Optimus / Humanoid robotics news

🟡 [Media report] Former Tesla Optimus project lead prepares robotics startup Intelligent Machines

Summary:
Sina Finance, citing reports, says the former Tesla Optimus project lead is preparing to found the robotics startup Intelligent Machines, and may raise about $100 million.

Content summary:

• Sina Finance Global Express shows that the former Tesla Optimus project lead is preparing to found a robotics startup, and the company is named Intelligent Machines.
• The report mentions that the company may raise about $100 million.

🟡 [Media report] Former Tesla Optimus AI lead Kumar founded Intelligent Machines to develop non-humanoid robots

Summary:
Two people familiar with the matter said that Ashish Kumar, former AI lead for Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot, co-founded the San Francisco-based startup Intelligent Machines to develop non-humanoid robots, and is currently raising a seed round.

Content summary:

• Two people with direct knowledge said that the startup co-founded by Kumar is named Intelligent Machines and is located in San Francisco.
• The company develops non-humanoid robots that can take on work in manufacturing, aerospace, and other industries that previously required highly skilled technical workers.
• The company has recruited several former members of Tesla's Optimus team and is currently raising a seed round, with the funding amount expected to reach about $100 million.
• At this stage the focus is on robot software development, and management is also exploring developing its own hardware.
• Two people familiar with the matter said that the company uses reinforcement learning technology to train robots, teaching robots to perform complex tasks by giving rewards for achieving goals and imposing penalties for incorrect actions; Kumar's doctoral research direction at UC Berkeley was precisely reinforcement learning.

Summary

新浪财经援引知情人士消息，英伟达曾有意收购OpenRouter但未发出正式要约，后者被Stripe以80亿美元拿下；此后英伟达在两个月内敲定总价值超1400亿美元的各类交易，并讨论向Figure追加10亿美元投资。

Key points

• 一名了解谈判的人士称，英伟达高管向OpenRouter对接团队表达收购意向并准备开出优厚报价，但在正式出价前需要更多时间评估；OpenRouter创始人选择等待Stripe，最终Stripe以80亿美元报价拿下OpenRouter，英伟达未发出正式收购要约。
• 英伟达交易团队随后转向其他标的，在接下来两个月敲定总价值超1400亿美元的各类交易，其中包含一笔1050亿美元信贷担保。
• 截至7月末，英伟达持有近1000亿美元股权投资，另有250亿美元未来投资承诺。
• 一名知情人士透露，此前未对外披露的消息显示，英伟达已讨论向人形机器人企业Figure追加10亿美元投资；Figure本轮融资前估值约380亿美元，正在新一轮募资，英伟达已是其现有投资方。
• 知情人士称，英伟达同意出资60亿美元获取Poolside的软件授权并吸纳其团队，原因之一是为推进自研Nemotron开源大模型项目；Poolside团队今年推出Laguna开源权重AI模型。