AI search & discovery
Perplexity AI
AI-native answer engine that replaces a list of search results with a cited, synthesized answer.
- Founded
- 2022
- Based in
- San Francisco, United States
- Stage
- Late-stage private
- Business model
- Consumer subscription, Enterprise contracts, API / developer platform
- Record
- Needs reviewChecked 24 September 2026
What Perplexity AI does
Perplexity was founded in 2022 by Aravind Srinivas (previously at OpenAI, Google Brain and DeepMind), Denis Yarats (previously at Meta AI), Johnny Ho and Andy Konwinski. Its core product answers a query directly, in prose, with inline citations back to the sources it drew from, rather than returning a ranked list of links the way conventional search does - a format that has drawn direct competitive attention from Google.
The company has expanded from its web-based answer engine into a browser (Comet) and enterprise search products, and has raised capital at a pace that has made it one of the fastest-growing valuations in the sector, backed by investors including Nvidia and Jeff Bezos.
- Search & retrieval
- Large language models
- AI agents
Runs it
- Aravind SrinivasCo-founder & CEO
- Denis YaratsCo-founder & CTO
- Johnny HoCo-founder & Chief Strategy Officer
- Andy KonwinskiCo-founder & President
Perplexity AI
Late-stage private
Funds it
- Nvidia
- SoftBank Vision Fund 2
- IVP
- Jeff Bezos
- Databricks
What it builds
Perplexity
AI answer engine with inline citations.
perplexity.ai (opens in a new tab)Comet
AI-native web browser built around Perplexity's answer engine.
Who runs it
Founders
Aravind Srinivas
Co-founder & CEO
Previously at OpenAI, Google Brain and DeepMind.
Denis Yarats
Co-founder & CTO
Previously at Meta AI.
Johnny Ho
Co-founder & Chief Strategy Officer
Andy Konwinski
Co-founder & President
Leadership
Aravind Srinivas
Chief Executive Officer
Who funds it
- Total raised
- $1.72 billion across 11 rounds since September 2022
- Valuation, as of Aug 2026
- Approximately $23 billion as of January 2026; reported in talks for over $30 billion as of August 2026
Rounds on record
Series E-6
Approximately $200 million
valueaddvc.com/blog/perplexity-ai-valuation-revenue-2026-23b-450m-arr (opens in a new tab)
Investors
- Nvidia
- SoftBank Vision Fund 2
- IVP
- Jeff Bezos
- Databricks
What it has done
Nvidia reportedly in talks to back a new round above $30 billion
Reports indicated Nvidia was in talks to participate in a new Perplexity funding round valuing the company above $30 billion, continuing its rapid re-rating through 2025-2026.
valueaddvc.com/blog/perplexity-ai-valuation-revenue-2026-23b-450m-arr (opens in a new tab)
Related files
- Foundation modelsUnited States
OpenAI
The maker of ChatGPT and the GPT model family, and the company most responsible for the current wave of consumer generative AI.