Nvidia has made its first investment in a Taiwanese startup MetAI, focusing on AI-driven digital twin technology, within its $4 million seed funding round.
MetAI has raised $4 million in a funding round led by Nvidia, the largest AI-focused chip and graphics processing units developer, to enhance its digital twin technology particularly tailored for sectors such as semiconductor manufacturing, smart warehouses, and automation systems.
Digital twins are virtual models of different physical objects, from single pieces of equipment in a factory to full installations. The technology uses real-time data sent from sensors placed on the object to simulate its behaviour, oversee its performance, identify potential faults, and get valuable insights about the object’s maintenance and lifecycle.
MetAI’s innovative approach enables the rapid transformation of CAD files into simulation-ready digital twins within minutes via its proprietary “MetSynthesizer Generative Algorithm,” combining AI and 3D technology. It significantly reduces the traditional development time, which may be a few months or even years, minimises resource waste, accelerates validation processes, and delivers more effective solutions.
Additionally, MetAI stands out by generating artificial data within its AI-powered digital twin environments. According to Daniel Yu, CEO and co-founder of MetAI, this approach allows users to create synthetic data tailored to specific operational needs, streamlining AI training and validation. Rather than developing static datasets, MetAI constructs dynamic virtual worlds, or world simulators — highly realistic virtual environments that function just like the real world, explained the startup executive.
As the technology has already shown impressive practical results, MetAI anticipates generating $3 million in revenue from a single project this year. Besides, with the help of new funding, MetAI plans to expand its R&D team, accelerate its go-to-market strategies, and establish a U.S. office by late 2025. The startup’s growth strategy includes delivering both targeted point solutions and comprehensive end-to-end offerings, including SaaS products and industry-specific AI agents designed for quick deployment in real-world applications across different sectors.
The breakthrough technology didn’t go unnoticed by industry leaders and investors. Besides Nvidia, the startup received funding support from Kenmec Mechanical Engineering, Solomon Technology, SparkLabs Taiwan, Addin Ventures, and Upstream Ventures.
As for Nvidia, the fresh investment aligns with its corporate strategic focus on industrial AI applications and robotics, complementing its popular API Omniverse platform and the recently introduced Mega framework, both designed to create digital twins for autonomous systems and production facilities.
