Anthropic eyes $200m investment in AI venture for private equity portfolios

Anthropic is planning a $200m investment in a new venture with leading private-equity firms, including General Atlantic, Blackstone, and Hellman & Friedman, aimed at deploying AI tools across their portfolio companies, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

The project is expected to raise up to $1bn, with Anthropic's contribution forming a significant portion of the fund.

The venture would act as a consulting arm, helping businesses integrate Anthropic's AI products - such as the Claude chatbot and coding tools - into operations to boost productivity and automate broader functions. The move reflects a growing trend among private-equity-backed companies to adopt AI for cost savings and operational efficiency.

The initiative puts Anthropic in direct competition with OpenAI, which is pursuing a similar joint-venture strategy with PE-backed firms. Anthropic recently launched a $100m programme to support consulting firms in implementing its AI tools, and it projects annualised revenue exceeding $30bn as it explores a potential IPO.