Anthropic has acquired Seattle-based AI startup Vercept, the company behind the desktop AI agent Vy. The deal brings Vercept’s team and research into Anthropic as it continues developing Claude’s computer-use capabilities. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
TL;DR
- Anthropic acquired Vercept, creator of AI desktop agent Vy.
- Vy will shut down following the acquisition.
- Vercept previously raised at least $16 million in seed funding.
- Vercept’s co-founders Kiana Ehsani, Luca Weihs, and Ross Girshick are joining Anthropic.
Anthropic Confirms Acquisition And Integration
Anthropic announced that it has acquired Vercept and is welcoming the startup’s team into the company. In its statement, Anthropic described computer use as an important capability that enables AI systems to operate software interfaces directly.
The company said this capability allows AI models to move from generating instructions to performing tasks within live applications. Anthropic did not disclose the purchase price or additional deal terms.
Vercept’s remaining co-founders joining Anthropic include CEO Kiana Ehsani, Luca Weihs, and Ross Girshick.
Vy Will Be Discontinued Following The Deal
Vercept confirmed that its desktop AI product, Vy, will be shut down following the acquisition. Users were notified that the service would wind down within approximately 30 days, with reporting indicating a late-March 2026 shutdown window.
Vy was designed as a desktop-based AI agent capable of interacting with software interfaces visible on a user’s screen. The product operated by interpreting graphical user interfaces and taking actions such as clicking buttons, entering text, and navigating workflows.
The company has not announced plans to continue Vy as a standalone product under Anthropic.
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Vercept’s Funding And Company Background
Vercept raised a $16 million seed round in January 2025 at a reported $67 million post-money valuation, according to PitchBook data cited in coverage of the acquisition. Public statements from Vercept leadership also indicate that the company had raised more than $50 million in total funding.
The startup operated with a relatively small team and focused on research and product development around AI agents capable of direct computer interaction.
One of Vercept’s co-founders, Matt Deitke, joined Meta’s Superintelligence Lab in 2025. Neither Anthropic nor Vercept has stated that this move was connected to the acquisition.
Anthropic Highlights Progress In Computer-Use Benchmarks
In its announcement, Anthropic referenced progress in computer-use performance benchmarks. The company stated that its Claude Sonnet models improved on OSWorld, a benchmark measuring AI performance on real-world computer interaction tasks.
According to Anthropic, model performance increased from under 15% in late 2024 to over 70% in recent testing. The company also said its latest Sonnet iteration is approaching human-level reliability on structured tasks such as spreadsheet editing and multi-step web form completion.
Anthropic framed these improvements as part of its broader effort to develop more capable AI systems that can operate inside real software environments.
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