AI startup Anthropic is raising $2B in new funding at $60 billion valuation

AI startup Anthropic, known for its AI assistant Claude, is reportedly in discussions to secure $2 billion in funding. If successful, this round would push the company’s valuation to an impressive $60 billion, positioning it as a major contender in the AI space.

According to The Wall Street Journal, insiders say the round is being led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with additional support from investors including Google, Menlo Ventures, Wisdom Ventures, Ripple Impact Investments, and Factorial Funds.

“Anthropic is in advanced talks to raise $2 billion in a deal that would value it at $60 billion, more than triple its valuation from a year ago. The funding round is being led by the venture firm Lightspeed Venture Partners, people familiar with the matter said. The $60 billion valuation includes the money Anthropic plans to raise in the round,” The Journal reported.

This development follows a $4 billion investment from Amazon just two months ago, bringing the tech giant’s total commitment to Anthropic to $8 billion. The previous investment, made in November, came through a convertible note.

Anthropic’s move comes as competition in the AI space heats up. Just months ago, OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, raised $6.6 billion at a staggering valuation of $157 billion. More recently, Elon Musk’s xAI secured $6 billion from heavyweights like BlackRock, Fidelity, and Sequoia Capital, landing a $40 billion valuation.

Insiders estimate Anthropic’s annualized revenue—projected from recent sales—has climbed to $875 million, highlighting the company’s rapid growth.

Should this round close, Anthropic would rank as the fifth-most valuable startup in the U.S., behind SpaceX, OpenAI, Stripe, and Databricks, according to CB Insights. The company had previously been valued at $18 billion during a funding round led by Menlo Ventures last year.

Based in San Francisco, Anthropic has gained recognition for its advancements in generative AI, emerging as a strong competitor to industry leaders like OpenAI. Its flagship chatbot, Claude, has been gaining momentum, demonstrating impressive capabilities across various use cases.

In an op-ed published by The Wall Street Journal on Monday, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei highlighted the strategic implications of AI development, stating, “The nations that are first to build powerful AI systems will gain a strategic advantage over its development,” while urging U.S. officials to ensure leadership in the field.

Despite soaring valuations, profitability remains a challenge for many AI companies. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently acknowledged on X that his company is still losing money, underscoring the financial hurdles AI startups face as they scale.

The rapid growth in generative AI, driven by platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, has catapulted Anthropic into the spotlight. With support from major investors and leadership comprising seasoned AI experts, the company is well-positioned to influence the future of AI innovation.

Anthropic was founded in 2021 by former OpenAI executives Dario Amodei (CEO), Daniela Amodei, Jack Clark, Sam McCandlish, and Tom Brown. Driven by the transformative potential of generative AI, Dario, and Daniela Amodei set out to create “large-scale AI systems that are steerable, interpretable, and robust.” Before launching Anthropic, Daniela Amodei served as OpenAI’s vice president of safety and policy.