Anthropic eyes October IPO as AI race with OpenAI intensifies: Report

Anthropic, the maker of the Claude chatbot, is weighing an initial public offering (IPO) as soon as October, according to a Bloomberg News report, as the artificial intelligence firm looks to stay ahead in a heated race with rival OpenAI.

The San Francisco-based startup has held early-stage discussions with major Wall Street banks about leading roles in a potential listing, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. The deliberations remain preliminary, and no final decision has been taken.

Top investment banks including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley are expected to be in contention for key underwriting roles, the report said.

The proposed listing could value Anthropic at more than $60 billion, according to earlier reporting by The Information, underscoring the surging investor appetite for artificial intelligence firms.

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Anthropic was last valued at about $380 billion following a $30 billion funding round co-led by MGX that closed in February, highlighting the scale of capital flowing into next-generation AI developers.

The company has forged partnerships with technology heavyweights including Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft and Nvidia. These alliances include equity investments as well as access to specialised chips and infrastructure, with deals running into tens of billions of dollars.

Founded in 2021 by former OpenAI researchers, including chief executive Dario Amodei, Anthropic has positioned itself as a developer of “safer” AI systems. Its Claude chatbot and underlying models have gained traction among enterprise clients in sectors such as finance and healthcare, alongside growing adoption among developers.

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The company has also outlined aggressive expansion plans, including a pledge to invest $50 billion in building custom data centres across the United States to support its AI ambitions.

However, Anthropic has faced regulatory headwinds. Earlier this year, the US Department of Defense flagged the firm as a potential threat to the US supply chain under a rarely used authority. The company challenged the move in court and secured an order on Thursday blocking restrictions on government use of its technology, arguing that the ban could have cost billions in lost revenue.

The potential listing comes amid a broader rush among AI firms to tap public markets, with investors betting that generative AI will underpin the next wave of technological and economic growth.