Anthropic [Reuters/Yonhap]
Anthropic [Reuters/Yonhap]

Anthropic, the AI startup behind the Claude chatbot, turned an operating profit for the first time in its history in the second quarter as it actively pursues an initial public offering.

According to Bloomberg, Anthropic told investors on Saturday (local time) that its second-quarter sales exceeded $11.5 billion — 14.6 times the figure from the same period last year.

That also represents more than double the $4.73 billion in sales Anthropic recorded in the first quarter.

The growth was not just in scale. The company's adjusted operating profit turned positive for the first time in a single quarter, though Anthropic did not disclose the specific figure.

Anthropic's annualized sales had already surpassed $47 billion as of last May, roughly 4.7 times its full-year sales of $10 billion last year.

The sharp growth reflects Anthropic's focus on products in high demand among corporate and professional users, including coding tools and workplace AI agents.

Anthropic expects the rapid expansion to continue for years.

The company presented investors with a specific revenue forecast of $190 billion to $200 billion for 2028, Reuters reported.

Anthropic formally kicked off its IPO process in June, when it filed confidential documents with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Wall Street investors are valuing the company based on its projected future revenue, and some expect Anthropic to command a valuation exceeding $2 trillion.

However, a number of uncertainties remain before the listing.

The Trump administration has signaled it may tighten AI regulation, even as a string of external hacking incidents targeting AI models has raised broader security concerns.

Anthropic has also been designated a supply chain risk company following a dispute with the US Defense Department over the scope of its AI model's use, and the company is now engaged in legal proceedings with the government.


hanimomo@heraldcorp.com