In a notable shift within the professional networking landscape, Read.cv, a platform that offered an alternative to LinkedIn, has been acquired by the innovative AI-driven search engine, Perplexity. As part of this acquisition, Read.cv will cease its operations soon, giving users the opportunity to export their data, including profiles and messages, until May 16.
The transition underscores a shared mission between the two companies. Read.cv expressed admiration for Perplexity in a blog post, emphasizing how the partnership aligns with their goal of making knowledge more accessible and open to everyone. Joining hands with Perplexity, the Read.cv team hopes to continue fostering exploration and discovery.
Perplexity’s CEO, Aravind Srinivas, conveyed excitement over welcoming the Read.cv team, recognizing their expertise in designing compelling consumer and social experiences. This collaboration indicates potential innovation in the way knowledge and professional interactions are facilitated online.
Launched by Andy Chung in 2021, who previously contributed to giants like Facebook and Mozilla, Read.cv emerged as a unique platform where professionals could showcase their resumes and engage with others in their field. It also catered to organizations by providing tools for team collaboration, job postings, and candidate search functionalities.
In a bid to further enhance user experience, Read.cv recently introduced ‘Sites’, a feature allowing users to create personal websites linked to their professional profiles, complete with “.cv” domains. With its operations winding down, Read.cv plans to transfer these domains to Hello.cv starting January 31, ensuring users can continue managing them seamlessly.
While the specific plans Perplexity has for Read.cv remain undisclosed, the acquisition is consistent with Perplexity’s growing interest in corporate functionalities, evidenced by their recent enterprise-focused initiatives. With substantial backing from investors like Institutional Venture Partners, such strategic acquisitions might be aimed at accelerating returns for the stakeholders involved.
This marks Perplexity’s third major acquisition, following its purchase of Carbon, which connects AI systems to external datasets, and Spellwise, which contributed to the development of Perplexity’s mobile app. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, Perplexity’s strategic expansions showcase its commitment to reinforcing its standing and capabilities within the arena of AI and professional networking.
