Anthropic is rapidly closing the gap with OpenAI in the crucial metric of corporate spending on artificial intelligence, according to new data from finance platform Ramp. The company's Claude models are now used by 30.6% of Ramp's AI-paying business customers, a significant 6.3 percentage point increase since March. OpenAI remains the leader but its share has slipped to 35.2%.
"At the current pace, Anthropic is on track to surpass OpenAI within the next two months," a Ramp spokesperson told Business Insider. The data indicates Anthropic already leads among early adopters, including venture capital-backed companies, and in key sectors like software, finance, and professional services.
Sector-Specific Dominance and Adoption Drivers
Anthropic currently holds the lead over OpenAI in three specific sectors: information, finance and insurance, and personal services. A major driver behind its corporate adoption is believed to be Claude Code, a tool that has proven a "huge hit with software engineers and developers." Furthermore, the company's models are top performers on benchmarking leaderboards like Arena.ai, influencing corporate purchasing decisions.
The data reveals a strong correlation between a company's funding source and its likelihood to adopt AI. VC-backed businesses have an 80% adoption rate, while private-equity-backed firms show a 64% rate. Companies without such institutional backing have a significantly lower adoption rate of 45%.
Reputational Boost from Pentagon Standoff
Although Ramp's data does not specify a cause for Anthropic's surge, the company received an unexpected reputational boost in February following a public clash with the US Department of Defense. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Anthropic to agree to the military's terms of use for Claude or face being blacklisted by the government.
Anthropic refused the terms, a decision that led President Donald Trump to order federal agencies to stop using its technology and the DoD to designate it a supply chain risk. OpenAI subsequently stepped in to offer its services to the Pentagon. In response, some users and corporations rallied around Anthropic, with Claude temporarily surpassing ChatGPT on the App Store and major tech firms like Microsoft expressing support.
The Broader Corporate AI Landscape
Ramp's analysis provides a snapshot of spending among its own customer base, but serves as a useful indicator of shifting trends in business AI adoption. The competition between these AI giants is unfolding as advancements in the technology begin to transform multiple industries. Major corporations, including Meta, Microsoft, and Visa, are actively encouraging employees to integrate AI tools into their daily workflows.
The narrowing gap underscores the intensifying battle for enterprise clients, a critical revenue stream for AI developers. With Anthropic's sector-specific strengths and momentum, the leadership position in corporate AI spending could change hands in the coming quarter.