Lightspeed Venture Partners has led a US$2 billion funding round for AI company Anthropic, boosting its valuation to US$60 billion. This marks a significant increase rise from its valuation a year ago.

Lightspeed, which manages US$25 billion, has also invested in Databricks and Elon Musk’s xAI, valuing them at US$62 billion and US$50 billion, respectively.

To date, Lightspeed has invested US$2.2 billion in AI ventures, excluding the recent Anthropic deal.

The firm is also finalizing a US$7 billion fundraising initiative to support future AI projects.

Despite the excitement around AI, the sector faces risks like high infrastructure costs and fierce competition.