Advanced negotiations between QIA and MGX from UAE aimed at financially supporting Anthropic, seeking a potential valuation of $170 billion for the strategic move.
Anthropic, the AI startup behind the Claude chatbot, is on the brink of a significant funding round that could value the company at an impressive $170 billion. This represents a substantial increase from its previous valuation of $61.5 billion earlier in 2025.
The funding discussions, which are reportedly in advanced stages, involve a range of prominent investors. Leading the round is Iconiq Capital, with plans to invest approximately $1 billion. Other participating investors include Qatar Investment Authority, Singapore’s GIC, Amazon, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Menlo Ventures, and Alkeon Capital Management.
Interestingly, the Gulf sovereign wealth funds, QIA and MGX, are also in discussions to participate in the round. However, it's been reported that Anthropic is limiting any Gulf investment arrangements to purely financial terms, without operational influence or data center presence for regional investors.
The minimum check size per investor in this round is set at $200 million, and there are discussions about the possible involvement of a second lead investor, although this has not been confirmed yet.
This funding round, if successful, would significantly boost Anthropic’s valuation. The company's revenue run rate is projected to reach around $9 billion by the end of 2025, up from its current approximately $5 billion.
Founded in 2021 by former OpenAI employees, Anthropic continues to position itself as a safety-conscious AI developer. As it intensifies its competition with other significant AI players such as OpenAI and Elon Musk’s xAI, the funds from this round are likely to support expanding data centers, talent acquisition, and AI model development.
Amidst the funding discussions, Anthropic has been embroiled in controversy over leaked comments from its CEO, Dario Amodei. However, the funding round seems to be progressing, reflecting a near-final stage of this historic event expected to reshape the valuation landscape for AI startups.
[1] TechCrunch. (2025). Anthropic in advanced talks to raise $3-5 billion in new funding round. [online] Available at: https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/15/anthropic-in-advanced-talks-to-raise-3-5-billion-in-new-funding-round/
[2] The Verge. (2025). Anthropic's funding round could value AI startup at $170 billion. [online] Available at: https://www.theverge.com/2025/03/15/22978204/anthropic-funding-round-valuation-ai-startup
[3] Bloomberg. (2025). Anthropic's AI Startup Valuation Soars to $170 Billion in Funding Round. [online] Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-15/anthropic-ai-startup-valuation-soars-to-170-billion-in-funding-round
- The funding round, led by Iconiq Capital and involving major investors such as Qatar Investment Authority, GIC, Amazon, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Menlo Ventures, Alkeon Capital Management, and others, is focusing on investing in Anthropic's technology-driven finance and expanding AI capabilities.
- As Anthropic moves forward with its ambitious plans for AI model development, data center expansion, and talent acquisition, the significant funds from the upcoming funding round, potentially worth $3-5 billion, will play a crucial role in its competition with other AI players in the industry.
