The AI IPO Race Heats Up: OpenAI, Perplexity, and the Public Markets
The AI IPO race is accelerating. Multiple companies are making strategic moves that reshape the competitive landscape.
Here's what's happening.
OpenAI's IPO Push
OpenAI is reportedly accelerating IPO plans. Investor interest remains high—including possible large investment from Amazon.
The motivation: capital strategy and control are becoming as important as raw model capability.
Apple's Stealth Move
Apple made an approximately $2 billion acquisition focused on hardware and optical sensing for "silent speech."
This signals Apple remains serious about AI—even if their public AI efforts seem behind.
Perplexity's Microsoft Deal
Perplexity signed a $750 million, three-year cloud deal with Microsoft.
The deal diversifies Perplexity's infrastructure while deepening Microsoft AI integration.
What Drives the IPO Rush
Several factors push companies toward public markets:
Capital needs. AI requires massive ongoing investment.
Competitive pressure. Being public provides advantages.
Investor exit. Early investors want returns.
What This Means
The AI landscape is maturing:
- Companies are becoming big enough for public markets
- Strategic deals shape competitive dynamics
- Hardware matters as much as software
The IPO wave will reshape who leads AI.
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