Perplexity AI, a fast-growing name in the AI space, grabbed attention with an unexpected all-cash offer to buy Google’s Chrome browser for $34.5 billion.
While this offer falls short of some estimates that put Chrome’s value over $50 billion in a forced sale scenario, it’s a bold and strategic move by the three-year-old startup aiming to challenge Alphabet’s stronghold in web browsing and search technology.
Chrome isn’t just any browser, it serves as the primary internet gateway for more than three billion users worldwide and plays a key role in Google’s dominance in search and advertising.
With the Justice Department’s antitrust probe targeting Google, Chrome has become a focal point, as regulators consider whether breaking up the browser from the company could be part of a remedy against Google’s monopoly in the search market.
Perplexity’s bold bid amid antitrust heat
Perplexity’s bid looks to leverage the mounting regulatory pressure by putting forward a serious offer ahead of expected court decisions in Google’s antitrust case.
The startup promises to keep Chrome’s core Chromium code open source, invest $3 billion over the next two years to enhance the browser, and importantly, commit to retaining Google as Chrome’s default search engine, helping ease concerns around competition and preserving user choice.
Valued at about $14 billion and backed by roughly $1 billion in funding from investors like Nvidia and SoftBank, Perplexity hasn’t detailed exactly how it plans to finance the deal.
However, reports suggest several financial partners are ready to back the acquisition.
Already offering its own AI-powered browser, Comet, Perplexity’s move to acquire Chrome would put it in direct competition with major players like OpenAI, which has also shown interest in Chrome and is developing its own AI-driven browser technology.
AI’s new frontier: Browser battles
This bid could really shake things up in the tech world. If Perplexity pulls it off, they’d gain control over two hugely valuable pieces of the puzzle: search traffic and browser data, both key in the AI race.
That alone could spark more deals and innovation as other players scramble to keep up. Chrome has long been the dominant browser, with rivals like Edge, Firefox, and Safari trying to catch up.
But now, with AI startups stepping in, the whole market could change, focusing more on smart assistants and conversational AI that make browsing a different experience.
Investors are paying close attention because this highlights just how much AI is driving the future of tech.
For Google, holding onto Chrome is critical, it’s the backbone of their ad revenue and AI search tools.
If the courts force them to sell, Google could face a lengthy fight to hold onto such an important asset, especially since Chrome powers some of their coolest AI features.
Others, like Yahoo and some private equity firms, are eyeing Chrome too, which could lead to a bidding war or new partnerships aiming to make the most of its massive user base.
For regulators, this bid shows how tricky it’s getting to manage monopoly power when AI, search, and platforms are all blending together in new ways.
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