Perplexity is moving beyond AI search and into the crowded web browser market.
The $9 billion startup teased its new browser, Comet, on X, calling it an “agentic search” experience. It launched a signup list but offered few details on how the browser will stand out from competitors.
Comet: A Browser for Agentic Search by Perplexity
Coming soon. pic.twitter.com/SwVSwudgtN
— Perplexity (@perplexity_ai) February 24, 2025
“Just like we reinvented search with AI, we’re also reinventing the browser,” a Perplexity spokesperson told ADWEEK, but stopped short on sharing Comet’s key features and whether it will run ads.
Backed by Jeff Bezos, Perplexity has raised over $500 million and fields more than 100 million queries each week. The company has been ramping up monetization through advertising and e-commerce—and now, it’s betting a browser could be its next big play.
It’s an ambitious move in a space dominated by Google Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge—browsers deeply embedded in their respective ecosystems.
While it’s unclear how Comet will differentiate itself, Perplexity’s push into web browsing signals an effort to control more of the search experience. If Perplexity weaves its AI-powered search engine directly into the browsing interface, it could mean users can surface answers without the need to visit traditional search results at all.
“Though the space is crowded with competitors, no one has yet built a robust AI integration into the browser experience in a way that takes off with consumers,” said Damian Rollison, SOCi’s director of market insights. “Many of the agentic tools recently debuted, but still hard to access, from companies like OpenAI would fit well in a browser format. A truly innovative browser could be the angle that helps propel Perplexity into broader market awareness.”
