Anthropic reportedly fielded VC offers valuing it as high as $800B, dwarfing its February price

Valuation frenzy

It has been reported that Anthropic has fielded multiple offers from venture capitalists valuing the AI startup behind Claude at as much as $800 billion in recent weeks. Buzzy startups often see preemptive bids like this — investors trying to catch lightning in a bottle. Still, the numbers are eye-popping: Anthropic closed a funding round in February that valued the company at $380 billion, and Caplight lists a secondary-market price around $688 billion. A spokesperson for Anthropic declined to comment.

Growth and momentum

The appetite for a piece of Anthropic is easy to understand. The company announced run-rate revenue of roughly $30 billion — up from $9 billion at the end of last year — and said more than 1,000 corporate customers are each spending over $1 million a year. Investors and founders are openly impressed. “They're crushing it,” said Jared Quincy Davis. Is this the AI gold rush all over again? It feels like it.

Mythos, risk and the IPO question

Anthropic also rolled out a new model, Mythos, which the company said is powerful enough that it can't yet be released broadly because of cyberattack risks. Tomasz Tunguz called Mythos “a huge deal,” and excitement is palpable. Allegedly, that technical leap helps explain why some VCs are floating such stratospheric valuations — and why an IPO later this year is suddenly more than a rumor.

The takeaway

Valuations are surging, but so are expectations — and scrutiny. When investors start trading private stakes at prices that make headlines, volatility follows. Will Anthropic live up to the hype? For now, the market is betting heavily that it will.

Sources: businessinsider.com