Core Insights - The development of AI progresses from specialization to generalization, eventually entering valuable niche scenarios based on general capabilities [1] - Skild AI aims to create a universal robotic brain, Skild Brain, that can adapt to any hardware form and perform various tasks, moving beyond the limitations of previous generations of robots [6][4] Funding and Valuation - Skild AI secured $300 million in Series A funding in 2024 and recently completed a $1.4 billion Series B funding round, led by SoftBank, with a valuation exceeding $14 billion [3] Founders and Team - The founders, Deepak Pathak and Abhinav Gupta, have over 110,000 paper citations and have led significant breakthroughs in robotics over the past decade [4] - The team comprises experts from leading tech companies and universities, enhancing its capabilities in embodied intelligence [4] Technological Advancements - Skild Brain is designed to control various types of robots without prior knowledge of their physical forms, enabling it to handle tasks ranging from simple household chores to complex physical challenges [6] - The architecture of Skild Brain includes a layered structure for operation and navigation strategies, allowing seamless transitions between different tasks [8] Learning and Adaptation - Skild Brain utilizes end-to-end motion control driven by online visual and proprioceptive feedback, enabling real-time adaptation to new environments [9][11] - The model incorporates context learning, allowing robots to learn from failures and adapt to unfamiliar situations, enhancing their versatility [12][15] Data Infrastructure - Skild has built a robust data infrastructure that allows Skild Brain to learn from various sources, including large-scale simulations and real-world deployments [16][17] - The company has achieved significant revenue growth, reaching $30 million in a few months through deployments in security, construction, and warehousing [19] Future Outlook - The company aims to bridge the generalization gap in physical AI, potentially leading to exponential value creation as it matures and expands its applications [20]

Core Insights - Skild AI, a startup in the foundational model for robotics, has raised approximately $1.4 billion in Series C funding, achieving a valuation exceeding $14 billion, setting a record in the field [1][5] - The investment round was led by SoftBank Group, with participation from major tech giants like Nvidia, Samsung, LG, Jeff Bezos' family office, and Salesforce, forming a diverse investment alliance across various sectors [5][12] Group 1: Company Background - Skild AI was co-founded by Deepak Pathak and Abhinav Gupta, both professors at Carnegie Mellon University, who previously worked at Meta's advanced robotics lab, providing a unique blend of academic and industry experience [5][7] - The company aims to address the challenges in robotics by creating a universal robotic brain, Skild Brain, capable of running on standard hardware and performing basic tasks like climbing stairs and avoiding obstacles [7][8] Group 2: Technological Innovations - Skild Brain represents a paradigm shift in robotics, utilizing large-scale multimodal data for end-to-end training, moving away from fixed instruction sets [9][11] - The system's architecture decouples hardware from intelligence, allowing it to adapt to various robotic platforms and maintain robust performance even in changing environments [11][19] Group 3: Investment Dynamics - The diverse group of investors reflects strategic interests, with Nvidia aiming to fill gaps in its robotics technology stack, while SoftBank seeks to enhance its influence in the robotics industry [12][14] - For Samsung and LG, this investment signifies a strategic pivot towards robotics as a key growth area amid slowing consumer electronics [14] Group 4: Commercialization and Market Potential - Skild AI's commercialization efforts are accelerating, with plans to serve over eight enterprise clients by the end of 2025, spanning sectors like security, construction, and logistics [15][18] - The company addresses a significant market demand, particularly in industries facing labor shortages, where traditional robotic systems struggle due to high customization costs [15][22] Group 5: Challenges Ahead - Despite promising prospects, Skild AI faces challenges in ensuring the reliability of its technology in complex real-world environments, as well as balancing model performance with cost [19][21] - The fragmented state of the robotics hardware market poses additional challenges for achieving true universality in robotic applications [21][22]

