German robotics startup Neura Robotics has partnered with semiconductor giant Qualcomm to build next-generation robots and physical AI. The deal marks the latest partnership between a robotics startup and a larger hardware and software company in the emerging physical AI industry.
Although Monday’s announcement did not mention specific products, the companies aim to work together to build the robot’s “brain and nervous system” to accelerate the adoption of humanoid and general-purpose robots in the real world, both in home and industrial environments.
Specifically, Neura will use Qualcomm’s Dragonwing Robotics IQ10 processor as the robot’s reference design. The IQ10 series was announced at CES earlier this year, and these chips are designed to work in autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and humanoids.
Neura also plans to use its Neuraverse robot simulation and training platform, released in June 2025, to test and fine-tune robots running on Qualcomm’s IQ10 processor.
David Reger, CEO and founder of Neura Robotics, said in a press release: “By combining our cognitive robotics platform and Neuraverse ecosystem with Qualcomm Technologies’ leadership in edge AI and connectivity, we aim to accelerate a future where cognitive robots work safely alongside humans in every industry and throughout daily life.”
This agreement is very meaningful for both parties. And this will likely be a popular strategy for robotics companies looking to introduce their products into the real world. For example, Boston Dynamics announced a strategic partnership with Google DeepMind in January to use Google’s AI foundational models to accelerate the development of the robotics company’s Atlas humanoid robot.
Although Boston Dynamics and Neura’s respective partnerships deal with different technologies: AI models and chips, the same conclusions can be drawn. These two companies are more than just customers of technology vendors, and partnering together will allow robotics companies to more effectively utilize and incorporate these technologies.
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Robotics companies with software technological advantages will have a much easier, and perhaps cheaper, path to market entry and scale by partnering with hardware companies that have already solved difficult technical challenges, such as building dexterous robotic hands.
In Neura’s case, the company can build and test robots designed for working chips, while Qualcomm can take a closer look at how robotics companies can use its processors.
As AI companies like Nvidia look to physical AI as the next major market for their technology, they will demand a seat at the table to know how their technology is being used. As a result, we can expect more partnerships.
