Anthropic Backers Amass Billions Ahead of Imminent Public Debut

The upcoming public listing of Anthropic promises to be a significant financial event for a select group of investors.

Market expectations suggest the artificial intelligence company will list this year at a valuation reaching as high as $2 trillion. Such a figure would represent a major windfall for both early-stage and later-stage backers who have supported the firm over the years.

Even before the official debut, the stakes held by venture capitalists and early supporters already amount to billions of dollars. According to data from Bloomberg, the value of these holdings is calculated based on the company's latest private market valuation of $965 billion.

Eric Schmidt, the former chief executive of Google, is among those benefiting from the surge. Schmidt participated in the Series A funding round in 2021 when PitchBook data indicates the startup was valued at $461 million. His current ownership stands at approximately one percent of the company, a stake worth nearly $10 billion at present private prices.

Iconiq made a substantial late-stage commitment by writing a $6 billion check to Anthropic last year. At that time, the company was already valued at $183 billion. This investment has since appreciated to $17 billion and holds the potential to double in value upon the initial public offering.

Menlo Ventures has maintained a deep financial relationship with the AI lab. The firm led the Series D round and has invested more than $1 billion in total. That cumulative stake is currently valued at $14 billion.

Sequoia joined the investor roster earlier this year, entering when the company's valuation had already reached $380 billion. The firm invested $3 billion to secure about one percent ownership. This move has already more than doubled its initial investment amount.

Sound Ventures, a firm launched by Guy Oseary and actor Ashton Kutcher, also holds a significant position. The group invested $35 million in the 2023 Series C round and subsequently funneled an additional $400 million into the company. Their resulting stake is now worth billions, although Kutcher left Sound Ventures this year to launch a new venture capital firm.

Spark Capital represents the only venture firm known to hold a board seat at Anthropic. The company invested $75 million in the same 2023 Series C round when the valuation stood at $5 billion. That position has since ballooned by more than ninetyfold to reach a value of $7 billion.