San Francisco, CA — 2024 — Physical Intelligence, a fast-growing startup specializing in artificial intelligence (AI) for robots, has raised $400 million in a Series B funding round. The investment was led by notable backers Jeff Bezos, Thrive Capital, and Lux Capital, with additional participation from OpenAI, Redpoint Ventures, and Bond. This latest round of funding brings the company’s valuation to an impressive $2 billion, a substantial leap from the $70 million it raised in seed funding earlier this year.
The round marks a significant milestone for Physical Intelligence, which is setting its sights on a transformative approach to robotics. The company is working toward developing a “generalist brain”—an AI system that can control any robot, eliminating the need for specialized software designed for individual machines or tasks. According to Karol Hausman, the company’s co-founder and CEO, the vision is clear: “It’s a single generalist brain that can control any robot.” The goal is to provide a scalable solution to the growing demand for robots capable of performing a diverse range of tasks, from warehousing to healthcare, with adaptability and precision.
A Growing Trend in Generalist Robotics AI
The $400 million investment into Physical Intelligence highlights a burgeoning trend in the robotics industry: general-purpose AI for robots. This trend reflects an increasing desire among investors to fund technologies that can power robots across a wide spectrum of industries, as opposed to solutions that are limited to niche applications.
This year alone, a wave of funding rounds has highlighted the sector’s promise. In February, Figure, a Sunnyvale-based robotics startup, raised $675 million in a round led by Nvidia and Bezos’ Explore Investments, bringing its valuation to $2 billion. Similarly, Skild AI, a Pittsburgh-based robotics firm, raised $300 million in July at a $1.5 billion valuation, with investments from Coatue, Lightspeed Venture Partners, SoftBank Group, and Bezos’ Bezos Expeditions.
These investments underscore a clear pattern: the growing interest in foundational AI systems that can serve as the brain behind a range of robots, potentially revolutionizing industries from logistics and manufacturing to healthcare and beyond.
Robotics AI: The Future of Versatile Machines
The new funding will enable Physical Intelligence to expand its team and accelerate the development of its generalist AI platform, which is designed to be adaptable to a wide variety of robotic forms. Unlike traditional robotics software, which is often developed for specific tasks—such as warehouse picking or autonomous delivery—the company’s approach seeks to create a more versatile platform that can handle a wide range of functions, enabling robots to transition seamlessly between roles and applications.
“Building a single AI system that can control robots across different industries is not just a technical challenge; it’s a transformational shift in how we think about automation,” Hausman said. “Our generalist brain is designed to give robots the ability to learn, adapt, and perform any task they’re assigned, offering businesses unprecedented flexibility in how they deploy robotic solutions.”
The implications of Physical Intelligence’s work are far-reaching. In industries like warehousing and logistics, this kind of AI-powered adaptability could lead to robots that can move between tasks such as inventory management, packaging, and delivery. In healthcare, robots with a generalist brain could perform various roles, from assisting with surgeries to providing patient care. The potential applications span virtually every sector, from manufacturing and agriculture to entertainment and home care.
Investment Trends in Robotics AI
The growing investment interest in general-purpose robotics AI signals an exciting new chapter for the industry. Investors are increasingly aware that the next major breakthrough in automation lies not in specialized machines but in AI systems that enable robots to be both flexible and capable of tackling a wide range of tasks.
“The future of robotics is about building foundational AI that can be applied across different types of robots,” said Lux Capital’s partner Jake Chapman, one of the lead investors in Physical Intelligence. “Physical Intelligence is poised to be a key player in this shift, offering an innovative solution that could lead to smarter, more adaptable robots.”
This trend mirrors the broader evolution of AI in other industries, where general-purpose models, such as those used in natural language processing, are transforming sectors like finance, customer service, and healthcare. In the same way, robotics is moving toward an era of more generalized intelligence, making robots more accessible and valuable across the board.
The Road Ahead for Physical Intelligence
With significant backing from Bezos, Thrive Capital, and other major investors, Physical Intelligence is well-positioned to continue its rapid growth. The company plans to use the new capital to expand its team, advance its AI research, and scale its technology for commercial deployment. Physical Intelligence’s innovative approach could soon disrupt the traditional robotics industry, offering businesses and industries a powerful tool to automate a broader range of tasks.
For Jeff Bezos, the investment is a natural extension of his interest in both robotics and AI, as seen with his backing of other robotics ventures like Figure. Bezos has long been a proponent of the idea that robotics, underpinned by powerful AI, will be a major driver of economic and societal change in the coming decades.
In the years ahead, Physical Intelligence aims to be at the center of this change, helping usher in an era where robots are no longer confined to specific tasks but instead are versatile, intelligent machines capable of tackling a wide array of challenges across industries.
As the company continues to build its vision of a generalist AI brain for robots, the future looks bright for both Physical Intelligence and the broader robotics sector, as the next generation of intelligent machines begins to take shape.
