AI Business

Nvidia Leads $4M Investment in Taiwan’s MetAI for Rapid Digital Twin Creation Technology

Taiwanese startup MetAI secured $4 million in seed funding led by Nvidia to expand its AI-powered technology that converts 2D floor plans into 3D digital twins within minutes, targeting expansion into the US market for semiconductor, warehouse, and robotics applications.
Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

TLDR

  • MetAI, a Taiwanese startup, raised $4 million in seed funding led by Nvidia, marking Nvidia’s first investment in a Taiwanese company
  • The company developed AI software that converts 2D warehouse floor plans into 3D simulations in minutes instead of hundreds of hours
  • MetAI’s technology integrates with Nvidia’s Omniverse platform to create digital twins for testing facility efficiency
  • The startup plans to expand to the US market and targets semiconductor, warehouse, and robotics companies
  • In 2023, MetAI partnered with Kenmec to reduce warehouse simulation time from thousands of hours to 3 minutes

Taiwanese startup MetAI Technology announced on Wednesday it secured $4 million in seed funding, with chip manufacturer Nvidia leading the investment round. This marks Nvidia’s first investment in a Taiwan-based company, highlighting the growing interest in digital twin technology for industrial applications.

The funding round attracted several major industry players, including Kenmec Mechanical Engineering and Solomon Technology. Local venture capital firms Addin Ventures, SparkLabs Taiwan, and Upstream Ventures also participated in the investment.

Founded in 2023, MetAI has developed software that transforms 2D floor plans into detailed 3D simulations, specifically targeting the logistics and manufacturing sectors. The company’s main innovation lies in its processing speed – converting 2D plans into functional 3D environments takes just minutes, compared to the industry standard of approximately 300 hours.

These digital simulations, known as digital twins, serve as virtual replicas of physical facilities. Logistics companies use these models to test and optimize their warehouse layouts and operations before actual construction or implementation, reducing costly mistakes and improving efficiency.

The software integrates with Nvidia’s Omniverse platform, a digital twin platform that allows companies to create and test virtual environments. This integration enables MetAI’s customers to leverage Nvidia’s advanced simulation capabilities while benefiting from MetAI’s rapid conversion technology.

MetAI’s technology has already shown practical benefits in real-world applications. In 2023, the company collaborated with Kenmec to create digital twins for automated warehouses. During this partnership, MetAI’s software reduced the simulation time from thousands of hours to just three minutes, creating substantial cost savings in operational and verification tasks.

The company expects to generate $3 million from a single project this year, demonstrating growing market demand for its technology. Revenue streams include project-based income, product subscriptions, and licensing fees from ongoing developments.

The startup’s founding team brings diverse expertise to the company. CEO Daniel Yu has experience in digital transformation projects, while CTO Renton Hsu specializes in 3D engineering and AI. Hsu’s work with digital twins earned him recognition as a “Jetson AI ambassador” for Taiwan after winning first place in an Nvidia competition.

MetAI’s technology also supports the development of “large world models,” a type of AI model that simulates real-world environments for training autonomous machines like robots and self-driving cars. This capability puts MetAI in competition with companies like San Francisco-based World Labs, which is also backed by Nvidia’s venture capital arm.

The company differentiates itself from competitors by focusing on AI-driven layouts and generative models specifically designed for physical AI training. Unlike other solutions that prioritize operational efficiencies or IoT integrations, MetAI’s approach aims to bridge the gap between simulation and reality for advanced automation systems.

With the new funding, MetAI plans to expand its research and development team and accelerate its market entry strategies. The company also intends to establish a presence in the United States, targeting clients in the semiconductor manufacturing, automated warehouse operations, and robotics sectors.

The expansion to the US market is driven by high labor costs and operational complexities in these industries, creating demand for simulation-driven solutions. MetAI plans to offer both specific solutions and complete end-to-end systems, including SaaS offerings and vertical AI agents.

The company currently maintains Taiwan as its testing ground, working with local industry leaders to integrate specialized knowledge into its models. This approach helps ensure the solutions are robust and scalable before entering larger markets.

MetAI plans to relocate its headquarters to the United States in the second half of 2025, using its experience in the Taiwanese market as a foundation for international expansion.

The latest funding round was completed on January 14, 2025, with Nvidia’s corporate development manager, Nico Caprez, expressing confidence in MetAI’s potential impact on industrial digital twins and physical AI simulations.

Oliver Dale is Editor-in-Chief of Circlo and founder of Kooc Media Ltd, A UK-Based Online Publishing company. A Technology Entrepreneur with over 15 years of professional experience in Investing and UK Business.His writing has been quoted by Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Investopedia, The New Yorker, Forbes, Techcrunch & More. oliver@circlo.io