Founded by IITian Aravind Srinivas, AI startup Perplexity is making significant strides in the artificial intelligence industry, positioning itself as a formidable challenger to the dominance of Google. Notably, billionaire Jeff Bezos has recently invested in Perplexity, although the exact amount of the investment remains undisclosed.
Earlier this year, Perplexity raised approximately $74 million in a funding round, with notable investors including Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, and Shopify. Co-founded by CEO Aravind Srinivas along with Johnny Ho and Denis Yarats, Perplexity has been gaining traction since its inception in August 2022.
Aravind Srinivas, an IIT Madras graduate with a dual degree in electrical engineering, pursued his PhD in computer science at the University of California. With a background that includes internships at OpenAI, DeepMind, and Google, Srinivas ventured into entrepreneurship after serving as a Research Scientist at Sam Altman’s AI firm.
Perplexity, valued at $520 million, is revolutionizing online information search through artificial intelligence. Described as an “answer engine,” Perplexity offers users a platform to ask any question and receive direct text responses, eliminating the need for traditional website links.
Using OpenAI’s GPT technology, Perplexity functions as a chatbot-style search engine, drawing data from online sources to provide comprehensive responses. Unlike conventional search engines, Perplexity aims to directly answer users’ queries, enhancing the search experience.
Aravind Srinivas emphasized Perplexity’s commitment to providing the best search experience, contrasting it with Google’s reliance on click-based revenue. With 10 million monthly users and significant growth in website visits, Perplexity is rapidly gaining popularity as an alternative to traditional search engines.
In an official statement, Perplexity announced a successful Series B funding round, raising $73.6 million from prominent tech investors. With support from venture capital firms and industry visionaries, Perplexity is poised to continue its expansion and innovation in the AI space.
