BlackBerry has identified robotics as the fastest-growing segment within its QNX software division, CEO John Giamatteo said recently, as the company pivots toward physical AI markets including industrial automation and medical devices.
QNX software is currently embedded in 275 million vehicles, powering functions from braking systems to semi-autonomous driving features.
The company holds a QNX order backlog worth $950M, with robotics accounting for a portion of those orders, though Giamatteo declined to break out a specific figure.
The robotics push targets warehouse robots, robotic forklifts, and medical equipment applications rather than humanoid robots.
BlackBerry argues that QNX's track record in automotive safety-critical systems makes it well suited to compete in environments where reliability is non-negotiable.
"As excited as we are about the dynamics of the automotive industry and where that's going, these other applications around robotics and medical instruments and industrial automation represent a tremendous growth opportunity."
John Giamatteo, BlackBerry CEO
The financial results support the pivot. BlackBerry reported a 26% YoY increase in first-quarter QNX revenue at $72.3M. The company raised its full-year revenue outlook to a range of $594M to $621M, up from a prior forecast of $584M to $611M.
QNX is expanding its physical AI infrastructure
BlackBerry has been building out the technical infrastructure to support the expansion. QNX announced a partnership with Hailo, an edge AI chipmaker, to support the Hailo-8 AI Accelerator on QNX's Software Development Platform 8.0.
Benchmarking tests showed AI workloads running on QNX delivered up to 14x greater performance consistency and 4.1% higher throughput compared to a real-time Linux environment.
In April, BlackBerry also expanded a partnership with Nvidia to deploy QNX software alongside Nvidia's systems in robotics, medical technologies, and industrial applications.
QNX software is already deployed by nine of the top ten medical device manufacturers, according to the company. BlackBerry's stock has roughly doubled in 2026, driven by strengthening margins and a return toward profitability.
The share price remains well below its 2008 highs, but investors have responded positively to the company's narrowed focus on safety-critical embedded software.