AI search, San Francisco
Perplexity
San Francisco · Founded August 2022
Quick read
Perplexity AI, an AI-powered answer engine, was founded in August 2022 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. It has grown from $100M to $500M in revenue while keeping headcount flat, and is now pushing beyond search into agentic AI with its 'Computer' product line. The company raised $1.7B+ in total funding at a $22.6B valuation and runs on a subscription-first model targeting high-value professional users.
Key facts
- Founded
- August 2022
- Founders
- Aravind Srinivas, Andy Konwinski, Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, Gustav Lindqvist
- Employees
- 250
- Sectors
- ai, saas, enterprise
- Website
- perplexity.ai
Mission
Build an AI-native answer engine that replaces traditional keyword search with real-time, cited, conversational responses — monetised through high-ARPU subscriptions targeting professionals rather than ad-based volume.
Recent activity
- Apr 2026productLaunched the 'Billion Dollar Build' — an 8-week competition where teams use Perplexity Computer to build companies targeting $1B outcomes; finalists can receive up to $1M in investment from the Perplexity Fund plus $1M in Computer credits. x.com
- Mar 2026productAnnounced Perplexity Personal Computer — an always-on agent running continuously on a Mac Mini, with an initial waitlist open to users. x.com
- Mar 2026pressPlaid partnered with Perplexity to add AI financial research capabilities to its platform. tracxn.com
- Feb 2026productLaunched Perplexity Computer — an agentic system running 19 AI models in parallel to research, design, code, deploy, and manage projects end-to-end; priced at $200/month for Max users. x.com
- Feb 2026productPartnered with Samsung to ship Perplexity as a system-level AI on the Galaxy S26 series with its own wake word, 'Hey Plex' — the first third-party app Samsung has granted OS-level access. x.com
- Feb 2026productDiscontinued AI-integrated advertising and moved to a subscription-first model; also launched the 'Model Council' feature allowing users to compare outputs from multiple LLMs simultaneously. en.wikipedia.org
- Feb 2026productUpgraded Deep Research, claiming state-of-the-art benchmark performance over competing deep research tools; rolled out to Max users first. x.com
- Aug 2025pressMade a longshot $34.5B offer to acquire Google's Chrome browser. x.com
Key people
Named individuals at the firm. We don't expose direct email or phone — use their LinkedIn for outreach.
- Aravind Srinivas · Co-founder & CEO
- Denis Yarats · Co-founder & CTO
- Andy Konwinski · Co-founder
- Johnny Ho · Co-founder
- Gustav Lindqvist · Co-founder
- Dmitry Shevelenko · Employee
- Nathan Barksdale · Employee
Sources
Other companies in United States
Frequently asked
What is Perplexity?+
Perplexity AI, an AI-powered answer engine, was founded in August 2022 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. It has grown from $100M to $500M in revenue while keeping headcount flat, and is now pushing beyond search into agentic AI with its 'Computer' product line.
Where is Perplexity headquartered?+
Perplexity is headquartered in San Francisco, United States.
When was Perplexity founded?+
Perplexity was founded in August 2022 by Aravind Srinivas, Andy Konwinski, Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, Gustav Lindqvist.
What sectors does Perplexity operate in?+
Perplexity focuses on ai, saas, enterprise. They primarily operate in these sectors.
Who is the CEO of Perplexity?+
Aravind Srinivas is the CEO of Perplexity.
How do I prepare for a meeting with Perplexity?+
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Try Brief →Generated by briefthecall.com from public web sources on May 27, 2026. Each claim is linked to its source above.