Foundation Models

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Key Facts

Year2021

Coined ByStanford HAI

Key PlayersOpenAI, Google, Anthropic, DeepSeek

Top News

Genesis AI in talks to raise $500M at $3B valuation for robot foundation models

Genesis AI, the robotics startup building foundation models for robots, is reportedly in discussions to raise about $500 million at a $3 billion pre-money valuation. The physical-AI startup emerged from stealth just last July with a $105 million seed round, and the new funding round would mark a steep climb for the company developing its universal robotics model GENE-26.5.

Startups2 sources

Genesis AI in talks to raise $500M at $3B valuation for robot foundation models

Startups2 sources

HCLTech invests $1.48 billion in AI data center with Sarvam AI, plans 5,000-seat tech hub

HCLTech announced a $1.48 billion investment to build its first AI data center at the Odisha Sovereign AI Park in partnership with Sarvam AI and the Odisha government. The facility will combine full-stack AI capabilities with foundation models to deliver sector-specific AI applications. Additionally, HCLTech will open a 5,000-employee technology center in Bhubaneswar by 2028, marking a significant expansion into India's AI infrastructure space.

Business6 sources

HCLTech invests $1.48 billion in AI data center with Sarvam AI, plans 5,000-seat tech hub

Business6 sources

Noetra CEO calls $2.33B robot AI venture Japan's last chance in global AI race

Japan launches Noetra, a government-backed AI venture with $2.33 billion in first-year funding to develop a foundational model for robots. CEO Hironobu Tamba frames it as the country's final opportunity to achieve technological self-sufficiency as China and the US dominate AI development. Backed by 44 companies including SoftBank, Honda, and Sony, the project targets 10 million AI-enabled robots by 2040.

Technology3 sources

Noetra CEO calls $2.33B robot AI venture Japan's last chance in global AI race

Technology3 sources

Anthropic held talks to acquire Physical Intelligence as AI giants race into robotics

A weekend rumor about Anthropic acquiring robotics startup Physical Intelligence spread rapidly across AI Twitter, despite a denial from the company's CEO. The Information confirmed that Anthropic and Physical Intelligence actually held acquisition talks this spring, revealing the AI giant's interest in physical-world capabilities as it prepares for its IPO and competes with OpenAI in the race toward superintelligent systems.

Business2 sources

Anthropic held talks to acquire Physical Intelligence as AI giants race into robotics

Business2 sources

US and China plan high-level AI talks in September to address frontier model risks

The United States and China are preparing to hold AI talks in September, marking a significant outcome of the Trump-Xi summit in May. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will lead the US delegation as both superpowers seek to address risks posed by increasingly powerful frontier models. The meeting is expected before President Xi Jinping's planned September 24 visit to the US.

Policy5 sources

US and China plan high-level AI talks in September to address frontier model risks

Policy5 sources

Weak AI Regulation Can Backfire and Make AI More Dangerous, Researchers Warn

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that weak AI safety regulations may actually increase risks rather than reduce them. Researchers from Cornell and Carnegie Mellon University found that poorly designed AI regulation creates a free-riding problem where foundation model developers cut safety corners, expecting downstream companies to handle the risks instead.

Policy2 sources

Weak AI Regulation Can Backfire and Make AI More Dangerous, Researchers Warn

Policy2 sources

Swiss researchers copy 100 petabytes of NASA climate data for AI training amid funding concerns

Swiss researchers have transferred a massive archive of NASA climate data to a supercomputer in Switzerland for AI training. The year-long effort copied 100 petabytes—equivalent to 20 million films—to safeguard decades of Earth observation data amid concerns over US funding cuts to climate science programs.

Technology2 sources

Swiss researchers copy 100 petabytes of NASA climate data for AI training amid funding concerns

Technology2 sources

Alibaba Qwen3.8 AI Model Claims Second Place Behind Fable 5 in Competitive Launch

Alibaba unveiled Qwen3.8-Max-Preview with 2.4 trillion parameters at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, claiming it ranks second only to Anthropic's Fable 5. The launch comes days after Moonshot AI released Kimi K3 with 2.8 trillion parameters, pushing Chinese AI companies into the multi-trillion-parameter tier amid ongoing geopolitical tensions over semiconductor access.

