Skild AI

What Skild AI does

Skild AI is a Pittsburgh-headquartered, Carnegie Mellon University spinout founded in 2023 by Deepak Pathak and Abhinav Gupta that develops Skild Brain, a proprietary omni-bodied robotics foundation model built on a Vision-Language-Action architecture. Skild Brain is designed to control any robot embodiment — humanoids, quadrupeds, industrial arms, autonomous mobile robots, and mobile manipulators — for any task without per-task or per-embodiment programming, learning from internet-scale human video data, simulated experience, and large AI models, and achieving 60-80% task performance within hours of data collection. The company serves enterprise manufacturers, logistics and warehouse operators, industrial robot OEMs, and security/inspection end users, with disclosed customers including Foxconn, NVIDIA, LG CNS, LG Chem, ABB Robotics, Universal Robots (Teradyne), and VinDynamics.

Skild AI operates a multi-channel go-to-market that combines direct enterprise sales for flagship deployments (e.g., the Foxconn Houston NVIDIA Blackwell assembly line), OEM licensing that embeds Skild Brain into industrial and humanoid robot portfolios, and strategic co-development with industrial conglomerates (LG CNS in Korea). Revenue grew from zero to approximately $30 million in just a few months during 2025, derived from enterprise deployments across logistics, manufacturing, data centers, and security, with pricing structured as quote-based, multi-year enterprise contracts; a consumer/home robotics layer and broader foundation-model/API access are planned for the post-Series C scale-up.

The company is venture-backed by a tier-1 syndicate that includes SoftBank (lead investor across multiple rounds), NVIDIA, Jeff Bezos, Samsung, LG, Sequoia, Lightspeed, Coatue, General Catalyst, and others, with cumulative funding of over $1.83 billion and a January 2026 Series C valuation above $14 billion. Strategic moves in 2026 include the April acquisition of Zebra Technologies' Robotics Automation business (Symmetry Fulfillment + Fetch Robotics AMRs) to build an end-to-end warehouse automation platform, founding membership in the NVIDIA Cosmos Coalition, and a VinDynamics humanoid partnership, supported by engineering offices in Pittsburgh, San Mateo, and Bengaluru and live deployments in Houston.

Name

Skild AI

Legal name

Skild AI

Website

https://skild.ai

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Skild AI develops Skild Brain, a proprietary omni-bodied Vision-Language-Action foundation model that enables any robot to perform any task without per-embodiment programming. It serves enterprise manufacturers, logistics and warehouse operators, and industrial robot OEMs such as Foxconn, NVIDIA, ABB, and LG CNS.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Robotics AI Foundation Model

NAICS

Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing (33392), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Robot Software, Autonomy Stacks & Simulation (ROS, digital twins) (HDAAAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial & Warehouse Robotics (HDAAAIAA)

Keywords

• Robotics foundation model
• Embodied AI software
• Physical AI platform
• Omni-bodied robot brain
• AI robotics infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Enterprise AI Deployment Revenue: Skild AI generated approximately $30M in revenue in 2025 from enterprise deployments of Skild Brain across logistics, manufacturing, data centers, and security. Revenue grew from zero to ~$30M in a few months, indicating a land-and-expand model with rapid scaling post-deployment. Likely structured as multi-year enterprise contracts with deployment fees and recurring platform access.
2. Robotics OEM Licensing: Skild Brain is licensed/embedded into industrial and humanoid robot OEMs (ABB Robotics, Universal Robots/Teradyne, VinDynamics, LG CNS), generating licensing and integration revenue from robot manufacturers who distribute the AI alongside their hardware.
3. Foundation Model / API Access: Future consumer and developer access to Skild Brain for deployment in homes and additional enterprise sectors (security, warehousing, manufacturing, data centers, construction) is planned as the model is scaled post-Series C.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Skild AI develops and commercializes Skild Brain, an omni-bodied, Vision-Language-Action robotics foundation model designed to control any robot embodiment (humanoids, quadrupeds, industrial arms, AMRs) for any task without task-specific programming. The company monetizes the model through direct enterprise deployments (e.g., Foxconn NVIDIA Blackwell assembly lines), OEM licensing deals with industrial robot manufacturers (ABB, Universal Robots, VinDynamics), and warehouse automation offerings built on the acquired Zebra Technologies Symmetry Fulfillment orchestration platform.

