Daily Tech & GNSS News Digest - January 14, 2026

A landmark chip export decision headlines today’s tech news as the Trump administration opens a path for Nvidia’s H200 sales to China. Robotics continues its meteoric rise with Skild AI tripling its valuation to $14 billion, while the positioning industry sees Trimble technology integrated into Lucid’s luxury EV for centimeter-level accuracy.

Tech News

US Approves Nvidia H200 Chip Exports to China with Conditions

The Commerce Department formally approved exports of Nvidia’s H200 AI chips to China on January 14, 2026, marking a significant shift in US semiconductor policy. Export applications will now be evaluated on a case-by-case basis rather than starting from a presumption of denial.

Chinese technology companies have placed orders for more than 2 million H200 chips priced at approximately $27,000 each, far exceeding Nvidia’s current inventory of 700,000 units. The chips must pass third-party lab testing to confirm their AI capabilities before shipment, and China cannot receive more than 50% of total chips sold to American customers.

The approval follows months of lobbying by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. President Trump announced last month that advanced chips could be sold to “approved customers” in China for a 25% government surcharge. Notably, Nvidia’s more sophisticated Blackwell processor and upcoming Rubin model are not part of the deal. Democratic senators have objected, warning the chips could aid China’s military and cyberattack capabilities.

Skild AI Raises $1.4 Billion at $14 Billion Valuation

Robotics startup Skild AI secured approximately $1.4 billion in new funding, valuing the company at more than $14 billion—triple its worth from just seven months ago. The round was led by SoftBank Group with participation from Nvidia’s venture arm, Jeff Bezos, Samsung, LG, and Salesforce Ventures.

Founded in 2023, Skild AI develops what it calls the “Skild Brain,” a general foundation model designed to operate any robot regardless of physical form. The company claims its technology can handle tasks from cooking eggs to navigating difficult terrain, adapting in real-time to physical changes without retraining.

Skild recently passed the $30 million annualized revenue mark deploying software in enterprise environments like data centers and factories. The Pittsburgh-based startup, led by CEO Deepak Pathak, has now raised over $2 billion in total capital.

Temporal Technologies Nears $5 Billion Valuation

Software startup Temporal Technologies is in advanced talks to raise fresh capital at a $5 billion valuation, double its worth from just three months ago. Andreessen Horowitz is in discussions to lead the round for the workflow orchestration platform.

Temporal’s fundraise comes as Andreessen Horowitz recently closed its largest-ever fund at $15 billion, with plans to invest heavily in AI, defense, and biotech. The venture firm now represents over 18% of all VC dollars allocated in the United States in 2025.

Additional Headlines

Emerging markets hit record high: EM stocks rose for a third straight day, powered by Asian tech shares, with TSMC, Samsung, and SK Hynix up between 8% and 16% year-to-date.
Cerebras $1B talks: AI chip startup Cerebras is reportedly in discussions to raise around $1 billion at a $22 billion valuation.
Etched raises $500M: The inference chip startup secured funding as investors back “Nvidia alternatives” in the AI hardware race.

GNSS News

Trimble Powers Lucid Gravity with Lane-Level Positioning

Trimble announced its positioning technology will be standard on all Lucid Gravity electric SUVs starting in late January 2026, with existing vehicles receiving the capability via over-the-air update. The integration combines Trimble RTX corrections with ProPoint Go inertial technology for centimeter-level accuracy.

The system fuses satellite correction data with six-axis inertial sensors to maintain precise positioning in challenging environments like tunnels, parking garages, and urban canyons where traditional GNSS signals struggle. Trimble reports the solution can reduce positional error to a few centimeters, enabling the vehicle to confirm lane occupancy and support higher-confidence automated driving features.

This marks another milestone in Trimble’s push into automotive applications, as precision positioning becomes essential for advanced driver assistance systems and eventual autonomous driving.

ANELLO Photonics unveiled its Aerial INS at CES 2026, a compact inertial navigation system built around the company’s Silicon Photonics Optical Gyroscope (SiPhOG) technology. The system integrates multi-band GNSS receivers for high-performance navigation in aerial applications.

The optical gyroscope technology offers advantages over traditional MEMS sensors in terms of bias stability and noise performance, making it particularly suited for applications requiring navigation continuity during GNSS outages or in GPS-denied environments. The launch positions ANELLO as a key player in the growing market for drone navigation in surveying, mapping, and inspection applications.

Key Takeaways

Chip diplomacy reshapes trade: The conditional H200 approval signals a nuanced approach to China tech policy, with case-by-case review replacing blanket restrictions.
Robotics investment accelerates: Skild AI’s $14B valuation and $1.4B raise underscore investor conviction that general-purpose robot software is the next platform shift.
Precision positioning goes mainstream: Trimble’s Lucid Gravity integration brings centimeter-level accuracy to consumer vehicles, a milestone for automotive GNSS adoption.