Full opportunity report: The Forward-Deploy Pivot: Why Anthropic and OpenAI Are Becoming Consulting Firms in the Same Week on ThorstenMeyerAI.com — validation score, market gap, and execution plan.

Anthropic and OpenAI have each announced the creation of new enterprise services entities backed by significant investment, signaling a strategic shift toward embedding AI engineers directly into mid-sized companies to deliver customized solutions. This move aims to disrupt the traditional consulting industry by replacing human-led advisory with AI-augmented engineering teams.

On May 4, 2026, Anthropic revealed its plan to form a $1.5 billion AI-native enterprise services company, backed by major asset managers including Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, and Goldman Sachs. The firm will embed Anthropic’s Applied AI engineers alongside its own teams into mid-sized companies across sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, and financial services, aiming to redesign workflows using Claude, Anthropic’s flagship AI model. This approach draws inspiration from Palantir’s forward-deploy model and targets the mid-market segment, which is too small for traditional Big 4 consulting firms but too sophisticated for self-service software.

Meanwhile, hours earlier, OpenAI announced a nearly identical initiative called ‘The Development Company’ (DeployCo), backed by TPG, Bain Capital, Advent International, Brookfield, and Goanna Capital, with commitments totaling $4 billion and a valuation of approximately $10 billion—six times larger than Anthropic’s initial valuation. Both companies are positioning these entities as part of a broader strategic narrative: expanding distribution, increasing compute capacity, and vertical productization, all aimed at establishing durable revenue streams and supporting potential IPO plans later this year.

The announcements highlight a broader industry trend where AI-native firms are positioning to redirect a significant share of the global $1.4 trillion annual IT services market, which is heavily reliant on human consulting. The mid-market segment, in particular, is viewed as a key target, given its size and current lack of dedicated AI-enabled services. These moves threaten to challenge the dominance of traditional consulting giants like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and the Big Four system integrators, which currently serve large enterprise transformations.

Anthropic’s existing relationships with the Big 4—through its Claude Partner Network—continue, but the new JV is an equity stake, giving Anthropic direct ownership and a strategic advantage in capturing more value from mid-market deployments. The broader implication is a structural shift in how enterprise AI services are delivered, with the potential to reduce reliance on traditional consulting and elevate AI-driven engineering as the primary mode of enterprise transformation.

Disruption of the Traditional Consulting Industry

This development signals a fundamental shift in the enterprise services landscape, where AI-native firms are positioning to capture a substantial portion of the $6-to-$1 services-to-software spending ratio. By embedding AI engineers directly into client organizations, Anthropic and OpenAI aim to replace or supplement human consultants, particularly in the mid-market segment, which is underserved by existing firms. This could lead to a reallocation of billions of dollars from traditional consulting firms to AI-augmented engineering teams, fundamentally altering the economics and competitive dynamics of enterprise transformation.

The move also underscores the strategic importance of AI infrastructure and deployment capabilities, as both companies prepare for potential IPOs later in 2026. The industry shift may accelerate investments in AI enterprise solutions, reshape client expectations, and prompt traditional consultancies to adapt or risk obsolescence.

Industry Shifts Toward AI-Embedded Consulting

Over the past year, AI companies like Anthropic and OpenAI have significantly increased their enterprise efforts, with Anthropic’s ARR projected to grow from $9 billion in late 2025 to over $30 billion by early 2026. Both firms have built extensive relationships with large corporations and investment funds, positioning themselves as key players in enterprise AI deployment.

The strategic move into consulting-like services follows earlier industry patterns where AI startups sought to demonstrate real-world utility and scale, culminating in major funding rounds and valuation milestones—Anthropic nearing a $50 billion funding round and OpenAI’s DeployCo valuation at $10 billion. The structural reference to Palantir’s forward-deploy model indicates a focus on embedding engineering talent directly within client organizations, a model that has proven effective in government and large enterprise contexts.

Traditional consulting firms, especially the Big 4 and top-tier SIs, have relied heavily on human consultants for digital transformation projects. The new AI-native firms aim to disrupt this model by offering faster, more scalable, and potentially more cost-effective solutions rooted in AI engineering, especially targeting mid-sized companies that are too small for the Big 4 but too complex for self-service software.

“The world’s next great company won’t just sell software; it will deliver outcomes—legal, financial, insurance—via AI.”

— Julien Bek, Sequoia partner

Unclear Details on Long-term Market Impact

While these announcements signal a major industry shift, it remains uncertain how quickly traditional consulting firms will adapt or lose market share to AI-native competitors. The precise financial performance of these new entities, their ability to scale beyond initial target sectors, and client adoption rates are still developing. Additionally, regulatory, ethical, and technical challenges could influence the trajectory of these initiatives.

Upcoming Milestones and Industry Responses

In the coming months, both Anthropic and OpenAI are expected to expand their enterprise offerings, seek additional client deployments, and potentially announce IPO plans. Traditional consulting firms are likely to respond by accelerating their own AI initiatives or forming strategic alliances. Monitoring client adoption, funding rounds, and regulatory developments will be key to understanding the long-term impact of this structural shift in enterprise AI services.

Key Questions

How do these new AI enterprise units differ from traditional consulting firms?

They embed AI engineers directly into client organizations to redesign workflows around AI models, aiming for faster, scalable, and more cost-effective solutions compared to human-led consulting.

What sectors are targeted by these new AI-native enterprise services?

Primary targets include healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, retail, and real estate—mid-sized companies that are underserved by existing consulting models.

Will this disrupt the existing consulting industry?

Yes, by redirecting a portion of the $6-to-$1 services-to-software spending ratio toward AI-augmented engineering, these firms threaten to reshape enterprise transformation economics.

Are these initiatives likely to lead to IPOs?

Both Anthropic and OpenAI are positioning these ventures as part of a broader strategy that could support public offerings later in 2026, contingent on growth and market conditions.

Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com