TechCrunch reports that Anthropic investors are sitting on massive fortunes ahead of an expected public listing this year that could value the startup at as much as $2 trillion. Even at the current private market valuation of $965 billion, early backers and venture capital firms hold stakes worth billions of dollars.
Key takeaways
- Coatue has put a total of $4.75 billion into the AI lab, giving it a stake worth roughly $7.5 billion.
- Eric Schmidt owns about 1% of the company, making his stake worth nearly $10 billion.
- Iconiq turned a $6 billion late-stage check into a stake now worth $17 billion.
- Spark Capital saw its initial $75 million investment balloon more than ninetyfold to $7 billion.
What are Anthropic investors worth today?
Coatue first backed the company in 2025 at a $183 billion valuation and co-led the last two funding rounds. A person familiar with the matter tells TechCrunch that Coatue's $4.75 billion total investment is now worth roughly $7.5 billion based on the last round's price. Coatue declined to comment on the figures.
Data from Bloomberg reveals that former Google CEO Eric Schmidt owns about 1% of the startup. Schmidt invested in the Series A round back in 2021 when the valuation was just $461 million according to PitchBook data, bringing his current stake to nearly $10 billion.
How vc firms and backers multiplied their money
Iconiq wrote a $6 billion check last year when the company valuation sat at $183 billion, resulting in a position now worth $17 billion with potential to double at the Anthropic IPO. Menlo Ventures led the Series D round and invested over $1 billion over time, with a stake currently valued at $14 billion.
Sequoia backed the AI lab earlier this year at a $380 billion valuation, investing $3 billion for roughly 1% ownership that has already more than doubled. Sound Ventures initially put in $35 million during the 2023 Series C round, later adding $400 million to build a multi-billion dollar position. Ashton Kutcher left Sound Ventures this year to launch a new firm, while his former partner Guy Oseary remains involved.
Spark Capital stands out as the only venture firm known to hold a board seat. It put $75 million into the 2023 Series C round when the private valuation was $5 billion, growing that holding more than ninetyfold to $7 billion.
What it means for the upcoming public listing
The numbers show how private valuation surges have transformed initial bets into historic windfalls for financial backers. With the public listing expected this year, these early and late-stage investors are positioned for even larger gains once trading begins.
Frequently asked questions
Anthropic's public listing is expected this year at a valuation of as much as $2 trillion, according to TechCrunch.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt owns about 1% of the company, and his stake is worth nearly $10 billion at the current private valuation.
Coatue has poured a total of $4.75 billion into Anthropic, and that stake is now worth roughly $7.5 billion based on the last round's price.
Spark Capital is the only venture capital firm known to hold a board seat at Anthropic, having invested $75 million in the 2023 Series C round.
Sequoia backed the AI lab for the first time earlier this year when the company was already valued at $380 billion, investing $3 billion for about 1% ownership.
Based on reporting by TechCrunch. Read the original article
