With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, the robotics sector is emerging as a crucial growth area for global tech companies. Tech giants such as Apple, Meta, Amazon, and Google are heavily investing in R&D, while Tesla is also preparing to launch its humanoid robot, Optimus. Against this backdrop, NVIDIA and Samsung Electronics have decided to jointly invest in AI robotics startup Skild AI to strengthen their presence in the emerging consumer robotics industry.

Investment Details

Skild AI is a startup specializing in robotics software development, with technology that holds potential for applications across multiple industries. This investment is part of Skild AI's Series B funding round, in which the company has achieved a valuation of approximately $4.5 billion. SoftBank Group led the round with an investment of $100 million. NVIDIA is set to invest $25 million (equivalent to about 180 million yuan) in Skild AI, while Samsung plans to invest $10 million.

Investment Rationale of NVIDIA and Samsung

In recent years, NVIDIA has been actively promoting the concept of "physical AI," which refers to AI systems capable of operating in the physical world, such as robots and autonomous vehicles. The company believes that as the technology matures, physical AI will become a significant revenue stream. NVIDIA is accelerating the deployment of robots with autonomous decision-making capabilities by providing semiconductors, software, and services. This investment in Skild AI is part of NVIDIA's strategic layout in the robotics field, aiming to prepare for the next growth cycle by investing in startups.

Unlike NVIDIA's offensive investment strategy, Samsung's investment carries more of a defensive tone. Samsung's internal assessment is that investing in Skild AI allows the company to maintain contact with the startup and its talent without making a significant commitment. Additionally, Samsung's move is also aimed at keeping pace with other major South Korean conglomerates, such as LG, Hanwha, and Mirae Asset, which have already invested in Skild AI with amounts ranging from $5 million to $10 million. Although Samsung internally believes that some of Skild AI's solutions are not as competitive as those of other market players, this "investing despite knowing the shortcomings" attitude reflects the competitive anxiety in the robotics sector: better to invest and be wrong than to miss out.

Future Outlook and Challenges

Looking ahead, the consumer robotics industry is expected to continue its rapid growth. As technology advances and costs decrease, consumer robots will become more widespread, with expanding application scenarios. The collaboration between NVIDIA, Samsung, and Skild AI is expected to play a significant role in this process, driving innovation and application of consumer robotics technology.

However, the consumer robotics industry also faces several challenges. These include the lack of unified technical standards, safety concerns, and user acceptance. To address these challenges, all parties need to strengthen cooperation, jointly develop industry standards and regulations, enhance technology research and safety measures, and improve user awareness and acceptance of consumer robots.

The joint investment by NVIDIA and Samsung in Skild AI is an important event in the development of the consumer robotics industry. This investment not only demonstrates the tech giants' keen insight and strategic vision for emerging industries but also injects new momentum into the development of consumer robotics. In the future, we look forward to seeing more achievements from this collaboration and the industry reaching new heights.

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