Nvidia’s Investment in MetAI: Pioneering the Future of Digital Twins
Nvidia is making a significant push into robotics and industrial AI applications with its Omniverse platform. Recently, they have introduced Mega, an Omniverse Blueprint framework aimed at creating digital twins to operate these applications. To bolster this initiative, Nvidia is investing in digital twin startups, like Taiwan’s MetAI.
MetAI has developed an innovative model that swiftly generates “SimReady” digital twins using AI and 3D technology. This process involves converting CAD files into functional 3D environments within minutes. Nvidia has shown its support by backing MetAI in its first funding round, a $4 million seed round. This marks Nvidia’s first investment in a Taiwanese startup, alongside other investors such as Kenmec Mechanical Engineering, Solomo Technology, SparkLabs Taiwan, Addin Ventures, and Upstream Ventures.
Generative Physical AI: The Next Wave
The next wave of AI, known as generative physical AI, relies heavily on physically accurate simulated environments for training and validating robots used in autonomous systems. MetAI believes that the digital twins they help create will be central to this effort.
“Digital twins have long been seen as a barrier to entry for physical AI due to the months or even years of effort required for development,” said Daniel Yu, CEO and co-founder of MetAI.
{Daniel Yu}
MetAI focuses on AI-powered digital twins tailored to advanced semiconductor fabs, smart warehouses, and automation. They also generate synthetic data within AI-enabled digital twin environments.
The Innovation Journey of MetAI’s Founders
Renton Hsu, co-founder and CTO of MetAI, comes from a background in 3D engineering and AI. His initial work with digital twins was during the creation of enterprise AI software applications where they served as a practical workaround when clients lacked sufficient data for training their systems. Recognizing the potential, Hsu integrated 3D technology with AI to develop synthetic AI and 3D solutions. He joined forces with Daniel Yu and Dave Liu (COO) to establish MetAI.
“Unlike competitors that prioritize operational efficiencies or IoT integrations, MetAI leverages generative models and AI-driven layouts to create digital twins designed for physical AI training and implementation in real-world operations,” Yu explained.
{Daniel Yu}
MetAI’s Unique Approach
- MetAI produces artificial data within its AI-enabled digital twin environments.
- Enables users to generate synthetic data tailored for specific operational needs.
- Offers dynamic virtual worlds that mimic real-world operations.
This approach accelerates the creation of digital twins while ensuring their usability for advanced automation systems like robotics, bridging the gap between simulation and reality.
Strategic Partnerships and Revenue Growth
The two-year-old startup has partnered with enterprises in manufacturing and automation industries, already generating revenues from project-based income, product subscriptions, and licensing fees from ongoing developments. Yu mentioned that they expect to bring in $3 million from a single project this year.
“MetAI’s integration with NVIDIA Omniverse represents a transformative step forward for industrial digital twins and physical AI in simulations,” said Nico Caprez, corporate development manager at Nvidia.
{Nico Caprez}
Future Plans: Expansion and Development
With the latest funding secured, MetAI plans to expand its R&D team for faster development and execution of its go-to-market strategies. They aim to establish a U.S. office and relocate their headquarters by the second half of 2025.
“Taiwan serves as our testing ground… Given its size and demand for simulation-driven solutions, we are expanding into the U.S. market due to high labor costs and operational complexities,” said Liu.
{Dave Liu}
