SpaceX sits at the top of the rumor mill because the scale being discussed is almost absurd by public-market standards. Reuters has reported SpaceX has been exploring a 2026 listing that could raise $25B+ and put the company at a valuation north of $1 trillion—a deal size that would instantly become one of the largest IPOs ever. Reuters+1 What’s also feeding the excitement is the structure: bankers and investors appear to be modeling the story around both the launch business and Starlink, and Reuters recently reported a “bake-off” among major banks, with Morgan Stanley seen as a front-runner to lead the offering. Reuters
OpenAI is the other headline-grabber, mainly because the financing and valuation chatter has reached “sovereign wealth fund” territory. Reuters reported OpenAI has discussed potentially filing as soon as the second half of 2026, and that early talks have included raising $60B at the low end—with advisers expecting the number could climb. Reuters Then, just days ago, Reuters also reported OpenAI has been in preliminary discussions about raising up to $100B at around a $750B valuation, while still laying groundwork for an IPO that could target up to $1T. Reuters+1 That combination—massive private rounds now, plus an IPO window later—keeps it on every 2026 watch list.
Anthropic is often framed as the “next” AI giant that could follow OpenAI into the public markets. Reuters, citing FT reporting, said Anthropic has discussed an IPO as early as 2026, while also negotiating a private funding round that could value it above $300B (talks described as early-stage and informal). Reuters+1 The excitement here is straightforward: if the frontier-model race stays hot and capital markets stay open, investors expect the public market will eventually want more than one pure-play “frontier AI” name.
Databricks isn’t as tabloid-flashy as rockets and chatbots, but it’s one of the cleanest “enterprise AI infrastructure” stories in the pipeline. Reuters reported Databricks raised more than $4B in a round valuing it at $134B, describing it as another big bet on the AI stack companies use to manage data and build models. Reuters There’s no firm 2026 IPO date in that reporting—but that valuation becomes the market’s anchor point any time people talk about what a Databricks IPO could be “worth” if it decides conditions are right.
Stripe remains perpetually “next up” in fintech, mostly because it keeps finding ways to stay private without starving employees and early investors of liquidity. Reuters reported Stripe’s February 2025 tender offer valued the company at $91.5B, and noted that moves like this can push an IPO further out by giving stakeholders a cash-out valve while the company keeps building. Reuters+1 Stripe itself also publicly described the tender offer at that $91.5B valuation. Stripe Bottom line: there’s no projected IPO date in the most solid reporting, but the valuation marker is public and the company stays on 2026 radars whenever markets look welcoming.
