Samsung Electronics and NVIDIA have decided to invest in Skild AI, an American startup specializing in the development of software for robots. The investment will be part of a Series B financing round that values the company at approximately $4.5 billion. Samsung will invest $10 million and NVIDIA will invest $25 million. The round is led by Japan's SoftBank Group, which has already invested $100 million. Bloomberg reports.
For Samsung, this is a strategic investment that allows it to observe a promising company and its developments without the need for deep involvement. Another reason is competition from other South Korean giants such as LG, Hanwha and Mirae Asset, which also backed Skild. Sources say that Samsung considers some of the startup's technologies to be less advanced compared to competitors, but still decided to invest.
NVIDIA sees robotics as the next big market after AI. The company is actively promoting the idea of "physical AI" - robots and autonomous machines that can act independently thanks to NVIDIA's special chips, software and services. It has already invested in other robotics startups, including Figure AI and Serve Robotics.
The robotics market is becoming increasingly competitive. Big tech players like Apple, Meta, Amazon, and Google are already investing heavily in the field. Tesla is also preparing to release its humanoid Optimus.
Samsung is also expanding its presence in this market. The company already sells robotic vacuum cleaners and is planning to launch Ballie, a ball-shaped projector with robot functions, in collaboration with Google. Samsung also owns a majority stake in Rainbow Robotics, a humanoid company that plays a key role in its robotics strategy.
In case you didn't know, Skild AI is a robotics startup founded in 2023 by two professors from Carnegie Mellon University. The startup is creating a universal "brain" for robots (Skild Brain) capable of performing manipulation, navigation, and locomotion tasks.