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Nvidia Backs Perplexity: From Rumor to Deal

After reports that Nvidia was in talks to lead a multi-billion dollar round valuing Perplexity above $30 billion, Nvidia officially confirmed its investment, doubling down on agentic AI infrastructure.

2026-08-24 ~ 2026-08-25 · 2 episodes · 15 posts

Episode 1 · Nvidia Reportedly in Talks to Invest in Perplexity at $30B+ Valuation (2026-08-24, 12 posts)

Per The Information's exclusive report, Nvidia is in talks to lead a multi-billion dollar funding round in AI search startup Perplexity at a valuation above $30 billion, making it one of the most closely watched potential AI deals. The deal remains under discussion with no official confirmation.

Confirmed

  • The Information reported Nvidia is discussing an investment of several billion dollars at a valuation above $30 billion
  • Perplexity's annualized revenue grew from under $250 million to over $750 million within 8 months, partly aided by its new Computer Use feature
  • Its previous round valued it at $20 billion; the rumored figure implies a 50% premium in under a year
  • @ivanbezdomny and @快鲤鱼 noted Nvidia previously considered a Poolside-style deal—licensing Perplexity's technology for billions and hiring its staff—before shifting to a conventional equity investment
  • Polymarket prices a 17% chance of hitting $30 billion by year-end, only 7% for $40 billion, with current valuation around $17.38 billion
  • A leak relayed by @SumitGup claims monthly revenue is only in the low tens of millions with heavy losses, and suggests Nvidia's motive is not the asset itself

Unconfirmed

  • The deal is still in negotiation; @sanjaykalra called it an "acquisition," which conflicts with mainstream reports and lacks detail
  • The gap between prediction-market-implied valuation ($17.38B) and the reported $30B shows market skepticism

Why it matters

  • @heyshrutimishra argues this closes Nvidia's loop of "infrastructure vendor becoming shareholder of its customer," as Perplexity has committed to Nvidia's new Vera CPU and other products
  • @Scobleizer and others see it deepening Nvidia's application-layer footprint and validating AI search monetization—though low market odds and revenue disputes signal persistent doubts

Episode 2 · Nvidia Invests in Perplexity in Agentic Infrastructure Push (2026-08-24, 3 posts)

Nvidia has invested in Perplexity, having once considered a multi-billion-dollar licensing-plus-hiring deal, part of a month of aggressive investments including OpenAI and Poolside, signaling its strategic bet on agentic infrastructure.