Artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI has made an unsolicited bid of $34.5 billion to acquire Google’s Chrome browser, indicating its ambition to reshape internet access amid growing regulatory scrutiny.
The offer exceeds Perplexity’s own valuation of around $18 billion and is supported by key investors, including venture capital firms and tech giants, ready to back the deal if Alphabet, Google’s parent company, agrees to sell.
This comes as Google faces an antitrust lawsuit in the United States, where a court found that the company unlawfully monopolised internet search by securing its engine as the default on many browsers. One proposed remedy is forcing Google to divest Chrome, which serves more than three billion users globally.
Perplexity argues the acquisition would serve the “highest public interest,” promising to maintain Chrome’s open-source foundation, Chromium, and keep Google as the default search engine, while offering users greater freedom to choose alternatives.
The startup is known for its AI-powered search engine and recently launched Comet, an AI-driven browser that automates and simplifies online tasks.
Earlier this year, Perplexity also proposed a merger with TikTok’s U.S. operations, though that deal has not progressed.
Google has rejected divesting Chrome, calling it “unprecedented” and warning of negative impacts on innovation and privacy. CEO Sundar Pichai has defended maintaining control over Chrome, but the pending legal ruling could force major changes.