Anthropic prices IPO at $1.3 trillion, below earlier forecasts

Anthropic’s initial public offering is set to price shares between $70 and $78 on Nov. 18, valuing the AI company at up to $1.4 trillion, below the $2 trillion projection from earlier this year. The lower valuation, which falls short of SpaceX’s record $1.77 trillion IPO, is seen by experts as a smart strategy to manage expectations amid political and economic uncertainty, allowing room for a positive trading debut. Anthropic’s revenue hit $17 billion in the third quarter, up 1,100% year-over-year, though sequential growth slowed to 47% from 144%. The company faces risks from nearly $1 trillion in committed compute spending and potential data center headwinds from midterm election results. To build buzz, Anthropic recently launched new models and workplace tools, with investors viewing the conservative pricing as a way to secure capital and drive positive momentum.