Anthropic has emerged as the leading remaining candidate for a major artificial-intelligence initial public offering in 2026 after OpenAI ruled out going public this year.
Anthropic confidentially submitted a draft registration statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 1. The filing gives the company the option to proceed after regulatory review, but it has not set the number of shares or their price, and said any offering would depend on market conditions and other factors. A confidential filing is therefore a step toward a public listing, not a commitment to complete one.
The company’s position strengthened after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in September that his company would not go public in 2026. Traders now put only a small probability on an OpenAI IPO announcement this year, while the odds of an announcement by June 2027 are roughly even.
Databricks, another frequently discussed private technology company, has also fallen sharply in the prediction markets. Its probability of announcing an IPO in 2026 declined to about 1% from above 50% in January. The retreat has left Anthropic as the main remaining large AI name associated with a possible 2026 listing.
The broader IPO market has also lost momentum. Offerings priced this year is down 33% from 2025, even though total proceeds have risen sharply because of large transactions, including SpaceX’s June debut. A series of postponements near the end of the quarter added to the slowdown.
Anthropic’s own growth has become part of the debate surrounding a potential offering. That result has raised questions about whether its expansion can match the expectations attached to rapidly growing AI businesses, particularly as investors weigh the capital required to build and operate advanced systems.
Its next formal step would depend on the SEC review, market conditions and a decision by Anthropic to disclose an offering with specific terms.