SoftBank and Nvidia in talks to fund Skild AI at $14 billion, nearly tripling its valuation

SoftBank and Nvidia Investment Positions Skild AI for Major Growth

SoftBank Group and Nvidia are in advanced discussions to lead an investment exceeding $1 billion in Skild AI, a robotics artificial intelligence company that could reach a $14 billion valuation, according to sources and a term sheet reviewed by Reuters1

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. This proposed funding round would nearly triple the startup's previous valuation of $4.7 billion from its $500 million Series B round in May, which included participation from Nvidia, LG Technology Ventures, Samsung, and others, according to PitchBook data2

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. The deal is expected to close before Christmas, though talks remain fluid and some details could change4

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Building Universal Software for Robots Through AI Foundation Models

Founded in 2023 by ex-Meta AI researchers and backed by Amazon.com and Lightspeed Venture Partners, Skild AI is tackling a fundamental obstacle preventing broader robot deployment in factories, warehouses, and homes4

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. Unlike heavily funded startups building proprietary hardware, Skild AI focuses exclusively on developing a robot-agnostic foundation model that can be customized for various robot types and use cases1

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. The company's foundational robotics model uses vast data to teach robots perception and decision-making skills similar to those of humans, enabling them to perform a much broader range of tasks than current capabilities allow4

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Skild Brain Demonstrates Emergent Capabilities Across Robot Types

In July, Skild AI unveiled Skild Brain, its general-purpose robot model, through videos showing robots picking up dishes and climbing up and down stairs1

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. The system adapts to a wide range of environments and tasks from warehouse logistics to household chores. One advantage of the model is its ability to teach robots emergent capabilities—tasks they weren't explicitly designed to perform. For instance, if a robot in a warehouse drops an object, Skild AI's model enables the robot to pick it up again, or rotate objects to get a better grip on them2

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. The model integrates with various robot types, including humanoid bots designed to mirror human dexterity, quadruped robots that traverse diverse terrains, and factory-style robotic arms2

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Growing Investor Interest in Robotics Drives Competitive Landscape

The talks underscore surging investor interest in humanoid robotics firms as advances in artificial intelligence make such robots increasingly capable of performing complex tasks4

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. Physical Intelligence, another company developing "brains" for a broad range of robots, recently raised $600 million at a $5.6 billion valuation led by CapitalG1

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. In September, Figure raised more than $1 billion at a massive $39 billion valuation, while 1X was in talks to secure as much as $1 billion at a $10 billion valuation1

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Masayoshi Son's Robotics Strategy and Strategic Partnerships

SoftBank Group was impressed by Skild AI's technology in pilot projects, according to a person familiar with the matter4

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. Robotics remains central to CEO Masayoshi Son's long-term strategy for SoftBank, especially after the company acquired the robotics business of Swiss engineering group ABB for $5.4 billion in October2

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. Skild AI has established strategic partnerships with LG CNS, LG's cloud computing and AI subsidiary, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise to develop its ecosystem2

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. The company previously raised $300 million at a $1.5 billion valuation in its Series A round last year, with investments from Jeff Bezos, SoftBank Group, and Khosla Ventures among others4

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. While experts caution that truly general-purpose robotic applications remain technically challenging and could still be years away from widespread adoption, the policy environment is shifting. 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 year4

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