Anthropic, the company behind the Claude AI models, told prospective investors that its revenue reached $16.8 billion in the third quarter of 2026, according to reports. The Financial Times first reported the figure on Wednesday, 14 October, Reuters said. Anthropic has not published the numbers itself.
What was reported
Reuters, citing two people who attended an Anthropic investor day in San Francisco on Wednesday, reported that third-quarter revenue “surged 45 per cent from the prior quarter”. According to those people, revenue “rose to $16.8 billion from $11.6 billion in the second quarter and $4.7 billion in the first quarter.”
Anthropic also “told the group the company was profitable on an adjusted basis in the third quarter,” the attendees told Reuters. Attendees met chief executive Dario Amodei and chief financial officer Krishna Rao.
CNBC, citing the Financial Times, reported that Anthropic told investors it was cash-flow positive and made $1.70 in revenue for every dollar it spent on computing power in the quarter.
What we don’t know
The reports did not say whether the $16.8 billion is gross or net revenue. They also did not say how Anthropic defines “adjusted” profit. These are figures Anthropic gave to investors, not audited results.
The IPO
The meeting was meant to introduce prospective investors to Anthropic before its planned stock-market listing, Reuters said. CNBC reported that the IPO is “reportedly slated for November”, while Reuters has reported that the debut is likely to be pushed until after the US midterm elections in November.
What this means
- Revenue is growing fast. If the reports are right, quarterly revenue more than tripled between the first and third quarters.
- Profit claims need detail. “Adjusted” profit and an unstated revenue definition make the numbers hard to compare.
- More will come with the IPO. A public listing would require Anthropic to publish audited figures.
Sources
- Reuters (via CNA), “At Anthropic pre-IPO meet: ‘Thinking’ caps, surging revenue, no human extinction”, 14 October 2026. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/anthropic-pre-ipo-meet-thinking-caps-surging-revenue-no-human-extinction-6460776
- CNBC, “Anthropic’s third-quarter revenue is said to hit $16.8 billion ahead of IPO”, 15 October 2026. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/15/anthropics-third-quarter-revenue-hits-16point8-billion-ipo.html
- Financial Times (first report), 14 October 2026. https://www.ft.com/content/11632d03-358c-454b-af95-d06d4072932b
