However, the number of funding rounds has decreased, with only 473 rounds this year compared to 671 last year. The two largest rounds this year were $400 million for Physical Intelligence and $675 million for Figure. Both startups are using AI to create robots capable of more than just simple tasks. Other startups raising significant funding include Skild AI, which raised a $300 million Series A, and Collaborative Robotics, which secured a $100 million Series B.
Key takeaways:
- Robotics startups have raised $6.4 billion so far in 2024, a pace that would put funding at nearly $7.5 billion for the entire year, ahead of the $6.9 billion raised in 2023.
- Physical Intelligence, a robot brain developer, raised a massive $400 million at a $2 billion valuation, highlighting a trend in investment in versatile robots.
- Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is a common investor in many of these startups, including Physical Intelligence and Skild AI, indicating a strong interest in the robotics sector.
- Startups are focusing on developing AI-enhanced robots capable of performing a variety of tasks, moving beyond simple warehouse operations to potentially dangerous jobs and labor shortage solutions.