Anthropic plans $1.3 trillion IPO on Nasdaq amid AI risk concerns

Anthropic, the artificial‑intelligence firm behind the Claude chatbot, is set to float on New York’s Nasdaq on 19 November, with a potential valuation of up to $1.3 trillion. The company will sell shares priced between $70 and $78, aiming to raise as much as $64 billion. The valuation sits below the $2 trillion ceiling some backers had projected earlier in the year, but still places Anthropic among the most valuable tech companies ever.

The listing comes at a time of heightened uncertainty for high‑growth technology. After last week’s U.S. midterm elections, the Nasdaq slumped as investors worried that a Democrat‑led Congress could slow AI development and the expansion of data centres. The market also grapples with concerns over the billions of dollars being poured into AI, questioning whether the return on investment will materialise. Despite these worries, Anthropic issued a warning last month that advanced AI could pose “catastrophic or existential risks” to humanity, adding a layer of caution to the hype.

Financially, the company posted a sharp rise in revenue, jumping to $16.2 billion for the six months to the end of June from $1.1 billion a year earlier. However, the pre‑tax loss ballooned to $80.7 billion, up from $12.9 billion. Senior market analyst Fiona Cincotta at City Index described the $64 billion target as “fairly bullish” amid the current volatility. She said Anthropic remains optimistic about AI demand, suggesting that investors expect the technology to keep growing. The IPO will make Anthropic the first fully AI‑focused company to go public, setting a precedent for future tech listings. Its valuation, while lower than SpaceX’s $1.8 trillion market cap, still signals strong confidence in the AI sector.

If the debut proceeds as planned, the $64 billion raised will fund Anthropic’s expansion and further development of Claude and other AI agents. The listing will also test how regulators and investors respond to a company that openly acknowledges the potential risks of AI. As the tech world watches the first AI‑centric IPO, the outcome could influence future funding, policy discussions, and the pace of AI innovation worldwide.