SoftBank and Nvidia in talks to invest over $1B in robotics AI startup Skild AI at $14B valuation

SoftBank Group and Nvidia are in discussions to invest more than $1 billion in robotics AI startup Skild AI, in a deal that could value the company at roughly $14 billion, according to people familiar with the talks and a term sheet reviewed by Reuters. If completed, the round would nearly triple Skild’s most recent valuation of $4.7 billion, set earlier this year during a $500 million Series B raise, PitchBook data shows.

Skild’s previous round drew participation from Nvidia, LG’s venture arm, and Samsung, underscoring growing interest from both chipmakers and industrial players eager to gain exposure to the next phase of robotics. The talks remain fluid, and terms could still change, one source said. The funding is expected to close before Christmas.

“Japan’s SoftBank Group and Nvidia are in talks to invest in Skild AI, in a more than $1 billion funding round that could value the maker of foundation models for robots at around $14 billion,” Reuters reported, citing sources and the deal’s term sheet.

Inside Skild AI’s Rise as Investors Pour Billions Into Humanoid Robotics

Founded in 2023 by former Meta AI researchers, Skild is backed by Amazon, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Khosla Ventures, and Jeff Bezos. The Pittsburgh-based company spun out of Carnegie Mellon University with a singular goal: to build a general-purpose AI model that can serve as the brain for robots across many form factors. Skild does not manufacture robots. Its focus is squarely on software, aiming to create a foundational layer that enables machines to perceive their surroundings and make human-like decisions.

That ambition reflects a broader shift underway in robotics. Instead of training machines task by task, companies like Skild are betting that large-scale models trained on massive datasets can enable robots to move between environments, from warehouses to homes, without reprogramming from scratch. Skild unveiled its first general-purpose robotics AI model in July, saying it can adapt to a wide range of settings and responsibilities, from logistics work to household chores.

Investor appetite for humanoid and general-purpose robotics has surged as AI systems show greater capability in perception, reasoning, and motion planning. The renewed interest follows years of promise that failed to translate into large-scale deployment. Some researchers and industry veterans still urge caution, pointing out that broad, reliable robotic performance in uncontrolled settings remains a hard technical problem and may take time to materialize at scale.

SoftBank’s interest fits squarely within CEO Masayoshi Son’s long-standing push into robotics. In October, SoftBank agreed to acquire ABB’s robotics business in a $5.4 billion deal. A person familiar with the matter said Skild’s performance in pilot projects caught SoftBank’s attention. Nvidia declined to comment, and Skild and SoftBank did not respond to requests for comment.

Policy momentum is beginning to form alongside private capital. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has held meetings with industry leaders to accelerate domestic robotics development, and the Trump administration is considering an executive order on the sector next year, Politico reported last week.

Skild’s rise has been rapid. The company raised $300 million at a $1.5 billion valuation during its Series A round last year, a deal that included backing from Jeff Bezos, SoftBank, and Khosla Ventures. TechStartups previously covered Skild in April 2024, when the startup was reported to be raising that round while operating mainly out of public view. At the time, the company described its mission plainly: “Skild AI is building the world’s first foundation model for robotics.”

Whether that vision can translate into widespread, durable deployment remains an open question. Investors appear willing to place sizable bets that the answer will arrive soon.