Startup and venture capital investment news for Wednesday, 2 September 2026: the Anthropic and OpenAI IPO race, trillion-dollar AI valuations and defence technology records. This day will go down in history as a bifurcation point for the entire technology industry. We are witnessing an unprecedented event: two leaders in generative artificial intelligence have filed confidential applications for an initial public offering almost simultaneously. The market is holding its breath, analysts are revising their forecasts, and venture capital funds are recording a new reality in which a trillion-dollar valuation is no longer science fiction. At the same time, the defence industrial complex is demonstrating record levels of private investment attraction, driven by rising geopolitical tensions and the active deployment of autonomous systems. We have analysed exchange data, Crunchbase reports and internal fund documents to present you with the full picture of the day. Read on to learn the details of the deals, the names of key players and the outlook for the coming months. This material will be useful for founders, investors and anyone tracking market dynamics.