Samsung and NVIDIA are backing Skild AI, a cutting-edge robotics startup building general-purpose “foundation models” for robots. Together, they’ve invested approximately $35 million, supporting Skild as it pushes toward mass deployment of intelligent robotic systems—following its blockbuster $300 million Series A in July 2024. reddit.com
🤖 Skild AI’s Vision & Tech
- Dual founding team: Professors Deepak Pathak and Abhinav Gupta from Carnegie Mellon University, with backgrounds at Meta.
- The startup aims to develop a single “Skild Brain” model that enables diverse robots—humanoid, quadruped, factory arms—to learn new tasks without handcrafted programming.
- Their Series A investors include Jeff Bezos (via Bezos Expeditions), Lightspeed, Coatue, SoftBank, and other top-tier firms.
🧭 Strategic Importance of Samsung & NVIDIA Investment
- Samsung strengthens its robotics ties following its stake in Rainbow Robotics, aiming to integrate smart robotics into manufacturing and logistics.
- NVIDIA, already a hardware powerhouse powering robot AI, continues its pivot into robotics software—aligning with Jensen Huang’s vision of robotics as a trillion-dollar opportunity.
🌐 Market & Funding Landscape
- Skild AI’s Series A ($300M at $1.5B valuation) was among the largest in AI robotics, with prestigious backers and global ambitions.
- SoftBank is reportedly in talks for an additional $500 million raise, valuing Skild at around $4 billion.
- This follows a broader investor wave: Bezos-led Figure AI raised $675 M; Physical Intelligence grabbed $400 M. Skild sits amid the top players in next-gen robotics AI.
🔮 Why It Matters
- Foundation Models + Robotics: Skild’s approach parallels what large language models did for text—enabling generalist intelligence across robotic platforms.
- Industrial & consumer potential: Such models could power automation in factories, healthcare, warehousing, and even service tasks in homes and public spaces.
- Hardware–software synergy: With NVIDIA’s computing power and Samsung’s hardware integration capabilities, Skild gains both computational and deployment support.
✅ Takeaway
Samsung and NVIDIA’s $35 million investment confirms Skild AI’s potential as a frontrunner in robotics intelligence. With strong founding R&D, heavyweight backers, and ambitious funding rounds, Skild is shaping up to lead the next wave of robotics innovation—pushing toward scalable, adaptive, and intelligent machines across industries.
