The South Korean technology giant plans to invest $10 million in Skild, a company specializing in robotic software, according to sources familiar with the situation. Nvidia, based in Santa Clara, California, will contribute $25 million, as per the same sources who requested anonymity when discussing undisclosed plans.
This funding is part of the Series B round, which is expected to value Skild at approximately $4.5 billion, led by a $100 million investment from Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp.
Samsung perceives its investment in Skild as a means to maintain insight into the startup and its talent without a major long-term commitment. This move also aims to keep up with other South Korean conglomerates, including LG, Hanwha, and Mirae Asset, all investing between $5 million to $10 million in Skild.
Nvidia is advocating for the concept of “physical AI,” which encompasses robots and autonomous vehicles, as a significant future revenue source as the technology evolves. The chipmaker offers semiconductors, software, and services designed to accelerate the development of self-thinking robots.
Some sources indicated that Samsung views certain aspects of Skild’s solutions as less competitive than others available in the market. Both Samsung and Nvidia representatives declined to comment, and Skild did not respond to a request for information.
The robotics sector is rapidly emerging as a key growth area for major technology companies worldwide, with substantial investments from Apple Inc., Meta Platforms Inc., Amazon.com Inc., and Alphabet Inc.’s Google. Tesla Inc. has also been preparing to launch its Optimus robot.
A few months prior, Samsung acquired a minority stake in Physical Intelligence, another company focused on robotics algorithms, with a smaller investment. This startup has secured approximately $400 million in funding and was last valued at around $2.4 billion. Nvidia has similarly invested in companies such as Figure AI and Serve Robotics.
While Samsung currently offers robot vacuums, its ambitions extend to humanoid robots and various household appliances.
Later this year, in collaboration with Google, it plans to unveil Ballie, a compact, soccer-ball-sized device that can display video on walls.
Additionally, Samsung is the largest stakeholder in Rainbow Robotics, a company known for its humanoid robots, which plays a central role in its robotics efforts.
