Overview

• Perplexity AI is raising $500 million in a funding round led by Accel, boosting its valuation to $14 billion—a 50% increase from November 2024.
• Accel partner Sameer Gandhi is set to join Perplexity's board, signaling strong investor confidence in the company’s growth trajectory.
• The company’s AI-driven search tool and upcoming Comet browser aim to challenge traditional search and browser platforms, contributing to a decline in Google searches on Safari, according to Apple executive Eddie Cue.
• Legal challenges persist as Dow Jones sues Perplexity and The New York Times issues a cease-and-desist notice over content usage, despite the company’s revenue-sharing model introduced in 2024.
• Competition in the generative AI search market intensifies with OpenAI expanding ChatGPT’s search capabilities and Google rolling out AI Overviews.