Perplexity, an AI-powered search engine, has acquired Read.cv, a social media platform designed for professionals, in a move that is expected to bolster its corporate-focused functionality. As part of the deal, Read.cv will begin winding down its operations, allowing users to export their data, including profiles, posts, and messages, until May 16.

Read.cv, founded in 2021 by Andy Chung, a former product designer at Facebook, Mozilla, and Salesforce-owned Quip, offered a range of tools that enabled users to share their resumes, chat with other professionals in their industries, and create team profiles. The platform also allowed organizations to post job listings and perform candidate searches. In addition, Read.cv launched Sites, a feature that enabled users to publish a personal website using their Read.cv profile, with the option to obtain a ".cv" domain.

Perplexity's acquisition of Read.cv marks its third purchase, following its acquisition of Carbon, a company that specializes in connecting AI systems to external data sources, and Spellwise, whose CEO was brought on to develop Perplexity's mobile app. The move is seen as a strategic expansion of Perplexity's corporate-focused features, which have been increasingly invested in, including the launch of an enterprise plan with user management, single sign-on, and more last summer.

The acquisition is likely driven by Perplexity's investors, who have reportedly poured over $500 million in capital into the company, valuing it at $9 billion. The investors, including Institutional Venture Partners, are likely eager to see a return on their investment sooner rather than later. By acquiring Read.cv, Perplexity can leverage the platform's expertise in designing and building consumer and social experiences to enhance its own corporate-focused capabilities.

In a post on X, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas expressed excitement about having the Read.cv team join Perplexity, citing their capabilities in designing and building consumer and social experiences. Read.cv's team, including its founder Andy Chung, will join Perplexity's design and engineering team to continue their shared mission of exploration and discovery.

As part of the acquisition, Read.cv will migrate ".cv" domains to its partners at Hello.cv, where users will be able to continue managing them starting January 31. The move is seen as a positive development for users, who will be able to maintain control over their personal websites and domains.

The acquisition of Read.cv by Perplexity is a significant development in the tech industry, highlighting the growing importance of corporate-focused functionality and the increasing investment in AI-powered search engines. As Perplexity continues to expand its capabilities, it will be interesting to see how the company leverages Read.cv's expertise to enhance its own offerings and drive growth.

In conclusion, the acquisition of Read.cv by Perplexity marks a significant milestone in the evolution of AI-powered search engines and corporate-focused functionality. As the tech industry continues to evolve, it will be important to monitor how this acquisition impacts the market and drives innovation in the years to come.