Anthropic, the artificial intelligence company behind the Claude chatbot, has been declining offers from venture capital firms for a preemptive funding round that would value the company at $800 billion or more, according to a Bloomberg report. The potential valuation would see the OpenAI rival approach or even surpass its competitor's market worth.
The reported offers come just weeks after Anthropic announced a $30 billion funding round in early 2026, which valued the company at $380 billion. In February, OpenAI closed a record $110 billion round, achieving an $852 billion post-money valuation.
Capital Demands and Strategic Spending
Despite the apparent lack of interest in new capital, Anthropic faces significant expenditure. The company has committed to spending $50 billion to build its own data centres and a further $30 billion on Microsoft's cloud services, in addition to billions spent annually on Amazon Web Services (AWS).
“At some point, it may need money, especially if it can raise it on good terms, potentially at more than double its previous valuation,” the report noted, suggesting the company's position could change.
Investor Appetite and Revenue Growth
Investor enthusiasm is reportedly driven by Anthropic's surging revenue, which is said to have reached $30 billion by the end of March 2026, a dramatic increase from $9 billion at the close of 2025. This growth has created "nearly insatiable" demand for the company's shares on secondary markets.
Bloomberg sources indicated that with a simple indication from CEO Dario Amodei, the company could secure funding that would leapfrog OpenAI's valuation.
Official Stance and Market Context
Anthropic declined to comment on the report to Bloomberg and did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TechCrunch. The situation highlights a competitive landscape where leading AI firms command unprecedented valuations and investment interest, even as they weigh strategic capital needs against dilution and market timing.
The company's current position allows it to be selective, prioritising its operational roadmap and massive infrastructure investments over immediately accepting further external funding at a historic valuation.