Anthropic Backers Sit on Billions Ahead of Expected Market Debut
Valuations for investors in the AI company have ballooned as its private market value nears $1 trillion ahead of a planned public offering.
By Jian Chen ·
Anthropic is preparing for a public listing this year that could value the artificial intelligence lab at as much as $2 trillion. Before that event, the company’s private market valuation has already reached $965 billion, a figure that has turned early and late-stage backers into holders of multi-billion-dollar stakes.
The financial details of several investors illustrate the scale of the potential returns. Eric Schmidt, the former Google CEO, first put money into Anthropic during its Series A round in 2021, when the startup’s valuation stood at $461 million, according to PitchBook data. He now holds roughly 1% of the company, and Bloomberg reports his stake is valued at nearly $10 billion at its current private valuation.
Some of the largest positions were established more recently. Iconiq, an investment firm, committed $6 billion to Anthropic last year when the company was valued at $183 billion. That investment is now worth $17 billion. Menlo Ventures, which led Anthropic’s Series D and has invested over $1 billion over time, holds a stake valued at $14 billion.
Other firms saw their positions grow from smaller beginnings. Spark Capital invested $75 million in Anthropic’s Series C round in 2023, when the company was valued at $5 billion. That investment is now valued at $7 billion, a growth of more than ninetyfold. The firm is the only venture capital company known to hold a board seat at Anthropic.
Sound Ventures, a firm launched by Guy Oseary and actor Ashton Kutcher, also participated in the 2023 Series C round with a $35 million investment. The firm has since invested an additional $400 million, resulting in a stake now worth billions. Kutcher left Sound Ventures this year to launch a new venture capital firm.
Sequoia Capital, a prominent venture firm, entered its position in the AI lab earlier this year, when its valuation had already reached $380 billion. The firm’s $3 billion investment secured approximately 1% ownership of the company, and that investment has more than doubled in value.
The stakes for these investors are tied to the company’s path toward a public listing. The potential for significant financial gains is a direct result of Anthropic’s rapid increase in value, which has grown from a startup valued in the hundreds of millions to a private company nearing a $1 trillion valuation in just a few years.
Source: TechCrunch
