Artificial Intelligence
Anthropic backs European AI consultancy with Hg
Anthropic and Hg agreed to create an independent European consultancy that will place AI consultants and engineers inside client businesses, according to people familiar with the deal.
- People familiar with the matter said Anthropic and Hg had agreed to set up an independent company for corporate clients.
- The new company was expected to place AI consultants and engineers inside European businesses, including firms in Hg’s portfolio.
- Anthropic was to contribute balance-sheet capital, while Hg was to invest through funds it manages, including HgCapital Trust.
- The consultancy was expected to launch by the end of the year and to have hubs in London and Berlin.
- Anthropic and Hg declined to comment.
Anthropic agreed to back a new European consultancy with Hg, according to people familiar with the matter. They said the venture would be an independent company aimed at corporate clients.
The people said the new business would embed AI consultants and engineers in European companies, including firms owned by Hg. They added that the engineers would help design new AI-based products or support existing projects.
The company was expected to start by the end of the year and to operate from hubs in London and Berlin. It was also expected to work with software companies serving business customers or other white-collar users.
Anthropic was set to provide capital from its own balance sheet, while Hg would invest through funds it manages, including HgCapital Trust, the people said. Anthropic had worked with Hg’s portfolio companies since 2024 and with other European buyout firms, the article said.
The report placed the move alongside other AI-company services ventures, including Anthropic’s US deal with Blackstone and Hellman & Friedman and OpenAI’s joint venture with TPG, Advent, Bain Capital and Brookfield. Anthropic and Hg declined to comment.
Named in this story
People
- Dario Amodei
- was named as Anthropic’s founder
Companies
- Anthropic
- agreed to back the new consultancy and invest capital
- Hg
- agreed to set up the company and invest through funds it manages
- Accenture
- was cited as a traditional consulting rival
- Deloitte
- was cited as one of the Big Four consulting groups
- EY
- was cited as one of the Big Four consulting groups
- KPMG
- was cited as one of the Big Four consulting groups
- PwC
- was cited as one of the Big Four consulting groups
- Blackstone
- backed Anthropic’s similar US venture Ode
- Hellman & Friedman
- backed Anthropic’s similar US venture Ode
- Ode
- was the standalone service company launched in the US
- Goldman Sachs
- was listed as an investor in Ode
- Apollo Global
- was listed as an investor in Ode
- OpenAI
- launched a joint venture in May
- TPG
- backed OpenAI’s joint venture
- Advent
- backed OpenAI’s joint venture
- Bain Capital
- backed OpenAI’s joint venture
- Brookfield
- backed OpenAI’s joint venture
- OpenAI Deployment Company
- was the joint venture OpenAI launched in May
- HgCapital Trust
- was named as one of Hg’s investment vehicles
How the source tells it
The piece is mostly straight deal reporting, but it adds market-race and competitive-threat framing around the consultancy launch.
- threat inflation it described the new venture as a challenge to established consulting and software businesses
- urgency it framed Europe as trying to catch up with the US and speed AI adoption
- hype it used superlative and promotional language around the launch, funding plans and IPO ambitions