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What happened
Perplexity has acquired the team from Visual Electric, an AI design startup that received backing from Sequoia. The acquisition was confirmed by Perplexity's CEO, Aravind Srinivas, who expressed excitement about the integration of the Visual Electric team into a new Agent Experiences group. As part of the transition, Visual Electric will cease operations in 90 days, allowing users to export their data and receive prorated refunds. Founded in 2022 by former employees from Facebook, Dropbox, and Apple, Visual Electric provided tools for designers to create images and videos using AI on an infinite canvas. The startup had raised $2.5 million in funding prior to the acquisition.
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Key insights
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Integration into Perplexity: The Visual Electric team will enhance Perplexity's consumer product experiences.
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Product Shutdown: Visual Electric's product will be discontinued, with users able to export data.
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Funding Background: Visual Electric raised $2.5 million from notable investors before the acquisition.
Takeaways
The acquisition marks a strategic move for Perplexity in enhancing its AI capabilities.