Recently, a humanoid robot startup called Figure AI has successfully attracted the attention and investment of several large technology companies, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, chip giant Nvidia, and artificial intelligence leader OpenAI. According to Bloomberg, the total amount of this round of funding reached about 6$7.5 billion, bringing Figure AI's valuation to approximately $2 billion before funding. Bezos pledged $100 million through his company, Explore Investments LLC, Microsoft invested $95 million, and Nvidia and an Amazon-linked ** each provided $50 million.
The investment reflects a growing investment boom in AI startups since OpenAI launched its viral chatbot, ChatGPT, in November 2022. Investors are betting that these startups could outperform bigger competitors. In addition to Nvidia and Bezos, the round also attracted participation from Intel's venture capital division, LG Innotek, Samsung Investment Group, and several venture capital firms.
Figure AI is a startup based in Sunny Valley, California, focused on developing general-purpose humanoid robots that can work in different environments and handle a variety of tasks, from warehouses to retail. In its first round of external funding, the company has raised $70 million from investors led by Parkway Venture Capital.
In addition to Figure AI, Perplexity AI also recently closed a funding round led by Nvidia and Bezos, raising a total of $73.6 million, raising the company's valuation to 5.5$200 million. This indicates that Bezos and NVIDIA continue to support and be optimistic about the development of artificial intelligence technology. With a focus on developing advanced search tools that provide instant answers with ** and citations, Perplexity AI has attracted a diverse investor base since its inception, including NEA, Databricks, and Bessemer Venture Partners, among others.
These investments not only highlight the huge potential for innovation and development in the field of artificial intelligence, but also show the interest of big tech companies and venture capitalists in finding startups that can take their place in the future tech landscape. As AI technology continues to advance and the scope of applications expands, it is expected that more of these investments and collaborations will take place, driving the industry forward.