Anthropic warns investors about secondary share sale platforms
▼ Summary
– Anthropic warned investors that several private and secondary investment platforms are not authorized to sell or transfer its shares, declaring any such transactions void.
– Platforms named as unauthorized include Open Doors Partners, Unicorns Exchange, Pachamama Capital, Lionheart Ventures, Hiive, Forge Global, Sydecar, and Upmarket.
– Forge Global claimed it was included erroneously, stating it does not facilitate transactions without explicit company approval.
– Sydecar said it only acts administratively and requires sponsors to attest to having necessary approvals from the company.
– Anthropic prohibits special purpose vehicles (SPVs) from acquiring its stock and bans offers to invest in its financing rounds through SPVs.
As investors increasingly chase opportunities in the AI sector, Anthropic has taken a firm stand against unauthorized secondary trading of its shares. The company recently updated its website to explicitly warn that several private and secondary investment platforms are not permitted to facilitate the buying or selling of its stock.
Anthropic specifically named Open Doors Partners, Unicorns Exchange, Pachamama Capital, Lionheart Ventures, Hiive (for new offerings), Forge Global (for new offerings), Sydecar, and Upmarket as entities lacking authorization to handle its shares. The company’s support page states that any sale or transfer of Anthropic stock, or any interest in it, conducted through these firms is void and will not be recognized on its books.
In response, Forge Global disputed its inclusion, telling TechCrunch it is working with Anthropic to have its name removed. The platform emphasized that it does not facilitate transactions in any private company’s shares without explicit company approval. Sydecar clarified that it only acts in an administrative capacity, stating it does not buy or sell securities or solicit transactions, and requires sponsors to attest that they have reviewed relevant documents and obtained necessary approvals.
This warning comes amid a surge in platforms offering exposure to AI companies through secondary markets, where existing shareholders sell their stakes, or via tokenized securities, special purpose vehicles (SPVs), and secondary market holdings. Anthropic, reportedly raising fresh funding at a $900 billion valuation, has become one of the most sought-after stocks, with brokers describing it as the “hardest” to source.
Hiive spokesperson Dakota Betts acknowledged the concerns, stating that unauthorized share sales and investment scams are serious issues. He noted that Hiive has invested heavily in legal, compliance, and diligence infrastructure, and that all share transfers facilitated by Hiive are approved by the issuer.
The landscape has also seen crypto companies like OKX launch investment products offering exposure to AI firms, often through pre-IPO perpetual futures contracts. These derivatives track private company values on secondary markets but do not represent actual share ownership. In contrast, SPVs allow investors to buy shares of an entity holding a stake in Anthropic, which could stem from an official investor or from forced liquidations, such as during the FTX bankruptcy. However, some claims may be entirely fraudulent.
Anthropic stressed that both its preferred and common stock are subject to transfer restrictions, meaning any sale or transfer not approved by its board of directors is invalid. The company explicitly prohibits SPVs and retail investment firms from claiming to sell its shares, whether directly or through forward contracts. “We do not permit special purpose vehicles (SPVs) to acquire Anthropic stock and any transfer of shares to an SPV are void under our transfer restrictions,” the company stated. “Offers to invest in Anthropic’s past or future financing rounds through an SPV are prohibited.”
(Source: TechCrunch)