Product overview

Skild AI offers a single unified product architecture built around Skild Brain — an omni-bodied, generative AI foundation model for robotics that serves as the central intelligence layer controlling any robot for any task. The portfolio is structured as a platform-plus-applications model: Skild Brain is the core foundation model, while the company exposes its capabilities through targeted application modules including a Security/Inspection Robot Platform, a Mobile Manipulation Platform, and an Autonomous Packing module, each of which leverages Skild Brain's learned skills (grasping, handover, navigation, fine-grained dexterity) abstracted for downstream use. Through the April 2026 acquisition of Zebra Technologies' Robotics Automation business, Skild AI also absorbed the Symmetry Fulfillment orchestration platform and Fetch Robotics AMR platform, integrating these battle-tested fleet management and warehouse assets with Skild Brain to deliver the company's first end-to-end warehouse automation solution that coordinates diverse robot types alongside human workers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Skild Brain: Skild AI's flagship omni-bodied robotics foundation model — a unified AI 'brain' designed to control any robot form factor (humanoids, quadrupeds, industrial arms, mobile manipulators, AMRs) for any task without task-specific programming.

Products and services

• Skild Brain Skild AI's flagship omni-bodied, Vision-Language-Action robotics foundation model that can control any robot embodiment (humanoids, quadrupeds, industrial arms, AMRs) for any task without task-specific programming. Learns from internet-scale human video data, achieves 60–80% task performance within hours of data collection, recovers from mechanical failures via in-context learning, and is sold to enterprise manufacturers, logistics operators, robot OEMs, and warehouse automation customers.
• Symmetry Fulfillment Platform Enterprise human-robot orchestration platform acquired from Zebra Technologies that coordinates heterogeneous fleets of robots and human workers in real time inside warehouses. Sold to logistics operators and warehouse customers as the orchestration layer paired with Skild Brain.
• Fetch Robotics AMR Platform Autonomous mobile robot (AMR) product line acquired from Zebra Technologies (formerly Fetch Robotics). Sold and deployed as the mobile hardware foundation of Skild AI's warehouse automation offering, controlled by Skild Brain and orchestrated by Symmetry Fulfillment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grew revenue from zero to ~$30 million in a few months in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability10 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• VinDynamicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Strategic MOU signed June 9, 2026 in San Mateo to integrate Skild Brain into VinDynamics' humanoid robots for manufacturing, logistics, hospitality, and commercial services. Joint research on robot manipulation, sim-to-real transfer, and edge AI deployment.
• NVIDIA Cosmos CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Founding member of the NVIDIA Cosmos Coalition alongside Black Forest Labs, Runway, Agile Robots, Generalist, and LTX to advance open world models across robotics, autonomous vehicles, and vision AI industries. Also adopter of NVIDIA Physical AI Data Factory Blueprint.
• Zebra TechnologiesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2026Acquired Zebra Technologies' Robotics Automation business (formerly Fetch Robotics) including the Symmetry Fulfillment orchestration platform. Creates end-to-end warehouse automation solution combining Skild Brain with Symmetry's battle-tested human-robot orchestration. Consideration comprised cash plus an equity stake in Skild AI.
• NVIDIAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Co-development partnership under which Skild Brain is deployed on NVIDIA Blackwell GPU assembly lines at Foxconn Houston. NVIDIA provides Isaac Lab, Isaac Sim, and Cosmos simulation infrastructure for Skild Brain training. NVIDIA is also a founding partner of the Cosmos Coalition and the Physical AI Data Factory Blueprint, both of which Skild AI has adopted.
• ABB RoboticsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Strategic partnership to embed Skild Brain across ABB Robotics' industrial robot portfolio, enabling ABB customers to deploy general-purpose AI on ABB hardware without task-specific programming. ABB is one of the world's largest industrial robot manufacturers.
• Universal Robots (Teradyne)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Strategic partnership to deploy Skild Brain across Universal Robots' collaborative robot portfolio. Universal Robots is a Teradyne subsidiary and the leading cobot manufacturer globally.
• FoxconnflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2026Co-deployment with NVIDIA and Skild AI to run Skild Brain on dual-arm robotic assembly lines at Foxconn's Houston facility, building NVIDIA Blackwell GPU server systems. First publicly disclosed large-scale commercial rollout of Skild AI technology. Operations include busbar placement, limit block handling, and precision drilling.
• LG CNSflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2025Strategic partnership — first by a South Korean company with a US robotics startup — to develop AI-driven humanoid robots. LG CNS invests through LG Technology Ventures, tunes Skild AI's Robot Foundation Model, and integrates it into Unitree robots for Korean client production facilities. LG CNS plans to deploy learning robots on Korea production lines within two years.
• Carnegie Mellon UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkild AI spun out of Carnegie Mellon University in 2023, founded by former CMU researchers Deepak Pathak and Abhinav Gupta. Featured as a partner on Skild AI's website logo strip. Provides talent pipeline and ongoing research collaboration.
• Hewlett Packard (HP)coreTechnology or IntegrationPer a 2025 roboticsandautomationnews report, Skild AI is developing its 'human-like robot brain' with AI solutions from Hewlett Packard, providing enterprise AI compute infrastructure for Skild Brain training.
• Palantir TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-explored with Skild AI as part of LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo's Silicon Valley tour in April 2026, evaluating AI-based enterprise transformation, robotics, humanoid robots, and industrial AI solutions.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Physical Intelligence: Closest direct competitor; builds a general-purpose foundation model for robot manipulation across embodiments. Highly comparable technology thesis (omni-bodied / VLA-style foundation model), but Skild is differentiated by commercial revenue and OEM distribution while Physical Intelligence is earlier in commercialization.
• Figure AI: Well-funded humanoid robotics startup combining proprietary humanoids with an embodied AI brain for general tasks. Directly comparable in pursuit of general-purpose physical AI but more vertically integrated on humanoid hardware; reportedly valued near $39B versus Skild's $14B+.
• 1X Technologies: Norwegian/US humanoid robotics company building AI-driven humanoids (Neo) for home and commercial use. Comparable on the embodied-AI-for-general-tasks thesis; backs a specific humanoid embodiment rather than Skild's OEM-agnostic approach.
• Agility Robotics: Develops the Digit humanoid and the underlying AI control stack for logistics and warehouse use cases. Closely comparable on warehouse-deployment focus and humanoid embodiment, with OEM-style pilots at Amazon and other logistics operators.
• Apptronik: Humanoid robotics startup (Apollo) partnered with Google DeepMind on embodied AI and with Mercedes-Benz on manufacturing pilots. Pursues a similar general-purpose embodied-AI roadmap with enterprise manufacturing and logistics use cases.
• Sanctuary AI: Builds general-purpose humanoid robots (Phoenix) controlled by a foundation-model 'Carbon' AI. Comparable thesis on foundation-model-driven general-purpose humanoids for enterprise labor.
• Covariant (Amazon): Founded to build AI foundation models for warehouse robots; acquired by Amazon in 2024. Closely comparable on AI-for-warehouse-robots thesis; Amazon ownership creates both a competing platform and a large enterprise deployment channel.

Broad incumbents

• Boston Dynamics: Established industrial and humanoid robotics company (Atlas, Stretch, Spot) owned by Hyundai. Overlaps with Skild on warehouse automation and humanoid manipulation, but its Atlas AI stack is more vertically integrated with Boston Dynamics hardware.
• Google DeepMind (RT-2 / Gemini Robotics): Develops vision-language-action foundation models (RT-2, Gemini Robotics) for general-purpose robot control. Pursues a comparable omni-bodied AI thesis at much greater scale and is partnered with Apptronik for humanoid embodiment.

Emerging players

• NVIDIA (Isaac / GR00T): Provides Isaac Sim/Lab, Cosmos foundation models and GR00T humanoid foundation model that compete with Skild Brain at the platform layer. Also a strategic investor and customer of Skild, creating a coopetitive relationship rather than pure competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SkildAI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skild-ai
• Instagraminstagram.com/skildai
• Facebookfacebook.com/SkildAI

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors41 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Skild AI