Anthropic explores funding round that could top $900 billion valuation

Anthropic PBC has begun evaluating a potential new funding round that could value the artificial intelligence company at more than $900 billion, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter, a move that could see it overtake rival OpenAI as the world’s most valuable AI startup.

The Claude maker is considering investor proposals that could more than double its current valuation, the report said, citing sources who requested anonymity as the discussions are private. The talks remain at a very early stage, and the company has not accepted any offers so far, according to Bloomberg.

Anthropic had earlier declined several inbound funding proposals that would have valued it at $800 billion or more, Bloomberg News previously reported.

The latest discussions, which had not been reported earlier, come as Anthropic steps up efforts to raise capital following strong demand for its AI products. The company is also weighing an initial public offering as soon as October and is seeking additional infrastructure to support growing usage, Bloomberg reported.

Acoording to Bloomberg, Anthropic declined to comment on the developments.

Google has recently committed $10 billion to Anthropic at a $350 billion valuation, matching its February funding round, Bloomberg said. The Alphabet-owned firm may invest up to another $30 billion if certain performance targets are met.

Amazon is also investing $5 billion at the same valuation, with plans to deploy up to $20 billion more over time. It remains unclear whether either company will participate in the potential new round, the report added.

Founded in 2021 by former OpenAI employees, Anthropic has emerged as a key player in the AI sector, developing tools aimed at reshaping how businesses handle tasks such as coding and cybersecurity.

Earlier this month, the company introduced a new model, Mythos, designed to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in critical software systems. Due to safety concerns, access has been restricted to a small group of organisations, though Bloomberg reported that some unauthorised users have managed to access it.

As Anthropic gains traction, it is increasing competitive pressure on OpenAI, which is also expected to pursue a public listing this year. The ChatGPT maker has reportedly missed some revenue and user growth targets amid rising competition from Anthropic and Google, Bloomberg said.

OpenAI has since moved to streamline its product portfolio, focusing more on AI agents and a new model. It was last valued at $852 billion in a funding round completed in March, according to Bloomberg