On June 2, Anthropic, the AI startup with the highest valuation globally, disclosed that it had confidentially submitted a draft S-1 registration statement to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on that very day. This move represents a major milestone on its path to going public. The company clarified that the execution of the proposed initial public offering (IPO) will hinge on prevailing market conditions and a range of other considerations.

In the realm of U.S. stock market listings, it's a well-established practice for companies to submit registration statements confidentially. This approach enables the soon-to-be-listed entity to engage in a preliminary review and dialogue with the SEC. Subsequently, once the conditions are deemed favorable, the company can swiftly kick off roadshows and proceed with the public offering. Moreover, should the listing endeavor fall through, the company is spared from the obligation of publicly divulging a substantial volume of internal information.

Previous reports have hinted that Anthropic's rival, OpenAI, is also gearing up to confidentially submit its registration statement in the foreseeable future. This development strongly suggests that the listing schedules of these two AI behemoths are highly likely to overlap or 'collide' in the near term.