Perplexity AI, the fast-growing AI-powered search and conversational platform led by CEO Aravind Srinivas, has announced the acquisition of Visual Electric, an AI startup specializing in image and video generation. The move marks a significant step in Perplexity’s ambition to broaden its multimodal offerings and create richer consumer experiences across its platform and its AI-native browser, Comet.
Visual Electric, founded by Colin Dunn and Adam Menges, will see its core team join Perplexity to accelerate product innovation in the visual AI domain. As part of the transition, the company confirmed that “Visual Electric’s standalone service [will] sunset within 90 days, with users retaining access to accounts and data during the transition.” The integration will allow Perplexity to bring immersive visual tools directly into its ecosystem, further differentiating it from rivals like OpenAI and Google in the generative AI space.
The acquisition builds on Perplexity’s trajectory of rapid growth since its founding in 2022 by Aravind Srinivas, Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski. In just three years, the platform has scaled to more than 10 million monthly active users worldwide, becoming known for combining real-time web grounding with advanced reasoning capabilities to deliver “fast, accurate, and source-cited answers.”
In 2024, Perplexity launched its proprietary AI model Sonar, along with Comet, an AI-native browser designed to integrate intelligent search, research, and task automation. By bringing Visual Electric’s expertise into the fold, the company aims to push the boundaries of what users can achieve with multimodal AI—moving from text-based insights to seamless combinations of search, visuals, and interactive experiences.
This acquisition follows Perplexity’s earlier purchase of Invisible, a Seattle-based company, underscoring its strategy of expanding beyond search into comprehensive AI-powered products. With the addition of Visual Electric’s technology and talent, Perplexity strengthens its position in an increasingly competitive market where multimodality is becoming a key differentiator.
Srinivas has previously emphasized Perplexity’s vision of building AI that is both transparent and universally accessible. With a current valuation of around $20 billion, the company is positioning itself as a challenger to established giants by offering free and open AI services that merge accuracy, usability, and creativity. The integration of Visual Electric is expected to accelerate this mission, making AI interactions more natural, visual, and engaging for both consumer and enterprise users.
