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OpenAI and Anthropic Pursue Massive Funding Rounds Ahead of IPOs

OpenAI and Anthropic are eyeing $30B and $20B funding rounds respectively, backed by SoftBank, Microsoft, and other giants, while Waabi secures $750M plus a $250M robotaxi partnership with Uber.
29 January 2026 by
TechStora Editorial Board

Overview

Both OpenAI and Anthropic are preparing for potential public offerings as early as 2026, prompting a wave of new capital commitments that could dramatically boost their valuations.

OpenAI’s Potential $30 B Infusion

SoftBank Group, OpenAI’s largest backer, is reportedly looking to increase its stake with a cash injection worth up to $30 billion. The move follows a previous $30 billion investment that secured an 11 % equity position.

Key elements of the deal include:

  • SoftBank’s dual role as investor and infrastructure partner.
  • A 1.2‑GW data‑center hub in Texas operated by SB Energy.
  • Potential additional capital from Amazon, which may contribute more than $10 billion and provide AI‑chip access.

Anthropic’s $20 B Funding Round

Anthropic is targeting a $20 billion round that could value the company at roughly $350 billion—almost double its September valuation.

Confirmed participants so far:

  • Sequoia Capital Singapore
  • GIC (Singapore sovereign wealth fund)
  • Coatue Management

Additional capital may flow in if Microsoft and Nvidia decide to join, building on Microsoft’s existing $10 billion stake in OpenAI and its role as a cloud provider.

Strategic Partnerships Driving Growth

Both AI firms are leveraging strategic alliances to secure the infrastructure needed for large‑scale model training and deployment.

  • SoftBank’s SB Energy will manage OpenAI’s Texas data‑center campus.
  • Amazon’s potential investment would grant Anthropic access to Amazon Web Services AI chips.
  • Microsoft’s cloud services remain critical for OpenAI’s product ecosystem.

Waabi Raises $750 M and Secures Uber Partnership

In a parallel development, autonomous‑vehicle startup Waabi announced a $750 million financing round. Uber has separately committed up to $250 million to support a robotaxi partnership, underscoring the broader investor appetite for advanced AI and robotics ventures.

Outlook

With billions of dollars on the table and IPO timelines converging around 2026, the AI sector is poised for a transformative liquidity event. Investors are betting on sustained demand for generative AI services, autonomous‑vehicle technology, and the underlying compute infrastructure that powers them.