Anthropic in talks to buy AI start-up Decart for $6bn - report

(Sharecast News) - Anthropic is reportedly in talks to buy artificial intelligence start-up Decart AI for about $6bn.

Decart makes so-called world models, which aim to simulate the physical world, as well as software that can reduce the cost of training AI by helping chips work more efficiently. According to Bloomberg, which cited people familiar with the matter, Decart's technology could help Anthropic's existing infrastructure absorb more demand.

It was understood the deal has not been finalised and talks could fall through. If completed, however, it would mark Anthropic's largest known acquisition, ahead of an eagerly-anticipated initial public offering.

Decart's team would join Anthropic's inference and performance organisation, a source told Bloomberg.

Speculation about the potential acquisition came as the Financial Times reported that investors expect Anthropic to float at a valuation of $2tn or more in October, a figure that would eclipse SpaceX and make the AI lab's debut the largest ever initial public offering.

Half a dozen of the company's backers told the FT that Anthropic's rapidly rising revenue would enable it to more than double its current valuation in a planned autumn float.

"If Anthropic is growing 800 per cent a year, you'd think at the incredibly low end they would trade at 30 times [revenue]," said one investor in the group. "That would make them a $3tn company."

According to the FT, several investors said senior Anthropic executives had yet to fix the valuation target for the IPO, even in private conversations