Perplexity Launches $42.5 Million Fund to Reward Publishers
With $42.5 million allocated to publishers, Perplexity strengthens its business model and positions itself as a serious competitor to Google in AI-powered search.
The Jeff Bezos-backed startup aims to transform the online search economy with an unprecedented program distributing $42.5 million to publishers. Funded by the Comet Plus subscription at $5/month, the initiative plans to redistribute 80% of the revenue generated when media content is used by its AI. Beyond supporting the press, this move clearly targets gaining market share from Google.
A business model that breaks the mold
While Google faces criticism for its search monopoly, Perplexity innovates by offering a fair revenue-sharing model. Publishers are compensated not only when their articles generate traffic via the Comet browser but also when they are cited or used by the AI assistant. According to Perplexity’s official announcement, this approach aims to “reconcile innovation with the economic sustainability of journalism.”
A response to legal pressure and distrust
This initiative comes amid tensions: several major media companies, including News Corp and Condé Nast, have filed lawsuits against the company for alleged misuse of content. By adopting a cooperative stance, Perplexity seeks to differentiate itself from rivals and mitigate costly legal disputes. For comparison, Apple News+ redistributes roughly 50% to publishers, while Perplexity promises 80%, a strategic gesture designed to appeal to a vulnerable press.
SEO, AI, and visibility: another key goal
Beyond direct revenue, the program enhances editorial visibility in AI-driven search engines. Every citation becomes an opportunity for traffic and brand recognition. For publishers, this means improving article quality and SEO structuring.
At Enodo, we already help clients anticipate this evolution using Butterfly (headless CMS) and Semantic (smart SEO editor). Similarly, Google’s introduction of the Graph Foundation Model for spam detection highlights how the future of search will rely on reliable and optimized content.
A direct challenge to Google
Perplexity openly aims to become a credible alternative to Google Search. By integrating publisher compensation, conversational search ergonomics, and a subscription model, the startup hopes to attract both media companies and users. Its success will depend on Comet Plus gaining a wide audience and broad publisher adoption. One thing is clear: the search battle has begun.
In Brief
- Perplexity launches a $42.5 million fund to reward publishers
- 80% of Comet Plus revenue is redistributed
- Strategy designed to ease legal tensions
- SEO opportunity: more citations = greater visibility
- Clear goal: challenge Google in AI-powered search