Amazon (AMZN) backed artificial intelligence startup Anthropic has seen its valuation surge to $61.5 billion following a recent funding round. The company successfully raised $3.5 billion, surpassing its initial target of $2 billion. This rapid increase in valuation is attributed to the soaring demand for AI models and agents, which has tripled Anthropic’s valuation in a short period.
Anthropic’s business growth has been impressive, with revenue reaching $1 billion last year. Reports indicate that the company’s revenue has grown by 30% so far this year. Founded in 2021 by former OpenAI research executives, Anthropic focuses on developing “safer” AI models. Its latest AI agents are designed to assist users in performing complex tasks such as entering text, navigating the internet, and interacting with software based on browsing history.
The Series E funding round was spearheaded by Lightspeed Venture Partners, which contributed $1 billion. Other notable investors include Salesforce Ventures, Fidelity Management & Research, General Catalyst, and Jane Street. Anthropic plans to use the funds to develop more advanced AI systems, expand its computing infrastructure, and support research initiatives. Additionally, the company aims to grow its presence in Asia and Europe.
Anthropic’s valuation now places it among the top AI startups globally, rivaling OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, which is currently valued at over $300 billion. Anthropic is known for its Claude family of generative AI models, primarily targeting enterprise clients to enhance sales, marketing, and customer relations.
Amazon announced an additional $4 billion investment in Anthropic in November 2024, bringing its total investment to $8 billion. Amazon Web Services (AWS) serves as the exclusive cloud provider for Anthropic’s Claude models, and the company utilizes AWS’ Trainium chips to train its large language models (LLMs). Amazon has also integrated Claude into its Alexa voice devices, including the recently launched Alexa+. Earlier this year, Alphabet (GOOGL) invested $1 billion in Anthropic.
— news from TipRanks