Anthropic, the startup behind the Claude chatbot, is reportedly considering a landmark IPO and could be among the biggest ever, potentially launching as soon as next year, according to the Financial Times.
To prepare for a possible public listing, Anthropic has enlisted the law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, which has experience guiding major tech IPOs for companies like Google, LinkedIn, and Lyft, FT noted, citing two people familiar with the matter.
The company, led by CEO Dario Amodei, has also been pursuing a private funding round that could push its valuation above $300 billion, including a combined $15 billion backing from Microsoft and Nvidia, the report said.
The FT article also indicated that Anthropic has discussed an IPO with large investment banks, though the discussions were described as early and informal.
If accurate, the development would place Anthropic in a race to go public alongside rival OpenAI, which is also purportedly laying groundwork for a listing. Such offerings would test investors’ appetite for loss-making AI startups amid growing concerns about an AI market bubble.
Anthropic responded to the FT, saying that operating at the scale and revenue level typically involves practices similar to being a public company, but that no decisions have been made about timing or going public.
CNBC did not reach Anthropic or Wilson Sonsini for comment. One FT source suggested the firm has been internally prepping for a potential listing, though specifics were not provided.
The FT piece comes after notable moves at Anthropic, including hiring Krishna Rao, a former Airbnb executive who helped lead Airbnb’s 2020 IPO.
Earlier reports also pegged Anthropic’s valuation in the $350 billion range after Microsoft invested up to $5 billion and Nvidia up to $10 billion.
In its bid to surge past OpenAI, Anthropic has been expanding rapidly, recently announcing a $50 billion plan to build AI infrastructure with data centers in Texas and New York and tripling its international workforce.
Investors cited by the FT appear optimistic about a potential Anthropic IPO, suggesting it could seize the initiative from OpenAI.
OpenAI, meanwhile, has faced questions about a near-term IPO, even as it closed a $6.6 billion share sale at a valuation around $500 billion in October.
