Anthropic plans to buy this AI start-up for over $300M
What's the story
AI start-up Anthropic is said to be in advanced talks to buy Stainless, a company that creates software for easier access to artificial intelligence (AI) models. The deal, which is still in the works and subject to change, could see Anthropic paying over $300 million for the acquisition. Some of the payment may also be made using Anthropic shares, The Information reported.
Industry impact
Stainless's software is used by tech giants
Founded in early 2022 by Alex Rattray, Stainless has developed software that simplifies access and use of AI models for developers. Its client base includes big names like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google. If the deal goes through, Anthropic would gain ownership of a key tool used by developers to access AI models from these tech giants.
Tool demand
Surge in demand for Stainless's tools
The demand for Stainless's tools has surged along with the emergence of AI agents like Claude Code and OpenCode. OpenAI had previously developed its own software development kit but later switched to using Stainless's tools due to maintenance challenges and resource constraints. Notably, Stainless has also developed software associated with Model Context Protocol (MCP), a framework introduced by Anthropic in November 2024.
Funding talks
Anthropic also plans to raise $30B
Along with the potential acquisition, Bloomberg reported today that Anthropic is also in early talks with investors to raise at least $30 billion in new funding. The upcoming round could value the company at more than $900 billion. This would be more than double Anthropic's reported valuation of $380 billion from its February funding round.