How German billionaire skipped college and learned robotics on YouTube to build $7B company – VnExpress International

How German billionaire skipped college and learned robotics on YouTube to build $7B company  VnExpress International

David Reger skipped university and taught himself robotics through YouTube videos before building Neura Robotics into one of Europe Neura Robotics is hardly a household name, even in Metzingen, a German town of 22,000 people better known as the home of fashion brand Hugo Boss, where the robotics company is headquartered. Yet the startup has attracted investment from some of the world's biggest technology companies, including Nvidia and Amazon, while its founder, David Reger, has met with European leaders as he pursues ambitions to transform the continent's manufacturing industry. Founded in 2019, Neura is now valued at approximately $7 billion, making it one of Europe's most valuable robotics startups.

Reger, 38, owns about 20% of the business, giving him an estimated fortune of nearly $1.5 billion. When he entered the industry 15 years ago, Reger knew almost nothing about robotics. Today, he is developing humanoid robots designed to work alongside people and building training facilities where machines learn practical skills, from handling car parts to stacking boxes. "I want Neura to become the largest taxpayer in Europe one day," he told Forbes in an interview this month. David Reger, founder and CEO of Neura Robotics. Photo courtesy of Neura Reger grew up near Rottweil in southwestern Germany as the eldest of 11 children. His father worked for an automotive supplier,