SoftBank and Jeff Bezos fuel $4.5B Skild AI robotics surge: $35M Nvidia-Samsung boost

SoftBank Group has spearheaded a $100 million investment in Skild AI, pushing the robotics startup's valuation to approximately $4.5 billion. Nvidia and Samsung have jointly contributed an additional $35 million in the Series B funding round, signaling strong confidence in Skild AI's vision.

Skild AI is pioneering a shared "foundation model" designed as a general-purpose brain for robots, enabling advanced capabilities in manipulation, locomotion, and navigation. This model is expected to revolutionize robotic scalability and aims to lay the groundwork for artificial general intelligence rooted in the physical world.

Nvidia's investment aligns with its broader strategy to embed intelligent robotics into everyday settings, including homes, factories, and autonomous vehicles. The company supports startups like Figure AI and Serve Robotics and provides essential semiconductors and software infrastructure to facilitate large-scale robotics deployment.

Samsung's participation reflects its intent to stay competitive within the South Korean conglomerate landscape, monitoring robotics breakthroughs alongside rivals such as LG, Hanwha, and Mirae Asset, who have also invested in Skild AI.

"This model represents a step change in how robotic systems will scale," Skild AI notes, emphasizing its long-term ambition to build artificial general intelligence grounded in the physical world.

The combined investments underscore a growing momentum in robotics innovation, driven by major technology and investment players aiming to transform automation and AI integration across industries.

SoftBank leads a $100 million investment in Skild AI, valuing the robotics startup at $4.5 billion, while Nvidia and Samsung contribute $35 million combined. Skild AI aims to develop a general-purpose AI model for robots, advancing manipulation, locomotion, and navigation capabilities across industries.