Anthropic, the developer behind the Claude AI model, has terminated a deal to acquire the Israeli startup Decart AI. The transaction, which was in the final stages of due diligence, was valued at between $6 billion and $7 billion.
Decart AI, founded in 2023 by Dean Leitersdorf and Moshe Shalev, specializes in technologies that optimize computational resources. Their solutions allow AI models to function on chips from Google and Amazon, rather than relying exclusively on Nvidia hardware.
Industry analysts suggest several reasons for the collapse of the deal. One theory points to a disagreement over valuation, as Decart was reportedly seeking at least $6 billion, while its valuation in May 2026 stood at approximately $4 billion.
Other potential factors include geopolitical concerns regarding Qatari investments in Anthropic, or a decision by Anthropic to develop similar optimization technology internally. Nvidia, an existing investor in Decart, had reportedly offered a higher price than Anthropic.
Following the failed acquisition, Nvidia has shifted its focus to the purchase of Hugging Face for $12.9 billion. The future of Decart remains uncertain as the startup has not yet established a singular, definitive business model.
