27. Perplexity
Founders: Aravind Srinivas (CEO), Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, Andy KonwinskiLaunched: 2022Headquarters: San FranciscoFunding: $1.4 billion (PitchBook)Valuation: $9 billion (PitchBook)Key Technologies: Artificial intelligence, generative AI Industry: Enterprise technologyPrevious appearances on Disruptor 50 list: 0
Built by alumni from OpenAI, Meta, and Quora, Perplexity AI is attempting to create the next generation of search engines by combining generative AI with the internet.
In April, it expanded into new territory through a deal with Motorola, allowing it to widen its user base. Its technology will be included in Motorola's "Moto AI" capabilities. While not the first AI-powered search engine to partner with smartphones, it now is in direct competition with Apple and OpenAI's Siri-ChatGPT integration which was announced in December 2024.
″Search shouldn't be about endless links and ads — it should give the user directly what they want, and we think the best way to do that is through an answer engine," Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas said at a New York launch event. "Your phone is now an answer machine, personal assistant and a research agent."
Instead of pulling up links, Perplexity is essentially a hybrid between a chatbot and a search engine. It offers answers sourced directly from the Web, which it summarizes using large language models (LLMs). The platform's signature feature is its commitment to citation-backed responses, which not only provides context but factual backing. By the end of 2024, Perplexity was answering 20 million questions a day, according to the company.
The company's freemium model allows public access, and last year it added advertising. Brand partners like Indeed and Whole Foods joined the program, and it also launched a Publisher Program with partners like TIME, The Independent, and Fortune. It also has a paid tier that gives faster responses, PDF interpretation, and features like image generation. Its Enterprise Pro customers lean towards the finance and tech sphere, but it also works with other companies including CMA CGM, Nvidia, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The company pulls in about $100 million in annual recurring revenue, sources told CNBC.
In May, it linked up with PayPal for an AI chat-based shopping feature that allows for booking travel, buying products and securing concert tickets on Perplexity's chat interface, paying instantly with PayPal or Venmo.
It has also made some bold moves this year, entering a bid in January to merge with TikTok under a company called NewCo. The deal would combine Perplexity and TikTok U.S., and would allow for the U.S. government to own up to 50 percent of the new company contingent upon a future IPO. In March, it laid out its TikTok vision in a blog post.
Because Perplexity depends on external sources it, like many web-based generative AI services, it can easily be swayed by the bias of the content it finds. Misinformation, or SEO-tailoring, can easily be taken as fact without additional checks. Despite this, Perplexity is gaining traction. It's backed by prominent investors including New Enterprise Associates, SoftBank Vision Fund, Jeff Bezos and Daniel Gross, a former Apple executive whose own search engine startup was acquired by the device giant.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
20 minutes ago
- News24
Truck driver Nosihle Mohunu is paving the way for young women in SA
Nosihle Mohunu is a 29-year-old truck driver from KwaZulu-Natal. Nosihle is a mom of two and has support from her mother while on the road. She is excelling in the male-dominated industry after pursuing a Code 14 license. _______________________________________________________________________ It's not something you see every day. A young woman at the steer of a 22-wheeler, confidently clocking up long-haul miles, expertly squeezing the rig into tight spaces and personally handling every inspection with precision. At just 29 years old, Nosihle Mohunu is a valued truck driver, does it all with a bright smile and sometimes even a little dance because, for her, there's no better place to be than behind the wheel of one of these giants of the road. She understands the value of what she does, delivering essential goods and groceries across the country. Her passion is contagious. Her TikTok videos, filmed from the snug cab of her truck, have already won her thousands of fans. An expert on the road Mzansi took notice of Nosihle when a video went viral of her driving through her hometown, Keate's Drift in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), where her mother saw her in action for the first time. Suddenly, Nosihle, who now lives in Hazelmere, KZN, was on everyone's radar. Brand collaborations rolled in but she turned most of them down. 'I don't want distractions,' she says. 