Perplexity against Google, $34.5 billion offered for Chrome

The AI startup launches an unsolicited offer, nearly double its valuation, to acquire the dominant browser. This strategic move challenges Google's empire amid the antitrust battle.

In a bold and unexpected move, AI startup Perplexity has launched an unsolicited $34.5 billion bid to acquire Google Chrome , the browser with a market share of over 65%. The news, reported exclusively by respected sources such as the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, immediately caused a stir , especially since the offer nearly doubles Perplexity's current valuation of around $18 billion.

The initiative isn't entirely new. In recent months, Perplexity had already expressed its intention to acquire Chrome if Google were forced to sell it due to antitrust investigations. This scenario also sees interest from OpenAI, another AI heavyweight, demonstrating how a flagship browser is considered a crucial strategic asset in the new technological era .

Perplexity's offer, though formally presented, is seen by analysts as more of a symbolic challenge than a realistic negotiation. Google has never shown any intention of selling Chrome, a product tightly integrated with its vast ecosystem and crucial to its dominance in the online search industry. Despite this, pressure from the U.S. Department of Justice is strong. The antitrust investigation, accusing Google of stifling competition with monopolistic practices, could theoretically lead to a forced divestment of the browser . And it is precisely on this fragile backdrop that Perplexity has chosen to act.

Dmitry Shevelenko, Perplexity's Chief Business Officer, told Bloomberg that " leading investment funds have pledged full financial backing " for the deal. If successful, the startup also pledges to inject over $3 billion into Chrome and Chromium within two years, a promise aimed at making the browser even more competitive.

The true significance of this offer goes far beyond its financial value. Perplexity, known for its AI-powered search engine and experimental Comet browser, aims to establish itself as the "new Google." To do so, it needs to overcome the biggest obstacle: control of the internet's "front end," the browser itself. Acquiring Chrome would give it access to a vast user base, providing a direct channel to integrate its AI technology and challenge the Mountain View ecosystem head-on .

In early 2024, Perplexity attempted to acquire TikTok, another high-traffic platform . While the sale of TikTok was motivated by regulatory pressure, the Chrome bid, albeit unlikely to succeed, further demonstrates Perplexity's intention to rapidly scale the value chain and target key tools for its vision of an AI-driven internet, at a time when the web giants appear most vulnerable.