Anthropic Investors Sit on Billions Ahead of Planned IPO
A potential public listing valued as high as $2 trillion would pay off for backers who already hold multi-billion-dollar positions at current private pricing.
By Thomas Reynolds ·
Anthropic is preparing a public listing that is expected this year, and the company could be valued at up to $2 trillion. That kind of deal would mean major payouts for its backers, both those who wrote early checks and those who joined later rounds. Before any of that happens, the stakes are already large. At Anthropic's most recent private market valuation of $965 billion, some of its investors are already sitting on positions worth billions of dollars, according to Bloomberg.
The numbers behind those positions tell the story. Eric Schmidt, the former Google CEO, put money into Anthropic's Series A back in 2021, when the startup was valued at $461 million, according to PitchBook data. He now holds roughly 1% of the company, a stake worth nearly $10 billion at the current private valuation. Iconiq wrote a $6 billion check last year, when the company was already valued at $183 billion, and that late-stage bet is now worth $17 billion, with the potential to double at the IPO. Menlo Ventures has invested more than $1 billion in total over time and led Anthropic's Series D; its stake is valued at $14 billion.
Other firms have seen large gains as well. Sequoia first backed Anthropic earlier this year at a $380 billion valuation, putting in $3 billion for about 1% ownership, which means it has already more than doubled that investment. Sound Ventures, launched by Guy Oseary and actor Ashton Kutcher, contributed $35 million during Anthropic's 2023 Series C round and has since added another $400 million, leaving it with a stake now worth billions. Kutcher departed Sound Ventures this year to start a new VC firm. Spark Capital, the only venture firm known to hold a board seat at Anthropic, invested $75 million in that same 2023 Series C, when the company was valued at $5 billion; that position has grown more than ninetyfold to $7 billion.
The stakes for New England readers and the broader tech sector are straightforward. Anthropic's valuation has climbed from hundreds of millions to close to a trillion in just a few years, and its backers are positioned for substantial returns if the listing moves forward at projected levels. The company's public debut, if it happens this year, would mark a significant moment for investors who entered at very different prices and are now watching those positions reach into the billions.
Source: TechCrunch
