The SpaceX and Anthropic IPOs will massively impact ASX AI shares

This week is a big one for global capital markets and ASX AI shares.

SpaceX prices its shares tomorrow, 11 June 2026, at US$135 per share, implying a valuation of approximately US$1.75 trillion, and begins trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker SPCX on Thursday, 12 June.

That would make it the largest IPO in stock market history, surpassing Saudi Aramco‘s US$1.7 trillion listing in 2019.

Anthropic, the AI company behind the Claude platform, has filed confidentially with the SEC at a reported valuation of approximately US$900 billion, targeting a public debut as soon as October.

And just this week, OpenAI also filed confidentially for an IPO, with the combined three-company valuation potentially exceeding US$3.6 trillion.

None of these companies will be available on the ASX. But all three will reshape how the market thinks about AI stocks, including the ones that are available here.

Why these IPOs change everything for ASX AI shares

For the first time, the world’s most important AI infrastructure companies are being given public market price tags.

That is important for ASX investors for two reasons.

First, successful listings at these valuations validate the entire AI investment thesis at a scale that no private funding round has ever achieved.

Second, the capital flows these IPOs generate will not stay in the United States.

Institutional investors across Asia-Pacific, including Australia’s own superannuation funds, will look to rebalance AI exposure following the listings.

This rebalancing will direct fresh attention and capital toward ASX-listed AI infrastructure plays.

Three in particular stand out.

Betashares Space Industry ETF

The most direct ASX beneficiary of the SpaceX listing is the Betashares Space Industry ETF (ASX: RCKT), which launched on 12 May 2026.

The ETF has had a wild ride as SpaceX anticipation built throughout the month.

RCKT tracks the Solactive Space Industry Index, holding 28 companies across the global space economy with Rocket Lab and AST SpaceMobile as its two largest positions.

SpaceX will need to meet index inclusion criteria before RCKT can formally hold it, a process that typically takes several months.

In the meantime, RCKT remains the clearest and most liquid ASX proxy for investor excitement around the space economy that SpaceX is bringing.

NextDC Ltd

NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) is Australia’s largest independent data centre operator.

The company is building a $7 billion AI data centre campus in Western Sydney with OpenAI as its foundational customer.

Now that OpenAI has filed for its own IPO, that customer relationship takes on new significance.

For context, Anthropic is paying SpaceX’s xAI division US$1.25 billion per month for exclusive compute access. This illustrates just how voracious AI companies’ appetite for data centre capacity has become.

Every dollar an AI company spends on compute creates demand for the infrastructure NextDC provides.

Perhaps as a result, NextDC raised its FY 2026 capital expenditure guidance to between $2.7 billion and $3.0 billion as contracted utilisation surged 60% in the March quarter.

Macquarie Technology Group Ltd

Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ) plays a different but equally important role in the AI IPO story.

Anthropic’s Claude platform is increasingly being adopted by Australian government agencies, financial institutions, and critical infrastructure operators.

Many of these organisations cannot use offshore AI infrastructure for data sovereignty reasons.

This has created a captive market for Macquarie Technology, which provides sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure backed by a $200 million National Reconstruction Fund investment.

As Anthropic’s public listing raises its enterprise profile globally, the demand for sovereign Australian AI infrastructure will only grow.

The risk worth acknowledging for ASX AI shares

History offers a warning.

Of the five largest IPOs in modern history, only Visa significantly outperformed markets after listing.

On the other end, Saudi Aramco still trades below its issue price.

If SpaceX disappoints in its first weeks of trading, the repricing conversation that follows would weigh on AI stocks globally, including the RCKT ETF, NextDC, and Macquarie Technology.

Foolish Takeaway

SpaceX prices tomorrow, Anthropic is months away from listing, and OpenAI just filed.

For ASX investors who want exposure to the AI IPO wave without buying US-listed stocks, the RCKT ETF, NextDC, and Macquarie Technology offer three unique ways to participate.

The post The SpaceX and Anthropic IPOs will massively impact ASX AI shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why are ASX 200 tech stocks like WiseTech, Life360 and Xero shares getting hammered on Tuesday?
• ASX 200 tech stocks led the market with big share price gains last week
• 3 amazing ASX growth shares to buy with $15,000
• The Anthropic IPO could be the next big catalyst for ASX AI infrastructure stocks
• The SpaceX IPO is coming. Here’s how ASX investors can benefit from the excitement

Motley Fool contributor Mark Verhoeven has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.