Anthropic, the AI startup behind the Claude chatbot, is reportedly gearing up for one of the biggest initial public offerings in years, potentially as soon as next year, according to the Financial Times.
The company has enlisted the law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati to advise on the IPO, a firm with a track record advising major tech IPOs for names like Google, LinkedIn, and Lyft, the FT cited two people familiar with the matter.
Led by CEO Dario Amodei, Anthropic is also pursuing private funding that could push its valuation above $300 billion, with a combined $15 billion commitment from Microsoft and Nvidia reportedly part of the discussion. The FT notes that talks with large investment banks about an IPO are in a preliminary, informal stage.
Should the plans move forward, Anthropic would enter a crowded race to the public markets with OpenAI, which is also reportedly laying groundwork for a listing. The possible offerings would test investors’ appetite for AI-focused startups that are still unprofitable amid broader worries of an AI market bubble.
Anthropic declined to confirm timing or even whether a public listing is in the cards. A spokesperson told the FT that it’s common for companies of the startup’s size and revenue to operate as if they are already publicly traded, but no final decisions have been made. CNBC was unable to reach Anthropic or Wilson Sonsini for comment.
According to FT sources, Anthropic has been quietly preparing for a potential listing, though specifics weren’t disclosed. The report comes as the company has seen notable leadership and strategic shifts, including the recruitment of former Airbnb executive Krishna Rao, who played a pivotal role in Airbnb’s IPO in 2020.
Recent reporting has also highlighted a recent high-end funding round that, if completed, would value the company around $350 billion after injections of up to $5 billion from Microsoft and $10 billion from Nvidia.
In its bid to outpace OpenAI, Anthropic has been expanding rapidly, including a major $50 billion initiative to build out AI infrastructure with new data centers in Texas and New York and a tripling of its international staff.
Investors cited by the FT are reportedly optimistic about the IPO’s potential to shift momentum away from OpenAI. However, OpenAI’s leadership has suggested no immediate plan for a public listing, even as the company recently closed a sizable share sale at a substantial valuation.
