Anthropic, the artificial intelligence company behind the Claude chatbot, has filed confidentially for an initial public offering on the US stock market, marking what analysts describe as a once-in-a-generation moment for Wall Street.
The company announced it would offer the public the chance to buy and sell shares later this year, though it did not disclose the valuation it will target or other terms of the offering. The news comes days after Anthropic revealed it had raised $65bn in funding, valuing the firm at $965bn post-money – up from $380bn in February.
“Anthropic, the AI company behind Claude, has filed for a US IPO at a near-$1tn valuation after a $65bn funding round. Separately, Grant Thornton is rolling out Claude across its entire UK workforce, signalling AI’s growing impact on professional services.”
Anthropic makes Claude, a generative AI assistant widely used by software engineers and other business clients. The company has seen a meteoric rise this year, becoming one of the most valuable private firms in the world alongside Elon Musk’s SpaceX and OpenAI, both of which are also expected to go public in 2026. The flurry of listings has been described as a watershed moment for the technology sector on Wall Street.
In a separate development with direct implications for the UK, professional services giant Grant Thornton has announced it is rolling out Anthropic’s Claude across its entire British workforce. The accountancy firm’s UK arm said it will deploy the AI service to all partners working in audit, tax, and advisory divisions.
“Clients pay for expertise, not process,” a Grant Thornton spokesperson told City A.M., explaining the decision to embed generative AI into its services at a time when the technology is rapidly upending the industry. The move is seen as a landmark adoption of AI by a major UK professional services firm, potentially setting a precedent for competitors.
Anthropic’s IPO filing and its rapid valuation growth underscore the escalating financial stakes in the AI race. The company did not specify an exchange or a timeline beyond “later this year,” but its confidential filing with US regulators follows a pattern common among tech startups ahead of a public listing. The offering is expected to be one of the largest in history, reflecting investor appetite for AI despite ongoing regulatory scrutiny in both the US and Europe.
In the UK, the rollout of Claude by Grant Thornton is likely to accelerate discussions about AI’s impact on professional jobs. While the firm argues it augments rather than replaces human expertise, critics warn that widespread adoption could reduce demand for junior staff in audit and accounting roles. The UK government has yet to introduce specific AI legislation, but regulators such as the Financial Conduct Authority are monitoring the technology’s use in financial services.
What This Means For You: - Workers in professional services: Grant Thornton’s use of Claude may signal a shift towards AI-assisted auditing and advice. While senior staff may use the tool to boost efficiency, entry-level roles that involve routine data processing could face disruption. - Investors: Anthropic’s IPO – expected later this year – will allow UK retail investors to buy shares on US markets. However, the $965bn valuation means even a small stake will be expensive, and the stock may be volatile given rapid changes in the AI sector. - Business users of AI: Claude’s growing popularity among software engineers and corporate clients means UK firms will have access to a powerful, publicly-traded alternative to rivals such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, potentially driving down costs and improving features. - Taxpayers and regulators: The UK government is watching AI developments closely. If Big Four firms and mid-tier players like Grant Thornton increasingly rely on models such as Claude, regulators may need to revisit rules on transparency, bias, and accountability in automated decision-making.