Search engine startup Perplexity AI has reportedly revised its plans to merge with TikTok. Under the new proposal — submitted to TikTok owner ByteDance — the U.S. government would own up to half of the combined company upon a future initial public offering (IPO), Reuters reported Sunday (Jan. 26), citing a source familiar with the matter. This source said a Perplexity document shared with ByteDance and new investors floated the creation of a new American holding company dubbed “NewCo.”

Remember the days when brands could only dream of reaching customers beyond their local storefronts? That limitation now feels as outdated as a landline. “You have to solve for what the customer needs to be successful,” Sandie Hawkins, newly appointed president at Teikametrics, told PYMNTS Karen Webster. This philosophy has driven her transition from leading TikTok’s U.S. eCommerce division to helming a software platform that empowers brands to thrive across multiple marketplaces. In today’s digital age, brands are no longer confined to traditional retail spaces. Marketplaces like Amazon and emerging social commerce platforms have opened up unprecedented opportunities for brands to connect with customers they might never have reached otherwise