AI search company Perplexity says it is staying with its plan to go public in 2028, even as other big tech and AI firms prepare for possible listings earlier.
Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas says the company’s IPO plan for 2028 is fixed and will not change, even if other major AI companies go public before or after that year, according to CNBC.
Speaking in an interview, Srinivas said the company is not adjusting its timeline based on what competitors are doing or how the market behaves. “We are not changing our plan,” he said, making it clear that Perplexity is focused on building its business before entering public markets.
He said the company is more concerned with improving its product and growing its user base than reacting to IPO activity in the AI sector. Perplexity builds an AI search tool that gives direct answers to user questions instead of showing long lists of links like traditional search engines.
The system pulls information from different sources and summarizes it in a simple format that users can read quickly. Srinivas said the company wants to remain focused on long-term growth and product strength before thinking about listing on the stock market.
“We are focused on building the best product,” he said, stressing that timing the IPO around market hype is not part of the company’s plan. The CEO also made it clear that even if other AI companies like OpenAI or Anthropic move toward public listings sooner, Perplexity will not change its own schedule.
He described the 2028 timeline as part of a long-term plan already set internally, not something influenced by short-term market pressure. The comments come as the AI industry continues to attract attention from investors, with several companies preparing for possible IPOs in the coming years. Srinivas said the company prefers to grow at its own pace rather than rush into public markets because of industry trends.
Perplexity’s AI search product has grown in popularity as more users look for tools that can answer questions directly without needing to browse multiple websites. Unlike traditional search engines, it focuses on giving summarized responses using AI systems trained to process and organize online information.
The company operates in a competitive space where major technology firms are also investing heavily in AI search and assistant tools. Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic are among the companies developing similar systems that aim to change how people search for and interact with information online. Despite that competition, Srinivas said Perplexity is not changing direction or timing.
He said the company’s focus remains on building a strong product and expanding usage before any public listing. Industry watchers say upcoming AI IPOs will be closely followed, especially as investors try to understand how AI companies will perform in public markets.
Some analysts also believe that early IPO results could influence how other companies, including Perplexity, are eventually valued.
For now, Srinivas is keeping the message simple: the plan is 2028, and it is not moving.