Core Viewpoint - Skild AI, a US robotics startup, has completed a C round financing of approximately $1.4 billion, raising its valuation to over $14 billion, which is three times its valuation from seven months ago [2][5]. Group 1: Financing and Valuation - The recent financing round was led by SoftBank, with participation from Nvidia, Macquarie, 1789 Capital, Bezos Expeditions, and companies like Samsung and LG [5]. - Since its establishment in May 2023, Skild AI has raised a total of about $2 billion, aiming to create a "general robotic brain" that enables robots to learn tasks through video observation and practice [5][11]. Group 2: Founders and Vision - Skild AI was co-founded by Deepak Pathak and Abhinav Gupta, who previously worked together at Meta's robotics lab and later became professors at Carnegie Mellon University [6]. - The founders recognized a bottleneck in robotics research regarding the practical application of video demonstrations, which lack stable and replicable system capabilities [8]. Group 3: Technology and Applications - Skild AI aims to develop a "general robotic brain" that operates on standard GPUs without the need for custom chips, enabling cross-platform and cross-task execution capabilities [9]. - The Skild Brain system is trained using large-scale human videos and simulated practices, optimizing control strategies through feedback loops [9]. - The technology has been adapted for various robotic forms, including quadrupedal platforms, robotic arms, and humanoid robots, capable of performing tasks in complex environments like homes, warehouses, hospitals, and construction sites [9][10]. Group 4: Market Potential and Partnerships - By 2025, Skild AI aims to serve over eight clients, with revenue projected to rise from zero to several million dollars [11]. - LG CNS has announced a partnership with Skild AI to develop humanoid robot solutions, and the software will be used for automation at Nvidia's GPU factory [13]. - The company sees significant potential for robots to fill over a million job vacancies in the US, particularly in dangerous, repetitive, or undesirable positions [11][13]. Group 5: Industry Trends and Challenges - The high valuation and oversubscription of Skild AI's financing reflect a shift in investment strategies among tech giants, moving away from heavy asset acquisitions to early-stage investments in promising startups [13]. - The robotics sector faces common challenges, especially in deploying humanoid robots for consumer use, with issues related to endurance, mobility, and safety still being critical hurdles [14]. - The competition for developing general-purpose robotic systems is intensifying, with a collective push towards scalable implementations in the industry [15][16].

Core Insights - Skild AI, a US robotics startup, has completed a C round financing of approximately $1.4 billion, raising its valuation to over $14 billion, which is three times its valuation from seven months ago [1][3] Financing and Investment - The financing round was led by SoftBank, with participation from Nvidia, Macquarie, 1789 Capital, Bezos Expeditions, and companies like Samsung, LG, and Salesforce [3] - Since its establishment in May 2023, Skild AI has raised a total of around $2 billion [3] Company Vision and Technology - Skild AI aims to create a "general robotic brain" that allows robots to learn tasks through video observation and practical experience, similar to human learning [3][4] - The founders, Deepak Pathak and Abhinav Gupta, previously worked at Meta's robotics lab and are focused on overcoming the limitations of current robotic systems [4][6] - The Skild Brain system utilizes large-scale human video and simulation training to optimize control strategies, integrating internal sensory data with external visual signals for robust task execution [6] Market Potential and Applications - Skild Brain is adaptable to various robotic forms, including quadrupeds, robotic arms, and humanoid robots, and can operate in complex environments such as homes, warehouses, hospitals, and construction sites [7] - By 2025, Skild AI aims to serve over eight clients, with revenue projected to grow from zero to several tens of millions of dollars [10] Industry Trends and Competitive Landscape - The high valuation and significant funding for Skild AI reflect a shift in investment strategies among tech giants, moving towards early-stage investments rather than heavy asset acquisitions [11] - Competitors in the robotics AI space, such as Physical Intelligence, are also experiencing rapid growth, indicating a competitive landscape with similar challenges [12] Conclusion - The race for developing a general robotic brain is intensifying, with major tech companies accelerating their investments in the robotics sector, signaling a collective push towards scalable deployment of robotic systems [13]

