Nvidia, a key player in advancing physical Artificial Intelligence (AI), is seeing many of its experienced individuals venturing into launching new robotics startups. The company, under the leadership of CEO Jensen Huang, has heavily invested in robotics technology, contributing to the rise of “physical AI,” allowing machines to interact in the real world. Nvidia’s focus has been on developing the fundamental technology for robots, including the chips that power them and the software that trains them.
Several former Nvidia employees who were pivotal in laying the groundwork for robotics are now transitioning to establish their ventures. For instance, Amulya Vishwanath departed from Nvidia to found Techable Ventures, a venture firm concentrating on physical AI. Similarly, Sanja Fidler, the ex-vice president of AI research at Nvidia, co-founded Veeda AI along with other former Nvidia colleagues. Veeda AI specializes in creating simulated environments to train robots, a field that Fidler pioneered at Nvidia.
Joel Jang, another former Nvidia researcher, established Dream Labs, a startup operating within the robotics industry, as reported by The Information. These Nvidia alumni are exploring various facets of robotics, from software for optimizing robots in warehouses to robots performing physical tasks for businesses. Nvidia has also extended its support to some of these startups, such as Flexion Robotics and Dyna Robotics.
Flexion Robotics CEO Nikita Rudin highlighted the close collaboration between Nvidia and his startup, emphasizing the valuable support received in terms of regular meetings and early access to testing tools. Rudin and his co-founder, David Hoeller, chose to leave Nvidia to pursue their vision of deploying advanced robotics technology, believing that the industry was ripe for innovation. Arsalan Mousavian, another former Nvidia robotics researcher, echoed similar sentiments, expressing a desire to focus on practical robot building, which led him to establish his stealth-mode startup last year.
The robotics sector has recently witnessed a surge in interest and funding, making it an opportune time for entrepreneurs to delve into the field. With the availability of robust AI models and increasing venture funding, startups like Index Robotics are finding the environment conducive for growth. Statistics show that physical AI companies raised a record $33.4 billion globally in the first half of 2026, surpassing the total for the previous year.
Apart from Nvidia, other tech giants like Google and Waymo are also contributing to the emergence of new robotics startups through former employees launching ventures in the industry. The ecosystem created by Nvidia’s alumni starting new ventures forms a symbiotic relationship, benefiting both the startups that emerge and Nvidia, which provides the necessary infrastructure for their development.
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