SoftBank and Nvidia reportedly in talks to fund SkildAI at $14B, nearly tripling its value | TechCrunch

"SoftBank Group and Nvidia are in talks to lead an investment of over $1 billion at a $14 billion valuation in Skild AI, a software company building a foundational robotics model, Reuters reported. The nearly three-year-old startup was last valued at $4.7 billion in May when it raised $500 million in a round led by SoftBank along with participation of LG Technology Ventures, Samsung, Nvidia, and others, according to PitchBook data."

"Unlike other heavily funded startups, Skild AI is not building proprietary hardware. Instead, it's developing a robot-agnostic foundation model that can be customized for various types of robots and use cases. The company unveiled its general-purpose robot model Skild Brain in July with videos showing robots picking up dishes and climbing up and down the stairs. The company has secured strategic partnerships with LG CNS and Hewlett Packard Enterprise to develop its ecosystem."

"Investor interest in AI robotics has been steadily growing. Physical Intelligence, another company developing "brains" for a broad range of robots, has reportedly recently raised $600 million at a $5.6 billion valuation led by Capital G. One investor who evaluated but declined to fund Physical Intelligence told TechCrunch that its model is still in early stages of development. In September, Figure, a company developing a humanoid robot, raised more than $1 billion at a massive $39 billion valuation. Meanwhile, 1X, another humanoid robot developer, was in talks to secure as much as $1 billion at a $10 billion valuation, The Information reported several months ago."

Skild AI is in talks for an investment of over $1 billion at a $14 billion valuation with potential leads SoftBank Group and Nvidia. The startup was previously valued at $4.7 billion after a $500 million round in May that included SoftBank, LG Technology Ventures, Samsung and Nvidia. Skild focuses on software rather than proprietary hardware, developing a robot-agnostic foundation model called Skild Brain demonstrated in July. The company has partnerships with LG CNS and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Broader investor interest in AI robotics is growing, with other large rounds and valuations across the sector.

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