Nvidia Increases Perplexity Stake
Nvidia Reportedly Discusses Investing in Perplexity at a $30 Billion Valuation
Key Points
Nvidia had reportedly explored non-equity routes with Perplexity before a potential equity investment, including licensing Perplexity's technology and even hiring some of its staff.
Perplexity has broadened beyond its core AI search product with the Comet AI browser and the Comet Assistant AI agent, contributing to its revenue growth.
Valuation history shows rapid appreciation: roughly $20 billion in September 2025, rising to about $23 billion in January 2026 with a Series E-6 round.
Perplexity's annualized recurring revenue topped $750 million in early 2026, up from about $450 million earlier in the year.
Nvidia is already a backer of Perplexity, and the discussions align with its broader strategy of backing startups built on its chips to gain early access to new AI tools.
Nvidia is in talks to invest in Perplexity, an AI search startup, in a funding round that could value the company at over $30 billion GuruFocus. This would represent a jump of more than 50% from Perplexity's valuation of roughly $20 billion in September 2025. The discussions come as Perplexity's annualized revenue run rate has surpassed $750 million, driven by growth in its core search product and newer offerings like Perplexity Computer, a cloud-based AI agent Inshorts.
Nvidia Deepens Its AI Startup Strategy
Nvidia, the world's leading AI chipmaker, is already a backer of Perplexity and has explored multiple ways to deepen the relationship Finance BigGo. Before pursuing equity, Nvidia reportedly looked at non-equity options with Perplexity. These included licensing the startup's technology and hiring some of its staff.
This investment fits Nvidia's broader strategy of backing AI startups built on its chips Electronics For You. By investing early, Nvidia gains access to cutting-edge AI tools before the general public. The move also strengthens Nvidia's ecosystem of AI companies that depend on its hardware.
Perplexity's Rapid Growth Beyond Search
Perplexity has expanded far beyond its original AI search product. The company now offers Comet AI, a specialized browser, and Comet Assistant, an AI agent that can handle complex tasks The Edge Malaysia. These new products have helped drive annualized revenue from $450 million earlier in 2025 to $750 million by early 2026.
The startup also signed a major deal with Microsoft, securing $750 million in Azure credits to power its operations Finance BigGo. This partnership and Perplexity's own product expansion show why investors see the company as worth far more than just a search engine.
Valuation Surge Reflects Market Confidence
Perplexity's value has climbed sharply in just months. The company was valued at roughly $20 billion in September 2025. By January 2026, a Series E funding round valued it at about $23 billion GuruFocus. A $30 billion valuation would mark another massive jump in less than a year.
Neither Perplexity nor Nvidia has confirmed the investment talks Inshorts. Sources familiar with the matter say timing and deal terms are still being worked out. The reported discussions remain preliminary, and no official announcement has been made by either company.
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