Anthropic’s valuation hits $900 billion: Signals and revelations from the AI ​​financing frenzy

Core conclusion

Anthropic is raising a new round of funding at a valuation of more than $900 billion. Behind this figure, it not only reflects the capital market's enthusiastic pursuit of cutting-edge AI models, but also sends a key signal to all AI practitioners: the pricing pressure of closed-source APIs will not ease in the short term, while the investment performance-price ratio of open source alternatives is rapidly improving.

Key Points

• Event time: expected to be completed within the next two weeks
• Potential valuation: Over $900 billion ($900B+)
• Involved parties: Anthropic and a number of investment institutions, including Google, Spark Capital, etc.
• Impact on practitioners: Claude API prices will not drop in the short term, and open source alternatives (such as DeepSeek, Kimi K2.6) have become more attractive

Background and trigger events

On May 1, TechCrunch reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that Anthropic may complete a new round of financing within the next two weeks, valuing it at more than $900 billion. If true, this would make Anthropic one of the most highly valued AI companies in the world, behind only OpenAI and some of the largest tech companies.

Prior to this, Anthropic has received billions of dollars in financing from Google (with a cumulative investment of more than US$2 billion), Spark Capital, Menlo Ventures and other institutions. The rumored valuation of US$900 billion represents a significant jump from the previously reported market valuation, reflecting that the “super arms race” in the AI ​​field is accelerating.

Key Impact

Implications for AI automation practitioners

1. API cost pressure will not be relieved in the short term

Anthropic's $900 billion valuation means there's huge revenue pressure. In order to support valuations, it is impossible to gain market share through significant price cuts in the short term. Already using the Claude API for automated workflows, you should start evaluating more cost-effective alternatives.

2. The open source model window is opening

Open source models such as Kimi K2.6, DeepSeek V4, and IBM Granite 4.1 perform well in their respective fields. For common AI money-making scenarios such as content automation and programming assistance, the cost-effectiveness of open source models can already compete with closed source APIs.

3. Capital hot money pours into the upstream and downstream of AI

Huge amounts of financing are not only flowing to model layer companies, but also spilling over to AI infrastructure, agent platforms, and vertical SaaS. If your automation product helps users "do more with less," now is a great time for a funding story.

4. Diversified model strategy becomes necessary

The risk of tying all workflows to a single API, especially a high-priced one, is becoming greater. It is recommended to stock at least 2-3 model fallback options, including open source models and competitor APIs.

Extended discussion

**Q: Is Anthropic really worth 900 billion? **

Looking at the revenue multiple, Anthropic's current annualized revenue is well below that number. But investors are looking to the future: They believe Anthropic's Claude series has the opportunity to become an infrastructure-grade product in the enterprise and developer ecosystem. The key to the problem is not "whether Anthropic is worth it", but "where is the ceiling of the entire AI market?"

**Q: How will this affect pricing for Claude Code? **

Claude Code is currently billed based on Claude API usage. If API prices remain high, the cost of using Claude Code will also remain high. This gives more market space for open source alternatives such as Codex paired with open source models. There are already tutorials that compare the cost savings of DeepSeek V4 instead of Claude Code in detail.

Tool entry

Tools and platforms covered in this article: Anthropic, Claude, Claude Code, OpenAI, ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Kimi, n8n, OpenClaw, Google

Internal link guidance

• Want to save on API fees? Watch the tutorial: DeepSeek V4 vs Claude Code: 90% Cheaper, Same Quality
• Real case: Someone started a business using Claude Code in 48 hours and made a monthly income in 3 months $9,000: See Claude Code 48 hours to start a business: one person + US$29 monthly fee, monthly income in 3 months $9,000
• Another case: A real case of a data analyst using Claude Code + n8n to build an automated report SaaS with a monthly income of $3,800