AI investors are snapping up privately held startup shares on marketplaces like EquityZen and Rainmaker; some Anthropic bidders are paying up to a 25% premium

The buzz around artificial intelligence has investors snapping up shares of startups on alternative venues, looking to find the next wave of technology giants before they even go public. AI and machine learning have remained the most in-demand sectors every month this year, accounting for 25% to 30% of investor interest, according to EquityZen Securities Inc., a marketplace for privately held shares. On Rainmaker Securities, a platform that facilitates secondary stock transactions for private businesses, investors are paying up for shares of companies like OpenAI and Anthropic, startups that are seen as leading the pack in AI.

There’s high demand and high valuation of AI and machine learning startups in the private markets. The article provides some examples of such startups and the platforms that facilitate the trading of their pre-IPO shares. It also mentions some of the challenges and risks involved in investing in AI.

AI and machine learning are the most in-demand sectors for investors looking for the next wave of technology giants before they go public.
Some of the leading AI startups include OpenAI and Anthropic, which are developing general and human-like artificial intelligence.
Some of the platforms that enable secondary stock transactions for private AI businesses include EquityZen and Rainmaker, where investors are bidding up the shares of AI startups.
Investing in AI involves some challenges and risks, such as regulatory uncertainty, ethical concerns, and technical complexity. Investors need to do their due diligence and understand the potential and limitations of AI.