Synopsis
AI startup Anthropic has secured a significant computing deal worth $1.8 billion with Akamai Technologies. This partnership aims to meet the growing demand for Anthropic's AI software. Akamai's shares saw a substantial rise following the announcement. The company is well-positioned to access necessary components for AI development. This development follows Anthropic's recent computing deal with Elon Musk's SpaceX.Akamai shares rose 25% on Thursday after the company had disclosed a long-term cloud deal with a frontier model provider, without naming the partner, in its earnings statement.
In regular trading on Friday, the stock was up about 28% at $149.05.
Both Akamai and Anthropic declined comment.
The cloud and cybersecurity firm forecast second-quarter revenue of between $1.08 billion and $1.10 billion, compared with analyst estimates of $1.10 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.
CEO Tom Leighton told Reuters that Akamai is in a good position to secure access to all the components, CPUs and GPUs, even as component prices have risen.
On Wednesday, Anthropic said it had reached a deal to tap the computing resources of Elon Musk's SpaceX, marking a rapprochement with a one-time critic and a boost for both companies in the competitive artificial intelligence race.
