SoftBank Leads $500 Million Funding Round for Robotics Software Startup Skild AI

SoftBank Group Corp. is leading a $500 million funding round for Skild AI, a robotics software startup, valuing the company at $4 billion.

The funding round reflects investor optimism in the convergence of AI and robotics. Pittsburgh-based Skild, founded by Carnegie Mellon University professors Deepak Pathak and Abhinav Gupta, develops software that enables robots to perform complex tasks.

SoftBank's AI Focus

SoftBank's investment underscores its commitment to AI. The conglomerate plans to allocate $19 billion to President Donald Trump's AI infrastructure initiative, Stargate. CEO Masayoshi Son has pledged to invest $100 billion in the U.S. over the next four years.

Skild's Investors

In addition to SoftBank, Skild has attracted investments from Amazon.com Inc., Menlo Ventures, Felicis, CRV, General Catalyst, and Sequoia Capital. The company's previous funding round valued it at $1.5 billion.

Robotics Software Market

Skild operates in a growing market for robotics software. As robots become more sophisticated, they require advanced software to navigate complex environments and perform tasks effectively. The funding round will enable Skild to expand its software capabilities and capitalize on this market growth.