L’Usine Digitale, January 17, 2025, by Yoann Bourgin.
/ translation from French /
The German startup develops several collaborative robots, called “cobots,” capable of perceiving their environment and acting autonomously, as well as a humanoid robot. The raised funds will be used to enhance research and launch new products internationally.
Neura Robotics, a German startup specializing in the development of cognitive and humanoid robots, announced on January 15 a Series B funding round of €120 million. The round was led by Lingotto, the investment firm of the Agnelli family, with support from eight investors, including Volvo Cars Tech Fund, InterAlpen Partners, and Delta Electronics. The company had previously raised $55 million in the summer of 2023 and $86 million in 2021.
A humanoid robot that interacts with humans and performs household tasks
The young company, based in Metzingen near Stuttgart, develops five robot models. Some are articulated arms (MAiRA, LARA), small transport vehicles (MAV), or rolling personal assistants (MiPA), designed to “work in perfect harmony with humans in sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare.” However, the product that has generated the most attention recently is the 4NE-1, a humanoid robot unveiled in August 2024. According to the company, it is capable of “seeing, hearing, and touching” using cognitive abilities.
Standing 1.80 meters tall and weighing 80 kg, the 4NE-1 moves at 3 km/h and can carry loads up to 15 kg. Neura Robotics claims this pilot robot can interact with humans, handle fragile objects like glass, remove clothes from a washing machine, iron them, and even put them away. With this innovation, the startup became the first German company to launch a humanoid robot (and remains the only one to date).
Neura hopes to join the big leagues
Neura Robotics plans to allocate part of the raised funds to R&D, “supporting the launch of new global products (…) based on the Neuraverse platform.” This software solution enables Neura’s partners and customers to create their own robotic applications. Last summer, the startup announced it joined Nvidia’s humanoid robot development program, granting it access to its “Isaac” platform.
The startup aims to “become a major force in the global robotics landscape, alongside powerful players in the United States and China.” In the background, Neura Robotics refers to major tech companies accelerating humanoid robot development, such as Tesla with Optimus, the U.S. startup Figure AI – supported by Microsoft and OpenAI. Chinese companies AgiBot and UbTech are also presenting robots regularly. Notably, in February 2024, Neura Robotics decided to relocate most of its Chinese production back to Germany.
Link to the article on the L’Usine Digitale website (in French).
