Robots have emerged as a critical new frontier for the AI industry, letting it apply cutting-edge technology to real-world tasks.
Source: Figure AI Inc.
- Figure AI also gets investments from Intel, Samsung and Amazon. Company, valued at roughly $2 billion, is raising $675 million.
The startup Figure AI Inc. — also backed by OpenAI and Microsoft Corp. — is raising about $675 million in a funding round that carries a pre-money valuation of roughly $2 billion, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private. Through his firm Explore Investments LLC, Bezos has committed $100 million. Microsoft is investing $95 million, while Nvidia and an Amazon.com Inc.-affiliated fund are each providing $50 million.
Bezos and Nvidia are said to be among the backers in a $675M funding round that that would value the company at $2B, Bloomberg reported, citing people with knowledge of the situation. Bezos is likely to invest $100M through his firm Explore Investments LLC, while Nvidia and a fund affiliated with Amazon (AMZN) are likely to put in $50M each, the news outlet added.
Bezos, Nvidia and Figure AI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Seeking Alpha.
Microsoft and OpenAI, creator of the ChatGPT chatbot, are also part of the new funding round for Figure AI, with Microsoft putting in $95M and OpenAI shelling out $5M.
Other corporate investors include Intel via its venture capital fund, Samsung and LG Innotek. Several venture capital firms are also reportedly investing in the robotics startup.
Figure AI is working on an artificial intelligence-powered robot that acts like a human and can be used to perform tasks deemed dangerous or unsuitable for humans.
Tesla is also working on its own humanoid-like robot, known as Optimus, which Chief Executive Elon Musk said recently could wind up being the company's biggest business over time.
Bezos, Nvidia Join OpenAI in Funding Humanoid Robot Startup
Jeff Bezos, Nvidia Corp. and other big technology names are investing in a business that’s developing human-like robots, according to people with knowledge of the situation, part of a scramble to find new applications for artificial intelligence.
www.bloomberg.com