SpaceX Sets Record as Window Narrows: Eight Startups Positioned for 2026 IPO Push

SpaceX's record-breaking debut on the Nasdaq has already defined the 2026 IPO class. As the calendar moves toward year-end and the post-Labor Day filing season unfolds, venture investors and market watchers are zeroing in on which private companies might still seize the opportunity to list before the window closes.

Using its predictive intelligence platform, Crunchbase has identified a slate of well-funded private firms showing at least a 40% probability of entering public markets within six months. Anthropic, the most closely watched prospect, falls just outside this near-term threshold—the model suggests an eventual listing is highly probable, but points to a six- to 12-month window instead.

The eight companies span multiple sectors: artificial intelligence, financial technology, cryptocurrency, consumer health, and climate innovation. The roster ranges from Finland-based smart-ring maker Oura to San Francisco's Notion, a productivity platform gaining traction with enterprise AI customers.

A record IPO sets the stage

During the first half of 2026, venture-backed companies valued at $1 billion or more completed 58 IPOs, according to Crunchbase figures. This marks a significant jump from the 27 such listings in the first half of 2025 and the 69 that occurred throughout all of 2025.

In dollar terms, 2026 has dramatically outpaced previous years, driven largely by SpaceX's historic June IPO. The aerospace company's Nasdaq listing raised $86 billion, propelling venture-backed startups globally to raise $110.8 billion collectively through IPOs in the first half of 2026—far exceeding the $12.6 billion raised in the first half of 2025.

With 2026 drawing to a close, the remaining window for additional IPO launches has compressed. Below is an examination of notable venture-backed startups that Crunchbase's predictive intelligence suggests could become public-market entrants within the next six months.

Venture-backed IPOs to watch

Anthropic

Anthropic holds the distinction of being the world's most valuable venture-backed startup and has signaled intentions to reach public markets ahead of rival OpenAI. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the company could debut as early as September or October, potentially raising up to $100 billion. Crunchbase's predictive model, however, suggests a somewhat longer timeline, estimating the IPO is more probable within six to 12 months. Since its 2021 founding, Anthropic has accumulated $125 billion in private funding. Whenever the listing occurs, it will represent a major liquidity event for its investors. OpenAI itself is deemed very likely to go public eventually by Crunchbase, though not within the immediate six-month window—a view aligned with the Journal's reporting that the company is weighing a 2027 listing instead.

Oura

Oura, the Finland-based manufacturer of smart rings, ranks as a probable IPO candidate for the next six months according to Crunchbase. The company has raised $1.5 billion to date and is reportedly exploring an offering in September or October that could command a valuation exceeding the $11 billion achieved in its most recent funding round, per the Journal. A successful public debut would serve as a meaningful indicator of investor appetite for consumer health hardware—a category that has generated relatively few large venture-backed IPOs in recent years.

Notion

Notion, the San Francisco-based productivity software company, emerges as a strong near-term IPO prospect based on both Crunchbase analysis and independent reporting. The company has accumulated more than $343 million in investor funding and has demonstrated robust revenue expansion driven by its enterprise AI capabilities. Startup reporter Alex Konrad recently noted that Notion has assembled a new board of directors with substantial public-company expertise, describing this as "a big step towards an IPO."

Kraken

Kraken, the cryptocurrency exchange headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyoming, represents another probable entrant to public markets, and if it proceeds, Crunchbase suggests it would likely do so within six months. The company filed a confidential IPO registration with the SEC nearly a year ago but subsequently suspended its public-listing plans due to market instability. In May, CEO Arjun Sethi indicated the company was "~80% ready" for a 2026 listing, though reports suggest it has contemplated pushing the timeline to 2027.

SambaNova

Following Cerebras Systems' $6.4 billion Nasdaq IPO in May, focus has shifted to SambaNova, another developer of specialized AI chips and infrastructure. Based in San Jose, California, SambaNova is predicted by Crunchbase to be a probable IPO candidate, with slightly less than even odds of listing within six months. This aligns with remarks from co-founder and CEO Rodrigo Liang, who told CNBC in July that the company was seriously considering a U.S. IPO in the coming year. Liang's comments followed SambaNova's $1 billion Series F funding round completed that summer, which valued the company at $11 billion on a post-money basis.

Stegra

Stegra, a Sweden-based green-steel producer, has accumulated approximately $12.6 billion in combined equity and debt financing, including a €1.4 billion round that closed in June. Bloomberg reported in June 2025 that the company was weighing an IPO to finance expansion plans. Established in 2020, Stegra has secured orders from major automakers and industrial firms—Mercedes-Benz, Scania, Porsche, Volvo Group, and IKEA parent Ingka Group—for steel manufactured using renewable electricity and green hydrogen. The company broke ground in August 2022 on an integrated steel facility in Boden, northern Sweden, designed to produce 2.5 million tonnes of green steel annually in its initial phase. Customer contracts specify delivery commencement in 2027, though Stegra has indicated the overall project timeline remains subject to review. Crunchbase rates Stegra as a probable IPO candidate with roughly even odds of listing within the next six months.

Stripe

Stripe has become a recurring fixture on IPO watchlists, and with reason. The payments processor once held the title of most valuable U.S.-based startup before artificial intelligence companies claimed the top positions on the Crunchbase Unicorn Board, and it operates a robust business model. Since its 2010 founding, Stripe has raised $10.4 billion across venture rounds and secondary transactions, yet has resisted public-market entry by conducting repeated tender offers that deliver liquidity to staff members. Will the South San Francisco company finally pursue a public listing in 2027? Crunchbase considers Stripe a very likely long-term IPO candidate, though the near-term outlook is less certain. The model favors a six- to 12-month timeframe, and CEO John Collison has stated the company feels "in no rush to go public."

OpenEvidence

OpenEvidence, an AI platform designed for physicians, qualifies as a probable IPO candidate per Crunchbase, with a likely listing window of six months or less if the company pursues a public offering. CEO Daniel Nadler has taken a more cautious stance, telling CNBC in January that OpenEvidence would consider an IPO only after OpenAI and Anthropic had already listed: "There's an order to nature," he said. "Foundation model companies go public first. Then the application layer follows. That's how the internet played out, and that's how this cycle will play out, too." The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company operates within this framework.

Methodology

This analysis draws on Crunchbase's predictive intelligence tools alongside independent reporting and analysis to develop a curated list of potential near-term IPO candidates.

Crunchbase's IPO prediction model examines company data spanning funding and valuation trajectories, financial performance trends, executive recruitment patterns, market-share gains, and workforce expansion to calculate the probability that a private company will pursue a public listing.

The model generates an overall IPO probability score paired with a categorical rating—such as "very likely," "probable," or "uncertain." For companies surpassing a minimum confidence level, Crunchbase separately projects timing across four intervals: within six months, six to 12 months, 12 to 24 months, or beyond 24 months.

For this analysis, a "near-term" candidate is defined as a private company rated at minimum "probable" overall, with a 40% or greater probability of going public within six months from the prediction date. Overall and timing scores operate independently: a company may carry a high eventual IPO likelihood without qualifying as a strong near-term prospect. Predictions function as directional indicators rather than certainties and may shift as fresh company and market information emerges.