AI-powered search engine Perplexity has acquired Read.cv, a social media platform designed for professionals and a direct competitor to LinkedIn. This acquisition marks another step in Perplexity’s ongoing effort to expand its functionality and reach.
Today I’m excited to share that @read_cv is joining the team at @perplexity_ai in their mission to make the world’s knowledge more accessible to everyone. This is incredibly bittersweet for us, as the start of this new chapter will mark the end of our time with @read_cv.
— andy chung (@_andychung) January 17, 2025
It has… pic.twitter.com/6CUinOEGsi
Read.cv operations to end soon
Read.cv will officially cease operations on Friday as part of the acquisition. Users will have until May 16 to export their data, including profiles, posts, and messages. In a blog post addressing the transition, the Read.cv team expressed enthusiasm for joining Perplexity, stating, “We’ve long admired Perplexity and believe great things happen when the world’s knowledge is made more open and accessible. In that spirit, we are thrilled to join the Perplexity design and engineering team to continue our shared exploration and discovery mission.”
Features like ‘Sites’ and domain migration
In recent months, Read.cv introduced Sites, allowing users to create personal websites directly linked to their profiles. The platform also offered “.cv” domains, enabling users to personalise their web presence further. With the acquisition, management of these domains will transition to Hello.cv starting January 31, ensuring continuity for users who wish to maintain their existing domains.
Perplexity’s growing ambitions
Based in West Berkeley, Read.cv had a small team of around three employees and was supported by venture capital from F7 Ventures and Fanjul Capital. Although Perplexity’s specific plans for integrating Read.cv remain unclear, the company has steadily enhanced its enterprise offerings. Last summer, Perplexity introduced features like user management and internal knowledge search to cater to corporate clients.
This is Perplexity’s third acquisition in recent years. In 2023, the company acquired Spellwise, an AI-focused startup whose CEO was tasked with developing Perplexity’s mobile app. It also purchased Carbon, a firm specialising in connecting AI systems with external data sources.
With over US$500 million in funding from investors such as Institutional Venture Partners, Perplexity has been valued at US$9 billion. Industry analysts suggest these acquisitions align with the expectations of its venture capital backers, who are likely pushing for tangible returns.
As Perplexity broadens its portfolio, the addition of Read.cv’s team and features signal its commitment to building a more expansive ecosystem of professional and corporate tools.
