Core Insights - Cristiano Ronaldo has officially invested in the American AI startup Perplexity AI, becoming one of its shareholders, which has attracted global attention to the previously low-profile company [1] - Perplexity AI has emerged as a key player in the AI user competition in India, alongside industry giants like OpenAI and Google, showcasing its technological strength and market competitiveness [4][6] - The company aims to combine traditional search indexing with large language model reasoning capabilities to provide accurate, up-to-date, and verifiable information [9][10] Company Background - Perplexity AI was founded in 2022 by a team of former researchers from OpenAI, Facebook AI Research, and Quora, with the goal of improving search experiences that are often cluttered with ads and low-quality links [6][9] - The first product, Perplexity Ask, was launched in December 2022, integrating GPT-3.5 and Microsoft Bing technology to provide structured answers with source links, achieving over 10 million monthly visits early in 2023 [9][10] Product Development and Strategy - In 2024, Perplexity AI shifted its focus towards becoming an AI agent, aiming to actively assist users in completing specific tasks rather than just providing information [13][14] - The launch of the native AI browser Comet in July 2025 marked a significant step in its AI agent strategy, with a valuation increase from slightly over $500 million to $20 billion in less than two years [16][19] Market Position and Challenges - Despite rapid growth, Perplexity faces challenges in its business model, relying solely on subscription revenue without advertising, leading to low average revenue per user (ARPU) [19][21] - The company is exploring new avenues, such as the AI-driven patent search agent and an agentic commerce model, which aims to revolutionize the shopping experience by allowing AI to complete purchases on behalf of users [24][26] Future Outlook - The agentic AI trend represents a significant leap in AI technology and market potential, although challenges such as user trust and existing e-commerce dependencies remain [27]