Who Owns Perplexity AI? Business Model Explained

If you’ve come across Perplexity AI’s search tool, you might wonder who’s truly steering this fast-growing startup and how it makes money. You’ll find big names behind the company, both among its founders and early backers, but the whole story isn’t so simple. Their approach to generating revenue stands out among AI firms, raising both curiosity and controversy. So, how does ownership shape what Perplexity offers—and why are people paying close attention right now?

Ownership and Founding Team

Perplexity AI was established in August 2022 by a team of four individuals: Aravind Srinivas, Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski, who possess substantial knowledge in artificial intelligence and technology.

The leadership of Aravind Srinivas, who's gained considerable recognition in the industry, has influenced the company's ownership framework. Additionally, the involvement of prominent investors, such as Jeff Bezos, has played a significant role in the company's rapid growth and valuation, which reached approximately $20 billion by September 2025.

The company's business model is strategically aligned with its technological capabilities, and subsequent funding rounds have bolstered investor confidence. This distinctive combination of ownership and investment has been integral to Perplexity AI's technological advancements and overall expansion.

Funding Journey and Major Investors

Perplexity AI has experienced a notable funding journey, characterized by significant investments from prominent figures in the technology sector. The company initially secured $26 million to establish itself as a competitor in the artificial intelligence space. Key investors, including Jeff Bezos and Nvidia, recognized the company's potential and played a role in its subsequent growth.

By April 2024, Perplexity AI raised an additional $165 million, resulting in a valuation exceeding $1 billion. A further $500 million funding round in June 2025 led to a substantial increase in its valuation, reaching $14 billion. This series of investments reflects a strong market confidence in Perplexity AI's technology and its prospects in the AI industry.

By September 2025, the company's valuation had further increased to $20 billion.

Core Products and Services

This company distinguishes itself in the AI landscape through its AI-powered web search engine, which prioritizes delivering context-rich answers rather than traditional search results that consist solely of links. The technology behind Perplexity AI enables a generative AI approach that synthesizes information for users.

For those seeking additional functionality, the Perplexity Pro subscription offers features like Internal Knowledge Search and access to enhanced models.

Additionally, users can utilize the free AI browser, Comet, which integrates AI agents to facilitate a more streamlined browsing experience. Developers have the option to incorporate AI capabilities into their applications via the Search API.

The Shopping Hub platform provides users with personalized product recommendations generated by AI, enhancing the online shopping experience.

Revenue Streams and Financial Model

Building on its suite of AI-driven products, the company’s financial strategy incorporates a combination of subscription models and enterprise services, which are designed to support sustainable growth.

The primary revenue streams are centered around subscription offerings, particularly Perplexity Pro, which provides users with access to advanced features for a set monthly or annual fee. Additionally, through the Comet Plus initiative, publishers are offered a revenue-sharing model where they retain 80% of the subscription revenue generated from their content. This model is intended to incentivize publisher participation by linking revenue to factors such as direct traffic, AI-generated citations, and the utilization of AI assistants.

Moreover, Perplexity's financial framework includes enterprise solutions and scalable API access that cater to developers and businesses, thereby broadening its market reach.

The initiative to provide early payouts to publishers indicates a strategic move to strengthen partnerships and enhance content delivery, which may contribute to a projected increase in overall subscription revenue over time.

Perplexity AI has experienced substantial growth in the artificial intelligence sector but has concurrently encountered a range of legal challenges that question its operational methodologies. Notably, the company faces lawsuits from prominent media entities such as The New York Times and the BBC, which claim violations of copyright laws and unauthorized scraping of content.

Additionally, the receipt of a cease-and-desist notice and critical commentary from Forbes highlight these ongoing legal issues.

Another significant concern has arisen from Perplexity AI's reported disregard for the Robot Exclusion Protocol, a standard that informs web crawlers about the pages they're permitted to access. This has attracted considerable legal attention, most notably exemplified by Reddit’s 2025 lawsuit regarding allegations of content scraping, which underscores the growing unease over content ownership and the rights of original creators.

These challenges not only pose operational risks for AI startups like Perplexity AI but also prompt broader discussions about the ethical considerations surrounding AI development.

The intersection of technology, intellectual property rights, and media integrity remains a critical area of discourse in the realm of responsible innovation within the industry.

Conclusion

If you’re curious about who owns Perplexity AI and how it makes money, now you know: it’s led by its original founders, backed by industry giants like Jeff Bezos and Nvidia, and built around a mix of free AI search, paid subscriptions, and enterprise tools. While you might love the accessible, innovative products, keep in mind they’re navigating legal hurdles too. Perplexity’s model shows how AI startups can blend user accessibility with strong financial backing.