Anthropic, the leading AI startup rivaling OpenAI, is in talks to raise $3 billion to $5 billion in fresh funding at a staggering $170 billion valuation, according to the latest report.
The round is reportedly being led by Iconiq Capital. It shows strong and continued investor frenzy around top AI firms like OpenAI, Anthropic, and many others.
Just months ago, in March, Anthropic secured $3.5 billion at a $61.5 billion valuation. The ongoing talks show how quickly the company’s worth is surging as backers scramble for a stake in leading AI players amid a boom in its popularity.
The Financial Times recently estimated Anthropic’s valuation closer to $150 billion after talks with Middle Eastern investors.
This comes after reports that OpenAI is courting fresh investors to complete its massive $40 billion funding round, originally led by SoftBank with a 75% commitment. But the AI giant is facing a ticking clock, as if it fails to restructure by year’s end, SoftBank may scale back its investment, sources reveal.
A leaked memo obtained by Wired reveals CEO Dario Amodei’s shifting stance on Middle Eastern funding. Despite earlier concerns over “soft power” risks, Amodei now suggests Gulf sovereign wealth may be essential to staying competitive in the AI race.
Anthropic previously avoided Saudi investment. Meanwhile, rivals like OpenAI are also courting Middle Eastern capital, with plans to raise $40 billion, including a major Abu Dhabi data center project.
Anthropic Imposes New Rate Limits to Curb AI Abuse
Anthropic is cracking down on excessive usage of its AI chatbot, Claude, by introducing weekly rate limits for paid subscribers starting late August.
The move comes after some users exploited the system by running Claude’s coding feature nonstop. It is consuming massive computing power, which is far beyond its intended use.
In a post on X, the company confirmed that less than 5% of subscribers will be affected. Most users (95%) will not face disruptions.
The new limits apply to both Claude Pro and Claude Max plans, with two key restrictions: an overall usage cap and a separate limit on Claude Opus 4.
To justify these rate limits, the firm cited extreme cases, including one user racking up tens of thousands in costs on a $200 plan.
Some were even reselling or sharing accounts, which clearly violates their terms. To accommodate heavy users, Anthropic will allow Max subscribers to buy additional access at standard API rates.
Also Read: Google’s Gemini 2.5 Adds “Implicit Caching” for Cheaper AI
