Anthropic is in talks to acquire Nvidia-backed startup Decart AI for roughly $6 billion, a source told Reuters, as the maker of the Claude chatbot moves to boost its computing power ahead of a planned public listing.
The deal, first reported by Bloomberg News, is still in early stages. If completed, Decart's team would join Anthropic's inference and performance organization, the source said.
An Anthropic spokesperson declined to comment. Decart did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment outside regular business hours.
What Decart builds
Decart develops AI infrastructure and optimization technology, along with its own models. Its Lucy model can edit live video in real time. The startup also built Oasis, a model that creates simulated environments for training robotics and autonomous-driving systems.
The company raised $300 million in May in a funding round led by Radical Ventures, with Nvidia joining as a new investor.
Why Anthropic wants it
Anthropic is preparing for a mega IPO and needs more computing capacity to handle growing demand for its services. Decart's infrastructure expertise could help Anthropic absorb more demand, according to the source.
Last week, Anthropic said it was hiring engineers across hardware and software to help co-design custom chips and more efficient AI models for Claude. The potential Decart acquisition fits that same strategy: get more performance without relying solely on external chip suppliers.
The video connection
Decart's Lucy model edits live video in real time, putting the startup in the middle of the generative video space - a field where AI companies are racing to build tools that work with moving images, not just text or static pictures.
Why this matters for general professionals
If you use AI tools at work, this deal signals that demand for AI services is straining the systems behind them. Companies like Anthropic aren't just improving software - they're buying hardware and infrastructure companies to keep up. That means availability and speed of tools like Claude could change based on which companies own the servers and chips. For professionals who rely on these tools, it's worth paying attention to who controls the infrastructure, not just the interface.
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