Anthropic prepares for 2026 IPO as AI rivalry intensifies: Report

Google and Amazon-backed AI startup Anthropic is reportedly preparing for an initial public offering in 2026, according to the Financial Times. The company has tapped Silicon Valley law firm Wilson Sonsini to begin laying the groundwork for the listing.

Talks around the IPO are still in the early, informal stages, the report said. Anthropic is also in discussions to raise a fresh private funding round that could value the company at more than $300 billion.

Anthropic is locked in a high-stakes race with Microsoft-backed OpenAI, Google’s Gemini unit, and fast-rising AI startup Perplexity. The competition is intensifying as OpenAI itself prepares for what could become one of the largest IPOs in history, with expectations of a valuation approaching $1 trillion. Reuters reported that OpenAI may file with U.S. securities regulators in the early second half of 2026.

Anthropic co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei, who visited India earlier this year, said the company plans to open its first India office in 2026. The new hub will be located in Bengaluru, he said. India—home to nearly a billion internet users—has rapidly become a critical battleground for global AI companies expanding their footprint.