The artificial intelligence startup Anthropic, OpenAI's direct competitor, has hired Wilson Sonsini to prepare its IPO, reports the Financial Times. This move marks a decisive step in its listing strategy, which could occur as soon as 2026. The California-based company, which develops the Claude chatbot, is also said to be in discussions with several major banks, the FT adds. These talks remain informal at this stage, signaling that the appointment of banks to lead the IPO is not yet on the agenda.
Guess who will have the biggest... fundraising?
Behind this push lies a twofold objective: to outrun OpenAI in the markets and to capitalize on the high level of interest from investors in artificial intelligence. According to sources cited by the Financial Times, Anthropic is currently seeking to raise funds at a valuation of between $300bn and $350bn. In October, OpenAI was worth $500bn. Despite substantial losses and enormous research costs, both companies are counting on an IPO to reinforce their positions and fund their accelerated development.
Anthropic, founded in San Francisco and led by Dario Amodei, has already positioned itself for this transition. Last year, it recruited Krishna Rao, a former Airbnb executive involved in its IPO, as chief financial officer. Wilson Sonsini, which has advised the startup since 2022, has already steered IPOs for Google, LinkedIn, and Lyft. In response to the rumor, an Anthropic spokesman gave the usual noncommittal reply: it is normal for companies of this size to consider an IPO, but no definitive decision has been made. In other words, the IPO project is seriously being considered.
