Competitor of OpenAI, Anthropic, completes a $3.5 billion financing round, with a valuation of $61.5 billion.

Artificial intelligence startup Anthropic announced that it has officially completed a $3.5 billion financing, with a valuation of $61.5 billion, solidifying its position as one of the most valuable startups globally. The valuation surge of Anthropic is partly due to the rapid expansion of the company's business. According to sources, by the end of 2023, the company's annual revenue run rate was around $1 billion, but it has grown by 30% this year. However, Anthropic has not commented on specific revenue details. Lightspeed Venture Partners led this round of financing with a $1 billion investment, with other investors including General Catalyst, Jane Street, and Fidelity Management & Research Company. Existing investors such as Menlo Ventures and Bessemer Venture Partners also participated in this round by adding additional investments. Ravi Mhatre, a co-founder of Lightspeed, stated in a declaration, "Since its founding, Anthropic has been driving fundamental change in the AI field, focusing on enterprise AI development and security issues. We are thrilled by the sustained exponential growth in the AI field." Founded by former employees of OpenAI in 2021, Anthropic has always focused on safety and reliability as its main selling points, aiming to build AI systems that users can trust. Sources revealed that Anthropic originally planned to raise $2 billion in this round of financing, but due to high investor enthusiasm, it ultimately exceeded the financing target. The new financing will be used to develop next-generation AI models, expand computing capabilities, strengthen AI security research, and drive expansion in the Asian and European markets. Krishna Rao, CFO of Anthropic, stated, "This investment will drive us to develop more intelligent and powerful AI systems, helping humanity achieve more possibilities while deepening our understanding of AI mechanisms." This round of financing makes Anthropic more competitive in the AI competition. Meanwhile, OpenAI is also preparing for a larger-scale financing, with a valuation that may reach $300 billion. The financing dynamics of the two AI companies indicate that despite the emergence of low-cost AI competitors like DeepSeek in the market, Silicon Valley investors are still willing to invest heavily in leading AI companies. In recent years, Anthropic has received broad support from tech giants. Amazon.com, Inc. invested $4 billion in November last year, and Alphabet Inc. Class C added $1 billion in January this year. In addition, Anthropic also provides technical support for the new generation AI assistant Alexa+ from Amazon.com, Inc., further strengthening its market position in the AI field. Last week, Anthropic launched the more advanced AI model Sonnet and released a new AI agent that automates software programming tasks. This move further demonstrates its cutting-edge innovation in AI research and development.