Anthropic Seeks $100 Billion in Funding with Valuation Soaring to $170 Billion
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On August 21, Bloomberg reported that AI startup Anthropic is close to securing a new funding round of up to $100 billion, doubling its previously reported target of $50 billion, highlighting strong investor confidence in the generative AI sector.
Top Investment Firms Vie for Participation
This funding round is led by investment firm Iconiq Capital, with participation from prominent investors such as TPG, Lightspeed, Spark Capital, and Menlo Ventures. Notably, sovereign funds including Qatar Investment Authority and Singapore's GIC are also in discussions to join, demonstrating global capital's high recognition of AI technology's potential.
It is reported that Anthropic initially sought to raise up to $50 billion at a $170 billion valuation, but strong investor interest has pushed the company to significantly increase its funding target to $100 billion. The negotiations for this round are still ongoing, and the final amount may change.
Technological Leadership Drives Valuation Surge
Anthropic's substantial valuation increase stems primarily from its technological leadership in the generative AI field. The company's Claude series of large language models has gained widespread industry recognition, particularly for breakthroughs in intelligent agent systems, earning investor favor. Claude, alongside Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT, is one of the three AI services approved for use by U.S. government agencies.
According to data disclosed to some investors, Anthropic's annualized revenue grew fourfold in the first half of this year, exceeding $40 billion. This growth momentum indicates that despite the industry still being in a phase of heavy investment, leading AI companies are demonstrating strong commercialization capabilities.
Intensifying Arms Race Among AI Giants
This funding round will provide ample financial support for Anthropic's fierce competition with OpenAI and Elon Musk's xAI. This year, these AI companies have each raised tens of billions of dollars to invest in data center infrastructure and recruit top talent to develop next-generation AI models.
Anthropic was founded in 2021 by former OpenAI employees, positioning itself as a reliable and safety-focused AI company. Earlier this year, the company achieved a $61.5 billion valuation in a $3.5 billion funding round led by Lightspeed. Upon completion of this new round, its valuation will nearly triple, further solidifying its leading position among global AI developers.
The significant increase in funding reflects the investment market's optimistic outlook on the commercialization prospects of generative AI technology, while also signaling that competition in the AI field will become even more intense.