Podcast Summary: Anthropic–IBM Joint $190M Project Builds Future AI Tools
The Last Invention is AI
Host: Jaden Schaefer
Date: December 5, 2025
Episode Overview
In this episode, host Jaden Schaefer discusses the surge of enterprise-focused developments around Anthropic—including its preparation for a landmark IPO, a $200 million multi-year deal with Snowflake, and its strategic partnerships with IBM and Deloitte. The overarching theme is how Anthropic is positioning itself as a leader in business AI solutions, specializing in robust, developer-friendly models, and forging significant B2B partnerships. The episode also examines how these moves set Anthropic apart from competitors like OpenAI, especially in the context of IPO strategies and enterprise adoption.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Anthropic’s IPO Preparation
- Anthropic is ramping up for an Initial Public Offering (IPO), which could happen as early as 2026.
- Jaden highlights that law firm Wilson Sonsini has been hired to guide the company through the legal processes (02:30).
- Current valuations and funding rounds:
- Last raised $13B in September 2025 at a $183B valuation.
- New fundraising may bring valuation up to $300B, positioning Anthropic within striking distance of OpenAI’s $500B value.
- Both OpenAI and Anthropic are preparing for IPOs, but Anthropic may try to go first—potentially influencing OpenAI’s approach.
Quote:
"They're preparing for an IPO and apparently according to the Financial Times, this could come as early as 2026 next year. They have actually already hired the law firms... to basically prepare for what could be one of the largest IPOs ever."
— Jaden (02:10)
2. Enterprise Deals & Snowflake Partnership
- Anthropic signed a major $200M multi-year deal with Snowflake to integrate Claude LLMs with Snowflake’s enterprise clients (05:00).
- Details:
- Deal is not annual; revenue is recognized over multiple years but booked up-front for IPO optics.
- Snowflake to use Claude Sonnet 4.5/Opus 4.5 to power “Snowflake Intelligence”, enabling advanced multimodal data analysis and AI agent creation for enterprise customers.
- Clients can use Claude models or build their own AI agents within Snowflake’s environment.
- Strategic angle: These deals strengthen Anthropic’s balance sheet for IPO and show real business traction.
Quote from Snowflake CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy (quoted by Jaden, 06:20):
"Anthropic joins a very select group of partners where we have nine-figure alignment, co-innovation at the product level and a proven track record of executing together for customers worldwide. Together, the combined power of Claude and Snowflake is raising the bar..."
Quote from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei (quoted by Jaden, 07:55):
"Enterprises have spent years building secure, trusted data environments and now they want AI that can work within those environments without compromise. This partnership brings Claude directly into Snowflake, where that data already lives. It's a meaningful step towards making Frontier AI genuinely useful for business."
3. Anthropic’s Enterprise-Focused Strategy
- Unlike OpenAI, Anthropic is carving out a niche in enterprise and developer tools rather than targeting mass consumer adoption (10:10).
- Jaden describes recent partnerships:
- October deal with Deloitte: Claude to be the default model for Deloitte’s 500,000+ staff.
- Anthropic-IBM partnership integrates Anthropic's LLMs into IBM software products.
- Internal metrics show developers and enterprise users strongly favor Anthropic’s models.
- Menlo Ventures’ July survey indicated employees prefer Anthropic’s AI over Google and OpenAI in business settings (11:30).
- Anthropic prioritizes deep integration and advanced capabilities (e.g., codebase analysis for developers).
Quote:
"Anthropic does not have those deals or that kind of usage from individuals. But what they do have is a lot of businesses that use them. And, and I'll even say, like for just purely coding, you know, using Claude code...and it is miles ahead of everyone else. It seems to be the number one tool that developers want to use when building and coding because it can look at your whole codebase."
— Jaden (11:15)
4. Model Improvements and Impact on Developers
- Recent upgrades to Opus 4.5 and Sonnet 4.5 have significantly improved results for AI tool builders
- Jaden shares firsthand experience: Upgrading to Opus 4.5 improved the tool quality by ~20% in AI Box, his own startup (09:15).
- Highlights how better models lead to smarter, more robust AI products—not just marginal improvements in language output.
Quote:
"When we upgraded literally the quality of our tools... increased like 20%, I would say... When you're using these models to become kind of like the thinking engine and the intelligence... all of a sudden the tools that are coming out are actually built better and they work better."
— Jaden (09:45)
5. Contrast with OpenAI
- OpenAI’s main KPI is mass user count (800M+ weekly actives), compared to Anthropic’s focus on high-value enterprise deals.
- Anthropic's strategy prioritizes developer and business productivity over consumer ubiquity.
Notable Quotes & Timestamps
-
On IPO preparation:
"They're preparing for an IPO...hired Wilson Sonsini...to prepare for what could be one of the largest IPOs ever." (02:10) -
On enterprise strategy:
"Anthropic does not have...that kind of usage from individuals. But what they do have is a lot of businesses that use them." (11:15) -
On partnership impact:
"It's a meaningful step towards making Frontier AI genuinely useful for business." — Dario Amodei (07:55) -
On model improvements:
"When we upgraded...the quality of our tools...increased like 20%." (09:45) -
On developer focus:
"It seems to be the number one tool that developers want to use when building and coding because it can look at your whole code base." (11:15)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:30 – Anthropic’s IPO rumors and preparation
- 02:10 – Law firm engagement and motivations for timing
- 05:00 – $200M Snowflake deal explained
- 06:20 – Snowflake CEO’s statement
- 07:55 – Anthropic CEO’s perspective on data and business integration
- 09:15 – Jaden’s firsthand experience with Opus 4.5 upgrades
- 10:10 – Enterprise strategy distinction (Anthropic vs. OpenAI)
- 11:30 – Developer and business survey insights
Episode Tone and Language
- Jaden Schaefer's tone is energetic, conversational, with practical insights from both industry news and his own AI-building experiences.
- The language is accessible yet technical where necessary, aiming to demystify business developments while highlighting their practical impacts.