Anthropic, a company at the forefront of AI development, has acquired the Seattle-based startup Vercept, a move aimed at advancing the computer-use capabilities of its AI agent, Claude. Vercept had garnered attention for its innovative product, Vy, a computer-use agent capable of operating a remote Apple MacBook. This strategic acquisition is seen as an acqui-hire of Vercept’s talent, bringing co-founders Kiana Ehsani, Luca Weihs, and Ross Girshick to Anthropic.
Vercept, which raised a total of $50 million in funding, including a $16 million seed round, counted notable figures such as Eric Schmidt, Jeff Dean, and Kyle Vogt among its angel investors. Nevertheless, the startup’s journey was not without its challenges. Prior to the acquisition, co-founder Matt Deitke had already departed for Meta’s Superintelligence Lab.
The acquisition will see Vercept’s products, including Vy, cease operations by March 25. The deal did not go unnoticed, sparking a public disagreement on LinkedIn between co-founder/investor Oren Etzioni and lead investor Seth Bannon concerning the startup’s early exit.
Anthropic’s acquisition of Vercept aligns with its strategic goal of developing AI agents that can effectively interact with graphical interfaces and desktop environments. Founded on the thesis that solving complex perception and interaction problems is essential for AI to accomplish intricate tasks, Vercept complements Anthropic’s mission to create more capable and sophisticated AI solutions.

Collections

Anthropic has acquired Seattle-based startup Vercept in an acqui-hire deal aimed at bolstering Claude's computer-use capabilities. Vercept was known for Vy, an agent that could operate a remote Apple MacBook. The startup had raised $50 million in funding with angel investors including Eric Schmidt and Jeff Dean. Vercept's products will shut down by March 25. The acquisition sparked a public LinkedIn dispute between co-founder/investor Oren Etzioni and lead investor Seth Bannon over the early exit. Co-founder Ross Girshick and others join Anthropic to advance AI agents capable of interacting with graphical interfaces and desktop environments.

Anthropic Acquires Vercept AI to Enhance Claude's Computer Use Capabilities