The formal bid is nearly twice Perplexity's valuation, but other interested parties might be backing the deal.

Perplexity AI said it has made a $34.5 billion unsolicited all-cash offer for Alphabet's Chrome browser, a low but bold bid that would need financing well above the startup's own valuation.

The browser is slated to launch in the coming weeks and aims to use artificial intelligence to fundamentally change how consumers browse the web.