Anthropic Backers Sit on Billions as Valuation Nears $1 Trillion
Private market valuations have already inflated stakes for several venture firms ahead of the AI lab's anticipated public listing.
By Yasmin Farouk ·
Several prominent backers of the AI company Anthropic are already holding stakes worth billions of dollars, according to Bloomberg data on the firm's most recent private funding round. This valuation stands at $965 billion, placing the company on the threshold of trillion-dollar status. The figures underscore the massive wealth accumulation for investors who entered the capitalization table at various stages of the company's growth.
The financial data arrives ahead of an initial public offering expected later this year. Reports indicate the listing could value Anthropic at as much as $2 trillion. Consequently, the current private valuations held by venture capital firms and early individual investors represent a snapshot of potential returns that may increase significantly once the company begins trading publicly.
Eric Schmidt, the former Google CEO, is among those who have benefited from early involvement. PitchBook data indicates he invested during the 2021 Series A round when the company was valued at $461 million. Schmidt currently holds approximately 1% of the company. At the latest private valuation, that holding is worth nearly $10 billion.
Institutional investors have also seen substantial growth in their positions. Iconiq committed $6 billion to the company last year when it was valued at $183 billion. That specific investment is now valued at $17 billion. Menlo Ventures led the Series D round and has invested more than $1 billion over time; that stake is currently worth $14 billion.
Recent entrants to the cap table have also seen rapid appreciation. Sequoia participated in a $3 billion investment earlier this year when the company was valued at $380 billion. The transaction granted the firm approximately 1% ownership. Spark Capital invested $75 million in the 2023 Series C round when the valuation was $5 billion. That position has increased in value more than ninetyfold, reaching $7 billion.
Sound Ventures, the firm launched by Guy Oseary and Ashton Kutcher, also holds a significant position. The firm invested $35 million in the 2023 Series C round and subsequently added $400 million in further funding. Kutcher departed Sound Ventures this year to establish a new venture capital firm. The combined investments have resulted in a stake currently worth billions of dollars.
Source: TechCrunch
