Anthropic has secured a $3.5 billion Series E funding round, raising its valuation to $61.5 billion. This significant investment, backed by prominent investors like Lightspeed and Bessemer, will fuel the company’s AI development efforts globally. The funding comes from Anthropic’s leadership team, including former OpenAI members like Dario Amodei, who emphasizes the company’s dedication to advancing next-generation AI technologies for long-term growth. With this funding, the company aims to further its technical and international ambitions. Amazon also strengthened their existing stake in the company during this round. Notably, there’s no immediate cryptocurrency market impact reported. While observers see the move as supporting Anthropic’s technical and global expansion, they await further developments. The funding comes without an official employee share buyback, a trend similar to previous rounds from competitors like OpenAI. Experts view this strategic choice as aligning with industry patterns, suggesting Anthropic prioritizes AI advancement over immediate financial returns for employees. Further investments will likely impact the company’s trajectory and workforce options in the long run.