Anthropic has acquired Seattle-based AI startup Vercept, continuing its push to strengthen agentic AI capabilities.

Vercept developed tools for complex computer-use agents, including cloud-based systems capable of operating remote machines. As part of the deal, Vercept’s product will be shut down in late March.

Vercept emerged from Seattle’s A12 incubator, which is linked to the Allen Institute for AI, and quickly gained attention for both its technology and its high-profile backers.

The startup had raised about $50 million in total funding and attracted angel investors including former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and DeepMind chief scientist Jeff Dean.

The acquisition follows internal tension after one of Vercept’s founders, Matt Deitke, departed last year to join Meta’s Superintelligence Lab under a highly publicized compensation package.

While several Vercept founders will join Anthropic, others, including Allen Institute founder Oren Etzioni, will not.

Though financial terms were not disclosed, the deal underscores the escalating competition among AI labs to secure top research talent.

With Vercept folded into Anthropic, another well-funded independent AI startup has been absorbed into a larger contender in the race to build advanced AI agents.

Source: TechCrunch