Google Chrome Challenge by Aravind Srinivas: A $34.5-billion Attempt from Chennai to Silicon Valley
In the rapidly evolving world of technology, one name stands out - Aravind Srinivas, the founder and CEO of Perplexity AI. Born in Chennai, India, Srinivas' journey began at IIT Madras where he earned his BTech and MTech degrees. His academic pursuits continued at the University of California, Berkeley, where he completed his PhD in AI/ML, working on advanced AI research.
Srinivas' early career was marked by research internships and roles at leading AI institutions such as Google Brain, DeepMind, and OpenAI. He contributed to cutting-edge projects involving large language models, transformer models, vision models, and policy gradient algorithms.
In August 2022, Srinivas co-founded Perplexity AI, a company that pioneers conversational AI search technologies. Under his leadership, Perplexity AI has grown rapidly, securing significant funding from investors like Nvidia and Jeff Bezos, achieving a valuation of around $18 billion by 2025, and handling over 780 million queries per month.
Perplexity AI's unique selling point is its AI models that respond to search queries in a conversational language, unlike traditional browsers. The company aims to build an AI-based search engine that can rival the largest browsers in the world, delivering direct and context-aware answers using real-time data.
In 2025, Srinivas made headlines with a bold $34.5 billion bid to acquire Google Chrome, a move that is approximately two and a half times Perplexity AI's own valuation. This unprecedented bid reflects his ambitious vision to challenge entrenched tech giants and reshape the internet ecosystem through AI.
Srinivas' career is marked by a philosophy of lifelong learning, exemplified by his frequent advocacy of continuous education and innovation. His wisdom and insights have been shared at prestigious platforms like the Oxford Union.
A Timeline of Key Career and Background Milestones:
- Up to ~2017: BTech + MTech at IIT Madras
- ~2017-2021: PhD in AI/ML at UC Berkeley
- 2018: Research Intern (Policy Gradient Algorithms) at OpenAI
- 2019: Research Intern (Large-Scale Contrastive Learning) at DeepMind
- 2020: Research Intern (Transformers, Vision Models) at Google Brain
- 2021: Research Scientist at OpenAI
- 2022 (Aug): Co-founder & CEO at Perplexity AI
- 2024: Raised $73.6M funding from Nvidia and Jeff Bezos
- 2025: CEO; $34.5B bid for Google Chrome at Perplexity AI
This trajectory demonstrates Srinivas' deep technical expertise combined with strategic entrepreneurship, positioning him as a prominent visionary in AI and internet technologies.
- Aravind Srinivas, known for his strategic entrepreneurship in the realm of AI and internet technologies, aims to challenge the established tech giants with his $34.5 billion bid for Google Chrome.
- The business growth of Perplexity AI, under Srinivas' leadership, has been impressive, securing significant finance from tech giants like Nvidia and Jeff Bezos, which contributed to its $18 billion valuation by 2025.
- In the ever-evolving market of technology, Srinivas' quest for continuous learning and innovation, as demonstrated by his work on policy gradient algorithms, large-scale contrastive learning, transformers, and vision models, sets him apart as a trailblazer in the fields of finance, AI, and business.
