Anthropic Files for IPO and Becomes the World's Most Valuable Startup

Anthropic officially filed its IPO application with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, reaching a critical milestone on its path to becoming a public company. After months of speculation about which would go public first — OpenAI or Anthropic — the AI market leader took its first crucial step.

Record

Valuation Among Startups Following last week's financing round, Anthropic is valued at $965 billion — making it the most valuable startup in the history of technology and innovation. The valuation exceeds its primary competitor OpenAI, which is valued at $852 billion. The $113 billion difference demonstrates just how competitive and investment-saturated the AI company market has become, with two firms accounting for a large portion of the sector's total value.

Such enormous valuations reflect a radical reassessment by investors of the scale of artificial intelligence's market potential. Over the past year, AI has traveled from a niche research field to a sector capable of redefining every aspect of the economy and society's life. Investors, venture funds, and strategic shareholders are willing to pay vast sums for companies that control critically important technologies capable of reshaping the industry's future.

Confidential

Filing Strategy Anthropic chose an unconventional but increasingly popular path — filing a confidential draft statement (confidential draft S-1) instead of a standard immediate public registration form. This approach allows the company to initiate the IPO process while simultaneously maintaining certain privacy and control over the narrative during the early, critical stages. Confidential filing offers several strategic advantages that large technology companies frequently utilize: Simplifies preliminary SEC review without maximum public scrutiny and media pressure Reduces public attention and market speculation during the initial and most vulnerable stages of the process Enables the company to adjust financial materials and business descriptions before full public disclosure Reduces overall IPO preparation time and decreases the intensity of pressure from analysts and the press * Gives the company greater flexibility and control when interacting with regulators, investment banks, and potential investors Such an approach is becoming increasingly common among large technology startups that want to maximize control over the public narrative and investor perception of their IPO.

The

Race Between Two AI Leaders to Listing In recent months, the technology industry has closely watched to see which of the two AI leaders would go public first. This news shows that Anthropic has surged ahead of OpenAI by several critical steps in the complex IPO process. Both companies are clearly and thoroughly prepared for massive IPOs that will reshape the entire landscape of public investment in the artificial intelligence sector.

For the financial and technology markets, this is a landmark, turning point in the industry's history. Two companies that substantially define the pace and direction of AI development on a global scale are preparing to enter public capital markets. This means that AI investment is transitioning before the world's eyes from a stage of closed venture capital financing, controlled by a handful of specialized funds, to a stage of public capital accessible to millions of retail and institutional investors.

What

This Means for the AI Industry Anthropic's entry into the market (and shortly, no doubt, OpenAI's) signals that the entire AI industry is entering a new phase of maturity, institutionalization, and mass scaling. It shows that investors and public markets are ready to perceive AI not as a speculative and temporary technological trend, but as a full-fledged, long-term, and scalable industrial sector comparable to energy or telecommunications. In the coming months and years, expect a wave of AI company IPOs, consolidation, mega-mergers, and a redefinition of market power. This could fundamentally change how artificial intelligence is financed, managed, regulated, and developed worldwide.