AI Startup Anthropic Nears $3.5 Billion Funding Round

Anthropic, a leading AI startup, is on the verge of securing $3.5 billion in a fresh funding round that could push its valuation to $61.5 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The company, known for developing the Claude chatbot, is reportedly attracting investments from major venture capital firms, including Lightspeed Venture Partners, General Catalyst, and Bessemer Venture Partners.

This funding round surpasses the $2 billion target Anthropic was previously reported to be seeking last month. The surge in investor interest highlights the growing appeal of AI-driven enterprises, with nearly half of all U.S. venture funding in 2023 flowing into artificial intelligence startups.

The strong financial backing also emphasizes the dominance of U.S. AI firms, even as Chinese alternatives like DeepSeek emerge with cost-efficient models that have caught the attention of some investors.

Meanwhile, OpenAI—the company behind ChatGPT—is also in discussions for a substantial funding round that could elevate its valuation to as much as $300 billion, as reported by Reuters.

Anthropic, co-founded by former OpenAI executives Dario and Daniela Amodei, had previously achieved a valuation of around $18 billion following a funding round led by Menlo Ventures last year.

In addition to its fundraising efforts, the company recently introduced Claude 3.7 Sonnet, an advanced AI model designed to enhance response speed and improve step-by-step reasoning. This move aims to strengthen Anthropic’s position in the competitive generative AI landscape.

The funding round was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, while Anthropic has yet to comment on the ongoing investment discussions.