Taz Patel, head of advertising and shopping at AI search startup Perplexity, has left the company after nine months, Adweek reported on Friday. His exit comes at a time when Perplexity is working to grow its advertising business as a core revenue stream in the competitive world of AI-powered search.
Patel joined Perplexity in December 2024 with the task of developing a commercial strategy around ads and shopping. The role was seen as key, since the startup has been rapidly gaining traction as an alternative to Google and Microsoft’s AI-driven search tools. While Perplexity is still early in its monetisation efforts, advertising has been viewed as a natural next step to sustain its growth and fund its heavy AI research and infrastructure costs.
Before joining Perplexity, Patel co-founded the influencer marketing company Captiv8, where he served as chief revenue officer. Captiv8 grew into a leading platform in the creator economy space, connecting brands with social media influencers. In May 2025, the company was acquired by French advertising giant Publicis Groupe, underscoring the value of Patel’s work in building scalable ad solutions.
In a statement to Adweek, Ryan Foutty, Perplexity’s vice president of business, thanked Patel for his contributions and stressed that the company’s mission remains unchanged. “It’s been great to have Taz on our team, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours,” Foutty said. He added that Perplexity is “driven by velocity and curiosity,” and continues to partner with leading marketers and merchants looking to shape the consumer experience for the AI era.
Patel’s departure raises questions about how Perplexity will steer its advertising and shopping initiatives as it advances, but the company has signalled that it intends to move full speed ahead. With the AI search market heating up and tech giants investing heavily in monetisation strategies, Perplexity’s ability to balance innovation with sustainable revenue will be closely watched.
