Anthropic's business initiative has acquired its second consulting firm in a span of four months.

      Ode, the enterprise AI firm created by Anthropic in collaboration with Blackstone, has acquired an AI consultancy named Casper Studios. On Thursday, Ode indicated that Casper assists organizations in integrating Claude into existing software utilized by their employees, but no financial details were shared about the acquisition. This marks the second consultancy Ode has brought in within four months, as the company built by Anthropic aims to expand by assimilating existing firms in the AI sector.

      Ode was launched in July, with coverage by TNW. The venture, worth $1.5 billion, was established by Anthropic, Blackstone, and Hellman & Friedman to provide AI implementation services rather than just models. Ode employs small teams of experienced engineers to identify areas where AI can be beneficial for large companies and subsequently develop tailored solutions. Their approach emphasizes the use of Anthropic’s models first, employing competitors' technologies when necessary.

      The company operates with a workforce of around 100 engineers, many of whom have entrepreneurial backgrounds. A Blackstone executive referred to them as special forces rather than a conventional workforce, and this number predates the acquisition of Casper.

      Ode was initially founded on its acquisition of Fractional AI, an applied AI boutique, in May, which ended an eleven-month partnership with OpenAI upon finalization of the deal. Chris Taylor, the chief executive, stated to TechCrunch at the time that he could envision Ode becoming a trillion-dollar company if their execution is successful.

      Ode positions its offerings and those of Casper as complementary aspects of the same overall task. While Ode focuses on developing custom solutions for complex challenges, Casper handles the broader implementation tasks, including creating the necessary skills, connectors, and context to effectively integrate AI throughout an organization. Chris Taylor remarked that CEOs often face a multitude of AI engineering requirements and seek a partner who can help them leverage frontier AI to enhance their businesses. Jay Singh, CEO and co-founder of Casper, commented that both companies share a common mission and that Casper aims to assist organizations in adopting AI efficiently and reliably. Taylor noted that the teams have collaborated on multiple projects prior to finalizing the acquisition.

      Ode highlighted Sphera, an operational intelligence platform, as a recent joint client. Ode developed a customized internal tool for part of Sphera’s operations, claiming it reduced bottlenecks in time-intensive tasks by 70%. Meanwhile, Casper automated several processes within Sphera’s customer support, consulting, and project planning departments. The interoperability between the two firms is a point of emphasis, as both operate using the same Claude Code setup, enabling seamless tool exchange.

      Ode’s investors include Anthropic, Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, as well as Apollo Global Management, General Atlantic, GIC, Goldman Sachs, Leonard Green & Partners, and Sequoia. Some of these investors are also involved with Anthropic. Broadcom is currently negotiating to secure more than $60 billion in debt to fund AI chip production for Anthropic, with Apollo and Blackstone in discussions to participate. Thus, these two firms are financing the chips used by Anthropic and also hold stakes in Ode, which provides implementation services for Anthropic's models.

      Rodney Zemmel, a board member at Ode and the global head of the Blackstone Operating Team, remarked that few companies possess the capability to transition from custom builds to widespread AI adoption across a business.

      Ode's strategy suggests a belief that implementation will prove to be the lucrative area of opportunity. Traditional players in this space are consultancies, which have recently faced a market reevaluation. TNW reported in June that Accenture experienced its worst stock performance due to concerns that AI might disrupt consulting services, shortly after investing $4.18 billion to pivot away from that risk.

      Ode opts to acquire the necessary implementation capabilities rather than develop them in-house, a trend echoed across the industry. TNW also reported on similar activities, such as Exadel’s acquisition of the London consultancy Tangent to enhance its AI engineering services.

      Some of Ode's main competitors include the Deployment Company from OpenAI, as well as Deloitte and Accenture. A significant number of enterprise AI pilot projects fail to reach production status, presenting a gap that many firms are attempting to fill.

      The acquisition aligns with a broader initiative by Anthropic. This month, Anthropic introduced an inspection layer that allows enterprises to block sensitive data before it reaches Claude, addressing compliance demands prior to deployment. Ode acts as the implementation arm for this wider vision, and Casper's addition expands their reach. Anthropic has also been forming direct partnerships with software vendors for Ode, including collaborations with the health platform PointClickCare in August and governance vendor LogicGate in July, to integrate advanced models into current enterprise workflows.

      Details regarding the financial terms of Ode's acquisition of Casper were not disclosed, including whether the payment was in cash, equity, or a combination. Ode also did not release information about Casper’s workforce, its client base, or whether Casper employees would join Ode.