Anthropic signs $10 billion computing deal with new cloud startup: Here’s why

Anthropic has reportedly signed a $10 billion deal for computing capacity from a months-old infrastructure startup, marking a significant move by the AI maker to keep pace with increasing demand for its products.

The primary motive behind the contract is to access a data center managed by Nvidia Corp-backed cloud startup Volta Infra Holdings. Volta said earlier today that it has secured a major $10 billion deal with an unnamed AI lab which will be delivered in collaboration with Bitdeer Technologies Group.

Anthropic has forged ahead in recent months to bolster its computing resources as more businesses and consumers turn to its tools to optimize workflows.

Anthropic raised $65 billion in a major funding round this year to help cover the huge cost of AI development while accessing public equity for capital with a potential Wall Street debut as soon as this year.

Volta further clarified that the data center site in Norway offers 133 megawatts of capacity and will be stocked aligned with Nvidia’s newest Vera Rubin chips.

As reported by the Bloomberg News, it focuses collaboration between companies with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Akamai Technologies Inc.’s data centers.

Notably, Volta’s partner, Bitdeer is among a rising number of Bitcoin mining companies that are converting their data centers from stamping the cryptocurrency to supporting AI application as Bitcoin prices slump.

Anthropic and OpenAI cloud-computing startups to build data center capacity

Anthropic and rival OpenAI have utilized a combination of large tech firms and newer cloud-computing startups to build out the data center capacity which is vital for developing better AI systems and supporting broader adoption.

OpenAI’s Sam Altman has said he expects the company to spend trillions of dollars on physical infrastructure for AI, and the company is currently planning to build a new data center in Georgia that could cost more than $30 billion.

OpenAI and Anthropic have earlier faced immense criticism as these deals create a globalized web of dependencies between suppliers and AI developers that could leverage losses if AI demand fails to live up to the elevated expectations.