"Anthropic to Pursue Mid-November IPO... Left Alone in IPO Market"

AI Agent "Claude Duet" Launched
IPO Market Freezes... AI Overinvestment Concerns Also Weigh on Prospects

Reuters-Yonhap

The U.S. initial public offering (IPO) market has frozen amid concerns over excessive investment in artificial intelligence (AI), but Anthropic is reportedly planning to go public as early as next month. The company has also launched a new AI agent service.

"Anthropic Could Go Public Next Month; Also Launches AI Agent"

AP-Yonhap News

Reuters reported on Thursday, October 22, citing people familiar with the matter, that "Anthropic plans to file its registration statement as early as the end of this month and hold its IPO in mid-November." The report added, "It is expected to begin marketing shares to potential investors (a roadshow) on November 9 or that week. However, the plans and schedule could change."

Amid the reports, Anthropic unveiled a new AI agent service called Claude Duet. AI agents are more advanced than conventional AI models: they can identify and carry out tasks on their own using linked materials and apps, without users having to give instructions one by one. Claude Duet, introduced this time, is a service intended for research. Anthropic plans to highlight how it differs from other AI agent services, such as Meta's Muse and OpenAI's Dots, to help ensure a successful IPO.

If Anthropic proceeds with an IPO next month, it could be the last IPO of the year. According to Bloomberg, all other companies have postponed their IPO plans until next year, amid concerns over excessive investment in AI and a desire to avoid competing with Anthropic for funding.

Can It Succeed in a Chilly IPO Market? Concerns Over Excessive AI Investment Also Pose a Headwind

The U.S. IPO market has been frozen this month. Riding the AI boom, IPO proceeds in the United States surged to $95.9 billion in June this year, equivalent to approximately KRW 127 trillion. But they then fell steadily, to $32 billion in July, $2.16 billion in August and $1.92 billion in September. As of October 22, proceeds had plunged to $590 million this month.

Given the mood in the IPO market in the fourth quarter of this year, some expect Anthropic may also struggle to achieve a successful offering. Bloomberg reported, "More companies are delaying their listings amid rising interest rates and the prolonged war in Iran, while market uncertainty is growing." It added, "From an IPO perspective, the remainder of this year is looking increasingly negative across AI and software."

The valuation of OpenAI, Anthropic's formidable competitor, has also fallen. According to the Financial Times (FT), fundraising negotiations that would value OpenAI at $1.25 trillion have entered their final stages. That is $150 billion below the $1.4 trillion valuation OpenAI presented to investors earlier this month. OpenAI previously said it would postpone its IPO until next year and raise funds from institutional investors before going public.

Citing a source, the FT reported, "The valuation has come down, but there is no one willing to invest." The source added, "In the past, there was always tremendous enthusiasm when it came to market, but now the mood has somewhat fizzled." Some say that concerns about overinvestment in AI infrastructure and increased volatility in technology stocks have made investors more doubtful about the staying power of the AI boom.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.