Investors are eagerly seeking shares in AI companies, but Anthropic has updated its website to caution them against unauthorized sellers. Private and secondary investment platforms claiming to offer Anthropic shares, such as Open Doors Partners, Unicorns Exchange, Pachamama Capital, Lionheart Ventures, Hiive, Forge Global, Sydecar, and Upmarket, are not permitted to do so. Anthropic stated that any transactions made through these firms will be considered void. Forge Global contested their inclusion, stating they do not conduct transactions without company approval and are working to be removed from the alert.
The announcement comes amidst a surge in platforms providing access to AI company shares via secondary markets, SPVs, or tokenized securities. Anthropic, potentially raising funds at a $900 billion valuation, remains highly sought after, with brokers noting its scarcity. The crypto company OKX has launched products offering exposure to AI firms through pre-IPO perpetual futures contracts, though these do not grant actual share ownership.
SPVs differ from derivatives, allowing investors to buy into entities holding an interest in Anthropic, which may stem from official investors or forced liquidations, like FTX’s bankruptcy. Alternatively, these claims could be fraudulent. Anthropic has emphasized that both preferred and common stocks are under transfer restrictions, invalidating any sale not approved by its board. It states that SPVs and retail investment firms selling its shares through unauthorized means are not allowed, voiding any such transactions.