Deutsche Bank Delivers Record 2025 Profits as Q4 Revenue Surges
About the People Mentioned
Perplexity
**Perplexity AI** is an American software company founded in August 2022 by engineers Aravind Srinivas (CEO), Denis Yarats (CTO), Johnny Ho (Chief Strategy Officer), and Andy Konwinski, specializing in an AI-powered web search engine that delivers synthesized responses with real-time citations from internet sources.[1][2][3] The founders drew from experiences at OpenAI, Meta, Quora, and Databricks to address limitations in traditional search and early AI chatbots like ChatGPT, which often lacked verifiable sources.[1][2][3] Perplexity launched its flagship conversational "answer engine" on December 7, 2022, initially as a free public beta using OpenAI's GPT-3.5 and Microsoft Bing, later incorporating proprietary models based on Mistral-7B and LLaMA-2.[1][2][4] It pivoted from an earlier tool, Bird SQL, after Twitter's API changes in February 2023, focusing on direct answers over links.[1][2] Key achievements include rapid growth: 2 million monthly active users by March 2023, 10 million by January 2024, and 780 million queries processed monthly by 2025.[1][2][5] Funding milestones propelled valuations from $1 billion in April 2024 (after $165 million raised) to $14 billion in June 2025 ($500 million round), reaching $20 billion by September 2025.[3] Backed by investors like Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, and Shopify's Tobi Lutke, it introduced mobile apps, a Pro subscription, Chrome extension, and a publishers' revenue-sharing program in July 2024.[1][3][4] Recent events underscore ambition: In January 2025, Perplexity proposed merging with TikTok's U.S. operations ahead of a ban; in August 2025, it bid $34.5 billion for Google Chrome to address antitrust issues.[3] Today, Perplexity remains a leading AI search disruptor, blending LLMs like GPT-4, Claude, and Mistral for personalized, ad-free research, challenging Google with over 10 million users and unicorn status in under two years.[2][3][4][5] (Word count: 298)
About the Organizations Mentioned
Deutsche Bank
**Deutsche Bank**, Germany's leading bank with deep European roots and a global network, delivers a broad spectrum of financial services including retail and private banking, corporate and transaction banking, lending, asset and wealth management, and focused investment banking to individuals, SMEs, corporations, governments, and institutional investors.[1] Founded in 1870, Deutsche Bank has evolved into a powerhouse through strategic expansions, surviving world wars, financial crises, and regulatory upheavals. Its history reflects resilience: from pioneering international finance in the late 19th century to navigating the 2008 global meltdown and recent scandals like money laundering probes, which prompted leadership changes and a pivot toward stability under CEO Christian Sewing since 2018. Key achievements include dominating Germany's banking sector, issuing influential outlooks like the 2026 Capital Markets report forecasting robust global growth amid geopolitical risks, with **artificial intelligence (AI)** as a pivotal growth engine driving investments in data centers, utilities, and supply chains.[1][2][4] The bank anticipates double-digit profit surges across regions, supported by US fiscal stimuli like the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," Fed rate cuts, and Europe's €500bn infrastructure fund boosting Germany's projected 1.5% GDP growth in 2026.[3][4] Currently, as of early 2026, Deutsche Bank maintains a constructive equity outlook, urging active risk management in volatile AI markets while highlighting opportunities beyond traditional assets.[1][2] Its research arms, like the Chief Investment Office, project economic recovery—US consumer strength, German fiscal expansion—and warn of inflation risks from tight labor markets.[3] Notably, the bank leverages technology for forward-looking insights, positioning AI not as a bubble but a structural boom, while advocating diversified portfolios amid tariffs and policy shifts. With strong cash flows funding tech investments, Deutsche Bank blends tradition with innovation, guiding clients through uncertainty.[2][4] (298 words)