'I want to stay focused on my work.' @nosihleoprintayo I must be really grateful, all thanks to Transrite for this great opportunity 🥺🥺 #femaledriver #womaninlogistics #code14 #transrite #truckdriver ♬ Good Lord - MG Trizzy Nosihle first worked as a floor manager for a company that sold sports and lifestyle products. Then, in 2021, she took a massive leap that changed her life. Inspired by the flow of trucks passing through her hometown, Nosihle decided to pursue a Code 14 truck licence. Her decision paid off because, after completing Shoprite's learnership programme and acing the practical assessment, she was offered a permanent position. It's been three years and, since then, she has racked up countless safe kilometres. On one trip alone, she travelled more than 1 200 km across borders – a testament to her discipline, focus and skill. Not an easy job But the job isn't always easy. Her days can start as early as 04:00, and careful route planning and truck inspections are part of her routine. For Nosihle, safety and precision are everything. She logs every journey and keeps detailed records. 'I always make sure to get enough rest at home, since I never want to find myself depending on energy drinks,' she says. 'Music is therapy and there is nothing I enjoy more than listening to music. It always keeps me awake.' Excelling in a male-dominated industry As a woman in a male-dominated industry and a mother to two young children, Nosihle faces unique challenges. 'Female drivers constantly face bias. But many of us are breaking those stigmas and proving what we're capable of.' She admits, 'My work demands a lot of my time and it's changed things. I don't see my children as often as I used to. But it's a positive change, I can still provide for them, even while I'm away.' Balancing motherhood with a demanding career takes strong support. 'My mother makes it possible,' she says. 'Sometimes people judge me for prioritising my career over traditional roles, even though I'm doing it to take care of my family.' Nosihle believes a new wave of women is stepping into the trucking industry. 'When I first got my Code 14 licence, many of my former colleagues, people living in informal settlements, were against the idea. They had concerns and didn't understand that for me, it was a dream come true. Once I got my job, they followed and got their licences too.' For Nosihle, it doesn't stop here. She has been celebrated during an annual internal career recognition campaign called 40 under 40 and continues to dream even bigger. 'I want to train and uplift other women, especially from small towns like mine. We belong in this industry too.' Her message to young women, especially those from overlooked communities? 'Women aren't just being hired to tick boxes anymore, we're proving ourselves as safer, more reliable drivers. If I can do it, so can you.'
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Codie Sanchez Shares Who You Should Meet To Build Your Network: 'I Don't Need Friends Anymore'
Small business expert Codie Sanchez has acquired many Main Street businesses and teaches others how to do the same. As you set bigger goals and acquire businesses, you start to change as an individual, and that transformation can make you feel isolated. The further you pursue career growth and other goals, the harder it is to find like-minded people. Sanchez presents a solution to this problem while saying something that sounds contradictory. "I don't need friends anymore," she stated. Sanchez then revealed how this mindset can expand your network and introduce more opportunities. Don't Miss: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Peter Thiel turned $1,700 into $5 billion—now accredited investors are eyeing this software company with similar breakout potential. Learn how you can Sanchez recommends meeting people who have the same goals. For instance, Sanchez said that she needs business partners instead of friends. Business partners can be great friends, but these people also have the same goals and can work with you toward your dreams. You can meet like-minded people on social media, business conferences, online groups, and other locations that these individuals regularly attend. You have to get yourself out there to meet these types of people. While you can meet people online, it's even better to get out of your house and meet people in person. Sanchez's TikTok video included multiple clips where she meets business partners and other individuals who align with her goals. While posting on social media and interacting with people online can be a great starting point, it's great to capitalize on your area. If you can't find any like-minded people in your location, it may be worth it to move somewhere else. Trending: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: . Sanchez doesn't only use this strategy to meet business partners. She's also intentional about finding more gym buddies and allies who push her. Working out with gym buddies may not seem like something that improves your business and finances. However, getting regular exercise and pursuing hobbies can expand your creativity and ability to solve problems. If you do rigorous workouts, it's easier to commit to long-term financial goals that require plenty of sacrifices along the way. If you want to improve in any skill, consider who you have to surround yourself with to make it easier to succeed. Trying to make new friends is the luck of the draw, but if you're intentional about the type of people you want to meet, you have a higher likelihood of finding wrapped up her TikTok video by saying that she regularly looks for hustlers who motivate her. Finding these types of people can introduce