Can You Invest in SpaceX or Anthropic Before the IPO?

If you've searched for how to buy SpaceX stock before its IPO, or how to invest in Anthropic before it goes public, here's the honest answer first: For most people, you can't buy shares before their IPO.

Shares of a company before its IPO are mostly reserved for a small group of investors, employees, and large institutions. The good news is that you don't need pre-IPO access to invest in the companies and trends you're excited about. Here's who can buy pre-IPO shares, why it's usually out of reach (and potentially risky) for everyday investors, and the simpler path to consider instead.

Where SpaceX and Anthropic stand right now

As of June 2026, both companies are moving toward the public markets, but they're at very different stages. These details move quickly, so it's worth checking the latest before making any decisions.

SpaceX has reportedly filed and entered its IPO roadshow, with plans to list on the Nasdaq around June 12, 2026, under the ticker SPCX at roughly $135 per share, and valuing the company at nearly $1.75 trillion.¹ If that holds, SpaceX would no longer be a pre-IPO company, and anyone with a brokerage account could buy shares once trading opens.

Anthropic, the company behind the Claude AI assistant, filed a draft registration statement (Form S-1) with the SEC on June 1, 2026, and was recently valued around $965 billion after a large funding round.² It remains private, with no share count, price, or listing date set.

What are pre-IPO shares, and who can buy them?

Pre-IPO shares are stakes in a company that are sold before it lists publicly. They're generally limited to accredited investors, company insiders, employees, and institutions like venture funds.

An accredited investor, as defined by the SEC under Regulation D, is generally someone with a net worth over $1 million (not counting their primary home), or has an income of over $200,000 a year ($300,000 for a married couple) in each of the last two years. As of the SEC's most recent review, about 18.5% of US households meet that bar.³ If you don’t, the private market is mostly closed to you by design. These rules exist because private companies don't have to share the detailed financial disclosures that public companies do.

How accredited investors buy pre-IPO shares

Accredited investors typically access pre-IPO shares through

• Secondary marketplaces
• Special purpose vehicles (SPV)
• Company tender offers
   

Platforms like Forge Global and EquityZen can match buyers with employees or early investors who are interested in selling.

An SPV pools several investors' money into a single entity that holds the shares. In a tender offer, a company lets existing shareholders sell some of their stock at a set price. These are real mechanisms, not scams, but they come with restrictions, such as high minimums, limited information, and shares you often can't sell whenever you want.

The risks of pre-IPO investing

Pre-IPO investing can carry serious risks, including shares you can't easily sell, limited public information, uncertain valuations, and outright fraud. Because private companies share far less than public ones, it's hard to know what a fair price is, and your money can be locked up for years with no guarantee the company ever goes public.

Regulators warn this space attracts scams. The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy maintains an Investor Alert on pre-IPO investment scams, noting that fraudsters often use hot industries like AI and space to lure people with promises of ground-floor returns. A good rule of thumb is if someone cold-calls, messages, or emails you an “exclusive” pre-IPO deal in SpaceX or Anthropic, treat it as a red flag.

The accessible path: Buying after the IPO

Once a company goes public, anyone with a brokerage account can buy its shares on the open market, with no accreditation required. That's the realistic route for most people.

When a company goes public, the first days or even weeks could feel volatile. Prices can open well above or below the IPO price and swing hard during their first weeks. Chasing a trending stock on its first day can be a form of timing the market, and even strong companies can trade below their opening price for a long stretch. Patience usually beats urgency.

A simpler fit for most investors: Stay diversified

For most people, the preferred path is having a diversified portfolio of funds rather than a bet on any single stock. When a company like SpaceX joins a major index, broad index funds and ETFs (exchange-traded funds) that track the index can hold it automatically, giving you exposure to it without single-stock risk.

That's the idea behind Acorns Invest, an expert-built, diversified portfolio that does the heavy lifting, and you can start with as little as your spare change through Round-Ups®. If you're on the Acorns Gold plan, Custom Portfolios let you add individual stocks and ETFs to your already-diversified portfolio once they're publicly traded, so you can lean into companies and ETFs you believe in while keeping a diversified core.

Three approaches to invest

The bottom line

You probably can't get in on SpaceX or Anthropic before they go public, and that's okay. The most reliable way to invest in the future is to start now, stay diversified, and give your money time to potentially grow.

Start investing with Acorns and put your spare change to work in an expert-built, diversified portfolio. New to all this? Here's a quick primer on what an IPO is.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy SpaceX stock before it goes public?

For most people, no. As of June 2026, SpaceX is in the middle of its IPO process and is expected to list on the Nasdaq around June 12 under the ticker SPCX. The simplest path is to wait until shares can be traded publicly then buy through a brokerage. Before that, shares are considered private and are limited to accredited investors and insiders.

Can I invest in Anthropic before its IPO?

Generally, no. Anthropic confidentially filed for an IPO on June 1, 2026, but it's still a private company with no share price or listing date set. Until it lists, its shares are mostly limited to accredited investors, employees, and institutions.

Who is allowed to buy pre-IPO shares?

Pre-IPO shares are mostly limited to accredited investors, company insiders, and institutions. The SEC generally defines an accredited investor as someone with a net worth over $1 million, excluding their home, or income over $200,000 a year ($300,000 for couples) in each of the last two years.

Is pre-IPO investing risky?

Yes, it can be. Pre-IPO shares are often illiquid, meaning hard to sell, come with limited financial disclosure, and can be tough to value. The SEC also warns that pre-IPO scams are common, especially around buzzy industries like AI and space, so be skeptical of any unsolicited “exclusive” offer.

What's the easiest way for a regular investor to get exposure to these companies?

Once a company is public, anyone with a brokerage account can buy its shares, but the more prudent approach for most people is a diversified fund. Broad index funds and ETFs automatically hold large public companies, giving you exposure without betting everything on one stock.

Can I invest in SpaceX or Anthropic through Acorns?

Acorns doesn't offer pre-IPO shares. Acorns Invest builds you an expert-built, diversified portfolio, and once a company is publicly traded, Acorns Gold customers can add individual stocks and ETFs to their already-diversified portfolio with Custom Portfolios.