Valuation Nearly Triples in Six Months as Physical AI Investment Heats Up
SoftBank Group and NVIDIA are in advanced discussions to co-lead a new financing round exceeding $1 billion in Skild AI, the U.S.-based developer of general-purpose embodied intelligence software.
The deal, expected to close before Christmas, would value Skild AI at approximately $14 billion — nearly triple its $4.7 billion valuation from its Series B round in mid-2025.
This surge reflects intensifying investor conviction that scalable AI “brains” — not proprietary hardware — will define the next phase of robotics.
Neither Skild AI nor SoftBank responded to requests for comment. NVIDIA declined to comment.
Pure Software Play: The “OS for Robots” Strategy
Founded in 2023 by former Meta AI researchers, Skild AI does not build robots.
It builds universal AI models that serve as the cognitive core for any physical agent — from warehouse manipulators to home assistants.
Its approach centers on massive-scale learning:
- Training on simulation, real-world teleoperation, internet video, and human demonstration data
- Enabling robots to develop human-like perception, reasoning, and adaptive decision-making
- Supporting cross-platform deployment — the same model can run on humanoids, quadrupeds, or industrial arms
In July 2025, Skild released its first general-purpose model, demonstrating task transfer across environments — from logistics sorting to household chores — without retraining.
“We’re not selling hardware. We’re selling intelligence that works anywhere,” said a company executive in a prior briefing.
Capital Backing: By Global Tech and Industrial Giants
Skild’s investor base has rapidly escalated in strategic depth:
| Round | Date | Amount | Valuation | Key Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series A | 2024 | $300M | $1.5B | SoftBank, Jeff Bezos, Khosla Ventures |
| Series B | Mid-2025 | $500M | $4.7B | NVIDIA, Samsung, LG Ventures |
| Series C (pending) | Q4 2025 | >$1B | ~$14B | SoftBank (lead), NVIDIA (co-lead), new strategic partners |
SoftBank’s interest is particularly notable.
The Japanese conglomerate has made robotics a core pillar of CEO Masayoshi Son’s next-decade strategy:
- October 2025: Acquired ABB’s robotics division for $5.4 billion
- Now backing the leading AI software layer to pair with its hardware play
This dual-track approach — own the body, back the brain — signals a long-term bet on integrated physical AI ecosystems.
Market Context: U.S. Policy Accelerates Sector Momentum
The timing aligns with rising U.S. government focus on robotics as a strategic priority.
According to Politico, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is actively convening industry leaders to accelerate domestic robotics development.
The Trump administration is reportedly considering an executive order on robotics as early as 2026 — potentially unlocking federal procurement and R&D funding.
For investors, this creates a rare alignment:
- Technical progress (real-time VLA models, edge compute via Jetson Thor)
- Industrial demand (labor shortages in logistics, manufacturing, healthcare)
- Policy tailwinds (U.S. and EU both prioritizing “industrial sovereignty” in automation)
Caveat: General-Purpose Robots Remain Years from Scale
Despite the capital surge, experts caution that true general-purpose autonomy is still distant.
- Current deployments are narrow-task pilots (e.g., bin picking, door opening)
- Hardware reliability, task success rates, and cost structures remain unproven at scale
- Most commercial use cases will remain domain-specific through 2030
“The model may be general, but the application must be specific,” said one robotics investor.
“Skild’s value isn’t in replacing all robots — it’s in making each one smarter, faster, and cheaper to deploy.”
Investment Takeaway: The Platform Bet Is Live
Skild AI’s trajectory mirrors early-stage Android or Windows — a software layer that could standardize an entire hardware category.
If it succeeds:
- Robot makers avoid building costly in-house AI teams
- Enterprises deploy fleets with shared intelligence and update mechanisms
- NVIDIA and SoftBank gain central positions in the physical AI stack
At a $14B valuation, the bet is expensive — but the ceiling is existential.
In a world where every robot needs a brain, who owns the mind matters more than who owns the metal.
And right now, Skild is racing to become that mind.
