Maybe we were wrong about Perplexity

September 3, 2026 | Source: Fast Company AI

Tags: Perplexity, Nvidia, AI agents, AI search, acquisition, revenue

Perplexity tripled revenue to $750 million after pivoting toward AI agents, and Nvidia is now reportedly evaluating a serious investment or acquisition, according to Fast Company. If confirmed, the numbers mark a sharp reversal for a startup many had written off as a novelty search engine.

Details

Fast Company reports that Perplexity — the AI-powered search startup — has tripled revenue to $750 million following a strategic pivot toward AI agents. The piece also states that Nvidia is now 'looking seriously' at a buy-in, though it offers no detail on deal structure, timeline, or comment from either party. The article is brief and light on specifics. The revenue figure lacks a baseline date or growth period, making it difficult to contextualize the tripling claim. The Nvidia interest is described as exploratory. Readers should treat both data points as early-stage reporting pending fuller confirmation. If the numbers hold, the revenue milestone would represent a meaningful validation of Perplexity's shift away from pure search toward workflow automation and agentic AI. The company has been building enterprise and API products alongside its consumer search interface. Nvidia has expanded its strategic investment activity across the AI stack — it holds positions in CoreWeave, Mistral, and others. A Perplexity stake or acquisition would extend that pattern into the AI application layer.