Metzingen, Germany – July 19, 2023
Neura Robotics GmbH (“NEURA Robotics”), an emerging AI and robotics startup, announced today the closing of a $55 million funding round, led by European investors Lingotto (an investment management company owned by Exor N.V.), Vsquared Ventures, Primepulse and HV Capital.
Neura Robotics has risen to become a global pioneer in cognitive robotics in just three years and claims innovation leadership in the industry. As the first company to combine AI and robotics, Neura unveiled the world’s first market-ready cognitive cobot shortly after its founding. This robot, called MAiRA, is able to fully perceive its environment and people and acts autonomously. By combining all relevant sensors and components with artificial intelligence in one device, Neura Robotics offers its partners a platform for the joint development of applications for a wide range of sectors from industry to service and household. The resulting and steadily growing NEURAverse offers unmatched flexibility and cost efficiency in automation.
David Reger, Founder and CEO of Neura Robotics, said: “Since our genesis in 2019, Neura Robotics has been working to push the boundaries of innovation in robotics by rethinking the subject with artificial intelligence and a platform approach, ushering in a new era in robotics. Today’s funding round enables us to keep up the pace in delivering on our visionary promises.“
“Neura operates at the confluence of AI and hardware development. Germany and Europe have a particular advantage here”, said Nikhil Srinivasan, Managing Partner at Lingotto.
Dr Herbert Mangesius, General Partner at Vsquared Ventures, adds: “If you are serious about software, you need to embrace hardware. This is particularly true for robotic automation and has been a bottleneck in bringing cutting-edge machine learning and cognitive capabilities into the industrial and services world for many years. Neura Robotics is the first company we met that combines this technological vision and leadership with an open partnership model and such driving progress globally at a never-seen pace within robotics.”
Robots based on the Neura Robotics platform are able to see, hear and have a sense of touch. Combined with reflexive sensory processing, these capabilities are essential for autonomous and predictive action. With the founding team’s vast expertise in robotics and artificial intelligence, robots by Neura Robotics are being developed to collaborate with humans across various societal domains and within human-designed environments, and in just a couple of years could play an important role in solving the problem of the general shortage of skilled workers. Today, NEURA is right on track to bring the first multi-purpose humanoid robot to market.
The $55 million capital increase secures the expansion of the versatile high-tech company towards the US and Japan and helps to expand the production infrastructure in Germany to meet the exponential demand of the order book, which today exceeds $450 million. Throughout the transaction, Neura Robotics was advised by GP Bullhound.
About PRIMEPULSE
PRIMEPULSE is a growth and technology-oriented investment company based in Munich. We invest in medium-sized B2B tech companies, which we actively support on their growth path with capital and entrepreneurial expertise – from startups to listed companies. The group of companies generates annual sales of over one billion euros and employs around 5,000 people worldwide.
PRIMEPULSE SE pursues a long-term, value-oriented investment approach and sees itself as a strategic partner to its group companies. Behind PRIMEPULSE are the successful founders, entrepreneurs and long-standing managers of TecDAX-listed CANCOM SE. More at www.primepulse.de
About Lingotto
Lingotto Investment Management LLP (Lingotto) is an independent and entrepreneurial investment management company based in London. It is wholly owned by Exor N.V., one of Europe’s largest diversified holding companies, and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Its purpose is to deliver attractive long-term returns through a complementary, differentiated, and unique investment approach. It provides talented investment professionals a home in which they can pursue their passion for investing through an attractive combination of autonomy and structured support. More at www.lingotto.com
About HV Capital
HV Capital is one of the leading early-stage and growth investors in Europe. With a deep track record of spotting European technology winners, including the first generation of German billion-dollar businesses, and new disruptors like Flixbus, Enpal, SumUp and Isar Aerospace, HV Capital is continuously looking for the next generation of disruptors from every industry, including FinTech, SaaS, climate tech, and consumer goods. HV Capital has invested in around 225 internet and technology companies, supporting startups with ticket sizes ranging from €500,000 to €60 million, and is one of the few venture capital firms in Europe that can finance startups through all growth phases. With offices in Munich and Berlin, HV Capital has a team of more than 40 investment and operations professionals that provide a variety of perspectives and expertise across the venture capital landscape. As of 1 May 2023, HV Capital has €2.7bn assets under management (AUM). More at www.hvcapital.com
About Vsquared Ventures
Vsquared backs entrepreneurs who engineer seemingly impossible solutions to the world’s most challenging problems. With our deep-tech funds, we partner with global leaders such as Isar Aerospace, IQM Quantum Computers, Group14 Technologies, or Zama AI. We firmly believe that the next-gen champions are emerging out of the unique market and tech potential of Europe. More at www.vsquared.vc
Websites
Neura Robotics: www.neura-robotics.com
David Reger: www.davidreger.com
Lingotto (Exor N.V.) www.lingotto.com
Vsquared Ventures www.vsquared.vc
Primepulse www.primepulse.de
HV Capital www.hvcapital.com
