Financial markets are turning their attention to a group of venture-backed startups after Crunchbase’s forecasting tools indicated that eight of them could be candidates for an initial public offering within the next six months. These estimates do not mean that the IPOs are certain; rather, they measure a probability based on financing, growth, valuations, hiring, and market-share expansion data.
This tracking comes as the end of 2026 approaches and the time available to companies seeking to carry out an offering during the year diminishes. Meanwhile, the first half of 2026 saw 58 investor-backed companies list at valuations of $1 billion or more, compared with 27 companies during the same period in 2025 and 69 companies throughout last year.
In terms of funds raised, venture-backed startups raised $110.8 billion through initial public offerings during the first half of 2026, compared with $12.6 billion in the first half of 2025. SpaceX’s offering in June was the main factor, as the company listed on Nasdaq and raised $86 billion.
Artificial intelligence companies lead the scene
Anthropic remains the most prominent name on the list, as the most valuable investor-backed startup according to the article. Reports cited by The Wall Street Journal indicate that it could go public in September or October and raise up to $100 billion, while Crunchbase models place the offering within a longer timeframe of six to 12 months. The article says Anthropic has raised $125 billion from private-market investors since its founding in 2021.
OpenEvidence, an artificial intelligence platform for doctors, appears to be a potential candidate for an offering within the next six months. However, CEO Daniel Nadler said in an interview with CNBC that the company may wait for OpenAI and Anthropic to go public first, considering that foundational artificial intelligence model companies will reach the public markets before artificial intelligence applications.
The list also includes SambaNova, which develops specialized artificial intelligence chips and infrastructure. Crunchbase gives it a probability slightly below 50% of going public within the next six months, after it raised a $1 billion Series F round this summer at a post-money valuation of $11 billion. Co-founder and CEO Rodrigo Liang told CNBC that the company was seriously considering a U.S. offering next year.
Software, payments, and cryptocurrency platforms
Notion, the San Francisco-based enterprise productivity platform, is considered a strong candidate according to Crunchbase tools and independent reports. The company has raised more than $343 million, and the article points to strong growth in revenue from its artificial-intelligence-powered offerings. It also appointed a new board of directors with extensive experience at public companies, a step that a press report described as significant progress toward an IPO.
Stripe repeatedly returns to prediction lists. The payments company has raised $10.4 billion since its founding in 2010, including capital rounds and secondary share sales, but it has provided liquidity to employees through recurring buyback offers instead of listing its shares. Crunchbase considers a Stripe listing likely in the long term, but the window over the next six months is less clear, while CEO John Collison said the company is in no rush.
Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, based in Cheyenne, Wyoming, submitted a confidential IPO registration statement to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission about a year ago, then paused its plans amid market volatility. CEO Arjun Sethi said in May that the company was approximately 80% ready for a 2026 listing, despite reports that the process could be postponed until 2027.
Consumer health and green steel
Oura, the Finnish maker of the smart ring, appears to be a potential candidate for an offering within the next six months. It has raised $1.5 billion from investors, while a potential offering in September or October could value it at more than $11 billion, the valuation of its latest funding round. The offering’s success would test investor appetite for consumer health devices, a category that has seen a limited number of major venture-backed listings in recent years.
The list includes Sweden’s Stegra, which specializes in green steel production. The company has raised approximately $12.6 billion through equity and debt financing, including €1.4 billion in financing that closed in June. It is working on an integrated plant in Boden, northern Sweden, whose first phase was designed to produce 2.5 million tons of green steel annually using renewable electricity and green hydrogen. Companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Scania, Porsche, Volvo Group, and Ingka Group have ordered products from the project, with some deliveries expected to begin in 2027, although the project’s overall schedule remains under review.
What does the list mean in practice?
The list reveals the breadth of the bet on artificial-intelligence-related IPOs, while at the same time highlighting differences in companies’ readiness. Some have direct indicators of preparation, such as appointing a board with public-company experience or submitting a confidential registration, while the inclusion of others is based on probability models or public statements about considering an offering.
Crunchbase’s methodology distinguishes between the likelihood that a company will eventually list and the timing of that listing. A company is classified as a near-term candidate when it is at least in the “likely” category, with a probability of 40% or more of going public within six months of the prediction date. Crunchbase emphasizes that the results are directional and may change as new market and company data becomes available. Therefore, the conclusion is not that these companies will certainly list in 2026, but that their moves are worth watching in a market that has experienced an exceptional resurgence while also approaching the end of the offering window available this year.