Nvidia is doubling down on the opportunity to build robotics and other industrial AI applications with the release of Universal platform, and more recently Mega, an Omniverse Blueprint framework for creating digital twins to run these applications. It also invests in digital twin startups to kick-start the effort.
of Taiwan MetAI has developed a model that can quickly create ‘SimReady’ (simulation-ready) digital twins using AI and 3D technology, turning CAD files into functional 3D environments in minutes.
Now Nvidia is backing MetAI in its first round of funding, a $4 million seed round that becomes the chip giant’s first investment in a Taiwanese startup. Others in the round are a mix of other strategic and financial investors, including Kenmec Mechanical Engineering, Solomo Technology, SparkLabs Taiwan, Addin Ventures and Upstream Ventures.
The next wave of artificial intelligence, known as genetic natural artificial intelligence, relies on physically accurate simulated environments to train and validate robots used in autonomous systems to build functional artificial intelligence prior to deployment. MetAI argues that the digital twins it helps 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 to develop,” Daniel Yu, CEO and co-founder of MetAI, said in an interview.
MetAI focuses on digital twins powered by artificial intelligence and tailored to advanced semiconductor models, smart warehouses and automation. It also produces synthetic data in AI-enabled digital twin environments.
Renton Hsu, Yu’s co-founder and MetAI’s CTO, has a background in 3D engineering and artificial intelligence, and started working with digital twins while building enterprise AI software applications: they were used as a practical solution in situations where customers didn’t they had enough data to train their systems. He then realized he could apply the same to 3D systems, integrating 3D technology with artificial intelligence to develop synthetic AI and 3D solutions, joining forces with Yu (who comes to the startup with experience in digital transformation projects) and a third co-founder, Dave Liu (COO), to start MetAI.
The discovery was enough to win first place in a competition organized by Nvidia, making Hsu a “Jetson AI ambassador” for the country.
MetAI’s competitors are the spectrum of large and small companies that have created digital twin technologies for manufacturing. They include Siemens Digital Industries, Dassault Systemes, Hexagon AB, Duality AI and Intagles. In the field of synthetic data, there are several companies, including Sky Engine and Scale AI.
MetAI believes it has a unique approach compared to all of these.
“Unlike competitors that prioritize operational efficiency or IoT integrations, MetAI leverages AI-based production models and layouts to create digital twins designed for physical AI training and application in real-world operations,” he said. Yu. “This approach not only accelerates the creation of digital twins, but also ensures their immediate usability for advanced automation systems such as robotics, bridging the gap between simulation and reality.”
MetAI differentiates itself by producing artificial data within AI-enabled digital twin environments. Yu noted that it enables users to create synthetic data tailored for specific operational requirements, making it easier to train and validate AI. “Instead of creating individual datasets, MetAI creates dynamic virtual worlds (i.e. world simulators) — realistic virtual environments that work exactly like the real world,” he said.
The two-year-old startup — whose products range from vertical AI agents to digital twins — has few customers and is already generating revenue by partnering with businesses in the manufacturing and automation industries, and this year expects to bring in $3 million from a single project, Yu said. . Revenue comes from project-based revenue, product subscriptions and licensing fees from ongoing developments, he added.
“The integration of MetAI with NVIDIA Omniverse represents a transformative step forward for industrial digital twins and natural artificial intelligence in simulations,” said Nico Caprez, director of corporate development at Nvidia. “Their ability to create scalable environments for AI training will potentially set a new standard for industries ranging from manufacturing to robotics.”
In 2023, MetAI partnered with Kenmec to create digital twins for automated warehouses. MetAI’s technology claims to have drastically reduced the time required for digital twin warehouse simulations from thousands of hours to just 3 minutes, resulting in significant savings in operational and verification tasks.
With the latest funding, MetAI plans to expand its R&D team to faster develop and execute its go-to-market strategies to meet growing demand. In addition, the Taiwan-based startup plans to establish a US office and relocate its headquarters in the second half of 2025, Yu told TechCrunch.
“Taiwan serves as our testing ground where we work with Taiwan’s industry leaders to integrate deep vertical knowledge into our models, ensuring our solutions are both robust and scalable,” said Liu. “Given its size and demand for simulation-based solutions, we are expanding the US market due to high labor costs and operational complexity. Our expansion strategy focuses on providing both point and end-to-end solutions, including SaaS offerings and vertical AI agents designed for rapid deployment in real-world scenarios across these industries.”
