Anthropic Backers' Stakes Reach Billions Pre-IPO

Anthropic is preparing for an anticipated initial public offering this year at a possible valuation of up to $2 trillion, positioning early and late-stage backers for substantial gains. Even at the company’s most recent private valuation of $965 billion, several investors already hold stakes worth billions. Eric Schmidt invested in Anthropic’s 2021 Series A, when the AI developer was valued at $461 million, according to PitchBook data and Bloomberg. Schmidt now owns about 1% of the company, a stake worth nearly $10 billion at the latest valuation. Iconiq Capital committed $6 billion in a late-stage round when Anthropic was valued at $183 billion. That position is now worth about $17 billion and could double if the IPO reaches the upper end of expectations. Menlo Ventures led Anthropic’s Series D and has invested more than $1 billion over time, giving it a stake worth roughly $14 billion. Sequoia Capital first backed the company this year, investing $3 billion at a $380 billion valuation, securing approximately 1% ownership and already more than doubling its investment. Sound Ventures, launched by Guy Oseary and Ashton Kutcher, invested $35 million in the 2023 Series C and later added $400 million, bringing its stake into the billions. Kutcher left Sound Ventures this year to launch a new venture firm. Spark Capital, the only known venture investor holding a board seat at Anthropic, invested $75 million in the 2023 Series C, when the company was valued at $5 billion. That investment has increased more than ninetyfold and is now valued at approximately $7 billion. The figures underscore how quickly Anthropic’s private-market valuation has climbed and how much potential upside remains tied to its expected public listing.