On a brisk February morning, a quiet rebellion against Google gathered momentum. At its helm was Aravind Srinivas, co-founder of Perplexity AI, a fast-rising startup that was no longer content being the underdog. With a valuation now touching $9 billion, Perplexity has set its sights on redefining search as we know it. What began as a humble project to answer questions online is rapidly becoming a powerful answer engine, browser, and digital assistant rolled into one.
Perplexity AI was founded in 2022 by Aravind Srinivas alongside Andy Konwinski, Denis Yarats, and Johnny Ho. Each co-founder brought a deep technical pedigree. Srinivas, a Berkeley PhD and former researcher at OpenAI and DeepMind, envisioned a search experience that delivered direct, cited answers. The name “Perplexity” itself is a nod to AI linguistics, where it measures how well a model predicts text. Lower perplexity means better predictions.
Perplexity AI Funding Chart
| Funding Round | Year | Amount (USD Millions) | Valuation (USD Billions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | 2022 | 3.1 | — |
| Series A | 2023 | 25.6 | 0.15 |
| Series B | 2024 | 73.6 | 0.52 |
| Series C | 2024 | 500 | 9.0 |
Perplexity AI: Reinventing Search and Answers
The company’s early product was a web-based answer engine. By late 2022, it was available for public use. Unlike traditional search engines that returned a list of links, Perplexity returned concise, sourced answers, with citations to back every response. The UX was minimal, and its reliability earned it early fans. By March 2023, the platform had 2 million monthly users. In 2024, it crossed 10 million users and processed over 500 million queries in a year.
Perplexity’s 2023 Pro subscription opened up more features like quicker responses, support for GPT-4, DALL-E image creation, and uploading documents. Users were also able to select from various AI models, such as Claude and LLaMA, based on their question requirements. The Pro was now necessary for power users, but the free option remained appealing for part-time usage.
A standout release was Deep Research. This mode mimics the behavior of a human researcher, taking more time to deliver longer, deeper insights using iterative queries. For users wanting more than a quick answer, it became a powerful tool for academic, professional, and analytical work.
In April 2025, Perplexity AI integrated with WhatsApp. Users could now interact with the AI like a contact in their chat list, asking questions or sharing forwards for fact-checking. It didn’t require account linking and included features like voice input and image generation. This expanded the tool’s accessibility dramatically.
(Co-Founder of Perplexity AI Aravind Srinivas with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, during a meeting at his residence in New Delhi)
Maybe the biggest strategic jump was with its AI mobile assistant. Built for Android and iOS, the assistant is able to carry out real-world tasks such as ordering an Uber or setting reminders through basic voice or text commands. This merged the search engine and digital concierge.
Another highly anticipated product is Comet, Perplexity’s upcoming AI-powered browser. Set to launch soon, it promises real-time summarization, context-aware navigation, and privacy-aware personalization options. Built on Chromium, it is expected to go head-to-head with Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
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Technically, Perplexity AI relies on a multi-model backend. It combines OpenAI’s GPT models with Claude and others, choosing the best fit for each task. Bing powers its search capabilities, while Microsoft Azure handles the heavy compute load. This architecture makes it fast, efficient, and scalable.
One of Perplexity’s defining features is its transparency. Answers always come with links to sources, allowing users to verify the AI’s claims. This design decision builds trust and sets it apart from black-box systems like early versions of ChatGPT.
Strategic partnerships have fueled its expansion. Its recent deal with Motorola ensures Perplexity comes pre-installed on the 2025 Razr series. The company is also in discussions with other OEMs and carriers. Such collaborations indicate a growing acceptance of third-party AI assistants in a landscape long dominated by Google.
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Funding has followed ambition. Starting with a modest $3.1 million seed round, Perplexity raised over $500 million by the end of 2024. Investors include IVP, SoftBank, Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, and leading figures from Google and Meta. The latest funding round valued it at $9 billion, a staggering rise in less than three years.
Perplexity AI is at a crossroads now. With Comet in the pipeline and deep integrations underway, it’s shifting from being an answer engine to being an action engine. It now needs to scale, monetize, and preserve user trust while keeping abreast of the rough seas of AI regulation, competition, and user expectations.
Whether it becomes the next big thing like Google or remains a well-loved challenger, one thing is clear: Perplexity AI has already changed how millions seek and receive information.
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