Perplexity AI, backed by Jeff Bezos, has entered fundraising talks to raise $500 million, aiming to more than double its valuation to $8 billion, according to a Wall Street Journal report. NVIDIA also backs the AI company, which currently generates about $50 million in annualized revenue. Perplexity declined to comment on the fundraising efforts.
Earlier this month, the startup faced a “cease and desist” notice from the New York Times for using its content in generative AI without permission. Perplexity had also been accused by media outlets like Forbes and Wired of content plagiarism. In response, the company introduced a revenue-sharing program with publishers. Perplexity’s platform allows users to ask questions and get instant answers with sources, utilizing a range of large language models, including OpenAI and Meta’s Llama.
