SoftBank and Nvidia in Talks to Invest in Skild AI at $14bn Valuation
Daniel Okoye
TOKYO / SAN JOSE — Dec 8 (GeokHub) SoftBank and Nvidia are reportedly negotiating to join a funding round for Skild AI, a robotics-software startup — a deal that could value the company at about US $14 billion. The planned round may exceed $1 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.
Skild AI, founded in 2023 by former researchers from a major AI lab, specialises in developing “foundation” AI models for robots — software that gives machines perception and decision-making capabilities without tying them to specific hardware. Rather than building actual robots, Skild aims to become the “brain” for robots of many types.
If the deal goes through, the valuation will nearly triple Skild’s prior worth: earlier in 2025 the company was valued at around $4.7 billion following a $500 million funding round that saw participation from Nvidia, Samsung, and other investors.
The interest from SoftBank and Nvidia underscores growing investor appetite for humanoid- and robotics-focused AI, as firms race to bring robot automation — from industrial logistics to everyday chores — closer to reality. But experts caution that widespread deployment of general-purpose robots remains technically challenging and likely still years away.
For SoftBank, this potential investment fits a broader strategy of deepening exposure to AI and robotics. For Nvidia, backing Skild could help expand the use of its AI infrastructure beyond data centers and into real-world robotics. Together, the move highlights how the next wave of AI investment may focus less on software alone — and more on combining intelligence with physical automation.