According to two insiders with knowledge of the situation, Anthropic had once entertained discussions about acquiring the AI chip startup MatX for roughly $7 billion. The move was aimed at expediting the development of tailored hardware to bolster its AI operations. Nevertheless, the acquisition talks have since been called off, with the focus now shifting to potential collaborative efforts. Presently, MatX is in the process of securing a fresh round of funding, with an estimated valuation hovering around $4 billion.