Core Insights - Skild AI is in talks for a new funding round exceeding $1 billion, which could nearly double its valuation to $14 billion from $4.7 billion during its last funding round in June 2023 [1][2] - The U.S. government, under the Trump administration, is actively promoting the robotics industry, with plans for an executive order on robotics next year [2][7] Group 1: Investment and Valuation - SoftBank and NVIDIA are negotiating to invest in Skild AI, which has shown impressive technology in pilot projects [2][3] - Skild AI raised $500 million in its B round of funding, led by SoftBank, with participation from NVIDIA and others, achieving a valuation of $4.7 billion [2][3] - The robotics investment landscape is rapidly growing, with projections indicating that funding in the sector could reach $2.3 billion by 2025, doubling from the previous year [3] Group 2: Company Overview - Skild AI, founded in 2023 by former Meta AI researchers, focuses on developing AI models for various types of robots rather than manufacturing hardware [4][5] - The company released its first general AI model in July 2023, capable of adapting to a wide range of tasks from logistics to household chores [5] - Skild AI collaborates with NVIDIA to develop a foundational model called Skild Brain, which can be trained with minimal additional input to acquire new skills [5] Group 3: Government Initiatives and Industry Trends - The U.S. Department of Commerce is committed to advancing robotics and advanced manufacturing, emphasizing their importance in bringing critical production back to the U.S. [7] - There is a growing interest in robotics within the U.S. Congress, with proposals for establishing a national robotics committee [7] - The global humanoid robot market is projected to reach $38 billion by 2035, highlighting the increasing demand for robotic solutions [3]

Core Insights - The article discusses a significant investment opportunity in the robotics sector, particularly focusing on Skild AI, which is in talks for a funding round exceeding $1 billion, potentially raising its valuation to $14 billion, nearly double its previous valuation of $4.7 billion during its last funding round [1][3][6]. Investment and Valuation - Skild AI, founded in 2023, aims to develop a universal software "brain" for robots, overcoming deployment barriers in various environments [7]. - The company raised $500 million in its B round of funding in June 2023, with SoftBank leading the investment [3][6]. - If the new funding round is successful, Skild AI's valuation will increase significantly, reflecting investor interest in humanoid robotics as AI advancements enable more complex tasks [3][6]. Government Support and Industry Trends - The U.S. government, under the Trump administration, is reportedly pushing for the development of the robotics industry, with plans for an executive order on robotics next year [4][10]. - The U.S. Commerce Department has confirmed its commitment to the robotics sector, emphasizing its importance for bringing critical manufacturing back to the U.S. [10]. - There is a growing interest in establishing a national robotics strategy to support the emerging industry and maintain competitiveness against countries like China, which has significantly more industrial robots [10][11]. Market Potential and Future Outlook - Investment demand in the robotics sector is surging, with projections indicating that funding could reach $2.3 billion by 2025, doubling from the previous year [6]. - Goldman Sachs estimates that the global humanoid robotics market could reach $38 billion by 2035 [6]. - Experts caution that achieving truly universal robotic applications remains technically challenging and may take years for widespread implementation [9].

Group 1 - SoftBank Group and NVIDIA are negotiating to lead a funding round of over $1 billion for Skild AI, valuing the company at approximately $14 billion [1] - Skild AI, founded nearly three years ago, had a previous valuation of $4.7 billion after raising $500 million in May, led by SoftBank with participation from LG Technology Ventures, Samsung, and NVIDIA [3] - Skild AI focuses on developing a robot-agnostic foundational model that can be customized for different types of robots and applications, rather than creating proprietary hardware [3] Group 2 - Skild AI released its universal robot model "Skild Brain" in July, showcasing capabilities such as picking up utensils and navigating stairs [3] - The interest in AI robotics is increasing, with another company, Physical Intelligence, recently completing a $600 million funding round, valuing it at $5.6 billion [4] - In September, humanoid robot company Figure completed a funding round exceeding $1 billion, achieving a valuation of $39 billion [4]

