Anthropic has acquired the dev tools startup used by OpenAI, Google, and Cloudflare
Anthropic has acquired Stainless, a startup known for its software that automates the creation of software development kits (SDKs). The acquisition is expected to strengthen Anthropic's position in the AI industry by limiting access to key infrastructure used by competitors. Stainless's technology has been integral to the development of Anthropic's SDKs since the company's inception.
- ▪Anthropic announced the acquisition of Stainless, a startup founded by former Stripe engineer Alex Rattray.
- ▪The acquisition deal is reported to be worth more than $300 million, although Anthropic did not disclose the terms.
- ▪Stainless's software automates the creation and maintenance of SDKs, which are essential for developers interacting with APIs.
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| Original publisher | TechCrunch |
| Canonical URL | https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/18/anthropic-has-acquired-the-dev-tools-startup-used-by-openai-google-and-cloudflare/ |
| Publication time | Mon, 18 May 2026 19:27:52 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-18T19:29:56.937Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Anthropic announced Monday it has acquired Stainless, a startup founded by former Stripe engineer Alex Rattray whose software is widely used by rival AI labs, including OpenAI and Google. Anthropic didn’t disclose terms of the deal. However, The Information reported last week that Anthropic was in talks to acquire Stainless, which is backed by Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, for more than $300 million. The acquisition will take a key infrastructure supplier out of the hands of Anthropic’s competitors. The company told TechCrunch it will wind down all hosted Stainless products, including its SDK generator. An Anthropic spokesperson said Stainless customers will still own the SDKs they’ve generated to date, and have full rights to modify and extend them however they wish.
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