5 Sources
[1]
Exclusive: Ray Kurzweil's humanoid robot startup in talks for $100 million investment
May 20 (Reuters) - A humanoid robotics startup co-founded by prominent artificial-intelligence futurist Ray Kurzweil said on Tuesday that venture capital firm Gauntlet Ventures will back its $100 million Series B funding round. The company, Beyond Imagination, will be valued at $500 million, and venture capital firm Gauntlet Ventures will be the round's sole investor. Kurzweil is known for popularizing the term "the singularity," when he predicted two decades ago that by 2045, artificial intelligence would surpass human intelligence and embark on a path of accelerating self-enhancement. These ideas, which once seemed like science fiction, are now viewed as mainstream by many technologists. Beyond Imagination is co-founded by scientist, entrepreneur and filmmaker Harry Kloor. The company has developed a humanoid robot -- the Beyond Bot - and accompanying AI models that it intends to deploy in industrial settings such as factories, pharmaceutical plants and chip manufacturing facilities, said Gauntlet Ventures co-founder Oliver Carmack. The company has been testing its robots and is now looking for large enterprises into which they can be deployed, Carmack said, adding that he chose to back Beyond Imagination because of its potential to revolutionize U.S. manufacturing and address the projected global shortage of skilled labor. Major tech companies including Nvidia(NVDA.O), opens new tab, Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab and Tesla(TSLA.O), opens new tab, alongside various startups, are rushing to make humanoid robots, and are betting that recent advances in AI will also lead to breakthroughs in robots and automation. In October last year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that "a lot of progress" has been made with its humanoid robot, Optimus, which could perform many daily tasks. Progress on robots has been slow, however, as researchers have found that the language-related AI breakthroughs driving chatbot development have not necessarily helped with understanding of the physical world. Many companies are spending enormous sums to collect the real-world training data necessary to train models that can power robots. In addition to humanoid robots, Beyond Imagination is also developing Aura, which co-founder Kloor described as a universal operating system for intelligent manufacturing, allowing humans, robots and legacy machines to work together. Beyond Imagination has attracted an eclectic roster of advisers, including former Qualcomm (QCOM.O), opens new tab CEO Paul Jacobs, motivational speaker Tony Robbins, and onetime Paramount Pictures chairman Jim Gianopulos. Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles and Anna Tong in San Francisco; Editing by Matthew Lewis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Suggested Topics:Artificial Intelligence Anna Tong Thomson Reuters Anna Tong is a correspondent for Reuters based in San Francisco, where she reports on the technology industry. She joined Reuters in 2023 after working at the San Francisco Standard as a data editor. Tong previously worked at technology startups as a product manager and at Google where she worked in user insights and helped run a call center. Tong graduated from Harvard University.
[2]
Beyond Imagination raises $100 million to build humanoid robots
The company, Beyond Imagination, will be valued at $500 million, and venture capital firm Gauntlet Ventures will be the round's sole investor. Kurzweil is known for popularizing the term "the singularity," when he predicted two decades ago that by 2045, artificial intelligence would surpass human intelligence and embark on a path of accelerating self-enhancement. These ideas, which once seemed like science fiction, are now viewed as mainstream by many technologists. Beyond Imagination is co-founded by scientist, entrepreneur and filmmaker Harry Kloor. The company has developed a humanoid robot -- the Beyond Bot -- and accompanying AI models that it intends to deploy in industrial settings such as factories, pharmaceutical plants and chip manufacturing facilities, said Gauntlet Ventures co-founder Oliver Carmack.