Investment Overview - SoftBank Group and Nvidia are negotiating to lead an investment exceeding $1 billion in Skild AI, valuing the company at $14 billion [1] - Skild AI was previously valued at $4.7 billion in May after raising $500 million, with participation from SoftBank, LG Technology Ventures, Samsung, and Nvidia [2] Company Profile - Skild AI is a nearly three-year-old startup focused on developing a robot-agnostic foundational model rather than proprietary hardware [3] - The company introduced its general-purpose robot model, Skild Brain, in July, showcasing capabilities such as picking up dishes and navigating stairs [3] - Strategic partnerships have been established with LG CNS and Hewlett Packard Enterprise to enhance its ecosystem [3] Industry Trends - There is a growing investor interest in AI robotics, as evidenced by Physical Intelligence raising $600 million at a $5.6 billion valuation [4] - Figure, a humanoid robot developer, recently raised over $1 billion at a valuation of $39 billion, indicating strong market potential [5] - Another humanoid robot developer, 1X, was reported to be in discussions to secure up to $1 billion at a $10 billion valuation [5]

Core Insights - SoftBank Group and Nvidia are in discussions to invest over $1 billion in Skild AI, a company specializing in foundation models for robots [1] - The funding round could increase Skild's valuation from $4.7 billion to approximately $14 billion [2] Funding Details - Skild previously raised $500 million in a Series B round, achieving a valuation of $4.7 billion, and $300 million in a Series A round, which valued the company at $1.5 billion [2] Product Development - Skild's model is designed as a "shared, general-purpose brain" for various robots, aiming to enable low-cost robots for diverse industries and applications [3] - The AI model, named "Skild Brain," can operate on a wide range of robots, enhancing their ability to think and respond like humans [5] Industry Context - Nvidia has introduced over 70 research papers on AI applications beyond text and images, focusing on "embodied intelligence" for industries such as manufacturing and transportation [6] - SoftBank Group plans to acquire ABB's robotics business for $5.375 billion, aligning with its investments in AI and robotics [6]

Core Insights - The article discusses the rise of Physical Intelligence (PI), a startup in the field of embodied intelligence, which has achieved a valuation of approximately 56 billion yuan (around 8 billion USD) after raising 600 million USD in its latest funding round [2] - PI's approach emphasizes a "software-first" strategy, aiming to create a universal robotic brain that can control various robot bodies without being hardware-dependent [5][6] - The competition in the global "universal robotic brain" arena is intensifying, with both international players like PI and domestic innovators like Qianjue Technology emerging rapidly [9] Funding and Valuation - PI's latest funding round was led by CapitalG, with participation from existing investors such as Lux Capital, Thrive Capital, and Jeff Bezos, as well as new investors like Index Ventures and T. Rowe Price [2] - The company's valuation surged from 2 billion USD to 5.6 billion USD in a short period, making it the highest-valued player in the universal robotic brain sector [2] - The funding history of PI includes a seed round of 70 million USD in March 2024 and an angel round of 400 million USD in November 2024 [11] Team and Expertise - PI has assembled a high-profile team, including CEO Karol Hausman from Google DeepMind and co-founder Sergey Levine, a leading academic in reinforcement learning [4] - The team comprises top talents from institutions like Google, Tesla, and Stanford, creating a strong research and development matrix that integrates academia and industry [4] Technological Advancements - PI aims to overcome the technical bottleneck of creating truly universal robots that can adapt to diverse scenarios and make autonomous decisions [5] - The newly released robotic foundation model π*0.6 significantly enhances the robot's generalization ability in complex tasks, showcasing impressive performance in real-world applications [6][8] - The model's capabilities include making espresso, folding clothes, and assembling industrial boxes with a success rate exceeding 90% [8] Competitive Landscape - The competition between PI and Skild AI highlights two distinct approaches: PI focuses on real-world training, while Skild AI emphasizes large-scale simulation environments [17][18] - Skild AI has also seen rapid valuation growth, reaching approximately 45 billion yuan (around 6.3 billion USD) within a year [13] - Both companies are vying to establish themselves as leaders in the robotic brain sector, with differing strategies for commercialization and technological development [21][34] Domestic Innovations - Qianjue Technology, similar to PI, is focused on developing a universal robotic brain and has formed partnerships with various hardware manufacturers [22] - The company aims to create a clear commercialization path by initially targeting household robots and gradually expanding into service and industrial applications [22] - The competition among domestic players like Qianjue Technology and international firms like PI reflects a broader trend in the robotics industry towards developing versatile and capable robotic systems [24]