Nvidia Robotics Talent Strikes Out to Build Own Companies

Nvidia's robotics lab has become a fertile ground for founders to spin out and build their own companies. The chip giant has invested heavily in robotics, pouring billions into the field, and its CEO Jensen Huang popularized the term 'physical AI,' which enables machines to interact with the real world.

As part of Nvidia's strategy, the company builds underlying technology, including chips that power robots and software used to train them. This ecosystem has led to the creation of startups focused on robotics, with some former Nvidia employees spinning out to build companies of their own.

Amulya Vishwanath, who left Nvidia last year to start Techable Ventures, a venture firm focused on physical AI, noted that some who helped build the foundations of robotics inside Nvidia are now striking out on their own. This includes Sanja Fidler, former vice president of AI research at Nvidia, who left in July to found Veeda AI alongside other ex-Nvidians.

Fidler's startup builds simulated worlds to train robots, an extension of the research she worked on at Nvidia. Other startups founded by former Nvidia researchers include Dream Labs, which was founded by Joel Jang and is working in the same industry.