Anthropic Makes Its Move

Feb 13, 2026 19m

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Episode Description

Anthropic raises the second largest financing round of all time. Other AI players are beginning to show hockey stick revenue growth. Meta wants to add facial recognition to its glasses. Ring pulls back from some recognition partnerships for its camera. And, of course, your Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Anthropic closes $30 billion funding round as cash keeps flowing into top AI startups (CNBC) Enterprise AI startup Cohere tops revenue target as momentum builds to IPO: Investor memo (CNBC) Meta Plans to Add Facial Recognition Technology to Its Smart Glasses (NYTimes) Ring cancels its partnership with Flock Safety after surveillance backlash (The Verge) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: The AI Gold Rush Is Breaking a Silicon Valley Taboo: Cashing Out Before the IPO (WSJ) The New Fabio Is Claude (NYTimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Anthropic's Record Funding Round

Anthropic has raised a staggering $30 billion in its Series G funding round, marking the second largest in history following OpenAI. This funding brings Anthropic's valuation to $380 billion, more than double its worth from the previous funding round in September. The capital, which includes significant investments from Microsoft and NVIDIA, is aimed at expanding the company's infrastructure and enterprise-grade products.

Growing Revenue in AI Startups

Various AI companies are showing explosive revenue growth, with Anthropic's annualized revenue increasing from $10 billion to $14 billion over the past year. Furthermore, companies like Cohere are also seeing remarkable growth, surpassing their revenue targets and building momentum towards an IPO.

Meta's Controversial Moves in Facial Recognition

Meta plans to integrate facial recognition technology into its smart glasses, stirring concerns about privacy and civil liberties after previously shutting down such features. This move comes at a politically tumultuous time, as Meta attempts to manage the backlash from different stakeholders.

Ring Withdraws from Flock Safety Partnership

Following a wave of public backlash, Amazon's Ring has cancelled its partnership with Flock Safety due to concerns over surveillance and privacy. This decision comes amidst rising scrutiny of Ring's history with law enforcement and its recent criticisms regarding privacy risks from its technology.

Weekend Longreads Overview

The episode concludes with recommendations for weekend readings, including insights on how startups are adapting to private shares liquidity, and the impact of AI on the romance novel industry, illustrating a broader narrative around digital transformations.