AI startup Perplexity has made a bold bid of $34.5 billion to acquire Google Chrome, the world's most popular web browser. The company says Chrome's core engine will remain open-source and a $3 billion investment will continue.
Google Chrome: Artificial intelligence (AI) startup Perplexity has created a major stir in the tech world. The company has made a proposed bid of $34.5 billion (approximately ₹3.02 lakh crore) to completely acquire Google's most popular web browser, Chrome. This bid is even higher than Perplexity's current valuation, which recently stood at $18 billion (approximately ₹1.57 lakh crore).
Perplexity's Proposal and Investor Support
According to a Bloomberg report, Perplexity intends to finance this bid with the help of external investors. Dimitri Shevelenko, the company's chief business officer, said that several large investment funds are ready to fully support this transaction. This proposal is not only financially ambitious, but it also includes a promise to keep Chromium, Chrome's core open-source engine, open source and invest approximately $3 billion (approximately ₹0.26 lakh crore) in it over the next two years.
Perplexity has also assured that if the bid is successful, Google will still remain the default search engine for users. This proposal indicates that the company is focusing on strengthening the browser's engine and technical capabilities, rather than making major changes to the user experience.
Antitrust Pressure on Google
Google is currently under antitrust scrutiny. The US Department of Justice has argued that Google has entered into anti-competitive deals with companies like Apple to keep its search engine ahead of competitors. According to reports, Google pays Apple approximately $15 billion (approximately ₹1.31 lakh crore) to remain the default search engine on Apple devices.
In this context, Perplexity's bid appears to be an attempt to challenge Google's anti-competitive position and strengthen the AI-powered browser option in the market. The US government has reportedly suggested that Google should sell its Chrome browser and provide competitors with access to search data.
Comet: Perplexity's AI Browser
Perplexity is already active in this field through its AI-powered browser called Comet. Comet supports AI agents that work on behalf of the user. The company claims that this browser can automate recruiters and other business functions by performing a week's worth of work on a single prompt.
The company aims to reach 'millions upon millions' of users through Comet by 2026. To this end, Perplexity is in talks with smartphone manufacturers (OEMs) to have Comet pre-loaded on their devices.
Technical and Business Changes
If Perplexity's bid is successful, it would be a major change in the web browser industry. It would not only challenge Google's search monopoly, but also promote the importance of AI-powered browsers. New investment and technological innovation opportunities will open up in the market, giving users more choices and advanced features.
Perplexity's plan is to ensure that there is no major disruption to the user experience, but to take the browser and AI capabilities to a new level technologically. This move raises new questions about the future of AI-powered browsers and Google's competition policy.
