Tether leads $1.4 billion NEURA Robotics funding with Nvidia and Amazon backing AI robotics

Tether, Nvidia and Amazon Back Humanoid Robotics Firm NEURA in $1.4 Billion Funding Round

Other notable investors in the round include Nvidia, Amazon, Qualcomm, and Bosch. Tether, the company behind the world's largest stablecoin, USDT, announced Wednesday it had led a financing round of up to $1.4 billion into NEURA Robotics, a German humanoid robotics firm. It's billed as one of the largest private investment rounds ever recorded in the physical AI and humanoid robot sectors. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Metzingen, Germany, NEURA Robotics develops a broad portfolio of robotic systems, including humanoids, precision robotic arms, autonomous mobile robots, and service robots designed for environments where humans and machines work side by side. Other investors in the round alongside Tether include Nvidia, Amazon, Qualcomm Technologies, Bosch, imec.xpand, Schaeffler, European Investment Bank, Lingotto Horizon, and InterAlpen Partners. "The future of AI will not only live on screens," said NEURA Robotics founder and CEO David Reger, in a statement. "It will move, interact, learn and work beside us in the real world. We believe physical AI and cognitive robotics will become one of the largest technology shifts of the coming decades, transforming industries ranging from manufacturing and logistics to healthcare, services, and household robotics." Beyond the capital commitment, Tether will deploy some of its core technologies into NEURA's ecosystem. That includes its open-source wallet development kit (WDK), which would embed self-custodial wallet functionality directly into robotic platforms, allowing machines to receive payment for completed tasks and execute transactions within predefined operational parameters -- making financial settlement part of the workflow itself. Tether will also integrate its QVAC edge AI runtime into NEURA's Neuraverse software platform. QVAC enables AI models to execute locally on a device rather than relying on remote cloud infrastructure, reducing latency, improving operational resilience, and limiting dependence on large centralized compute providers -- a critical capability in industrial environments where uptime and precision are paramount. "As robotics moves beyond scripted automation and into true autonomy, the infrastructure behind it must evolve as well," said Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, in a statement. "Autonomous machines need the ability to process information locally, make decisions, and transact without relying on centralized intermediaries." "QVAC brings that edge-first intelligence to the platform while WDK handles the secure financial layer, together enabling machines to execute tasks, account for outcomes, and operate independently," he added. "NEURA Robotics shares that vision, and this investment reflects our confidence in what autonomous robotics can become."

Tether Expands AI push with Lead Role in NEURA Robotics Raise

NEURA plans to integrate Tether's wallet and AI technologies into its robotics platform, enabling autonomous payments and on-device computing for machines. Tether is leading a funding round of as much as $1.4 billion for German tech company NEURA Robotics, deepening the stablecoin issuer's push into artificial intelligence and robotics. The round, which values NEURA at roughly $7 billion, is expected to include a mix of strategic and financial investors. Tether said it is leading the raise through its investment arm, which deploys capital from the company's profits and excess reserves across sectors including AI, energy and digital infrastructure. NEURA said it expects to integrate Tether's Wallet Development Kit into its robotic systems, enabling machines to receive payments and execute transactions within predefined parameters. The companies also plan to deploy Tether's QVAC AI runtime, which is designed to run models directly on devices rather than through cloud-based infrastructure. Tweet from Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether. Source: Tether on X.com Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Metzingen, Germany, NEURA Robotics develops humanoid robots, robotic arms, autonomous mobile robots and other AI-powered systems for industrial and commercial applications. It is building an ecosystem called Neuraverse, a software platform intended to connect robots, AI models, data and services. The investment follows reports from November 2025 that Tether was considering a 1 billion euro ($1.15 billion) investment in the company. The Financial Times reported at the time that the deal could value the tech maker at between $9.3 billion and $11.6 billion, though neither company confirmed the discussions. Today's announcement did not disclose how much money Tether is contributing to the current funding round. Tether expands AI and payments push The NEURA investment is part of Tether's broader push beyond stablecoins into artificial intelligence, payments and emerging technologies. The company reported $1.04 billion in net profit during the first quarter of 2026 and said its excess reserves reached a record $8.23 billion, providing additional capital for investments outside its core USDT (USDT) business. Source: DefiLlama In recent months, Tether has accelerated its push into AI through its QVAC platform. In March, the company introduced a training framework that enables AI models to be trained and run on consumer hardware, including smartphones and non-Nvidia chips. Two months later, it unveiled QVAC MedPsy, a family of medical AI models designed to run directly on smartphones and other devices rather than through cloud-based infrastructure. The company has also sought to expand the ecosystem around its technology stack. In May, Tether launched a grants program to fund developers building local-first AI and payment applications using its open-source tools, including QVAC and its Wallet Development Kit. In a January 2025 interview, CEO Paolo Ardoino said AI-powered humanoid robots could become commonplace within the next decade as advances in computing and automation reshape the workforce. Tether issues the $187 billion USDT stablecoin, which controls roughly 59% of the global stablecoin market, giving it one of the largest balance sheets in the digital asset industry.