Nvidia unveiled plans to invest in four German startups at the Invest in Germany Summit in Berlin on Monday, part of a nearly $10 billion European commitment.
Zoom in: The four are Agile Robots, which builds AI robots for manufacturing, logistics and healthcare; Avelios Medical, a hospital management software firm; Mirelo, which generates audio for video; and Reflex Aerospace, a satellite builder. Nvidia withheld the amounts.
What they're saying: Chancellor Friedrich Merz called AI a major opportunity for the German economy and urged small and midsize firms to put the data they already hold to work, naming manufacturing, machinery and automotive as the sectors to target.
- "Please open your doors for AI to make use of your data," Merz said. "This is a real secret and a real advantage for Germany to make use of all the data which is already available in our companies."
- "AI can only augment your capability, it will not replace your capability," Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said, describing the technology as a new instrument for business.
By the numbers: Siemens, which announced AI tools built with Nvidia at its Erlangen factory the same day, said the technology could cut the engineering work of preparing production by up to 85% and trim production planning costs by as much as 20%.
The big picture: The German government signed a joint declaration of intent with Nvidia on Monday and is widening its Industry 4.0 Platform with the company, pulling in government, industry, research and trade bodies. Roughly a dozen German firms are expected to take part.
What's next: Huang visited France last week, backing four startups there and meeting President Emmanuel Macron. He is scheduled to deliver a keynote address in Berlin on Wednesday.
Why it matters: Industrial AI is the one lane where Europe still holds a real advantage, and Nvidia is buying into the suppliers that make German factories run. Merz is selling the pitch himself, because the data worth training on sits on the Mittelstand's own servers.
