Anthropic Aims for Largest-Ever IPO

Anthropic expects its initial public offering to reach a record high, equaling or surpassing the one set by SpaceX, Bloomberg reported Thursday (Aug. 20), citing unnamed sources.

SpaceX achieved the biggest-ever first-time sale when it raised $75 billion at the outset, and it later increased that figure to $86.2 billion with an overallotment option, according to the report.

Anthropic is currently running the numbers and expects to file publicly for its IPO as soon as the end of August, the report said.

Discussions are ongoing, and the size of the IPO and other details could change, per the report.

Anthropic did not immediately reply to PYMNTS’ request for comment.

Anthropic said June 1 that it had confidentially filed for an IPO by submitting a draft registration statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

“This gives us the option to go public after the SEC completes its review,” the company said in its announcement. “The proposed initial public offering will depend on market conditions and other factors.”

Anthropic became the world’s most valuable AI startup in May when it raised $65 billion in a Series H funding round and secured a $965 billion post-money valuation. Before that, the company raised $30 billion in a February Series G round at a $380 billion valuation.

It was reported Aug. 14 that Anthropic told would-be investors that its revenues for the second quarter increased more than 14-fold since the same period in 2025. The company reported a preliminary revenue figure of more than $11.5 billion for its most recently completed quarter, compared to $787 million during the same quarter last year.

On Thursday, it was reported that California-based startups have taken in around $366 billion in venture capital this year and that Anthropic and OpenAI account for half that total. This figure is almost double California’s previous record, set last year, and is more than three times the amount of venture capital that has funneled into the other 49 states this year put together.

According to the Thursday report by Bloomberg, the Anthropic IPO could help make 2026 a record year for U.S. IPO volume. The current record, set in 2021, is $195.2 billion. This year’s total as of Aug. 19 is $160.6 billion.