skepticism about the company’s financial capacity.
The startup has been proactive in addressing potential concerns from both users and regulators. Perplexity has promised to maintain Chrome’s current user experience, vowing to make no “stealth modifications.” To ease antitrust fears, the bid is structured to offer no equity in Perplexity, which the company says demonstrates its commitment to a clean deal. So far, Google has not publicly responded to the offer.
This strategic move is part of a pattern for Perplexity, which previously made a bid for TikTok’s U.S. operations when the company was facing a potential ban. For AI companies, web browsers are increasingly seen as a vital platform for building and deploying AI agents that can perform tasks for users. If the acquisition is successful, Perplexity has promised a significant investment of $3 billion over two years into Chrome and Chromium and to retain a “substantial portion” of the Chrome talent.
