Report: Crypto Giant Tether in Talks to Lead €1B Funding Round in Neura Robotics

German cognitive robotics firm Neura Robotics is in talks for a massive new funding round that could be led by Tether, the issuer of the world's largest stablecoin, according to a new report from the Financial Times.

The report, citing people with direct knowledge of the matter, states that discussions are underway for a €1 billion funding deal. Such an investment would reportedly place Neura's valuation between €8 billion and €10 billion.

This potential investment marks a dramatic escalation in the capital race for humanoid robotics. If the €10 billion valuation is realized, it would represent a roughly tenfold increase from January 2025, when Neura Robotics raised €120 million in a round led by Lingotto and including the Volvo Cars Tech Fund. The FT also noted that Neura is working with Morgan Stanley on its latest funding efforts.

The source of the potential capital is as notable as its size. Tether, which issues the non-interest-bearing USDT token, reportedly posted a $13.4 billion profit last year from income on its holdings. The company has been using its large cash reserves to invest in around 140 companies across various sectors, including finance, communication, and now, "frontier tech."

Tether's CEO, Paolo Ardoino, has publicly signaled an interest in the sector, stating he believes "the future will be holding trillions of AI agents and billions of robots."

In a statement to the FT, Tether confirmed it is "actively exploring numerous opportunities to continue investing in frontier tech" but would not disclose specific deals until finalized. Neura Robotics declined to comment.

This news lands as Neura has been aggressively executing a global strategy centered on its "cognitive" robotics platform. The company is preparing to sell its third-generation 4NE-1 humanoid robot, initially targeting industrial customers with a stated ambition to eventually enter the home market and produce 5 million robots by 2030.

This hardware push is backed by a software-first strategy built around the Neuraverse, an AI-driven ecosystem designed to act as the "brain" for its machines.

In the past year, Neura has announced a series of high-profile industrial and supply chain partnerships, including:

• A major "Embodied AI" push with enterprise software giant SAP and NVIDIA.
• A deep, multifaceted deal with industrial supplier Schaeffler, which will become both a key customer and a component supplier.
• Strategic manufacturing and supply chain moves, including establishing a €45 million subsidiary in China and a partnership with Sona Comstar in India.

A €1 billion investment would provide significant fuel for Neura to scale production and compete in an increasingly crowded and capital-intensive field. The company faces stiff competition from Tesla's Optimus, Figure, Unitree, and others. As of January, Neura reportedly had an order book valued at €1 billion.

While the deal is not yet final, the report underscores a new phase in the robotics race, where immense capital pools from unconventional sources like the crypto industry are being considered to fund the high cost of developing and scaling general-purpose humanoid robots.