Neura Robotics to raise up to $1.4B from Nvidia-backed consortium
Automation startup Neura Robotics GmbH is raising a funding round worth up to $1.4 billion from a group of prominent investors.
The company detailed today that the consortium includes Amazon.com Inc., Nvidia Corp., Qualcomm Technologies Inc. and cryptocurrency issuer Tether. The round is also expected to draw contributions from outside the tech sector. The European Investment Bank, the European Union’s lending arm, and Belgian research institute imec are among the participants.
Germany-based Neura sells more than a half dozen robots that use onboard artificial intelligence models to navigate their surroundings. The company’s newest system, the 4NE1, is a humanoid robot that can cover 3.1 miles per hour and carry up to 220 pounds. Neura says the robot lends itself to a variety of tasks ranging from folding laundry to assembling cars.
The company offers 4NE1 alongside MiPA, a similarly sized wheeled robot that is mainly geared toward consumer use cases. It navigates with the help of a camera array backed by infrared, ultrasonic and lidar sensors. Users can customize MiPA by attaching modules to a specialized section of its chassis. The robot can be equipped with a backpack, a shelf, a desk and multiple tools.
