Britain’s government is reportedly courting Anthropic, the $380 billion AI startup, with proposals ranging from a London office expansion to a dual listing, as the company faces U.S. political headwinds.
Citing multiple people with knowledge of the plans, the Financial Times reported the move is seen as a strategic attempt by the UK government, led by Keir Starmer, to capitalize on Anthropic’s dispute with the U.S. Defense Department.
According to the report, the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has circulated proposals for Anthropic, including an office expansion in London and a potential dual listing, with plans set to be presented to CEO Dario Amodei during his visit to the UK in late May.
Pentagon Feud Creates An Opening
The U.K. government has reportedly stepped up its efforts after the Defense Department classified Anthropic as a supply-chain risk. The designation has since led to legal proceedings, with a San Francisco federal judge requesting proof that government agencies have stopped using the company’s technology.
President Donald Trump later escalated the dispute on Truth Social in late February, criticizing the parent company and creator of Claude as a “radical left, woke company.”
The UK government’s move to court Anthropic comes amid the global race to build sovereign AI capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign AI companies.
IPO Timing And A Dual-Listing ‘Dream’
Anthropic is preparing for a potential IPO as early as this year. One government official described a UK dual listing to the Financial Times as “the dream,” though the same person called it a highly unlikely outcome.
Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL)-backed Anthropic, with more than 150 employees in the U.K., including researchers and counts former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as a senior adviser. The company also recently acquired AI biology startup Coefficient Bio for $400 million, signaling an aggressive expansion ahead of a potential IPO.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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