[3]
Futurist Ray Kurzweil's Humanoid Robotics Startup Eyes a $500M Valuation
Ray Kurzweil's robotics startup Beyond Imagination aims to revolutionize physical labor with A.I.-driven humanoid robots and a bold funding push. Ray Kurzweil, a renowned inventor and futurist, has long envisioned a future where humans and A.I. work in tandem. Now, he's edging closer to that reality with Beyond Imagination, a robotics startup reportedly seeking to raise $100 million in a Series B funding round, according to Reuters. Sign Up For Our Daily Newsletter Sign Up Thank you for signing up! By clicking submit, you agree to our <a href="http://observermedia.com/terms">terms of service</a> and acknowledge we may use your information to send you emails, product samples, and promotions on this website and other properties. You can opt out anytime. See all of our newsletters Kurzweil co-founded Beyond Imagination in 2018 with Harry Floor, a scientist and film producer, to develop autonomous A.I. systems capable of physical labor. The company is building humanoid robots aimed at addressing labor shortages in sectors such as health care and agriculture. Its advisory board includes motivational speaker Tony Robbins, former Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs, and former Paramount Pictures CEO James Gianopulos. Between 2018 and 2019, the startup raised $4.2 million in seed funding and was most recently valued at $25 million, per Crunchbase. Reuters reported that its upcoming valuation could reach $500 million, with Gauntlet Ventures -- a Dallas-based venture capital firm -- expected to be the sole investor in the new round. Humans and technology meld together in the 'Singularity' Kurzweil, a pioneer in fields ranging from A.I. and health to music technology, has received numerous accolades including the National Medal of Technology and Innovation and a Technical Grammy Award. Yet he's best known as a futurist who believes in the concept of the "Singularity" -- a moment when machines surpass human intelligence and humans merge with technology. While this notion seemed distant when Kurzweil published The Singularity Is Near in 2005, it now feels more plausible in the wake of A.I. advances like OpenAI's ChatGPT. In an interview last year, Kurzweil predicted that the kind of rapid progress seen in large language models (LLMs) will soon extend to robotics. He claimed that humanoid robots will eventually "do everything humans can do with our hands and bodies." Beyond Imagination's robots, for instance, are designed to improve efficiency in physical labor and take on dangerous or undesirable jobs. The company has suggested possible roles ranging from surgical assistants to ghost kitchen staff. According to Reuters, it is also building an operating system to enable collaboration between humans, robots and other machines. Kurzweil isn't alone in this bet on robotics. Elon Musk's Tesla is developing the Optimus line of humanoid robots, which he claims will cost under $30,000 and eventually perform tasks like babysitting, lawn care and grocery shopping. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has also argued that A.I.'s next wave will be rooted in physical tools and robotics. Earlier this year, Nvidia introduced a suite of A.I. models that simulate real-world environments, now being deployed by robotics firms.
[4]
Elon Musk Rival? Ray Kurzweil's Beyond Imagination Lands $100M Deal As Tesla, Nvidia, Meta Race Toward AI-Powered Humanoid Robots - Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA)
Ray Kurzweil, the AI futurist best known for predicting the rise of the singularity, is taking a major step toward turning science fiction into industrial reality. His humanoid robotics company, Beyond Imagination, has secured a $100 million investment from Gauntlet Ventures in a Series B round that pushes the startup's valuation to $500 million, Reuters reports. Founded alongside scientist, entrepreneur, and filmmaker Harry Kloor, Beyond Imagination is building Beomni, an advanced humanoid robot developed for deployment in high-demand industrial settings, according to the company's website. Reuters says that the startup is also working on a universal operating system called Aura, designed to streamline communication and functionality between humans, robots, and legacy machinery. Don't Miss: Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm -- Invest before it's too late. 'Scrolling To UBI' -- Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can invest today for just $0.30/share with a $1000 minimum. Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target - Many are rushing to grab 4,000 of its pre-IPO shares for just $0.26/share! Mode Mobile developed a smartphone called EarnPhone, which allows users to earn and save money by playing video games, listening to music and reading the news. With the phone priced at an affordable $99, the barriers to adoption are low. Earning Opportunity for All Smartphone Users Mode EarnPhone State-of-the-art smartphone device includes built-in earning features. EarnOS Proprietary earning software turns smartphones into EarnPhones. Min. Investment: $1000 Share Price: $0.26 Valuation: $310M Click To Learn More About Mode MobileFrom Singularity Theory to Manufacturing Solutions Kurzweil's long-held vision of a future dominated by intelligent machines is moving from bookshelves to production lines. His prediction that artificial intelligence would exceed human intelligence by 2045 once raised eyebrows, Reuters reports. According to Bloomberg, AI startups raised a record $97 billion in funding in 2024 alone, making artificial intelligence one of the most heavily backed sectors in venture capital. According to Gauntlet Ventures co-founder Oliver Carmack, the decision to back Beyond Imagination stemmed from the company's capacity to address a looming global issue: the skilled labor shortage. The startup's bot, with its AI-driven adaptability, is being positioned as a solution for industries like pharmaceutical manufacturing, chip fabrication, and automotive assembly, sectors that demand high precision and long-term workforce support, Reuters says. Beyond Imagination is currently testing its humanoid robots and seeking enterprise partners for deployment in industrial settings, aiming to help revolutionize U.S. manufacturing through AI-driven automation, according to Reuters. Trending: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing -- this is your last chance to become an investor for $0.80 per share. Beyond Imagination is Backed by Icons Across Tech and Media The company isn't short on heavyweight support. According to Beyond Imagination's website, its advisory board includes former Qualcomm QCOM CEO Paul Jacobs, motivational speaker and business strategist Tony Robbins, and former Paramount Pictures Chair Jim Gianopulos. Their backing, combined with Gauntlet's $100 million investment, sets Beyond Imagination apart in a market flooded with robotics startups vying for capital and attention. According to Reuters, Gauntlet Ventures is the sole investor in this Series B round, a bold show of confidence in both Kurzweil's vision and the company's near-term commercial potential. This latest funding round comes at a time when several major players are entering or expanding their own robotics divisions. Tesla's TSLA Optimus robot, Meta's META AI systems, and Nvidia's NVDA development tools are all pushing the industry forward. Kurzweil's company is positioning Aura as a system designed to integrate humans, robots, and legacy machinery, Reuters says. See Also: Elon Musk Told The U.N. If They Could Show A Plan For Ending World Hunger He'd Donate $6 Billion - 'I Will Sell Tesla Stock Right Now And Do It' Robots, Real-World Data, and the AI Learning Curve Despite the hype, progress in robotics has remained slower than in conversational AI. According to Vox, while chatbots and other language-based AIs have surged ahead, powered by vast amounts of readily available training data from text, images, and video, physical robots remain years behind. Unlike language models, which can be trained in parallel across millions of central processing unit cores and datasets scraped from the internet, robots need to learn by interacting with the physical world in real time, Vox says. As industrial sectors look for automation that delivers beyond traditional robotics, Beyond Imagination may lead that charge with fresh capital and an AI strategy focused on industrial deployment. Read Next: Invest where it hurts -- and help millions heal: Invest in Cytonics and help disrupt a $390B Big Pharma stronghold. Be part of the next med-tech breakthrough for only $350 -- 500+ surgeries already done with nView's AI system. Image: Shutterstock METAMeta Platforms Inc$625.98-1.66%Stock Score Locked: Want to See it? Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Reveal Full ScoreEdge RankingsMomentum87.44Growth92.88Quality81.80Value39.30Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewNVDANVIDIA Corp$131.17-1.25%QCOMQualcomm Inc$145.03-1.59%TSLATesla Inc$339.86-0.35%Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
[5]
Exclusive-Ray Kurzweil's humanoid robot startup in talks for $100 million investment
(Reuters) -A humanoid robotics startup co-founded by prominent artificial-intelligence futurist Ray Kurzweil said on Tuesday that venture capital firm Gauntlet Ventures will back its $100 million Series B funding round. The company, Beyond Imagination, will be valued at $500 million, and venture capital firm Gauntlet Ventures will be the round's sole investor. Kurzweil is known for popularizing the term "the singularity," when he predicted two decades ago that by 2045, artificial intelligence would surpass human intelligence and embark on a path of accelerating self-enhancement. These ideas, which once seemed like science fiction, are now viewed as mainstream by many technologists. Beyond Imagination is co-founded by scientist, entrepreneur and filmmaker Harry Kloor. The company has developed a humanoid robot -- the Beyond Bot - and accompanying AI models that it intends to deploy in industrial settings such as factories, pharmaceutical plants and chip manufacturing facilities, said Gauntlet Ventures co-founder Oliver Carmack. The company has been testing its robots and is now looking for large enterprises into which they can be deployed, Carmack said, adding that he