The robotics world is buzzing with news that tech giants SoftBank and Nvidia are teaming up to pump over $1 billion into Skild AI, a scrappy two-year-old startup that’s building what could be the brain for every robot on the planet. This mega-deal would value the young company at a whopping $14 billion, showing just how hot the robotics space has become.
Skild AI isn’t your typical robotics company. Instead of building shiny metal robots, they’re creating the software brains that could make any robot smarter. Think of it like developing a universal operating system that works whether you’re a warehouse robot stacking boxes or a kitchen helper making pancakes. Their “Skild Brain” technology adapts to different environments and learns new skills on the fly. Founded by former Meta researchers in 2023, the company has quickly established itself as a leader in general-purpose AI for robotics.
Skild AI is building universal robot brains that adapt and learn, not the physical robots themselves.
What makes this deal fascinating is how both investors bring different strengths to the table. SoftBank recently bought ABB’s robotics division for $5.4 billion, giving them a massive hardware empire of actual robots. Meanwhile, Nvidia brings the computing power and AI chips that make modern robotics possible. Together, they’re betting that Skild’s software can become the secret sauce connecting everything.
The timing couldn’t be better for robotics investments. Other startups are also raising huge amounts of money, with Physical Intelligence nabbing $600 million and Figure securing over $1 billion. It’s like a gold rush, but for robot brains instead of shiny metal.
SoftBank’s strategy seems clear: combine their new robot hardware with Skild’s smart software to create an unstoppable robotics ecosystem. CEO Masayoshi Son has big dreams about fusing artificial intelligence with robotics, and this investment brings him closer to that vision. The company’s remarkable growth trajectory shows that it has surpassed $1.8B in funding across three funding rounds in just 18 months.
For Skild AI, this represents incredible growth from a $300 million funding round just last year to potentially becoming a $14 billion company. The startup has already formed partnerships with companies like LG and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, proving their technology works in real business settings. Artificial intelligence adoption could significantly boost productivity and impact corporate profitability across the entire robotics industry.
While experts warn that general-purpose robotics is still years away from everyday use, the massive investments suggest the industry believes we’re getting closer to a world where robots become as common as smartphones.
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