BlackBerry bets on AI robots as QNX royalty backlog tops $1.2B

BlackBerry CEO John Giamatteo sees AI-powered robots as a major growth opportunity, with robotics among the fastest-growing parts of its QNX software unit. QNX royalty backlog has surpassed $1.2 billion, up more than $250 million over two quarters, and the Nvidia partnership is opening robotics and industrial automation deals.

• QNX royalty backlog topped $1.2B, up over $250M in two quarters
• QNX software is embedded in more than 275 million vehicles
• Nvidia standardized on QNX for its Halos Safety Stack
• BlackBerry shares are up 142% in 2026 at a $5.4B market cap