chose to back Beyond Imagination because of its potential to revolutionize U.S. manufacturing and address the projected global shortage of skilled labor. Major tech companies including Nvidia, Meta Platforms and Tesla, alongside various startups, are rushing to make humanoid robots, and are betting that recent advances in AI will also lead to breakthroughs in robots and automation. In October last year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that "a lot of progress" has been made with its humanoid robot, Optimus, which could perform many daily tasks. Progress on robots has been slow, however, as researchers have found that the language-related AI breakthroughs driving chatbot development have not necessarily helped with understanding of the physical world. Many companies are spending enormous sums to collect the real-world training data necessary to train models that can power robots. In addition to humanoid robots, Beyond Imagination is also developing Aura, which co-founder Kloor described as a universal operating system for intelligent manufacturing, allowing humans, robots and legacy machines to work together. Beyond Imagination has attracted an eclectic roster of advisers, including former Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs, motivational speaker Tony Robbins, and onetime Paramount Pictures chairman Jim Gianopulos. (Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles and Anna Tong in San Francisco; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
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Beyond Imagination, co-founded by AI futurist Ray Kurzweil, raises $100 million in Series B funding for its humanoid robot project, aiming to revolutionize industrial automation and address global labor shortages.
Beyond Imagination, a humanoid robotics startup co-founded by prominent artificial intelligence futurist Ray Kurzweil, has secured a significant $100 million Series B funding round from venture capital firm Gauntlet Ventures 1. This investment propels the company's valuation to an impressive $500 million, marking a major milestone in the rapidly evolving field of AI-driven robotics 2.
Source: Observer
Ray Kurzweil, renowned for popularizing the concept of "the singularity," has long predicted that by 2045, artificial intelligence would surpass human intelligence and embark on a path of accelerating self-enhancement 1. His co-founder, scientist, entrepreneur, and filmmaker Harry Kloor, brings a diverse set of skills to the venture 3.
The company has attracted an eclectic roster of advisers, including former Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs, motivational speaker Tony Robbins, and former Paramount Pictures chairman Jim Gianopulos 1. This blend of technology, business, and entertainment expertise underscores the broad potential impact of Beyond Imagination's work.
At the heart of Beyond Imagination's offering is the Beyond Bot, an advanced humanoid robot developed for deployment in high-demand industrial settings 4. The company intends to deploy these robots and accompanying AI models in factories, pharmaceutical plants, and chip manufacturing facilities 1.
Oliver Carmack, co-founder of Gauntlet Ventures, emphasized the potential of Beyond Imagination to revolutionize U.S. manufacturing and address the projected global shortage of skilled labor 1. The company is currently testing its robots and seeking large enterprises for deployment 1.
Beyond the physical robots, Beyond Imagination is also developing Aura, described by co-founder Kloor as a universal operating system for intelligent manufacturing 1. This system aims to facilitate seamless collaboration between humans, robots, and legacy machines, potentially transforming industrial workflows 5.
Source: Benzinga
Beyond Imagination's ambitious project enters a field where major tech companies, including Nvidia, Meta Platforms, and Tesla, are also investing heavily in humanoid robotics 1. Tesla's CEO Elon Musk has reported significant progress with their humanoid robot, Optimus, designed to perform various daily tasks 1.
However, progress in robotics has been slower compared to other AI domains. Researchers have found that recent breakthroughs in language-related AI, which have driven chatbot development, haven't necessarily translated to improved understanding of the physical world 1. This challenge highlights the unique position of Beyond Imagination in bridging this gap.
Despite the excitement surrounding humanoid robots, the field faces significant challenges. Unlike language models that can be trained on vast amounts of readily available data, robots need to learn by interacting with the physical world in real time 4. This necessitates substantial investments in collecting real-world training data to power robotic AI models 1.
As Beyond Imagination moves forward with its $100 million investment, the company stands at the forefront of a potential revolution in industrial automation. Its success could have far-reaching implications for manufacturing, healthcare, and numerous other sectors grappling with labor shortages and the need for advanced automation solutions.
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