Bankers are buzzing: OpenAI could hit public markets in 2026 with a $1T valuation – time to rethink AI investing as a dev?
Picture this: you’ve been building apps on top of OpenAI’s APIs for years, watching their valuation skyrocket in private rounds. Now, whispers from The New York Times say OpenAI and Anthropic are prepping for IPOs in 2026, potentially unlocking $2.9 trillion in sidelined value including SpaceX[1]. As a developer, this isn’t just stock ticker drama – it’s a signal that AI giants are maturing into public behemoths, which could mean more stable APIs, enterprise-grade tools, and maybe even developer equity programs we haven’t seen yet.
Why does this hit different for us coders? OpenAI’s public debut would benchmark valuations for every AI startup you’re eyeing or building. Think $1 trillion territory – that’s mega-cap status testing if investors still salivate over generative AI post-hype[1]. Anthropic, at $350B potential, looks like the pure-play AI IPO to watch, with its enterprise focus. Practically, expect pricing shifts in models like GPT as they chase shareholder value; I’ve seen how cloud costs fluctuate with big funding – this could amplify that.
My hot take? This IPO wave forces accountability. No more black-box valuations – public scrutiny means better governance, which trickles to safer tools for us. But will Wall Street undervalue the real moat (data flywheels) or overhype it into a bubble? Devs, are you positioning your side projects for this shift?
Source: The Daily Upside