Anthropic, a prominent American artificial intelligence company, has officially filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States, positioning itself ahead of its rival OpenAI in a closely monitored race to enter the public stock markets.
The creators of the Claude chatbot made the announcement on Monday, revealing that they had submitted a confidential filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed IPO of their common stock. This move will serve as an early test to gauge investor interest in artificial intelligence, a sector that has seen high private valuations and discussions of potential trillion-dollar listings.
Based in California, Anthropic did not disclose the specific size or terms of the offering. The company previously raised $65 billion US in late May, achieving a post-money valuation of $965 billion US, surpassing its competitor OpenAI.
This IPO launch is expected to have significant implications on stock market debuts, potentially reshaping benchmark indexes, investor flows, and the overall narrative driving U.S. equities. Reuters had reported in May that OpenAI was also gearing up to confidentially file for a U.S. IPO in the near future.
Anthropic’s decision to file after SpaceX’s mega-IPO will allow the company to benefit from the current investor enthusiasm for AI and growth stocks while market conditions remain favorable, according to Kat Liu, a vice president at IPO research firm IPOX. The company’s valuation goals are perceived to be more conservative compared to SpaceX.
OpenAI and Anthropic have emerged as key players in the AI industry, influencing corporate strategies and sparking competition for resources and talent. The timing of the IPOs for both companies is under scrutiny, with analysts closely observing market dynamics and investor reactions.
Amid a flurry of upcoming listings, including those from SpaceX and other AI giants, companies are vying for a limited pool of investor capital. Analysts suggest that both OpenAI and Anthropic are racing to go public before the capital market saturates.
With the IPO market gaining momentum, companies have raised a substantial $87.5 billion US through May 26, marking the highest global year-to-date total since 2021. Notable U.S. IPOs, such as Honeywell-backed quantum computing firm Quantinuum and Blackstone-backed Liftoff, are also poised to debut in the upcoming weeks.