Anthropic pursues data centre leases, seeks financial backing from Google: Report

Anthropic, the creator of the Claude Code AI assistant, has signed more ‌than a dozen preliminary agreements to lease U.S. data centres with ‌a combined capacity of more than ‌1 ⁠GW, The Information reported, citing sources ⁠with direct knowledge of the plans.

The AI startup’s executives have also discussed an arrangement under which ​backer Google, which ‌co-designs some of the server chips Anthropic could use in the facilities, would provide a financial guarantee for its lease ‌payments, the report said.

In an ​emailed response, Google said it does not comment on rumours or ⁠speculation, while Anthropic did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Strong demand ‌for its Claude family of AI models has prompted Anthropic to sign several major deals to expand computing capacity, as it gears up for an IPO.

Earlier this month, Anthropic said it had ‌confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO, without disclosing ​the size or the terms of the offering.

Alphabet planned to invest ⁠up to $40 billion in Anthropic, the AI ⁠startup said in April.

Anthropic last raised funds in late May, ‌securing $65 billion at a post-money valuation of $965 billion, putting it ahead of OpenAI.