American AI company Anthropic announced on Monday that it has submitted a confidential filing for a U.S. IPO, positioning itself ahead of rival OpenAI in the race to go public. The creators of the Claude chatbot did not provide extensive details in the announcement but revealed their submission to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed IPO of their common stock.
The move initiates an early examination of investor interest in AI, a sector known for high private valuations and discussions of potential trillion-dollar listings, as well as which company will establish the valuation standard for the rapidly expanding industry. Anthropic, based in California, did not disclose the specifics of the offering, including size or terms. In late May, the company secured $65 billion in funding, valuing it at $965 billion post-money, surpassing OpenAI.
The potential IPO is anticipated to be a significant stock market debut, with the potential to influence benchmark indexes, investor sentiment, and the broader U.S. equities narrative. Reuters previously reported that OpenAI was also preparing to confidentially file for a U.S. IPO in the near future.
Following SpaceX’s substantial IPO plans, which aim for a $75 billion offering at a $1.75 trillion valuation, the IPO market is experiencing heightened activity. Confidential filings allow companies to progress with IPO preparations while safeguarding sensitive financial information from competitors and the public.
Analysts suggest that the race to go public between OpenAI and Anthropic is driven by the finite pool of investor capital available in the market. As these companies pursue IPOs, they compete for attention and funding from potential investors. With a valuation potentially nearing $1 trillion, Anthropic could join the ranks of elite S&P 500 companies, further highlighting the market’s current momentum in IPO activity.
The IPO market has seen a resurgence in recent weeks, with companies raising a total of $87.5 billion globally by May 26, the highest year-to-date figure since 2021. Additionally, several substantial U.S. IPOs are slated to launch this week, including Quantum computing firm Quantinuum, Liftoff backed by Blackstone, and Innio, a gas engine manufacturer.