U.S.-based artificial intelligence company Perplexity has stepped into the offline world with the launch of its first cafe in Seoul’s Gangnam district. The venue, called Curious, opened on September 3 inside the Artist Company building on Dosan-daero, owned primarily by actor Lee Jung-jae. The move marks the first time a global AI startup has directly operated a cafe, signaling Perplexity’s intent to deepen its brand presence in South Korea, one of the fastest-growing AI markets in Asia.
Perplexity, founded in 2022 by former OpenAI and DeepMind engineers, is valued at $18 billion and counts Jeff Bezos and Nvidia among its investors. The company, which operates an AI-powered search and answering engine with around 15 million monthly users, is increasingly popular in Korea. According to IGAworks, its local monthly active users surged from 330,000 in January to about 820,000 in August.
The Curious cafe is designed as both a coffeehouse and brand showcase. An Americano is priced at 7,000 won, while cakes are sourced from popular Seongsu-based bakery Thousand. Customers subscribing to Perplexity Pro at the cafe can claim a 50% discount and a free trial month. AI-generated music plays throughout the space, which features a retro-futuristic interior mixing spaceship themes with 1970s American design. Merchandise, from mugs and beans to T-shirts and notebooks, is also on sale.
The choice of Gangnam is tied to Perplexity’s partnership with Artist Company. CEO Aravind Srinivasan, a fan of Squid Game, met Lee Jung-jae earlier this year to explore AI-entertainment collaborations. In March, Lee fronted Perplexity’s ad campaign in Korea.
South Korea’s AI market is forecast to expand from $2.07 billion in 2022 to nearly $20 billion by 2032, according to KOSA. With rivals like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere preparing Korean operations, Perplexity’s offline experiment could become a blueprint for AI firms seeking stronger consumer connections.
