Anthropic Begins 2026 IPO Preparations
Anthropic has begun serious preparations for an IPO (Initial Public Offering) in 2026. The company has hired law firm Wilson Sonsini to prepare for the listing.
Phenomenal Growth
Anthropic’s growth speed is remarkable:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Current Valuation | $183 billion |
| Series F Raised | $13 billion |
| Revenue Growth | $1B → $5B+ in 8 months |
| 2026 Revenue Target | $26 billion |
Funding History
Anthropic completed massive funding rounds in 2025:
- Series E (March 2025): $3.5 billion (led by Lightspeed Venture Partners), $61.5B valuation
- Series F (September 2025): $13 billion, $183B valuation
Key investors:
- Google ($2B in 2023, additional $1B+ in early 2025)
- NVIDIA (2025, amount undisclosed)
- Microsoft ($5B strategic partnership)
IPO Race with OpenAI
2026 is expected to see a rush of AI company IPOs:
| Company | Valuation | IPO Outlook |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | Private | Preparing for 2026 |
| Anthropic | $183 billion | Preparing for 2026 |
| SpaceX | $350 billion+ | Considering 2026 |
University of Florida IPO expert Professor Jay Ritter noted that “OpenAI or SpaceX could raise more than $20 billion.”
Market Impact
If Anthropic and OpenAI go public, investors will be able to purchase “pure-play AI stocks” for the first time. Until now, AI investment has been indirect, through related companies like NVIDIA and Microsoft.
Expert perspective:
If the IPOs go well, that will certainly encourage more investment in AI by private companies and by large public companies that are maybe not AI-specific companies
Anthropic’s Competitive Advantages
Heading into the IPO, Anthropic highlights the following strengths:
- Safety Focus - Leader in AI safety research
- Rapid Revenue Growth - Clear monetization model
- Enterprise Deployment - Partnerships with Accenture, Salesforce
- Infrastructure Investment - $50 billion U.S. data center plan