Will 2026 Be A Big Year For IPOs? Blockbuster Tech Names on Deck

The year 2026 is shaping up to be a potentially landmark period for initial public offerings (IPOs), with technology giants SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic all reportedly eyeing public debuts. The combined value of these offerings could eclipse the total proceeds from ~200 U.S. IPOs in 2025, but will there be enough capital for them all?

SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, is reportedly planning an IPO within the next 12 months, with a targeted valuation of approximately $1.5 trillion. This move could raise over $30 billion and potentially become the largest IPO in history. These funds are planned to support ambitious projects, including the development of space-based data centers and lunar missions. Musk’s confirmation of these plans reinforces the company’s commitment to its expansive goals.

OpenAI, the organization behind ChatGPT, is also in early discussions to raise up to $100 billion, potentially valuing the company at approximately $750 billion. This substantial funding round is intended to fuel rapid expansion and set the stage for a public offering as early as 2026, which could value the company at around $1 trillion. This would position it among the largest IPOs ever.

Anthropic, an AI startup backed by Alphabet’s Google and Amazon.com, has reportedly engaged the law firm Wilson Sonsini to prepare for an IPO that could occur as early as 2026. The company, known for its AI chatbot Claude, is seeking a valuation exceeding $300 billion. 

The combined IPOs of SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic are expected to inject trillions of dollars into public markets. This influx is likely to prompt large mutual funds and ETFs to rebalance portfolios to include these new giants, potentially redirecting capital from traditional tech firms.

Investment banks would also expect a surge in underwriting, advisory, and trading revenues, potentially marking 2026 as a pivotal year for the financial sector.

The prospect of these mega-IPOs has generated significant enthusiasm in markets, offering opportunities to participate in frontier technology sectors that have previously been out of reach. There are plenty of risks however, with macroeconomic factors like interest rate fluctuations and geopolitical tensions potentially influencing the market absorption of such large-scale offerings.

A potentially transformative year for IPOs, with SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic expected to lead the charge could set hinge on how well tech and AI sentiment is holding up in the early months of 2026. Signs of bearish moves in the sector could well put pause on current ambitions, and the first out the gate could set the tone.