Technology7 sources

Alibaba Qwen3.8 AI Model Claims Second Place Behind Fable 5 in Competitive Launch

Technology7 sources

Zhipu AI shares plunge 22% as Moonshot AI unveils powerful Kimi K3 model, shaking up China's AI race

Zhipu AI shares tumbled 22% in Hong Kong trading after Chinese AI startup Moonshot AI released Kimi K3, a 2.8 trillion-parameter model described as the world's largest open-weight AI model. The launch intensifies competition in China's AI sector, where companies like Alibaba, Baidu, and DeepSeek are racing to dominate the market with increasingly capable foundation models.

Technology2 sources

Zhipu AI shares plunge 22% as Moonshot AI unveils powerful Kimi K3 model, shaking up China's AI race

Technology2 sources

Applied Computing Raises $20M to Build Foundation AI Model for Oil and Gas Industry

London-based Applied Computing has raised $20 million in Series A funding led by engineering giant KBR, with Databricks Ventures participating, to develop Orbital—a foundation AI model for oil and gas operations. The startup claims its model compresses facility investigations from weeks into seconds by combining sensor data, physics-based modeling, and language processing to predict facility states and detect anomalies in real time.

Technology2 sources

Applied Computing Raises $20M to Build Foundation AI Model for Oil and Gas Industry

Technology2 sources

NVIDIA Jetson Thor T3000 and T2000 modules bring Blackwell power to mainstream robotics

NVIDIA introduced two new Blackwell-powered modules—Jetson Thor T3000 and T2000—designed to advance mainstream robotics and edge AI applications. The T3000 delivers 865 teraflops in a compact, power-efficient design, while the T2000 offers an entry point with 400 teraflops. Leading companies including Boston Dynamics, Amazon Robotics, and Agility are already building on the platform, with both modules scheduled for Q1 2027 launch.

Technology3 sources

NVIDIA Jetson Thor T3000 and T2000 modules bring Blackwell power to mainstream robotics

Technology3 sources

Temasek plans to triple AI investments to 15% of portfolio by 2031, targeting $60 billion shift

Singapore's sovereign wealth fund Temasek announced plans to nearly triple its AI exposure from 6% to 15% of its $400 billion portfolio by 2031. The state investor will target five key areas including semiconductors, data centers, and foundation models like OpenAI and Anthropic. This strategic shift comes as Temasek's portfolio value hit a record S$518 billion with 10.5% returns last year.

Business6 sources

Temasek plans to triple AI investments to 15% of portfolio by 2031, targeting $60 billion shift

Business6 sources

Mowito raises $3 million to teach factory robots by demonstration, transforming manufacturing automation

Mowito, a Physical AI startup building foundation models for industrial robotic arms, has closed a $3 million pre-seed round led by Version One Ventures. The company is replacing traditional robot programming with demonstration-based learning, allowing factory robots to learn tasks by observing humans rather than requiring extensive coding for every production change.

Startups2 sources

Mowito raises $3 million to teach factory robots by demonstration, transforming manufacturing automation

Startups2 sources

AI Boom Drives Global Venture Funding to Record $510 Billion in First Half of 2026

Global venture funding reached an unprecedented $510 billion in the first half of 2026, surpassing all of 2025's $440 billion total. The AI boom drove this record-breaking venture funding, with OpenAI and Anthropic alone capturing $217 billion—43% of all startup investment. While capital concentrated heavily in frontier AI labs, mega-rounds expanded across AI infrastructure, defense, robotics and healthcare, signaling the AI's outsized impact on the venture capital landscape.

Business3 sources

AI Boom Drives Global Venture Funding to Record $510 Billion in First Half of 2026

Business3 sources

Nvidia invests in Verkada to accelerate physical AI across 2.4 million security devices

Nvidia has invested in physical security company Verkada and formed a technical partnership to enhance AI capabilities across Verkada's 2.4 million connected devices. The Verkada and Nvidia collaboration leverages Cosmos foundation models and Physical AI Data Factory to improve video search accuracy by 68%, with deployment across 30,000 organizations in 170 countries.

Technology2 sources

Nvidia invests in Verkada to accelerate physical AI across 2.4 million security devices

Technology2 sources

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