Indian-origin tech leader Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity AI, has tabled an unsolicited $34.5 billion all-cash offer to acquire Google Chrome, according to Reuters. The proposal, far exceeding the startup’s own valuation, comes as Google faces regulatory scrutiny in the United States over alleged monopolistic practices in online search.
Perplexity AI, founded in 2022 by Srinivas alongside Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski, has quickly gained a foothold in the AI-powered search space. The San Francisco-based company has raised around $1 billion from investors including Nvidia and SoftBank, most recently being valued at $14 billion, as reported by Bloomberg.
Despite its size relative to the target, Perplexity claims it has secured commitments from multiple funds to finance the deal in full, though it has not named them.
The bid coincides with an ongoing case in which the US Justice Department (DOJ) has accused Google of operating an unlawful monopoly in search. In a ruling earlier this year, a federal judge sided with the DOJ, prompting regulators to consider remedies that could include forcing the divestment of Chrome.
Google has stated it will appeal the ruling. Analysts cited by CNBC note that any forced sale would likely be tied up in legal proceedings for years and could reach the US Supreme Court.
Terms of the proposal
According to Reuters, Perplexity’s offer includes commitments to:
Keep Chrome’s underlying Chromium code open-source.
Invest $3 billion over two years in the browser’s development.
Retain Chrome’s default search engine settings.
The company says this would “preserve user choice” while reducing competition concerns, potentially easing regulatory approval.
Chrome, which launched in 2008, is used by more than three billion people globally. The browser plays a key role in Google’s broader AI push, particularly in integrating AI-generated search summaries through its new “Overviews” feature.
Perplexity is not alone in eyeing Chrome. The Verge has reported that OpenAI, Yahoo, and Apollo Global Management have also expressed interest. DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg told Financial Times in July that he believes Chrome’s market value in a forced sale scenario could exceed $50 billion.
Srinivas’s rise and strategy
Srinivas, a Chennai-born graduate of IIT Madras, previously worked at Google and interned under deep learning pioneer Yoshua Bengio. Under his leadership, Perplexity has positioned itself as an alternative to traditional search, delivering cited, conversational answers in real time.
The company recently launched Comet, its own AI-powered browser, and struck a partnership with Bharti Airtel in May 2025, offering 360 million Indian users free access to Perplexity Pro.