Generalist AI, a robotics startup focused on building more advanced artificial intelligence for machines, has raised $400 million in a new financing round that values the company at $2 billion, including the new capital.
The round is expected to be announced Thursday, according to the source material. It underscores continued investor interest in robotics companies that are trying to apply recent advances in AI to physical systems that can perform increasingly difficult tasks.
Radical Ventures led the investment, with participation from 8VC, Union Square Ventures, Norwest and Hanabi Capital. Existing backers Nvidia Corp. and Bezos Expeditions also joined the round, signaling ongoing support from some of the most prominent names in technology and venture capital.
Generalist was founded by Pete Florence, Andy Zeng and Andy Barry. The company is part of a growing group of startups that are aiming to translate progress in AI software into robots that can operate more effectively in real-world environments.
Robotics has become a more active area for investors as language models and other AI systems have improved in recent years. Startups in the sector are seeking to develop models that can help robots understand their surroundings, adapt to changing conditions and handle work that is too complex for older automation systems.
The latest funding round suggests that investors are willing to place large bets on companies pursuing that vision, even though the field remains technically challenging and commercially uncertain. A $2 billion valuation also puts Generalist among the better-capitalized startups working at the intersection of AI and robotics.
Nvidia’s participation is notable because the chipmaker has become one of the most influential companies in the broader AI ecosystem. Bezos Expeditions, the investment arm associated with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has also shown interest in robotics and automation themes in the past.
Generalist has not disclosed additional details about how it plans to deploy the new money, but the financing is intended to support the development of more sophisticated AI models for robots. Those models are designed to help machines move beyond narrow, repetitive tasks and take on more complex work.
The round adds to the momentum behind robotics startups that are trying to benefit from the current wave of AI investment. While much of the market attention has centered on large language models and generative AI, investors are increasingly exploring how those same advances could shape the next generation of robots.
For Generalist, the new funding gives the company greater resources as it works to build systems that could broaden what robots are capable of doing. It also reflects a broader belief among investors that robotics may be one of the next major areas to be transformed by AI.