A backlog of pent-up demand for new listings, combined with a pipeline of prominent private companies such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX awaiting their market debut, is laying the groundwork for a blockbuster year in the U.S. IPO market.

Goldman Sachs projected last week that if these high-profile companies successfully list this year, the total fundraising volume from U.S. IPOs could surge to a record high of $160 billion by 2026.

Market participants are similarly optimistic about the emergence of more billion-dollar mega-IPOs this year, supported by a strong roster of mature private companies ready to go public.

Risks remain, however: a recent sell-off in software stocks could dampen the pace of listings in that sector, which accounts for a significant portion of the IPO pipeline.

Below is a preview of some of the most anticipated super-IPOs expected to launch in 2026:

SpaceX Elon Musk’s SpaceX is preparing for a blockbuster IPO with a potential valuation exceeding $1.5 trillion, and could go public as early as June 2026.

SpaceX announced last week its acquisition of artificial intelligence startup xAI in a record-breaking deal, merging Musk's AI and space ambitions. If SpaceX raises more than $25.6 billion, it would become the largest IPO in global history, surpassing the 2019 listing of oil giant Saudi Aramco.

OpenAI Reuters reported last year that ChatGPT developer OpenAI is paving the way for an IPO, with a valuation that could reach up to $1 trillion. The company is considering filing for an offering with securities regulators as early as the second half of 2026.

At the time, the company's chief financial officer stated that an IPO was not part of its near-term plans.

Anthropic In December last year, the Financial Times reported that Claude developer Anthropic had hired law firm Wilson Sonsini to prepare for an IPO, potentially as early as 2026.

An Anthropic spokesperson told Reuters at the time that the company had not yet decided on a listing timeline or whether it would go public.