German founder skipped college, learned robotics on YouTube, and built a $7B company

David Reger skipped university, taught himself robotics on YouTube, and built Neura Robotics into a $7 billion company. The 38-year-old German founder now sits on an estimated $1.5 billion fortune after growing up as the eldest of 11 children in Rottweil, Germany.

Growing up, he spent Saturdays cleaning machinery at a factory where his father worked before completing an apprenticeship as a mold maker. His entry into robotics came in 2011 when Swiss machinery manufacturer MABI hired him and offered him a choice between robotics or 3D printing.

Having never worked with a robot, he admitted he had no clue and pretended he did before teaching himself through YouTube videos. Within a year, his team demonstrated a large industrial robotic arm at a major Munich exhibition. In 2019, he launched Neura Robotics in Metzingen, Germany, initially partnering with Chinese manufacturer Han's Robot.

European investors bought out the Chinese stake for $11 million in 2023, paving the way for massive new funding. The company recently secured up to $1.4 billion in financing led by cryptocurrency company Tether, with backing from Nvidia and Amazon, according to VnExpress International.

Reger now owns about 20% of the business, pushing him into the billionaire ranks. Most of the company's revenue still comes from conventional industrial machines rather than humanoid robots, and some funding depends on hitting performance milestones. Reger told Forbes this month that he wants Neura to become the largest taxpayer in Europe one day. Sometimes the best engineering school is a late-night internet connection and a factory floor.

Photo: Web Summit, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, AI-edited