Artificial intelligence (AI) startup Anthropic is close to finalising a $1.5 billion joint venture with major Wall Street firms to sell AI tools to companies backed by them, according to a report in the The Wall Street Journal, which cited people familiar with the matter.
The deal is said to bring together leading financial investors, with alternative asset manager Blackstone and private equity firm Hellman & Friedman expected to act as anchor backers. Each is likely to invest around $300 million.
Investment bank and wealth management firm, Goldman Sachs, is also expected to take part as a founding investor, contributing about $150 million, the report added.
An official announcement could come as soon as Monday, according to the sources.
By selling artificial intelligence tools directly to companies backed by these private equity firms, Anthropic will get access to a large and valuable customer base.
IPO plans and rising valuations
Anthropic is reportedly working to strengthen its financial position as it prepares for a possible initial public offering this year. The company is considering going public as early as October. According to a report by The Information in March, the listing could raise more than $60 billion.
Bloomberg reported last week that the AI company is also exploring a new funding round that could value it at more than $900 billion. That would be more than double its previous valuation, although discussions are still at an early stage and no formal offers have been accepted.
Anthropic’s last funding round took place in February, when it raised $30 billion at a valuation of $380 billion. Back in March 2025, the company was valued at around $61.5 billion, showing how quickly its valuation has grown.
If the funding round goes through, Anthropic could become the most valuable private AI company, surpassing even OpenAI, which is currently valued at about $852 billion.