The IPO Window Is Closing. Here Are 8 Startups To Watch.

anthropic — the 2026 IPO class already has a record-setting headliner in SpaceX. Now, with the public-market window narrowing and the post-Labor Day filing sprint upon us, attention is turning to which venture-backed companies might still make a move in coming months.

Crunchbase’s predictive intelligence tools flags a handful of well-funded private companies with at least a 40% probability of going public within the next six months. Anthropic, arguably the most closely watched IPO prospect, sits just outside that near-term screen: Crunchbase considers an eventual listing very likely, but the model favors a six- to 12-month timeline. Together, Anthropic and the other seven companies noted below make up a varied watchlist spanning artificial intelligence, fintech, crypto, consumer health and climate technology, ranging from smart-ring maker Oura to enterprise productivity platform Notion. A record IPO sets the stage In the first half of this year, 58 venture-backed companies listed at $1 billion or above, per Crunchbase data. That compares with 27 that did so in the first half of 2025 and 69 in all of last year. On a dollar basis, this year has also far surpassed recent IPO years, thanks to SpaceX’s historic IPO in June that launched it onto the Nasdaq and raised $86 billion in the process. Through the first half of 2026, venture-backed startups globally raised $110.8 billion collectively via IPO listings, Crunchbase data shows, well above the $12.6 billion raised in the first half of 2025. With the year’s end now in sight, a small window remains for other startups to launch 2026 IPOs. With that, here’s a look at notable venture-backed startups that Crunchbase’s predictive intelligence suggests are potential IPO candidates within the next six months. Venture-backed IPOs to watch Anthropic: Anthropic, the most valuable venture-backed startup in the world, has indicated it plans to beat rival OpenAI to the public markets. The company could debut as soon as September or October and raise up to $100 billion via the offering, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal last week. Crunchbase’s predictive intelligence tools, meanwhile, pin a slightly longer timeline on an Anthropic IPO, saying it’s more likely to happen in six to 12 months. Anthropic has already raised $125 billion from private-market investors since its founding in 2021, and whenever it happens its IPO would mark a major liquidity bonanza for those backers. (For its part, OpenAI is also deemed a very likely IPO candidate by Crunchbase, but not within the next six months, a prediction corroborated by the WSJ report, which noted that the company is considering pushing its listing to 2027.) Oura: Smart-ring maker Oura is a likely IPO candidate in the next six months, per Crunchbase. The Finland-based company, which has raised $1.5 billion from investors, is mulling an offering as soon as September or October that could fetch a valuation above the $11 billion it achieved in its most recent funding, the Journal reported last week.