David Reger
German entrepreneur and robotics executive (born 1988)
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David Reger (born June 12, 1988) is a German entrepreneur and the founder and chief executive officer of Neura Robotics, a robotics manufacturer based in Metzingen, Baden-Württemberg.[1][2]
David Reger | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 June 1988 Metzingen, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of Neura Robotics |
Early life
Reger was born on June 12, 1988 and grew up in Metzingen as the second-eldest of eleven children.[3] He completed a Hauptschule leaving certificate, trained as a technical model maker, and did not attend university.[3][4]
Around 2009, Reger moved to San Francisco, where he worked as a social worker on the reintegration of former prisoners.[3][5]
Career
Switzerland
Reger returned to Europe in 2013 and worked in Switzerland as a designer and manager at several high-technology firms in the automation and robotics sectors.[3][4]
Neura Robotics
Reger founded Neura Robotics in Metzingen in 2019.[6][7] He has described the company's approach as a "one-device" design that integrates sensors, perception and artificial intelligence components into a single platform, in contrast to the prevailing practice of arranging sensing equipment around a robot's workspace.[8][9]
The company's product line includes the LARA collaborative robot arm, the MAiRA mobile manipulator, the humanoid robot 4NE-1, and Neuraverse, a platform intended to allow deployed robots to share learned behaviours.[10][2]
Views
Reger has argued that humanoid robotics is a response to demographic change and shortages of skilled labour rather than a novelty, contending that ageing societies face rising service demand alongside declining willingness to take on heavy, dangerous or monotonous work.[11] He has described cognitive robots as "smartphones with arms and legs" and has said that the economic potential of the category exceeds that of the smartphone.[12][13]
Recognition
- 2024 – Named a "Vordenker" (thought leader) in the Innovation category by Handelsblatt [6][14]
- 2025 – "Innovator of the Year", Deutscher Innovationspreis (German Innovation Award).[15][13]
- 2025 – Deutscher Gründerpreis, "Aufsteiger" (Rising Star) category.[16][17]
- 2025 – EY Entrepreneur Of The Year (Germany), "Junge Unternehmen" (young companies) category.[7][18]
Reger has been appointed to the German Economic Senate (Wirtschaftssenat), the Wirtschaftsrat and the European Senate for Economy and Technology.[19]