Neura Robotics Raises €1 Billion to Build AI-Powered Humanoid Robots Backed by Tether

Neura Robotics Raising €1 Billion in Round Backed by Tether

Neura Robotics currently sells products including a transport robot for factories and a machine with robotic arms marketed as a home device, and had almost $1 billion in orders last year. German startup Neura Robotics is raising about €1 billion ($1.2 billion) in a funding round backed by stablecoin issuer Tether Holdings SA to develop an artificial-intelligence-powered humanoid robot. The round values the Metzingen-based company at about €4 billion and could be followed by additional fund-raising, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified because the information is not public. A spokesperson for Neura declined to comment. Tether didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Get the Tech Newsletter bundle. Get the Tech Newsletter bundle. Get the Tech Newsletter bundle. Bloomberg's subscriber-only tech newsletters, and full access to all the articles they feature. Bloomberg's subscriber-only tech newsletters, and full access to all the articles they feature. Bloomberg's subscriber-only tech newsletters, and full access to all the articles they feature. Bloomberg may send me offers and promotions. Plus Signed UpPlus Sign UpPlus Sign Up By submitting my information, I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. The investment would mark the latest move in a spree of dealmaking by Tether, the issuer of world's largest stablecoin USDT. Stablecoins -- digital tokens usually pegged to a fiat currency like the dollar -- have risen in popularity as a potential alternative form of payment. Tether has been expanding beyond its core crypto business, backing AI and data startups. It has funded brain-computer firm Blackrock Neurotech and Italian robotics startup Generative Bionics. Investors are looking to humanoids as the next potential wave of artificial intelligence, funding companies including Figure AI, Dexterity and Apptronik -- which raised $520 million in February. The market for AI-powered robots and autonomous machines has the potential to balloon into a trillion-dollar opportunity by 2035, a team of Barclays analysts wrote last month in a report titled "The Decade of the Robot." Many companies in China are also rushing to build AI-powered robots. Device maker Honor Device Co. unveiled its first humanoid on Sunday at the MWC Barcelona tech conference, performing remote-controlled gestures and poses. Hangzhou startup Unitree showcased robots that did parkour moves and mimicked Jackie Chan's iconic Drunken Master style at China's annual Spring Festival gala last month. Neura Robotics's website shows pictures of its humanoid robots working on a car assembly line and sorting laundry. Currently, the startup sells products including a transport robot for factories and a machine with robotic arms marketed as a home device. Neura Robotics Chief Executive Officer David Reger said last year his company had almost $1 billion in orders, with customers that included Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. and Omron Corp. The startup raised a €120 million funding round in January 2025 led by Exor NV's Lingotto Investment Management. Volvo Cars Tech Fund and other investors also participated. In June, the company began approaching potential investors about raising as much as €1 billion.

Humanoid robot maker Neura Robotics reportedly raising $1.2B in funding - SiliconANGLE

Humanoid robot maker Neura Robotics reportedly raising $1.2B in funding Startup Neura Robotics GmbH is reportedly in talks to raise a funding round worth €1 billion, or about $1.2 billion. Bloomberg today cited sources as saying that the deal could include contributions from crypto giant Tether Limited Inc. The company is the issuer of USDT, the world's most widely used stablecoin. Rumors that Tether may back a €1 billion raise for Neura first emerged last November. At the time, sources told the Financial Times that the deal was expected to value the robotics startup at €8 billion to €10 billion. Bloomberg reported today that Neura is poised to receive a significantly lower valuation of €4 billion. Additionally, the publication's sources stated that the raise could be "followed by additional fund-raising." Germany-based Neura develops a line of robots equipped with onboard artificial intelligence software. The company's two newest systems, the Neural Quadruped Robot and 4NE1, debuted in January. The former robot features a four-legged design optimized for difficult terrain. The 4NE1 Mini, in turn, is a 52-inch-tall humanoid robot that understands natural language instructions. Neura's flagship humanoid robot is a 5.9-foot system called the 4NE1 Mini. It can carry up to 220 pounds and cover about 3 miles per hour. The company says that the system lends itself to both consumer and industrial applications. Neura has also developed more than a half dozen other robots that are optimized for narrower use cases. For consumers, the company offers a system called MiPA that is designed to automate repetitive day-to-day tasks. It has a modular chassis that users can customize by attaching various hardware modules. MiPA can be equipped with a backpack, a table, tools and various other components. Neura competes in the industrial automation market with a line of robotic arms. Usually, programming a robotic arm to perform a new task requires manufacturers to write custom code. Neura's systems can be configured through a visual interface. The company also sells wheeled logistics robots that can carry up to 1.5 tons worth of goods. Neura offers its flagship robot line alongside hardware modules that can be attached to third-party automation systems. One add-on, SenseKit, improves robots' ability to sense objects in their environments. Another Neura module enables users to teach a robotic arm new skills by manually demonstrating the motions that it should perform. The company's fundraising push comes about a year after it closed its last round. Neura raised €120 million from a consortium that included Volvo Cars Tech Fund, German financial institution L-Bank and other large institutional backers. The company disclosed at the time that it had an order book worth €1 billion. Some of the new capital that Neura is raising may go towards acquisitions. Not long after last year's €120 million round, the company bought a 300-person industrial automation specialist called ek Robotics GmbH. The deal bought Neura a portfolio of logistics robots optimized for environments such as warehouses.