Neura Robotics, an emerging AI and robotics startup based in Germany, has successfully concluded a $55 million funding round with the support of European investors Lingotto, Vsquared Ventures, Primepulse, and HV Capital.
The company introduced MAiRA, the world's first market-ready cognitive cobot, shortly after its inception, combining AI and robotics. MAiRA is equipped with advanced sensors and artificial intelligence (AI), enabling it to perceive its surroundings and interact with people autonomously.
Neura Robotics' platform facilitates joint application development across various sectors, from industry to service and household, offering unparalleled flexibility and cost efficiency in automation. The startup hopes to advance its operations with the newly secured funding.
A robotic arm for brain surgery is seen at the 2019 World Robot Conference in Beijing on August 20, 2019.
What Is Cognitive Robotics?
Cognitive robotics is a multidisciplinary field that combines principles from AI, robotics, neuroscience, and cognitive science to develop robots with advanced cognitive abilities.
The main goal of cognitive robotics is to create machines that can perceive, learn, reason, and interact with the environment in a manner similar to human cognitive processes.
These robots are designed to possess not only advanced sensorimotor capabilities for physical interaction with their surroundings but also higher-level cognitive functions that enable them to process and understand information, learn from experiences, and make decisions based on that knowledge.
By integrating AI techniques, cognitive robotics aims to equip robots with adaptive, flexible, and context-aware behaviors.
All About Neura Robotics
Robots built on the Neura Robotics platform possess sight, hearing, and tactile perception. Coupled with reflexive sensory processing, these capabilities enable autonomous and predictive actions.
The founding team's extensive expertise in robotics and AI ensures that Neura Robotics' robots can collaborate with humans in various societal domains and within human-designed environments. According to the company, these robots could play a pivotal role in addressing the shortage of skilled workers in just a few years.
The $55 million capital infusion will fuel the company's expansion into the US and Japan and support the development of production infrastructure in Germany to meet the growing demand, which currently exceeds $450 million.
GP Bullhound provided advisory services throughout the transaction. Established in 2019 by David Reger in Metzingen, southern Germany, Neura Robotics aims to bridge innovation gaps in robotics and usher in the era of cognitive robots.
The company adopts a holistic approach, combining components, sensors, and AI in a single device, offering partners a versatile platform for developing applications across specialized areas.
"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," David Reger, Founder and CEO of Neura Robotics, said in a statement.
"Today's funding round enables us to keep up the pace in delivering on our visionary promises," he added.
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