you to new ideas that can boost your income and move you closer to your goals. However, motivational people don't have to have a higher status than you. You may be motivated by someone who is hustling hard to make their ventures work and is in the process of upscaling their career. Serving as a mentor for these types of individuals can remind you of valuable lessons that you may have forgotten. You can also find someone that motivates you in one of your hobbies. You may be further along than someone with your finances, but if that same person is further along in your hobby than you are, it's possible to be motivated by that person. Read Next: Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Codie Sanchez Shares Who You Should Meet To Build Your Network: 'I Don't Need Friends Anymore' originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why Apple Must Buy Perplexity
Tim Cook ought to call Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas and offer him $30 billion for his AI search engine. And he should do it right away. Apple buying Perplexity is such an obviously good deal for both companies that I feel silly even writing it down. Apple would get a bonafide AI service it could plug right into Safari and Siri that would revamp its disappointing AI offering. Perplexity would get access to the 2 billion+ Apple devices in circulation and become an AI force on par with ChatGPT. 'Not likely!' Perplexity chief business officer Dmitry Shevelenko told me of a potential tie-up with Apple. 'But Meta-Scale is so unlikely that I feel we aren't living in a world of likelies.' Apple and Perplexity have had no M&A discussions to date, Shevelenko added, not even a wink. But that should change. As an AI search engine, Perplexity could slot in neatly across Apple's product portfolio. It could integrate into Siri with a seamlessness that only comes via ownership. Apple values control of its product experience, and having its designers work alongside Perplexity's engineers could help it shape exactly how its AI answers show up in the assistant. Perplexity also has an AI voice mode that could surprise and delight users, and perhaps supplant Siri one day. And many Apple customers who haven't used AI yet could experience its power for the first time through Perplexity's search, image generator, and Deep Research. There's urgency to get a deal done right away. Apple's search partner, Google, is at risk of losing its ability to pay Apple for the default search position on Safari, a deal worth billions of dollars per year. If Apple acts now, it could start integrating Perplexity into its products and figure out how to make money from the service before it's too late. Waiting and scrambling only if the ruling goes through could lead to years of setbacks. And Perplexity's price will likely go up if a court ruling prevents Google from paying Apple. Perplexity is also wrapping up a $500 fundraising round at a very manageable $14 billion valuation. If Apple doubled that amount in a purchase offer, Perplexity would have to take it. And Apple has the money. The company did a $110 billion share buyback last year and announced a $100 billion buyback this year. Apple's slow AI start is a strategic crisis. There will never be a better time to use its cash. Spending $30 billion on a legitimate AI player is vastly better than standing still. The market would likely celebrate it, even if it means a smaller buyback. Growth stocks get growth multiples. Adding to the import of getting this done now, Perplexity has a deepening partnership with Samsung that could be hard to dissolve with time. Currently, the companies are offering Perplexity Pro for free to all Samsung users. But they're in talks for a deeper partnership that would include preloading Perplexity onto Samsung devices and integrating it into Samsung's browser. Apple swooping in and taking Perplexity off the table would be ruthless, but also a sign it knows the stakes of this AI moment and isn't messing around. The acquisition might get the attention of antitrust regulators, but consider this: Apple has practically no share in the search market since it's effectively outsourced it Google. And Perplexity is still tiny compared to the incumbents. It would be exceptionally difficult to argue the deal helps illegally maintain a search monopoly. It would likely sail through approvals. Even at its small size, Perplexity is showing good momentum. Srinivas recently said the company is seeing 20% month-over-month growth in search queries and handled 780 million queries in May. That's minuscule compared to Google's 5 trillion searches per year, but there's plenty of room to grow. And Perplexity's AI search product is largely beloved by its users. This would be the biggest acquisition in Apple's history (by far), potentially 10X its $3 billion Beats purchase. But the fit, urgency, and potential make the move necessary at a time when Apple needs to do something bold in AI, especially as its in-house team struggles to ship. Tim, if you're reading this, close your mail app and get on the phone with Perplexity right away. This article is from Big Technology, a newsletter by Alex Kantrowitz. The post Why Apple Must Buy Perplexity appeared first on TheWrap. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
