Shockwaves in the Professional Networking Space: Perplexity Acquires Read.cv!

In a groundbreaking move that has sent shockwaves through the professional networking landscape, AI-powered search engine Perplexity has successfully acquired Read.cv, a rising competitor to LinkedIn. This acquisition marks a significant shift as Perplexity aims to bolster its offerings in the corporate domain.

As part of the transition, Read.cv will begin winding down its operations starting this Friday, giving its users until May 16 to export their data, including profiles, posts, and messages. This is critical for those who want to preserve their professional footprints from the social platform.

The news has been celebrated by Read.cv's leadership, with a statement indicating their admiration for Perplexity. "We are thrilled to be joining the design and engineering team at Perplexity to continue our shared mission of exploration and discovery,” said a spokesperson in a blog post. This partnership promises to leverage the strengths of both organizations in making the world’s knowledge more accessible.

Perplexity's CEO, Aravind Srinivas, expressed enthusiasm over the acquisition on social media, stating, "We’re excited to have the Read.cv team on board. Their capability in designing and building consumer and social experiences will undoubtedly lead us toward exciting new ventures!"

Founded in 2021 by Andy Chung—who previously designed products for giants like Facebook and Mozilla—Read.cv offered a range of tools tailored for professionals. From enabling users to share resumes and connect with industry peers, to providing features like team profiles and job listing capabilities, Read.cv quickly became a favorite among professionals seeking networking opportunities. Notably, the platform recently launched a feature called "Sites" that allowed users to create personal websites, enhancing their online presence.

In a wise move to support its users, Read.cv plans to migrate its “.cv” domains to a partner platform, Hello.cv, starting January 31. This transition ensures that users can continue to manage their domains seamlessly.

Although Perplexity has not disclosed its specific plans for the West Berkeley-based Read.cv, recent patterns suggest a strong focus on corporate functionality. Last summer, the company unveiled an enterprise plan that includes robust user management features and internal knowledge searches, hinting at its aggressive expansion strategy.

The acquisition comes during a period of rapid growth for Perplexity, which has raised over $500 million from prominent investors, valuing the company at a staggering $9 billion. As venture capitalists push for swift returns, the integration of Read.cv aligns perfectly with Perplexity's ambitions to enhance its corporate capabilities.

This acquisition is the third for Perplexity, following the strategic purchases of Carbon, known for linking AI systems to external data sources, and Spellwise, which focused on mobile app development.

In a world where professional networking is continuously evolving, this acquisition could redefine the dynamics between leading platforms, and users are left wondering: what innovative features and integrations might emerge from this powerful partnership? Stay tuned!