📊 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 launched new enterprise services entities designed to embed AI engineers into mid-sized companies, aiming to replace traditional consulting firms. These moves mark a significant shift in how AI companies are positioning themselves in the enterprise market, with implications for the consulting industry and future AI deployment strategies.

On May 4, Anthropic announced a $1.5 billion AI-native enterprise services joint venture backed by major asset managers, aiming to embed its Applied AI engineers into mid-sized firms across sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, and finance. The company plans to replicate Palantir’s forward-deployed engineering model, focusing on redesigning workflows around its Claude AI system.

Two days later, on May 6, OpenAI revealed a similar initiative called ‘The Development Company’ (DeployCo), backed by a consortium including TPG, Bain Capital, and others, with a $4 billion private equity commitment and a valuation of $10 billion—significantly larger than Anthropic’s initial valuation. This parallel move emphasizes a strategic push into enterprise services, with a focus on deploying AI at scale in mid-market companies.

The timing of these announcements, along with subsequent product launches on May 7, suggests coordinated efforts to position these firms as dominant players in AI enterprise deployment. Both companies are also pursuing large funding rounds and IPO plans, with Anthropic reportedly in final negotiations for a $40-50 billion funding round and a potential public listing as early as October 2026.

Disrupting the Traditional Consulting Industry

These moves represent a fundamental shift in enterprise AI deployment, as Anthropic and OpenAI aim to redirect a significant share of the global $1.4 trillion IT services market from human consultants to AI-augmented engineering. This challenges the long-standing consulting model, especially in the mid-market segment, and could reshape how companies approach digital transformation and workflow redesign. The strategic positioning also signals a move toward vertical integration and direct ownership of enterprise deployment channels, potentially diminishing the influence of legacy consulting giants like McKinsey and the Big Four system integrators.

Strategic Shift Toward AI-Driven Enterprise Services

Historically, the consulting industry has been a primary channel for enterprise digital transformation, with firms like McKinsey, BCG, and the Big Four providing strategic and system integration services. The global IT services market is approximately $1.4 trillion annually, with a significant portion allocated to custom consulting and systems integration.

Recent developments show AI firms like Anthropic and OpenAI positioning themselves as direct competitors, targeting the mid-market segment that is too small for traditional consulting firms but too complex for self-service tools. The formation of these joint ventures, backed by major asset managers and private equity firms, indicates a strategic effort to capture a larger share of enterprise AI deployment and to challenge the existing consulting ecosystem.

Both companies continue their relationships with major consulting networks—Anthropic with the Claude Partner Network, which includes the Big Four—but are now establishing equity-backed entities that offer more direct control and ownership, signaling a shift toward a more vertically integrated model of enterprise AI services.

“Anthropic and OpenAI’s new ventures mark a decisive move to replace traditional consulting with AI-driven solutions, targeting the mid-market segment with embedded engineering models.”

— Thorsten Meyer

Unconfirmed Details and Potential Developments

It remains unclear how these new ventures will compete directly with established consulting firms in terms of scale, client acquisition, and long-term profitability. The exact operational models, pricing strategies, and client engagement processes are still emerging. Additionally, the impact of these moves on existing consulting relationships and the broader enterprise services market is yet to be fully understood. The timeline for achieving significant market penetration and the response from traditional consulting giants are also uncertain.

Upcoming Milestones and Industry Reactions

Both Anthropic and OpenAI are expected to expand their enterprise deployment efforts, with further product launches and client wins anticipated in the coming months. The companies are also likely to refine their go-to-market strategies, possibly announcing more partnerships or additional funding rounds. The traditional consulting firms and system integrators are expected to respond with strategic repositioning, potentially accelerating their own AI initiatives. Monitoring IPO timelines and funding rounds will provide further insight into how these ventures evolve and influence the enterprise AI landscape.

Key Questions

How do these new AI enterprise services differ from traditional consulting?

They focus on embedding AI engineers directly into client workflows to deliver outcomes, rather than providing strategic advice or system integration as traditional firms do. They leverage AI models to redesign processes at scale, aiming for more automated, outcome-based solutions.

What sectors are these AI-native firms targeting?

The initial focus is on mid-sized companies in healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, retail, and real estate, where the demand for tailored AI solutions is growing but traditional consulting is less economically viable.

Will these ventures replace all traditional consulting services?

It is unlikely they will replace all consulting, but they are positioned to capture a significant share in specific segments, especially where AI can deliver measurable outcomes more efficiently than human consultants.

What are the implications for the existing consulting giants?

They may need to accelerate their own AI initiatives and form strategic partnerships to compete with these new AI-native service providers, especially in the mid-market segment.

When might these ventures become profitable or achieve scale?

Both firms are still in early stages, but with large funding rounds and active client deployments, significant scale and profitability could be achieved within the next 1-2 years.

Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com