Read.cv, a professional social networking platform that offered competition to LinkedIn, has been acquired by the AI-driven search engine Perplexity.
As part of the acquisition, Read.cv will begin winding down its operations on Friday. Users will have the opportunity to export their data, including profiles, posts, and messages, until the deadline of May 16.
A statement on the Read.cv blog expressed admiration for Perplexity, stating that significant advancements occur when knowledge is more accessible. The statement conveyed excitement about joining the design and engineering team at Perplexity to further their common goals of exploration and discovery.
An announcement was made that Read.cv is teaming up with Perplexity in their mission to enhance the accessibility of global knowledge. This change is notably bittersweet, marking the conclusion of their journey with Read.cv.
It has… pic.twitter.com/6CUinOEGsi
— andy chung (@_andychung) January 17, 2025
A representative from Perplexity confirmed the acquisition to StartupSuperb via email, although no further specifics were provided.
Perplexity’s CEO Aravind Srinivas announced on X that they were thrilled to welcome the Read.cv team to Perplexity. The statement highlighted the team’s exceptional skills in creating consumer and social experiences and expressed anticipation for collaborating on exciting new projects.
Founded in 2021 by Andy Chung, formerly a product designer at Facebook, Mozilla, and Salesforce-owned Quip, Read.cv provided various tools for users to share resumes and engage with professionals in their fields. It also featured organization-focused capabilities such as team profiles and job listing functionalities.
Recently, Read.cv introduced Sites, enabling users to create personal websites linked to their Read.cv profiles. Users also had the option to register a “.cv” domain through Read.cv and connect it to their profiles if desired.
Read.cv has announced plans to transition “.cv” domains to its partner, Hello.cv, starting on January 31, allowing users to continue managing their domains there.
The future intentions of Perplexity regarding the West Berkeley-based Read.cv, which had a team of approximately three employees and received backing from F7 Ventures and Fanjul Capital, remain uncertain. Nevertheless, Perplexity has increasingly focused on corporate functionalities, launching an enterprise plan last summer that includes user management and internal knowledge search capabilities.
Such developments may be influenced by the venture capitalists investing in Perplexity, who are likely eager for a timely return on their investments. Perplexity is reported to have raised over $500 million from various investors, including Institutional Venture Partners, and is estimated to hold a valuation of $9 billion.
The acquisition of Read.cv marks Perplexity’s third purchase; it previously acquired Carbon, which specializes in linking AI systems with external data sources. In 2023, Perplexity also acquired Spellwise, whose CEO joined to aid in the development of Perplexity’s mobile app.
