Anthropic is reportedly in $6 billion USD talks to acquire Nvidia‑backed Decart AI, a deal that could reshape its hardware strategy ahead of a planned IPO.
Deal size and status
The Live Mint article published on 13 August 2026 quotes Bloomberg and Reuters as saying Anthropic PBC is in discussions to buy Decart AI for approximately $6 billion USD. The source adds that the talks are ongoing and have not been finalised, meaning the transaction could still collapse.
“Anthropic PBC is reportedly in discussions to acquire Nvidia-backed artificial intelligence startup Decart AI for approximately $6 billion, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.”
The same piece notes that Decart raised $300 million USD in a funding round in May 2026, with Nvidia participating as a new investor.
“Decart AI funding round – $300 million USD – May 2026, Live Mint article.”
Both Bloomberg and Reuters are described as the original reporters; Live Mint serves as the conduit. Because the claim is not yet confirmed by either Anthropic or Decart, the story qualifies the acquisition as “reportedly in discussion”.
What Decart AI brings
Decart AI develops AI‑infrastructure and optimisation technology designed to improve the performance of AI applications across a broad range of chips. According to the source excerpt, the startup’s tools help developers boost efficiency on diverse hardware platforms, a capability that could be valuable to Anthropic as it scales its Claude models.
“Decart develops AI infrastructure and optimisation technology designed to help developers improve the performance of AI applications across a broad range of chips.”
Decart’s backing by Nvidia – a leader in GPU‑based AI compute – adds strategic weight. Nvidia’s participation in the May 2026 $300 million funding round signals confidence in Decart’s technology and aligns the startup with the broader AI‑hardware ecosystem.
Anthropic’s hardware push and IPO timing
Anthropic has recently signalled plans to deepen its work on AI hardware. The Live Mint piece reports that the company is recruiting engineers to co‑design custom chips and AI models, aiming to make its Claude system faster and more efficient.
“The reported acquisition discussions also come shortly after Anthropic signalled plans to deepen its work on AI hardware… recruiting engineers… to co‑design custom chips and AI models to make its Claude system faster and more efficient.”
These hiring moves suggest Anthropic is preparing for a “mega” initial public offering, as the Reuters excerpt notes. By adding Decart’s optimisation stack, Anthropic could address capacity constraints that arise as demand for its services grows.
Nvidia’s broader AI landscape
While the acquisition target is a Nvidia‑backed startup, Nvidia itself is reporting a strong quarter. Its 10‑Q filed on 20 May 2026 shows revenue of $81.615 billion USD for the quarter ending 26 April 2026, up from the prior quarter (the packet does not give the prior‑quarter figure, so no percentage is quoted). Net income for the same period was $58.321 billion USD.
Other balance‑sheet highlights from the filing include total assets of $259.474 billion USD and shareholders’ equity of $195.474 billion USD. Nvidia had 24.304 billion shares outstanding as of 25 January 2026.
These figures illustrate the scale of the ecosystem in which Decart operates. A $6 billion acquisition would represent roughly 7.4 % of Nvidia’s quarterly revenue, underscoring the materiality of the deal for Anthropic but its relative modesty for Nvidia’s overall market footprint.
Key financial figures
| Metric | Value | Currency | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reported acquisition value | 6 | USD (billion) | as of August 2026 |
| Decart AI funding round | 300 | USD (million) | May 2026 |
| Source: Live Mint article quoting Bloomberg and Reuters | |||
Company backgrounds
Anthropic PBC, founded on 26 January 2021, is a U.S.‑based artificial‑intelligence firm headquartered in San Francisco. The company’s chief executive is Dario Amodei and it employs roughly 2,500 staff, according to the Wikidata entry supplied in the packet.
Decart AI, founded in 2023 and headquartered in Tel Aviv, is led by chief executive Dean Leitersdorf. The packet does not provide employee counts or a formal industry classification beyond “artificial intelligence”.
Nvidia Corp, founded on 5 April 1993 and based in Santa Clara, United States, is led by Jensen Huang. The SEC filing shows the company employs 11,528 people and trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker NVDA.
What remains unknown
The packet does not contain a comment from Anthropic, Decart AI, or Nvidia confirming the talks. Neither the exact timing of a potential closing nor the financing structure of the $6 billion deal is disclosed. It is also unclear whether the acquisition would be cash‑only, stock‑based, or a mix, and how it would affect Anthropic’s valuation ahead of an IPO.
Finally, the packet does not specify the regulatory hurdles that could arise from a cross‑border acquisition involving a U.S. firm (Anthropic), an Israeli‑based startup (Decart), and a major U.S. semiconductor player (Nvidia). Those details will likely emerge if the deal moves beyond the discussion phase.
If the acquisition proceeds, Anthropic could accelerate its hardware roadmap, potentially narrowing the performance gap with rivals that already own custom silicon. For investors, the $6 billion price tag – while sizeable – is modest relative to Nvidia’s quarterly revenue, suggesting the deal would not materially strain Nvidia’s balance sheet but could enhance its ecosystem influence.
For customers of Anthropic’s Claude models, the integration of Decart’s optimisation stack may translate into lower latency and cost per token, especially as the company scales to meet rising demand. However, the exact impact will depend on how quickly the technology can be folded into Anthropic’s production stack.
In the short term, the story adds another layer of activity to the AI‑hardware race that has intensified since the EU’s AI‑Act introduced new compliance requirements, such as invisible watermarks. Anthropic’s move, if confirmed, would signal that the company is positioning itself to meet both performance and regulatory demands.