Anthropic, the company behind the Claude AI models, is reportedly engaged in early-stage discussions to purchase Decart AI, an Israeli-founded startup specializing in artificial intelligence optimization and generative technologies. Sources familiar with the matter indicate the proposed transaction could value Decart at about $6 billion, making it Anthropic’s largest known acquisition to date if completed.
Decart develops software designed to enhance the efficiency of AI chips, allowing training and inference processes to run more cost-effectively across hardware from providers including Nvidia, Google’s TPUs, and Amazon’s Trainium.
This optimization technology aims to extract greater performance from existing computing resources, potentially enabling Anthropic to better manage surging demand for its services without proportional increases in infrastructure spending.
Beyond its efficiency tools, Decart has built generative systems, including Lucy, which supports real-time video editing, and Oasis, a world model that generates simulated environments useful for training robotics and autonomous systems.
Founded in late 2023 by Dean Leitersdorf and Moshe Shalev—alumni of Israel’s elite Unit 8200 intelligence unit—Decart has grown rapidly. The company is headquartered with operations spanning Tel Aviv and San Francisco.
It has attracted significant venture backing, raising $300 million in a May 2026 funding round led by Radical Ventures that valued it near $4 billion.
Nvidia joined that round as a new investor, alongside previous supporters such as Sequoia Capital, Benchmark, and Zeev Ventures.
Total capital raised exceeds $450 million. For Anthropic, the potential purchase aligns with pressing operational needs.
The firm has been investing in computing capacity to support product development and expanding customer usage of Claude, particularly as it prepares for a highly anticipated public listing.
Reports suggest that if the deal proceeds, Decart’s personnel would integrate into Anthropic’s inference and performance teams, focusing on improving throughput and reducing costs.
Anthropic has historically pursued few large-scale acquisitions, making this move notable.
As Bloomberg first reported, discussions remain preliminary, and sources caution that negotiations could still collapse without a final agreement.
Both companies have declined to comment on the reports. Earlier speculation had linked Decart to other potential suitors, including Nvidia, though those talks appear to have shifted.
The reported valuation represents a substantial premium over Decart’s most recent private funding mark, reflecting the intense competition for talent and technologies that improve AI infrastructure efficiency.
In an industry where compute costs and availability remain critical constraints, capabilities that stretch existing hardware further hold strategic value.
Anthropic’s interest underscores broader industry efforts to optimize performance ahead of increased public-market scrutiny on margins and scalability.
As AI companies race to expand capabilities while controlling expenses, moves like this highlight how specialized infrastructure startups can play pivotal roles in larger players’ growth plans. Whether the talks culminate in a completed transaction will depend on final terms, due diligence, and mutual alignment on integration.
