Anthropic, the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence developer behind the Claude family of models, has revised upward its revenue outlook for 2026 while simultaneously extending the timetable for reaching positive cash flow.
The company now projects 2026 sales to be up by roughly 20% versus earlier internal projections, with revenue expected to nearly quadruple this year to as much as $18 billion. Management also anticipates sales could rise to about $55 billion in 2027, figures that the company views as materially higher than prior internal forecasts.
Those brighter top-line expectations, however, have not translated into an earlier cash‑flow inflection. Expenses tied to the training and operation of Anthropic’s AI models have risen faster than revenue, the company says, leading it to delay the target for positive cash flow to 2028 - roughly one year later than previously contemplated.
Company officials point to higher costs for expanded model training and growing compute infrastructure as drivers of the increased spending. The expansion in training activity and the associated compute footprint have widened the gap between operating outlays and incoming sales.
Anthropic has attracted substantial investor interest in recent months, a dynamic that could provide capital support for continued expansion. At the same time, the company faces pressure to align rapid growth with a longer-term plan for financial sustainability ahead of any potential public listing.
Context and implications
Anthropic’s revised revenue trajectory indicates stronger demand or monetization for its Claude models, but the delay in achieving positive cash flow highlights the cost intensity of scaling large AI systems. The company’s experience underscores the tradeoff between accelerating model development and managing compute and infrastructure spending.
This combination of faster revenue growth and even faster expense growth leaves the company in a position where investor backing will likely remain important as it balances scaling ambitions with the need for durable profitability.