Venture FOMO Hits Robotics, as Young Startup Gets $1.5 Billion Valuation

Venture investors are paying a hefty premium to back robotics startups harnessing artificial intelligence, hoping one of them can become the robotics version of OpenAI.

In the latest example, Skild, a young firm that has been developing software to power various robots including ones with two or four legs, is nearing a deal to raise nearly $300 million from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Coatue Management and others at a $1.5 billion valuation, according to an investor at a firm that agreed to participate in the deal.