Aravind Srinivas is an Indian-American entrepreneur, computer scientist, and AI researcher who serves as the co-founder and CEO of Perplexity AI. Perplexity AI is a search and answer engine powered by conversational AI. Today, he is a prominent figure in the world of artificial intelligence. He began his career with research in artificial intelligence and machine learning and later worked to redefine AI-driven search through Perplexity. He held research internships at OpenAI, DeepMind, and Google.
After completing his PhD, he worked as a research scientist at OpenAI, where his research focused on generative models and language-related AI technologies. A pivotal moment in his career came in 2022 when he co-founded Perplexity alongside Denis Yarats, Andy Konwinski and Johnny Ho. Instead of relying on traditional search methods, the company prioritized providing direct answers—accompanied by source citations—using AI. Over time, this approach became the defining characteristic of Perplexity.
Aravind Srinivas Bio/Wiki
Aravind Srinivas was born on June 7, 1994, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. As of August 2026, he is 32 years old. He grew up in a middle-class family in Chennai, where his education and deep interest in science and mathematics laid a strong foundation for his future career. He earned both his B.Tech and M.Tech degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) in 2017. Subsequently, he moved to the United States and completed his Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of California (UC), Berkeley, in 2021.
He was a recipient of the Government of India’s National Talent Search (NTS) scholarship and the Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) scholarship awarded by the Department of Science and Technology. During his school years, he participated in the Indian National Mathematical Olympiad (INMO) and received a merit award for his performance. Although Computer Science was his first choice, he could not secure a seat in that branch at IIT Madras; instead, he enrolled in Electrical Engineering.
He later attempted to switch branches but was unsuccessful. He then decided to teach himself Computer Science, studying subjects such as programming, Python, and machine learning through online courses and the internet. This journey of self-learning ultimately laid a solid foundation for his career in AI.
Aravind Srinivas Personal Information
| Full Name | Aravind Srinivas Lakshminarayanan |
| Profession | Entrepreneur, Scientist |
| Date of Birth | 7 June 1994 (Tuesday) |
| Age | 32 Years (as of 2026) |
| Birthplace | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| College | Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), Chennai University of California (UC), Berkeley, California |
| Qualification | B.Tech and M. Tech in Electrical Engineering (2017) from IIT Madras Ph. D in Computer Science (2021) from University of California (UC) |
| Height | 5’8″ (173 cm) |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
| Food Habit | Lacto-ovo-vegetarian |
| Hobbies | Reading, Writing |
| Net Worth | $2.5 billion USD (Approximately) |
Also Read: Ashish Kanakia, Kabir Bahia, Milind Chandwani, Sam Merchant
Aravind Srinivas Family & Relationship
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Affairs/Girlfriends | Not Known |
| Father | Name Not Known (Financial Accountant) |
| Mother | Name Not Known (Social Worker) |
Aravind Srinivas Career
During his PhD at the University of California, Berkeley, he had the opportunity to work at some of the world’s leading AI research labs. He undertook research internships at OpenAI, DeepMind, and Google.
In these roles, his work focused on areas such as policy-gradient methods, large-scale contrastive learning, and transformer-based vision models. John Schulman, a creator of ChatGPT, took note of his work and offered him an internship at OpenAI in 2018.After completing his PhD, Aravind began working as a Research Scientist at OpenAI in 2021; prior to this, he had worked as a research intern at Google.
A pivotal moment in his career came in 2022 when he co-founded Perplexity AI, Inc. alongside Johnny Ho, Denis Yarats, and Andy Konwinski. Perplexity’s concept differed from traditional search engines; instead of merely providing users with a long list of links, it focused on using AI to deliver direct answers and cite sources of information—an approach that distinguished it in the field of AI search. From 2023 onwards, he also acted as an angel investor in several software startups.
In 2025, the company’s valuation initially reached $18 billion, and following a new funding round of approximately $200 million in September 2025, its reported valuation rose to $20 billion. That same year, Perplexity launched “Comet,” an AI browser designed to perform specific web-based tasks on behalf of users rather than simply displaying search results. During this period, the company also made an unsolicited offer of $34.5 billion to acquire Google Chrome.
Perplexity’s long-term plans for 2026 include a public listing. In June 2026, Aravind stated that the company is working on plans for an IPO in 2028, regardless of the market conditions other major AI companies might be facing at that time. Aravind Srinivas serves as the co-founder, President, and CEO of Perplexity.
Aravind Srinivas Social Media Accounts
| aravindsrinivas | |
| Threads | @aravindsrinivas |
Aravind Srinivas Interesting Facts
- He was born into a middle-class family in Chennai on June 7, 1994.
- He earned a dual B.Tech and M.Tech degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras.
- He completed his PhD in Computer Science from the University of California (UC), Berkeley.
- He worked at leading AI research organizations such as OpenAI, DeepMind, and Google.
- In 2022, he co-founded Perplexity alongside Andy Konwinski, Denis Yarats, and Johnny Ho.
- By 2025, Perplexity’s estimated valuation had reached $20 billion.
- He has also appeared on the cover of Fortune magazine in August 2025.
- As of 2026, he serves as the co-founder, President, and CEO of Perplexity.
- According to Forbes data from July 2026, his estimated net worth was approximately $2.1 billion, making him one of the country’s youngest entrepreneurs.
- Perplexity launched an AI browser named ‘Comet’ in 2025.
- In 2026, Aravind is discussing enabling AI systems to operate using multiple models simultaneously, and Perplexity’s long-term plans include launching an IPO in 2028.
- He is active on various social media platforms such as Instagram and Threads, and has over 303K followers on Instagram.
