Perplexity Targets 2028 IPO Regardless of Anthropic, OpenAI

Perplexity, the AI search start-up, told CNBC that it is planning an IPO in 2028 independent of how upcoming large AI listings fare. In an interview cited by CNBC, CEO Aravind Srinivas said, "Agnostic of these two companies, we were planning for something in 2028, so that still remains the case." Srinivas also told CNBC, "I certainly think there will be ripple effects if they don't go well, like there is no sugar coating on that," and added, "I think it's important for the AI industry that these IPOs go well, and I actually think they will go well, because they're doing well."

Reuters reporting places Anthropic's confidential filing on Jun 1 and states OpenAI confidentially filed for a US IPO on Jun 8. Business and financial coverage has also flagged Elon Musk's SpaceX as a contemporaneous large IPO that market participants will watch as a potential leading indicator of investor appetite for major tech listings.

Editorial analysis: Perplexity is primarily known for AI-enhanced search and assistant products rather than frontier large-model R&D. Companies at this stage often time public-market entry around sustained revenue growth and product-market fit rather than aligning to peer IPO calendars. Holding a multi-year IPO target can reduce pressure from short-term market events but does not insulate a firm from valuation swings driven by headline listings.

Editorial analysis: The clustering of confidential filings from major AI players creates a concentrated test of public-market appetite for AI valuations. Observers and market makers commonly treat early large-cap listings as mood indicators; poor receptions can broaden valuation resets across related sectors, while strong receptions can expand investor risk tolerance. Perplexity maintaining a 2028 earliest-date signal may be interpreted by market commentators as a stance on timing, but public reporting does not document internal financial thresholds or a binding roadmap.

• •Market reception to the filings from Anthropic and OpenAI, including pricing, demand, and lockup structures, which Reuters and CNBC are tracking.
• •Broader IPO flow for large tech names such as SpaceX, which analysts and reporters are citing as a potential leading indicator.
• •Perplexity's public financial disclosures and any future statements from company executives that would provide concrete timing triggers beyond the 2028 horizon.

For practitioners: Watch listings' effects on talent mobility, vendor pricing, and M&A activity in the AI tooling and search subsegments; industry patterns show these channels respond quickly to valuation re-ratings.

CNBC conducted the interview quoted in reporting cited by multiple outlets. Reuters published the emailed statement from Perplexity chief business officer Dmitry Shevelenko: "By consistently holding 2028 as our earliest date for an IPO, Perplexity has been able to build a healthy, high-growth business."