Anthropic Nears $7 Billion Acquisition of Israeli AI Startup Decart Ahead of IPO

Anthropic, a leading artificial intelligence company founded by former OpenAI members, is close to finalizing its acquisition of the Israeli AI startup Decart. The deal, currently in an advanced stage of draft exchanges, values Decart at approximately $7 billion. Most of the payment will be made in Anthropic shares, which will be given to Decart's shareholders, including founders Dr. Dean Leitersdorf and Moshe Shalev, and major investor Sequoia Capital. The acquisition is expected to close within the next month, ahead of Anthropic's planned Nasdaq IPO in September or October.

Decart, established in 2023 and employing around 100 people, has raised $450 million to date. The startup had been negotiating with Nvidia, which offered a higher valuation, but the founders and investors preferred Anthropic due to its strategic fit and potential to establish a development center in Israel. The deal marks a significant milestone for Israel's AI sector, positioning the country as a key player in large language model technology. Decart's technology enhances the efficiency of AI chips from various manufacturers, increasing AI model speeds by up to eight times and reducing computational costs.

Anthropic recently reported a 14-fold revenue increase in Q2 2025, reaching $11.5 billion and achieving positive EBITDA for the first time. The acquisition will be Anthropic's largest to date and is seen as a strategic move to strengthen its market position against competitors like OpenAI and Google. Other potential buyers, including Google and Elon Musk's SpaceX, have shown interest following the public disclosure of the negotiations, but the likelihood of closing with Anthropic remains high.

Decart's founders view the acquisition as a fast exit that will allow them to play a key role in Anthropic's future growth. Despite earlier ambitions for Decart to become a major independent AI company, the lack of a sustainable business model and the competitive landscape made the sale the preferred option. The deal is expected to boost Israel's AI ecosystem, attracting further investment and enhancing the country's global standing in AI innovation.