Robotics software company Physical Intelligence has successfully secured a substantial $600 million in its latest funding round, elevating its valuation to an impressive $5.6 billion. Although the company has yet to officially announce this development, sources cited by The Information and Bloomberg indicate that CapitalG, a growth fund managed by Alphabet Inc., spearheaded the investment. Existing supporters, including Lux Capital, Thrive Capital, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, reaffirmed their commitment by investing additionally. New entrants, Index Ventures and T. Rowe Price, also contributed to this significant funding round.
Founded in 2024 by former Google DeepMind researchers and academics from Stanford University and UC Berkeley, Physical Intelligence is pioneering advancements in artificial intelligence aimed at enhancing robotics capability. Under the leadership of CEO Karol Hausman, the startup aspires to create a “general intelligence” system that could facilitate diverse applications for various robotic functionalities.
Distinct from traditional AI applications like chatbots, robotics AI necessitates learning from multiple data sources, particularly visual information, allowing robots to navigate and respond to real-world environments effectively. While no commercial product has been unveiled yet, reports suggest that the company’s AI algorithms have been successfully tested on robotic arms executing tasks such as folding laundry and making coffee.
Recently, Physical Intelligence introduced a novel vision AI model utilizing reinforcement learning—an approach that enables algorithms to evolve by learning from their own experiences. A demonstration shared on X highlighted that this model has significantly doubled the throughput of tasks that the robotic systems can perform, achieving an average task completion time of just three minutes across a three-hour testing period.
Key highlights include:
– $600 million in funding raised, valuing the company at $5.6 billion.
– AI algorithms designed to empower versatile robotic applications.
– Successful implementation of tasks using AI on robotic arms.
– Introduction of a vision AI model that enhances task throughput through reinforcement learning.
Physical Intelligence aims to transcend the limitations of existing robots, which often restrict their capabilities to specific tasks and environments. By employing general intelligence, the startup endeavors to create robots that can swiftly adapt to complex and dynamic real-world conditions.
The race to develop advanced robotic intelligence is bustling, with key players such as Google, Meta Platforms Inc., and various startups vying for market leadership in this emerging field. With its innovative approach, Physical Intelligence stands at the forefront of the next wave of robotic technology.
