Google is preparing to table an offer for HubSpot, an online marketing software developer.
Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), the search engine's parent company, has reportedly spoken and met with advisors at Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) over a deal, with the tech giant considering bidding around £25 billion (US$32 billion).
Shares in HubSpot jumped close to 7% on the reports, with its market capitalisation currently sitting at upwards of US$33.7 billion.
Google will have to jump over several regulatory hurdles if it wishes to make the deal a reality, with it facing several antitrust lawsuits already including one accusing it of abusing its dominance as a search engine.
Earlier today, reports revealed Google was exploring the possibility of introducing a subscription-based model for accessing premium artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content, marking a potential shift from its traditionally free services.
Google might integrate advanced AI search features into its premium services, including the newly introduced AI assistant, Gemini, the Financial Times said.
This move could place select AI-powered functionalities behind a paywall, a first for Google's content.