Generalist Secures $200M in AI Robotics Funding Round Led by 8VC

Scoop: Generalist raises another $200 million for AI robotics

Why it matters: Cash is flying fast for companies that are building "robot brains," which could impact blue-collar work. * The basic idea is to help robots better understand and operate in the physical world, including improving dexterity. Zoom in: 8VC led the new round, per a source, and was joined by several other existing investors. * No specific info on valuation, except that it's above the $2 billion mark from June. * The company didn't respond to Axios' request for comment, but did disclose the round in a federal filing. Catch up quick: Generalist, which builds models rather than robotic hardware, was founded by alumni of Google DeepMind and Boston Dynamics. * Backers include Nvidia, Bezos Expeditions, Radical Ventures, USV, Hanabi, Spark Capital, and Fei-Fei Li. Look ahead: Don't be surprised to see Generalist eveseek even more money, likely with an outside lead investor, given the VC feedy frenzy for such companies.

Robotics AI startup Generalist reportedly raises $200M

Generalist AI Inc., a startup that develops artificial intelligence software for robots, has reportedly raised $200 million in funding. Axios today cited a source as saying that 8VC led the investment. It was reportedly joined by a number of unnamed existing investors. Generalist's previous $400 million round in June included the participation of Nvidia Corp., Bezos Expeditions and more than a half-dozen others. The company's latest raise comes about a week after it debuted its newest AI model. Gen-1.5, as the algorithm is called, is designed to power robotic arms. Generalist says that it can significantly reduce the amount of time needed to create factory automation workflows. Historically, developers had to manually program robotic arms for each task they sought to automate. Moreover, robot code had to be updated in response to even minor operational changes. For example, a machine configured to place merchandise into boxes might need an update if its operator switches to larger boxes. Some robots ship with AI models that reduce the need to write custom code. However, teaching an AI-powered robot a new task often requires developers to fine-tune its neural network, which can be time-consuming. Generalist says that Gen-1.5 offers a more convenient alternative. The model enables users to teach robots a new task by demonstrating how it's performed with their hands. According to Generalist, Gen-1.5 can record the demonstration with the robots' built-in cameras or sensors attached to the user's hands. The model can also learn from clips of simulated robots. Generalist tested Gen-1.5's capabilities across 10 sample tasks. According to the company, the model achieved an average task completion rate of 59% when it was given a single example of how to perform them. That percentage rose to 83% when users provided a few additional examples. Generalist says that Gen-1.5 is the first AI model with the ability to learn a wide range of robotics tasks based on a single or a few examples. Furthermore, the model can autonomously refine its workflows. During Generalist's testing, Gen-1.5 decided to complete some tasks with a different tool than the one it was instructed to use. Today's report didn't specify how the company plans to use its new funding. However, it's safe to assume that a sizable portion of the capital will go towards AI infrastructure: Generalist says that Gen-1.5 took more than eight months to train. The participation of Nvidia in the company's June funding round hints that it will use the chipmaker's graphics cards. Nvidia develops not only data center accelerators but also a line of AI chips called Jetson that is specifically optimized for robots.