Anthropic has spun out a new company called Ode, an enterprise services firm built to bring artificial intelligence to mid-sized businesses. The startup is valued at $1.5 billion and counts Blackstone and Goldman Sachs among its backers.
What Ode will do
Ode plans to sell AI tools and consulting to companies that are too big for off-the-shelf software but too small to build their own models. The firm’s pitch is that it can handle the heavy lifting — data prep, model selection, deployment — so clients don’t have to hire a team of PhDs.
Anthropic, best known for its Claude chatbot, is keeping Ode at arm’s length. The new company operates independently, though it will likely use Anthropic’s underlying technology. The valuation of $1.5 billion puts Ode in the same league as other well-funded AI startups, but its focus on mid-market clients sets it apart.
Why the backers matter
Blackstone and Goldman Sachs are not typical early-stage AI investors. Both firms have deep ties to the financial and corporate world, which could help Ode land contracts with banks, insurers, and other regulated industries. The involvement of these two heavyweights signals that Ode is aiming for serious revenue, not just hype.
Neither Blackstone nor Goldman Sachs has disclosed the size of their stakes. Ode declined to comment on the terms of the funding round.
Who Ode is for
Mid-sized firms — companies with a few hundred to a few thousand employees — often get stuck. They can’t afford the custom AI systems that large enterprises build, but they also can’t get by with consumer-grade tools. Ode wants to fill that gap by offering a mix of packaged services and tailored solutions.
The company says it will target sectors like healthcare, logistics, and professional services. It has not named any clients yet.
Ode’s launch comes at a time when many businesses are still figuring out how to use AI without breaking the bank or running into compliance issues. The company’s pitch is that it can handle both the technical and regulatory sides.
What’s next
Ode is hiring engineers and sales staff. It plans to announce its first customer deployments in the coming months. The company has not set a timeline for profitability.
