TechCrunch reported that as SpaceX completes its large-scale IPO, the pace at which AI companies are going public is accelerating noticeably. The article noted that OpenAI and Anthropic are now seen as the next likely candidates for an IPO, with market focus shifting from individual company valuations to which industries the AI boom will drive capital toward next.
Capital is increasingly flowing into AI and deep tech.
The article argues that this round of IPO windows differs from the early stage when internet platforms dominated the market. Today, greater attention is being paid to AI labs, chip companies, and deep tech firms in aerospace. The focus of capital is shifting from consumer internet and social platforms to companies training models, building computing power, and advancing infrastructure.
Under this context, SpaceX’s示范效应 extends beyond its fundraising scale. Analysts note that more noteworthy is how it has reshaped market expectations regarding the path to IPO for tech companies, including issues such as high valuations, long-term investments, and founder control.
OpenAI and Anthropic are facing a race against time.
The article notes a clear time-based competition between OpenAI and Anthropic, as public market funding and investor attention are limited—whichever company enters the market first may gain an advantage in valuation, subscription interest, and narrative momentum.
However, the comments also noted that this competition is largely a short-term consideration. For these AI companies, the more critical challenge remains how to sustain growth expectations after going public and how to explain to public markets a business model characterized by high investment, long cycles, and simultaneous profit pressures.
The listing expectations have spilled over into more sectors.
The article suggests that the capital narrative surrounding AI and SpaceX has begun to spill over, with some companies leveraging this momentum to advance fundraising or reverse mergers, attempting to position themselves within the same growth story. It mentions that Quantum Space is pursuing a SPAC transaction to capitalize on the market attention generated by SpaceX’s upcoming listing.
In addition to companies directly aiming for an IPO, some startups that may not go public anytime soon are also raising funds around concepts such as space-based data centers. Their bets are not on short-term revenue, but on the new demand that could emerge if SpaceX successfully brings these services to market.
The AI boom is reshaping the broader industrial chain.
The comment also noted that AI's impact on the economy extends beyond the applications of models themselves, encompassing new investment directions emerging around AI infrastructure. For example, traditional automakers are repurposing idle battery production capacity toward data center energy storage to meet the growing demand driven by the expansion of computing infrastructure.
The article argues that this demonstrates AI is already reshaping capital allocation and corporate strategy. Whether this shift can be sustained in the long term remains to be seen, but its impacts are already unfolding across markets—from fundraising and IPOs to industry transitions.