Robotics Startup Generalist Hits $3B Valuation with New Funding
So, there's this robotics startup called Generalist, which was founded in 2024 by some folks who used to work at Google DeepMind and Boston Dynamics, namely Pete Florence, Andy Zeng, and Andrew Barry. They recently got a valuation of $3 billion after raising about $200 million in an extension of their Series B funding, which now totals $600 million. This funding round was led by 8VC, and they had previously secured $400 million from Radical Ventures back in June when they were valued at $2 billion. Generalist is working on an AI model for various robots and just launched their Gen 1.5 model that lets robots learn from short video clips. They're also partnering with a few clients to tailor this model for specific tasks. Investors are optimistic about the future of robotics, though some believe a universal model may take time due to data limitations. Competing companies include Physical Intelligence, Skild AI, and Genesis AI. Notable early backers of Generalist include 8VC, Radical Ventures, Nvidia, and even Jeff Bezos.
Key facts
- Generalist is now valued at $3 billion.
- The company raised nearly $200 million in an extension led by 8VC.
- The extension brings the Series B total to $600 million.
- The initial $400 million Series B was led by Radical Ventures in June at a $2 billion valuation.
- Founded in 2024 by Pete Florence, Andy Zeng, and Andrew Barry.
- Gen 1.5 model enables robots to learn tasks from 3-12 second video demos.
- Competitors include Physical Intelligence, Skild AI, and Genesis AI.
- Early backers include Nvidia, Union Square Ventures, Bezos Expeditions, and Fei-Fei Li.
Entities
Artists
- Pete Florence
- Andy Zeng
- Andrew Barry
- Fei-Fei Li
Institutions
- Generalist
- 8VC
- Radical Ventures
- Nvidia
- Union Square Ventures
- Bezos Expeditions
- Physical Intelligence
- Skild AI
- Genesis AI
- Google DeepMind
- Boston Dynamics
- SoftBank