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SoftBank To Back AI Robotics Startup Skild AI With $500 Million Investment
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Posted on Jan 29, 2025
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The Japanese giant SoftBank is in talks to invest $500 million in the robotics company Skild AI in a new funding round. If the deal goes through, the startup’s valuation will reach $4 billion, nearly tripling its value from last year.
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- SoftBank is in talks to invest $500 million in the robotics company Skild AI according to sources familiar with the matter.
- The American company Skild AI, founded in 2023, raised $300 million last year reaching a $1.5 billion valuation.
- If the new deal goes through, the startup will reach a $4 billion valuation, and scale up its robots with human-like adaptability business.
According to a Financial Times exclusive, three sources familiar with the matter confirmed SoftBank’s plan to fund the startup, aligning with CEO Masayoshi Son’s ambitions for future technology ventures. However, they warned that the negotiation is still in an early stage.
The new investment will follow last year’s investment when Skild AI—founded in 2023—raised $300 million in Series A funding led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, SoftBank, Jeff Bezos, and Coatue. After last year’s round, SkildAI was valued at $1.5 billion and now, with the new potential deal, could almost triple its valuation.
The American Startup wants to develop its AI robotics technology and build robots with human-like adaptability. According to its website, Skild AI’s mission is to “revolutionize the future of physical work by developing the first truly intelligent embodied system, designed to transform productivity and elevate human potential.” Its long-term goal is to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI) models.
Son has been investing in multiple companies in the AI industry, from data centers to autonomous vehicles and robots to power generation, and in multiple sectors. Softbank is assuming financial responsibility for OpenAI’s $500 billion Stargate Project in the United States and recently invested in the Spanish business travel company TravelPerk.
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