Anthropic IPO: Early backers see billions in gains
A look at the massive returns for venture capitalists and notable investors as the AI company prepares for its public debut this year.
By Ama Boateng ·
The artificial intelligence sector is bracing for a historic public market event. Anthropic is expected to go public this year, with estimates suggesting a valuation as high as $2 trillion. Such a listing would generate significant wealth for investors who entered the company at various stages of its growth.
Even before the official stock exchange listing, the stakes held by major venture capital firms and early supporters are already valued in the billions. According to data reported by Bloomberg, these holdings are calculated based on the company's most recent private market valuation of $965 billion. This figure serves as the current benchmark for the wealth generated by those who backed the leading AI lab.
Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, represents one of the earliest and most lucrative positions. He participated in the Series A round in 2021 when the startup was valued at $461 million. His current ownership stands at approximately 1% of the company. At the latest private valuation, this slice of equity is worth nearly $10 billion.
Later-stage investors have also seen substantial growth in their portfolios. Iconiq committed $6 billion to Anthropic last year, at which point the company was valued at $183 billion. That single investment has since appreciated to $17 billion. Menlo Ventures, which led the Series D, has poured over $1 billion into the firm. Their collective stake is now appraised at $14 billion.
Sequoia entered the picture earlier this year when the company had already reached a $380 billion valuation. Their $3 billion investment secured roughly 1% ownership. This late entry has already resulted in a doubling of their initial capital. Sound Ventures, founded by Guy Oseary and actor Ashton Kutcher, invested $35 million in the 2023 Series C. They followed up with an additional $400 million, creating a stake worth billions today. Kutcher departed the firm this year to start a new venture.
Spark Capital holds the only known board seat at Anthropic. They invested $75 million during the same 2023 Series C round when the valuation was $5 billion. That position has expanded more than ninetyfold to a current value of $7 billion. While the IPO is anticipated to double some of these figures, the current private market numbers already indicate a windfall for these key financial players.
Source: TechCrunch
