POTENTIAL MEGA-INVESTMENT WOULD SIGNAL A NEW POWER SHIFT IN THE GLOBAL AI STARTUP LANDSCAPE
SoftBank and Nvidia are reportedly in talks to invest in Skild AI at a valuation of $14 billion, highlighting the company’s rapid growth amid surging demand for AI infrastructure.
SoftBank and Nvidia are in negotiations to invest in Skild AI, valuing the fast-growing artificial-intelligence company at approximately $14 billion, according to sources familiar with the discussions. The potential deal marks one of the biggest AI-startup investment moves of 2025 and underscores rising competition among tech giants seeking strategic footholds in the next wave of AI-model development.
Skild AI — known for its advanced foundational models, training-efficiency breakthroughs and enterprise-focused AI stack — has quickly emerged as a key player in the infrastructure race. Its technology is designed to train large-scale AI models faster and at lower cost, making it attractive to major corporations looking to scale generative-AI deployments.
Nvidia’s interest is especially notable: as the world’s leading supplier of AI chips and compute infrastructure, an investment in Skild AI could strengthen its position in the enterprise-model ecosystem. SoftBank, meanwhile, continues doubling down on AI investments as part of its ongoing post-Vision-Fund strategy.
Industry analysts say the talks reflect a broader trend of consolidation and strategic alliances in the AI arms race. Large investors are increasingly backing companies that can deliver efficiency, compute optimization and proprietary model architectures — all critical ingredients for scaling AI globally.
While neither SoftBank nor Nvidia has publicly commented, insiders caution that the deal is not guaranteed. Regulatory considerations, valuation negotiations and strategic positioning remain active variables.
If finalized, the investment would place Skild AI among the most highly valued AI start-ups worldwide, intensifying competitive pressure on rivals developing next-generation AI systems.
