August 24, 2026, (Inside AI) — Nvidia is in talks to invest in Perplexity as part of an equity round that would value the AI search startup at more than $30 billion, according to a report by The Information on Sunday.
The discussions, attributed to people with knowledge of the matter, signal Nvidia’s deepening push into the application layer of artificial intelligence, beyond its core business of selling chips and data center systems.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Neither Nvidia nor Perplexity has publicly commented on the potential investment.
Nvidia’s Expanding Bet on AI Applications
Nvidia has historically invested in companies that drive demand for its graphics processing units. A stake in Perplexity would align with that strategy, as AI search engines require substantial computing power for inference and model serving.
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Perplexity has positioned itself as an answer engine that combines large language models with real-time web retrieval. It competes directly with Google and OpenAI in the race to redefine how people find information online.
The reported valuation of more than $30 billion would mark a sharp increase for Perplexity. The company was valued at roughly $9 billion in a funding round earlier this year, according to prior media reports.
That rapid climb reflects intense investor appetite for generative AI startups with clear user traction. Perplexity has said its annualized revenue run rate crossed $100 million in 2025, a figure that has drawn both praise and scrutiny.
What a Nvidia Backing Could Signal
Nvidia’s interest in Perplexity comes as the chipmaker faces growing questions about the sustainability of AI infrastructure spending. By backing an application-layer company, Nvidia could gain direct visibility into consumer AI demand patterns.
The investment would also deepen Nvidia’s ties to the broader AI ecosystem. Nvidia already backs OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere through its venture arm and strategic investments.
Perplexity has raised capital from a range of high-profile backers, including SoftBank, Jeff Bezos, and Nvidia itself in earlier rounds. A new round led or joined by Nvidia would reinforce that relationship.
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The Information’s report did not specify the size of Nvidia’s potential investment or the total amount Perplexity aims to raise in the round.
Perplexity has faced legal challenges from publishers over copyright and content scraping practices. Those disputes have not slowed its fundraising momentum, but they remain a risk factor for investors.
Nvidia’s move also reflects a broader trend of chipmakers and cloud providers taking equity positions in AI startups to secure long-term compute contracts and influence product roadmaps.
The reported discussions are still ongoing and could change or collapse, according to the people cited by The Information. No deal has been finalized.
