In a stunning move, AI startup Perplexity has submitted a $34.5 billion offer to acquire Google’s Chrome browser, marking one of the most audacious bids in tech history. The unsolicited proposal comes amid Google’s ongoing antitrust battles and could potentially reshape the web browsing landscape.
Perplexity, an artificial intelligence company valued at $18 billion and known for its conversational AI search tools, formally made the offer to Google parent Alphabet on August 12, 2025. The bid represents nearly twice Perplexity’s current market valuation, with the startup claiming undisclosed investors would back the massive purchase. This development follows Google’s recent loss in a major antitrust lawsuit where a federal judge ruled the company maintained an illegal monopoly in online search.
The proposed acquisition directly addresses potential remedies in the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust case against Google. In court documents, regulators suggested divesting Chrome could help level the competitive playing field. Perplexity positioned its offer as a solution that would place Chrome with an independent operator while preserving Google as the default search engine, though users could switch providers through settings.
Industry analysts view this as a strategic power play by Perplexity to gain immediate scale in the browser market. Chrome dominates with approximately 65% global market share, providing unparalleled access to user data and search behavior – valuable resources for training AI models. For Perplexity, which recently launched its own AI-powered browser called Comet, acquiring Chrome would provide instant distribution to billions of users worldwide.
The timing reflects heightened competition in AI-powered search, where Perplexity competes against tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI. While Google has dismissed the antitrust ruling as representing a radical interventionist agenda, the court is expected to decide on potential remedies later this month. Chrome’s potential divestiture remains one of several options under consideration.
If successful, the acquisition would represent one of the largest tech deals in history and fundamentally alter Perplexity’s position in the market. The startup, which previously rejected acquisition overtures from Meta, could leverage Chrome’s infrastructure to accelerate development of its agentic search engine models. However, the bid faces significant hurdles including regulatory approval and Google’s willingness to sell its flagship browser.
Market reaction has been mixed, with some analysts questioning how a relatively young startup could finance such a massive deal. Others note the offer price falls significantly below independent valuations of Chrome, which some estimate could be worth upwards of $100 billion given its central role in Google’s ecosystem. Perplexity maintains its investor consortium has the resources to complete the transaction.
Looking ahead, industry observers will watch for Google’s formal response and the court’s remedy decision expected in late August. Regardless of the outcome, this bold move signals AI startups’ willingness to challenge established tech giants through unconventional strategies. Perplexity continues developing its Comet browser as a fallback option, positioning itself as either Chrome’s new owner or its most ambitious competitor.
