According to the article, Figure AI, which is also supported by ChatGPT maker OpenAI and Microsoft (MSFT.O), is receiving approximately $675 million in a funding round with a pre-money valuation of over $2 billion.
Bezos committed $100 million through his firm Explore Investments LLC, Microsoft is investing $95 million, while Nvidia and an Amazon-affiliated fund are each contributing $50 million, according to the article.
Investments in artificial intelligence firms have increased following the introduction of OpenAI’s popular chatbot ChatGPT in November 2022, as investors see an opportunity and bet on these startups to outperform larger competitors.
OpenAI, which had explored acquiring Figure, is investing $5 million, according to the article.
Backers include Intel’s (INTC.O), opens new tab venture capital arm, LG Innotek, Samsung’s investment business, and venture firms Parkway Venture Capital and Align Ventures, according to the article.
According to the report, the startup’s backers include ARK Venture Fund, Aliya Capital Partners, and Tamarack.
Amazon, Nvidia, Microsoft, and Intel declined to comment, while other companies cited in the study, such as Figure AI, did not reply to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Last year, Sunnyvale, California-based Figure, which develops general-purpose humanoid robots that could work in different environments and handle a variety of tasks from warehouses to retail, raised $70 million from investors led by Parkway Venture Capital in its first external round.
