Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to Lead Anthropic IPO

Anthropic, the artificial intelligence startup backed by billions in investment, has tapped Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to serve as lead underwriters on its anticipated initial public offering, according to a report from The New York Times. The selection of two Wall Street heavyweights to share the top role underscores the intensity of competition among major banks to anchor one of the most closely watched tech listings in recent memory.

The lead underwriter designation — sometimes called the left-lead or bookrunner position — is among the most coveted assignments in investment banking. Beyond the substantial fees generated from underwriting commissions, the role confers reputational capital that banks leverage to win future mandates, particularly in the booming AI sector where deal flow is accelerating.

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Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI executives including Dario Amodei and his sister Daniela Amodei, has attracted massive funding from investors including Google and Amazon. The company competes directly with OpenAI and other frontier AI developers, and a successful public offering would represent a significant milestone for the broader AI industry at a moment when investor appetite for the sector remains strong.

The selection of dual lead banks suggests Anthropic and its advisers are positioning the offering to draw from the widest possible institutional investor base. Both Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley maintain dominant equity capital markets franchises and deep relationships with the large asset managers that typically anchor blockbuster technology IPOs.

Full details on the offering's timeline, anticipated valuation, and share structure have not yet been disclosed publicly. Continue reading at NYT > Business.