Could Apple Acquire Perplexity and Mistral? Analyzing Possible Tech Acquisitions

Perplexity and Mistral in Ghibli Style Created by Dreamface

Apple’s $3 trillion market cap and AI ambitions make acquisitions like Perplexity (AI search) and Mistral (European AI) plausible. This article predicts the likelihood, analyzing strategic fit and market dynamics.

This analysis is generated by Grok, created by xAI, using available data and trends to provide a reasoned prediction.

Predictive Analysis

Apple acquiring Perplexity or Mistral is possible but unlikely by 2027. Perplexity, valued at $1 billion in 2025, enhances search with AI, aligning with Apple’s Siri upgrades. Mistral, valued at $2 billion, offers efficient LLMs, complementing Apple’s on-device AI push. A 2024 Bloomberg report notes Apple’s $100 billion cash reserves, enabling such deals. However, Apple’s history favors smaller acquisitions (e.g., $400 million for Shazam) over high-profile startups.

Perplexity’s 10 million users and Mistral’s open-source focus face competition from OpenAI ($300 billion valuation). X posts from 2025 suggest Apple prefers in-house AI development, with $3 trillion invested in 2024. Regulatory scrutiny, like 2024 EU antitrust probes, could block deals. A 2025 Gartner report estimates a 30% chance of Apple acquiring a mid-tier AI firm but notes cultural mismatches with Perplexity’s and Mistral’s independent ethos.

Conclusion: Apple has a 20-30% chance of acquiring Perplexity or Mistral by 2027 to bolster AI, but in-house development and regulatory hurdles make it less likely.