Semiconductor giant Nvidia (NVDA) and Japan’s SoftBank Group (SFTBY) are reportedly in talks to invest in robot brain developer Skild AI.
TipRanks Cyber Monday Sale
- Claim 60% off TipRanks Premium for data-backed insights and research tools you need to invest with confidence.
- Subscribe to TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks and see our data in action through our high-performing model portfolio - now also 60% off
One Robot Brain
It is understood that they are looking to invest as part of a more than $1 billion funding round in the company that could value the maker of foundation models for robots at around $14 billion.
If successful, the funding will be at nearly triple Skild’s valuation from the $4.7 billion it commanded in a $500 million Series B round earlier this year that saw participation from Nvidia, LG’s venture capital arm and Samsung (SSNLF), among others, according to PitchBook data.
Skild was founded in 2023 by former Meta (META) AI researchers and backed by Amazon.com (AMZN) and Lightspeed Venture Partners. It is aiming to build a “unified, omni-bodied brain to control any robot for any task.” This includes security/inspection robot platforms and autonomous packing skills.
From Logistics to Cleaning
Indeed, Skild AI unveiled its first general-purpose AI model in July, saying the system can adapt to a wide range of environments and tasks from warehouse logistics to household chores.
The company focuses on AI models for robots of all form factors rather than building any hardware of its own, and has said its technology uses vast data to teach robots perception and decision-making skills similar to those of humans.
According to Reuters, the talks remain fluid and some details could change, adding that the deal is expected to close before Christmas.
However, it is understood that SoftBank was impressed by Skild’s technology in pilot projects. It would add to SoftBank’s growing interest in the robot world after buying up the robotics business of Swiss engineering group ABB (ABBN) in a $5.4 billion deal in October.
It hopes that such deals will continue its impressive share price gains this year – see above.
Analysts at Morgan Stanley (MS) have predicted that the market for humanoid robots, will be worth more than $5 trillion by 2050.
What are the Best Tech Stocks to Buy Now?
We have rounded up the best tech stocks to buy now using our TipRanks comparison tool.
