The IPO Window Is Closing. Here Are 8 Startups To Watch.
In the first half of this year, 58 venture-backed companies joined the public listings at $1 billion or above, per Crunchbase data. With the year’s end now in sight, a small window remains for other startups to launch 2026 IPOs, so we took a look at notable venture-backed startups that Crunchbase’s predictive intelligence suggests are potential IPO candidates within the next six months.
As the public-market window narrows and the filing sprint nears post-Labor Day, attention turns to venture-backed companies with a high probability of going public within the next six months. According to Crunchbase's predictive intelligence tools, seven such companies stand out for potential IPOs.
Anthropic, the most closely watched IPO prospect, is likely to debut between September and October, potentially raising up to $100 billion. Crunchbase estimates a six to 12-month timeline for an Anthropic IPO, though the company plans to beat rival OpenAI to the public markets. Anthropic has raised $125 billion from private-market investors since its founding in 2021, making its potential IPO a significant liquidity event for backers.
Our smart-ring maker, Oura, is also a likely IPO candidate within the next six months. The Finland-based company has raised $1.5 billion and could fetch a valuation above $11 billion, marking a notable test of public-market appetite for consumer health hardware. Notion, a San Francisco-based productivity-software maker, is another strong candidate for a near-term IPO.
The company has raised over $343 million and has appointed a new board of directors with significant public-company experience, signaling readiness for an IPO.
Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken is another probable public-market entrant, expected to IPO within the next six months. The Wyoming-based company filed a confidential IPO registration statement almost a year ago and is nearly ready to list, though it may delay until 2027. SambaNova, a developer of specialized AI chips and infrastructure, is also a probable IPO candidate with a slightly less than even chance of going public within the next six months. The company is rumored to be considering a U.S. IPO next year.
Stegra, a Sweden-based green-steel maker, has raised approximately $12.6 billion and is considered a probable IPO candidate with an even chance of listing within the next six months. The company has attracted orders from major automakers and industrial customers, including Mercedes-Benz and Scania, for steel produced using renewable electricity and green hydrogen. Finally, Stripe, a perennial presence on IPO prediction lists, remains a strong candidate due to its strong revenue growth from enterprise AI offerings.
Written by urgent.news from Crunchbase News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
