AI startup Anthropic is in the process of raising $3.5 billion in funding, which would place its valuation at $61.5 billion, according to two sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters on Monday.
The company, known for developing the Claude chatbot, is reportedly attracting investment from venture firms such as Lightspeed Venture Partners, General Catalyst, and Bessemer Venture Partners, the sources said.
This fundraising effort surpasses the $2 billion target that Anthropic was previously seeking, as reported by Reuters last month. With AI-related companies receiving nearly half of all venture funding in the U.S. last year, investors are eager to capitalize on the rapid expansion of the industry.
The ongoing discussions highlight the strong interest in U.S. AI startups, even as China’s cost-effective AI alternative, DeepSeek, has created some investor uncertainty.
Meanwhile, OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, is also in talks for a massive funding round that could push its valuation up to $300 billion, according to Reuters. Anthropic, a key competitor in the foundation model sector, was founded by former OpenAI executives and siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei.
Last year, the startup was valued at approximately $18 billion in a funding round led by Menlo Ventures.
In addition to its funding efforts, Anthropic on Monday introduced Claude 3.7 Sonnet, an advanced AI model designed to enhance response speed and provide step-by-step reasoning, further strengthening its position in the generative AI space.
