blackberries CEO John Giamatteo sees robots powered by artificial intelligence as a big growth opportunity for the former smartphone tycoon.
Canada-based BlackBerry, once one of the world’s largest cell phone manufacturers, has reinvented itself.
The company’s QNX operating system provides the underlying software for features ranging from braking systems to some semi-autonomous driving features, and is currently installed in more than 275 million vehicles worldwide. But the company is increasingly looking beyond the automotive industry to tap into the emerging market for physical AI.
“The products we’re selling today don’t fit in the palm of your hand, but they’re all around you,” Giamatteo told CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Monday. “275 million cars, robots, government, medical devices, supply chain. That’s the new BlackBerry, and that’s what’s driving our growth.”
According to Giamatteo, robotics has already emerged as one of the fastest growing businesses within QNX. Unlike generative AI, which generates text and images, physical AI allows robots and other machines to interact with the real world. Based on our experience in the automotive industry, BlackBerry sees an opportunity to provide the underlying software that helps these machines operate safely and reliably.
This opportunity is contributing to BlackBerry’s growing backlog. The company recently announced that its outstanding QNX royalties exceeded $1.2 billion, an increase of more than $250 million in two quarters. Giamatteo identified three driving forces behind that growth. Automakers are moving toward more advanced computing systems, expanding their software offerings, and new demands for physical AI applications.
Investors are keeping an eye on the turnaround. BlackBerry stock soared 142% in 2026, following years of struggles for the company whose ubiquitous handheld devices with physical keyboards previously dominated the smartphone world. apple’s iPhones and other devices that are fully touchscreen. The stock, then called Research in Motion, reached a market capitalization of nearly $85 billion in 2008, a year after the launch of the first iPhone. BlackBerry’s current market capitalization is approximately $5.4 billion.
Giamatteo also highlighted the partnership with BlackBerry. Nvidiastarted in the automotive field. Nvidia is now “standardizing on QNX as the platform of choice” for the Halos Safety Stack, Giamatteo said. “This has opened up so many doors, an incredible pipeline of opportunities: AMRs (automated mobile robots), autonomous forklifts, skateboards carrying pallets to docking stations.”
