Anthropic ends talks on potential $6bn acquisition of Decart AI

Anthropic has decided not to go through with a potential acquisition of AI lab Decart AI, valued at around $6 billion, according to Bloomberg. Negotiations had been ongoing last month, but the deal did not proceed. Sources close to the matter say that Anthropic completed due diligence on Decart AI before ultimately deciding against the acquisition.

While no longer pursuing a purchase, the companies may pursue other forms of collaboration in the future. The $6 billion deal would have been a significant purchase for Anthropic, a US-based developer of the Claude chatbot. Decart AI specializes in creating world models, simulations of the physical world, and software to enhance hardware efficiency and reduce AI training costs.

Its Lucy AI model transforms live video feeds into real-time representations of people. Decart AI was founded in 2023 by Dean Leitersdorf, Orian Leitersdorf, and Moshe Shalev, all Israeli engineers. The company has attracted investment from various technology and venture capital firms, including Radical Ventures, Nvidia, and Sequoia Capital.

In May, Decart AI raised $300 million in a funding round led by Radical Ventures, increasing its valuation to nearly $4 billion. Anthropic has been concentrating on bolstering its computing capabilities to support new product development and customer service, with plans for a potential IPO.