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Anthropic is opening a new office in Seoul, aiming to tap into soaring demand for its AI technology across Asia - now a key driver of the company's growth.
What does this mean?
Anthropic, the artificial intelligence startup, is ramping up its Asian presence with a Seoul office launching in early 2026. The move comes as South Korea, Japan, and India power three of its top five global user bases, spurred by skyrocketing demand for its AI coding tool, Claude Code - South Korean weekly active users alone have jumped sixfold in just four months. Asia now accounts for a quarter of Anthropic's global activity, supported by a $100 million investment from Korea's SK Telecom and major backing from Alphabet and Amazon. The company is valued at $183 billion, aiming to triple its overseas team, with nearly 80% of enterprise activity now outside the US and annualized revenue heading toward $7 billion. The bottom line: Anthropic's Asian momentum is redefining its global priorities.
Asia's rapid embrace of enterprise AI is fueling revenue for startups like Anthropic, with the region now responsible for 25% of usage and almost 80% of companywide enterprise activity happening outside the US. This shift is attracting global investors and competitors, all ready to capitalize on Asia's digital transformation. If this momentum continues, expect to see more funding and further expansion into new Asian markets, as tech firms chase the next big growth story.
The bigger picture: AI's new hotspots are rising in the east.
Anthropic's growth, backed by heavyweights like Alphabet and Amazon, underlines Asia's strengthening role in shaping the future of enterprise AI. As the firm invests in offices across Seoul, Tokyo, and Bengaluru and courts regional partners, US dominance in the space could be challenged by a more multilingual, globally diverse industry. The years ahead could see Seoul and other Asian cities emerge as international innovation hubs, shifting the balance of tech power.