Artificial intelligence startup Perplexity has offered $34.5 billion (about 145.6 billion ringgit) to acquire Google's Chrome browser.
However, some analysts believe that Perplexity's offer "seriously undervalues" Chrome, estimating the browser's market value to be closer to $100 billion.
A Perplexity spokesperson said that the unsolicited acquisition proposal was delivered to Google, under Alphabet, on the 12th, and that Perplexity plans to raise funds from external investors in order to complete the deal.
The company's Chief Business Officer, Shevelenko, pointed out that several large investment funds have already agreed to fully fund the transaction, but declined to disclose the names of the investors.
Headquartered in San Francisco, Perplexity previously made a proposal earlier this year to acquire TikTok's US operations. The company completed a round of financing at the beginning of this year, reaching a valuation of $18 billion.
Google declined to comment on the acquisition event and emphasized that it would appeal to overturn the court's previous ruling that it illegally monopolized the online search market.
Last year, a US federal judge ruled that Google had engaged in illegal monopoly practices in the field of Internet search. As a result, the US government recommended that Google sell the Chrome browser and open its search data to competitors. Amit Mehta, the federal district judge presiding over the case, is expected to issue a final decision on remedial measures soon.