Nvidia and Japan’s SoftBank are in the talks to invest in Skild AI in a more than $1 billion funding round. If successful, Skild’s valuation would triple from the $4.7 billion it reached in a $500 million Series B funding round earlier this year. This previous funding round included participation from Nvidia, LG’s venture capital arm and Samsung, among others, according to PitchBook data.
Skild AI was founded in 2023, by former Meta researchers and backed by Amazon and Lightspeed Venture Partners. The company focuses on AI models for robots of all form factors rather than building any hardware of its own. The company has said its technology uses vast data to teach robots perception and decision-making skills similar to those of humans.
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The talks showcase the increase in investor interest in AI-driven robotics. 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 CapitalG, according to TechCrunch. 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.
However, experts caution that truly general-purpose robotic applications remain technically challenging and could still be years away from widespread adoption. A source told Reuters that the talks remain fluid and some details could change. The deal is expected to close before Christmas.
SoftBank was impressed by Skild’s technology in pilot projects, according to people familiar with the matter. Robotics is a key part of CEO Masayoshi Son’s plan for SoftBank, with the company acquiring the robotics business of Swiss engineering group ABB in a $5.4 billion deal in October.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is pushing to accelerate robotics development through meetings with industry CEOs, as the Trump administration weighs an executive order on robotics next year, Politico reported last week. Skild AI unveiled its first general-purpose AI model in July, saying the system can adapt to a wide range of environments and tasks from warehouse logistics to household chores.
Previously, Skild AI raised $300 million at a $1.5 billion valuation as part of its Series A round last year. Investors for the round included Jeff Bezos, SoftBank Group and Khosla Ventures among others.