Perplexity AI, the developer of a popular artificial intelligence search engine, is close to raising a $50 million venture fund focused on early-stage AI startups, CNBC has learned.

The company will be an anchor investor in the fund, but most of the capital is coming from outside limited partners, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the information is confidential.

The two general partners of the fund are also coming from elsewhere. They are Kelly Graziadei and Joanna Lee Shevelenko, who have been running early-stage fund f7 Ventures, the person said.

Perplexity has been in the middle of the generative AI boom that began in late 2022 with the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. CNBC reported in November that the company was in the final stages of raising $500 million in funding at a $9 billion valuation. Perplexity is viewed as a potential competitor to Google as more consumers turn to AI to search for information online.

Last month, Perplexity also made a bid to merge with TikTok U.S. as the social media platform faces a potential U.S. shutdown.

The company sees a potential investing advantage when it comes to startups because roughly 80,000 developers are plugged into its network, so Perplexity gets visibility into who is using its application programming interface (API) and who is most active in their consumption, the person said.

Perplexity’s founders and investors are putting money into the fund, and some of the company’s commitment is in the form of stock, the source said.

— CNBC’s Samantha Subin contributed to this report.

WATCH: Perplexity’s case for U.S. TikTok ownership

Apple shareholders on Tuesday rejected a request to abolish its Inclusion & Diversity program, signaling that investors still see value in the company’s diversity programs.

The proposal, submitted by the National Center for Public Policy Research, was voted down at Apple’s annual shareholder meeting.

The proposal pushed Apple to cease its diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, and it cited CNBC reporting that found companies such as Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft and Zoom were rolling back their diversity programs. It requested that Apple get rid of its program, policies, department and goals, arguing that diversity programs may discriminate and that the compliance risk threatens Apple’s bottom line.

“The risks to Apple stemming from continuing to push these divisive and value-destroying agendas is only increasing in light of President Trump’s recent executive order focusing the Department of Justice on rooting out illegal discrimination being carried out in the name of DEI,” NCPPR Executive Director Stephen Padfield said at the meeting. “The vibe shift is clear. DEI is out, and merit is in.”

Apple opposed the measure, saying it’s already compliant with employment laws and that the proposal inappropriately seeks to micromanage the company’s programs.

“Our strength has always come from hiring the very best people and then providing a culture of collaboration, one where people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives come together to innovate and create something magical for our users,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said.

Despite opposing the measure, Cook did warn that the legal landscape around diversity issues may force Apple to make changes.

Even before President Donald Trump was elected in November, diversity programs have been scaled back across the corporate world. A key driver was a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that found affirmative action in college admissions was unconstitutional.

Companies like Amazon, McDonald’s, Target, Ford, Lowe’s and Walmart have abandoned or scaled back DEI initiatives. When Trump took office last month, one of his first executive orders sought to end federal government DEI programs.

Apple has inclusion programs ranging from internal support groups, features for people with disabilities and research efforts to ensure company products and services don’t display racial bias, according to the company’s website.

Nearly two-thirds of the company’s workforce is male, and 35% is female, according to the company’s website, which cites figures from 2022. The website also states that 42% of employees are white, and 30% are Asian.

Investors also shot down a proposal from the National Legal and Policy Center that focused on its OpenAI partnership. It suggested that Apple’s deal with OpenAI may contradict its focus on privacy, and urged the company to prepare a report about the risks of using private or unlicensed data to train artificial intelligence.

The company opposed the proposal, saying it already provides information about its AI data privacy practices.

Shareholders did approve Apple’s slate for board of directors, its auditor and the company’s executive compensation in an advisory vote.

That included Cook’s annual compensation. He was paid $74.61 million in salary in 2024, stock awards and bonuses, up from $64.21 million in 2023. In documents provided to shareholders, Apple touted that its market cap had risen by over $3 trillion during Cook’s tenure.

At the meeting, Cook talked about a $500 billion earmark for U.S. spending announced on Monday that was hailed by Trump.

“The U.S. is our home, and we’re deeply committed to the country’s future,” he said.

Additionally, Cook said Apple is planning to increase its dividend annually and will update investors in May about the increase this year.

“We’ve also paid out more than $165 billion in dividends, including $15.3 billion in just the last four quarters,” Cook said.

WATCH: Apple to invest $500 billion to play role in powering Apple Intelligence

Shares of Hims & Hers Health fell 28% on Tuesday, a day after the telehealth company released fourth-quarter results that disappointed on gross margin and sparked concerns about the future of its weight loss business.

Hims & Hers reported $481 million in revenue for the quarter, up 95% from $246.6 million during the same period last year. Net income climbed to $26.01 million, or 11 cents per share, from $1.25 million, or 1 cent per share, a year prior. 

But the company’s gross margin, or the profit left after accounting for the cost of goods sold, was 77%, disappointing analysts who were expecting 78.4%, according to StreetAccount.

In the company’s quarterly call with investors on Monday, CFO Yemi Okupe said the scaling of the company’s GLP-1 offering and its strategic pricing options were to blame.

Hims & Hers in May started prescribing compounded semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk‘s GLP-1 weight loss medications Ozempic and Wegovy. Compounded drugs can be produced when brand-name treatments are in shortage, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that the shortage of semaglutide injection products has been resolved.

As a result, Hims & Hers said Monday it will likely stop offering compounded semaglutide on its platform after its first quarter, though some consumers may still be able to access personalized doses if clinically applicable. The GLP-1 offering generated more than $225 million in revenue for the company in 2024.

“We will have to start notifying customers in the coming month or two that they will need to start looking for alternative options on the commercial dosing,” Hims & Hers CEO Andrew Dudum said on the call. 

Going forward, the company said its weight loss offerings will primarily consist of its oral medications and the injectable medication liraglutide, which it plans to introduce on its platform this year.

Analysts at Morgan Stanley said in a note Tuesday the company’s report was “a lot to digest.” They maintained their equal weight rating on the stock and said they were surprised by the magnitude of the company’s 2025 guidance.

Hims & Hers said it expects between $2.3 billion to $2.4 billion in revenue this year. The company added that it expects its weight loss offerings to generate at least $725 million in revenue, excluding contributions from compounded semaglutide.

“We remain positive on the long-term opportunity, highlighting the company’s attractive platform and solid track record that differentiate it relative to digital health and DTC comps,” the Morgan Stanley analysts said.

Bank of America analysts said that while the company might have some success transitioning patients to its other weight loss offerings like its oral medications, it will face a “significant execution risk” as supply of brand-name GLP-1s increases.

Additionally, the analysts said Hims & Hers’ competitors will likely shift marketing dollars back to other products for conditions like erectile dysfunction and hair loss, which could put pressure on its advertising costs. They reiterated their underperform rating on the stock.

“Overall, we do not see upside to 2025 revenue guidance and think the beat and raise story is likely over in the near-term,” the Bank of America analysts wrote in a note Tuesday.

Citi analysts meanwhile said they think Hims & Hers revenue guidance is “aspirational,” as it would require “significant acceleration” in the use of its other weight loss products. They said they are less confident about the success of these offerings.

Even so, the analysts increased their price target on the stock to $27 from $25.

“We await a more compelling entry point and more details on growth ex-GLP-1s before we become more constructive,” they wrote in a Monday note.

–CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed to this report