Full Breakdown
Anthropic Walks Away from $6 Billion Decart Deal After Due Diligence
9/9/2026, 3:40:49 AM
Core Event
On September 8, 2026, Anthropic announced—through Bloomberg—that it would not proceed with the acquisition of Israeli AI startup Decart AI. The proposed transaction, valued at roughly $6 billion (some outlets cited $6–7 billion), was halted after Anthropic completed due-diligence. Both companies declined to comment publicly.
Background & Context
Decart AI, founded in 2023 by former Unit 8200 engineers, offers the real-time video-editing model Lucy and the robotics simulation platform Oasis. It raised $300 million on May 18, bringing total funding above $450 million and valuing the firm at nearly $4 billion. Investors include Nvidia, Sequoia Capital, Benchmark, Adobe Ventures, and Zeev Ventures. The company employs roughly 100 people.
Anthropic, developer of the Claude chatbot, has been expanding compute capacity to support product growth. Its annualized revenue run rate surpassed $65 billion by mid-2026, and the firm is preparing for an IPO projected to target a valuation of up to $2 trillion, with marketing expected to begin around mid-October (reported September 4).
Data & Statistics
- Proposed acquisition price: $6 billion (some reports cite $6–7 billion).
- Decart valuation after May 2023 round: ? $4 billion -> about a 50 % premium.
- Funding raised to date: ? $450 million.
- Employee headcount: ? 100.
- Anthropic’s compute-lease commitments: ? 14.8 GW over the past 11 months (The Information).
Official Statements & Responses
Both Anthropic and Decart issued no public comment on the termination of talks. Bloomberg sources indicated the parties may still explore alternative collaborations, such as a customer-supplier relationship or a minority investment, but no formal terms have been disclosed.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Deal size: Most sources cite $6 billion, while some mention a $6–7 billion range.
- Reason for collapse: No definitive explanation has been provided. Press speculation includes technical concerns, scalability doubts, antitrust risk, and talent-relocation issues.
- Future collaboration: Reports agree discussions about alternative partnerships remain open, yet details are unconfirmed.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The significance is less that artificial intelligence has displaced search, because it has not, than that it is competing with marketplaces and social platforms at the point where consumers narrow their choices,” — PYMNTS
Why It Matters
The aborted acquisition removes what would have been Anthropic’s largest purchase and a high-visibility entry into Israel’s AI ecosystem. For Decart, the loss of a multibillion-dollar exit means continued pursuit of strategic partners or buyers. For Anthropic, walking away eliminates a major financial commitment and integration risk just weeks before its IPO, allowing focus on internal compute-efficiency solutions. The episode underscores heightened scrutiny of large AI-related deals amid regulatory and valuation concerns.
What’s Next
Anthropic is slated to begin IPO marketing in mid-October, targeting a valuation that could exceed $2 trillion. Decart is expected to pursue other strategic options, including collaborations with existing investors or new acquisition overtures, while continuing development of its chip-optimization stack and AI models.
