Perplexity, an artificial intelligence (AI) startup, has made a takeover bid for the Google Chrome browser worth $34.5 billion, far above its own valuation.
The move comes as a surprise, as Google has not announced any plans to sell Chrome, the world’s most popular web browser.
It follows the tech giant’s loss in a case against the U.S. Department of Justice last year, in which it was accused of maintaining an unlawful monopoly in online advertising.
Google has said it will appeal the decision, with Chrome divestiture proposed as part of the case’s remedy.
Perplexity’s $34.5 billion offer surpasses its own valuation; the three-year-old AI startup was last valued at $18 billion. Although it did not disclose how it plans to raise the funds, the company said multiple investors have offered to finance the deal in full.
According to Perplexity, the acquisition would preserve user choice, address future competition concerns, keep the browser’s underlying code open source, invest $3 billion over two years, and maintain Chrome’s default search engine.
Google’s dominance in search and online advertising continues to face mounting scrutiny and legal pressure. For years, it has been fighting two antitrust lawsuits.
This month, U.S. Judge Amit Mehta is expected to decide whether Google should be forced to split up its search business.
This is not the first time Perplexity has made such a move. In January, it offered to merge with TikTok U.S. in an attempt to address U.S. concerns over the app’s Chinese ownership.
