Perplexity, a start-up that aims to challenge Google's stronghold in web search, is planning to expand its footprint globally and boost adoption of its technology.
The company recently completed a successful funding round raising $73.6 million, led by venture capital firm IVP. The new round also saw participation from Nvidia, Jeff Bezos (through Bezos Expeditions Fund), Bessemer Venture Partners, Factorial Funds and Kindred Ventures, among others.
Founded in 2022, California-based Perplexity has to date raised $100 million. The latest funding round valued the company at around $520 million.
“Perplexity is intensely building a product capable of bringing the power of AI to billions,” said Cack Wilhelm, general partner at IVP, who has joined Perplexity’s board of directors.
“The team possesses the unique ability to uphold a grand, long-term vision while shipping product relentlessly, requirements to tackle a problem as important and fundamental as search.”
Perplexity's search tools provide users with instant answers to any query, complete with included sources and citations. There's no requirement to navigate through various links, compare responses, or endlessly search for information, the company said.
Generative AI industry gained momentum in late 2022 with the introduction of ChatGPT, the sensational platform from Microsoft-backed OpenAI.
Google-owned Bard is the other front-runner in the burgeoning field, which has attracted attention from other notable names. Microsoft has also made its AI assistant Copilot available on its Office 365 suite of applications.
In November, Amazon Web Services launched its own generative AI tool, Amazon Q. Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has also launched a series of generative AI tools.
Perplexity has grown to 10 million monthly active users and has served over half a billion queries in 2023. More than a million users have installed its mobile apps, the company said.
“AI will also transform how we access information. Perplexity is at the forefront of this shift … they will become the go-to place for trusted information,” said Jonathan Cohen, vice president of applied research at Nvidia.
Perplexity is chip maker Nvidia’s first consumer investment from its corporate arm.
In an era where misinformation and AI hallucinations are causing increasing concern, Perplexity said its model is built on the idea that accuracy and transparency are “prerequisites to making AI-powered search ubiquitous”, said Aravind Srinivas, chief executive and co-founder of Perplexity.
The company has also launched Copilot, an AI research assistant that tailors search queries and does not require users to ask perfectly phrased questions to get the answers they seek.
This enables users to gain more relevant and comprehensive answers than other AI chatbots, traditional search engines, or research tools, said Mr Srinivas, who worked as research scientist at OpenAI before co-founding Perplexity.
more from Janine di Giovanni
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
LUKA CHUPPI
Director: Laxman Utekar
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana
Rating: 3/5
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is the Supreme Petroleum Council?
The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
