Amazon is preparing to acquire AI startup Decart for approximately $7 billion, a price that would rank the transaction among the largest AI startup acquisitions of the current cycle, according to a TradingKey report.

The report also discloses that Anthropic considered making its own bid for Decart before Amazon moved to the table. Anthropic, in which Amazon has invested heavily, ultimately did not proceed with an offer, clearing the way for Amazon's pursuit of the startup.

What does the $7 billion deal signal?

A $7 billion price tag for a startup is a concrete marker of how acquirers now value teams with proven AI engineering talent. For Amazon, the deal would extend an acquisition and investment strategy in artificial intelligence that already includes its multi-billion-dollar backing of Anthropic.

For Anthropic, the reported interest in Decart suggests the model developer was evaluating in-house capabilities of the kind Decart offers, rather than relying solely on partnerships. Its decision not to bid leaves Amazon as the buyer.

How does this fit Amazon's AI spending pattern?

Amazon has committed enormous capital to AI across infrastructure, chips and model developers. The reported Decart acquisition would add an independent startup to that portfolio. Key elements of the picture:

• A $7 billion acquisition price for Decart, per the TradingKey report
• Prior bid consideration from Anthropic, Amazon's key AI model partner
• A competitive dynamic in which major AI players are contesting the same acquisition targets

The overlap is notable: Amazon funds Anthropic, Anthropic weighed buying Decart, and Amazon now intends to buy Decart itself. That chain illustrates how concentrated the AI acquisition market has become, with a small number of well-capitalized buyers circling the same startups.

What happens next?

The reported deal is not yet final. Amazon has not confirmed the transaction publicly, and terms could shift before any announcement. If completed at the reported figure, the acquisition would give Amazon direct ownership of Decart's technology and team at a moment when rivals including Microsoft, Google and Meta are locking up AI talent through similar deals and investments, and it would intensify competition for the remaining independent AI startups.

Note: This report is based on a TradingKey article; the figure cited reflects that publication's reporting and has not been confirmed by the companies involved.