Perplexity AI Inc. has introduced a new subscription plan, 'Perplexity Max', priced at $200 per month, aimed at power users seeking enhanced features.

This subscription offers early access to new products, including the upcoming Comet AI browser, which aims to integrate AI assistance into web navigation and compete with established browsers like Chrome and Edge.

Subscribers will gain access to top AI models from various companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, enhancing their experience.

Despite reaching an annual recurring revenue of around $80 million in January 2025, Perplexity still faces challenges in achieving profitability.

Perplexity does not develop its own AI models, relying instead on competitors' offerings, which complicates its competitive position in the AI search market.

The company is focusing on carving a niche in the generative AI market, emphasizing real-time, cited responses to attract researchers and executives.

Earlier in 2025, Perplexity raised $500 million in funding, boosting its valuation to over $14 billion, with significant backing from Nvidia.

As of May 2025, Perplexity's CEO reported a growth of 780 million queries per month, anticipating further growth driven by the new browser and a shift from traditional browsers.

The launch of the Max plan is crucial for Perplexity to generate significant revenue and justify its $14 billion valuation amid intense competition.

Perplexity faces increasing competition from major players like Google and OpenAI, who are enhancing their own AI search capabilities.

The success of Perplexity hinges on collaborations with AI providers and the additional revenue generated from the Max subscription to strengthen its market position.

Looking ahead, Perplexity plans to introduce an 'Enterprise version of Max', which will provide unlimited Labs queries, although the launch date has yet to be specified.