Perplexity, a search engine startup, has recently announced its plans to raise $500 million in its biggest round of funding yet. This brings the company’s valuation to $8 billion, double its previous valuation from just a few months ago. Despite its success, Perplexity has faced backlash from media platforms, including News Corp and Forbes, for copyright infringement and plagiarism. The company has also been accused of bypassing paywalls and producing content that is too similar to original sources. However, these accusations have not stopped prominent investors, such as Nvidia and Amazon, from backing Perplexity and contributing to its six rounds of funding totaling $415 million. This is due to the company’s unique ability to provide real-time updated information and citations, making it a valuable tool for both internet users and AI chatbots. While Perplexity is not yet a competitor to Google, it has gained attention and praise from industry leaders, such as Meta’s Yann LeCun and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang. Despite Google’s dominance in the search engine market, Perplexity’s success and potential have made it a promising investment for many.
