STARTRADER Lists OpenAI And Anthropic Pre-IPO CFDs As Brokers Race To Meet AI Trading Demand

STARTRADER has expanded its thematic trading offering with the launch of pre-IPO contracts for difference (CFDs) linked to OpenAI and Anthropic, two of the most closely followed private artificial intelligence companies. The instruments, tickers OPENAIUSD and ANTHUSD, became available on June 29 and offer leverage of up to 5:1 with 24/7 trading.

The move comes as brokers increasingly compete to provide exposure to private companies that dominate investor attention but remain unavailable through public equity markets. Neither OpenAI nor Anthropic has announced plans for an initial public offering, yet both are frequently cited as potential future IPO candidates.

Pre-IPO CFDs do not convey ownership of shares but allow traders to speculate on changes in indicative valuations established by the broker or its liquidity providers. This enables market participants to express bullish or bearish views before a company lists publicly. Such products have grown in popularity as investors seek early exposure to businesses that remain privately funded for long periods while reaching valuations comparable to large listed corporations.

Peter Karsten, Chief Executive Officer at STARTRADER, said in a statement: "AI is shaping the next generation of global industries, and traders want the ability to access these opportunities early. Listing OpenAI and Anthropic as pre-IPO products allows our clients to take a position on two of the most significant companies in this space on their own timeline."

The launch underscores how artificial intelligence has evolved into a dominant investment theme across both public and private markets. OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT, counts Microsoft among its investors and is one of the highest-valued private tech companies globally. Anthropic, developer of the Claude AI model family, has attracted backing from Amazon and Google. Until now, direct exposure was largely limited to institutional investors and venture capital firms.

Pre-IPO CFDs have emerged as a growth area in the CFD industry, which is shifting toward thematic and event-driven products. Pricing for these instruments is derived from secondary market valuations, funding rounds, or internal models rather than exchange-traded prices, introducing unique risks around transparency and liquidity.

STARTRADER holds regulatory licenses in Australia, South Africa, Kenya, Seychelles, and Mauritius. Clients can trade via MetaTrader or the broker’s proprietary platforms, STAR-APP and STAR-COPY. The company said it will continue adding AI-related trading products as private tech firms delay public listings while achieving higher valuations.