Anthropic has initiated the process for an initial public offering (IPO), aiming to secure a position as a leading player in the artificial intelligence sector against its rival OpenAI. The company filed its paperwork on June 1, 2026, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which will keep the details under wraps during its review. This move comes sooner than anticipated, as both firms were expected to launch their IPOs in the fall.
Recently valued at $965 billion following a $65 billion funding round, Anthropic is looking to capitalize on the high demand for AI technologies. If it achieves a market debut at a valuation of $1 trillion, it would rank among the world's most valuable companies and potentially become the second or third largest IPO in history, following SpaceX and Saudi Aramco.
The urgency to outperform OpenAI is seen as crucial, especially as both companies are vying for substantial capital to support their expansion efforts in AI infrastructure. Investors and their partners are already pursuing trillions in funding to develop the necessary data centers. The anticipation surrounding Anthropic's IPO reflects a broader revival in the IPO market, previously dormant, reminiscent of the public offerings of Uber and Lyft in 2019, where timing played a significant role in performance.