New initiative enables students and researchers to unlock Perplexity’s AI-powered answer engine using secure identity verification, accelerating global knowledge sharing
Portland, OR — July 15, 2025 — SheerID, the leading provider for engaging and verifying high-value audiences, today announced a groundbreaking partnership with Perplexity, the AI-powered answer engine, to provide secure, verified access to cutting-edge AI research tools for millions of students around the world. This partnership comes at a time when college campuses and classrooms are being transformed by AI with 86% of U.S. students using AI to support their studies.
While 54% of U.S. students engage with AI weekly, according to GWI (2024–2025), and 92% use it in some capacity, AI adoption among students varies significantly by country. Perplexity’s effort aims to remove barriers to information access, enhance the research process, and support the next generation of academic discovery worldwide with accurate, trustworthy AI tools. Through this global initiative, eligible students can instantly verify their status and access up to 2 years of free Perplexity Pro, which provides cited answers to any search, in-depth reports on complex topics with Deep Research, automated research with Perplexity Tasks, and interactive apps, dashboards, and projects with Perplexity Labs.
“Our partnership with Perplexity is all about making AI more accessible to the next generation of learners and leaders while deepening loyalty and trust,” said Rebecca Grimes, Chief Revenue Officer at SheerID. “Together, we’re empowering students and researchers with tools that power profound learning while helping them better navigate new learning and work environments shaped by AI.”
As the world’s first answer engine combining large language models with live internet search, Perplexity offers users immediate, source-backed responses that streamline the research process and support deeper inquiry. By integrating SheerID’s verification technology, Perplexity ensures that eligible students can take advantage of exclusive offers tailored to the academic community.
Key benefits of the initiative include:
- Real-time, verified access to Perplexity’s answer engine: Within seconds, eligible students’ status will be confirmed by SheerID, giving them swift access to Perplexity’s conversational AI for research, content creation, learning support and more.
- Streamlined eligibility checks via SheerID’s consent-based verification: Students can quickly and easily prove their academic status through a simple, privacy-friendly process directly within the Perplexity experience. This ensures immediate access to Perplexity’s powerful features while respecting student data and building trust.
- Support for students in 190 countries through academic institution partnerships: SheerID’s extensive global network means students worldwide can confidently access Perplexity benefits. This broad reach democratizes access to cutting-edge AI tools for learning and research, no matter where students are located.
- Enhanced academic research and learning outcomes through trusted, up-to-date information: By ensuring only verified students gain access, Perplexity can maintain the integrity and quality of its specialized educational resources. This allows students to rely on highly accurate and current information, directly contributing to more effective learning and improved academic results.
“Academic research depends on timely, credible, and accurate information, and those are Perplexity’s strengths” said Jessica Chan, Head of Content & Publisher Partnerships at Perplexity. “With SheerID, we can now securely and privately provide Perplexity’s technology to more academic users, ensuring students are equipped with the knowledge tools they need.”
The global partnership allows students to earn additional months of Perplexity for free (up to 24 months) when they refer students that result in a successful sign-up. All verification is handled through SheerID’s privacy-first platform, which ensures that no data is sold or shared and that users maintain full control over their personal information.
This collaboration exemplifies how global technology leaders can join forces to expand access to innovation, remove systemic barriers to information, and champion the role of education in shaping the future.
About SheerID
SheerID is trusted by hundreds of the world’s most admired brands–including Amazon, Spotify, T-Mobile, and The Home Depot–to enable exceptional experiences by engaging the right customers, limiting offer abuse, and fueling precision-driven outreach to propel revenue and loyalty. SheerID’s Audience Data Platform instantly verifies high-value audiences and appends the permissioned consumer attributes to 400+ martech and adtech platforms. The Audience, Alliance, and Affinity Networks allow brands to engage verified audiences using 200k+ authoritative data sources, their own data sources, and cross-promotion via aligned companies, respectively.
Founded in 2011, SheerID is ISO and SOC 2 Type 2 Certified and does not sell or rent verified customer data. SheerID is backed by Fortson VC, Brighton Park Capital, Centana Growth Partners, Voyager Capital, and CVC Growth Partners. For more information, please visit SheerID.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
Media contact:
Rahel Marsie-Hazen
About Perplexity
Perplexity is an AI-powered answer engine that draws from credible sources in real time to accurately answer questions with in-line citations, perform deep research, and more. Founded in 2022, the company’s mission is to serve the world’s curiosity by bridging the gap between traditional search engines and AI-driven interfaces. Each week, Perplexity answers more than 150 million questions globally. Perplexity is available in the app store and online at https://www.perplexity.com.
Media contact:
Jesse Dwyer
+1.650.391.7952