Key Points:
- SoftBank Group is in advanced discussions to acquire a majority stake in humanoid robotics startup 1X Technologies at a $6 billion valuation.
- The OpenAI-backed company designs the bipedal NEO robot, designed with soft-bodied mechanics for safe home and workplace tasks.
- 1X has logged over 10,000 commercial orders for its consumer robots as demand for physical artificial intelligence expands.
- The transaction strengthens SoftBank’s multi-billion-dollar robotics portfolio alongside its recent $5.4 billion acquisition of ABB Robotics.
Japanese technology investment conglomerate SoftBank Group is in active negotiations to acquire a majority stake in humanoid robotics pioneer 1X Technologies. According to people with knowledge of the discussions, the proposed transaction would value the Norwegian-American robotics startup at approximately $6 billion. The high-profile deal marks one of the largest capital investments in the emerging embodied artificial intelligence sector, giving SoftBank a direct foothold in the fast-growing market for household and industrial humanoid robots.
Founded in Norway in 2014 and dual-headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, 1X Technologies has emerged as one of the leading innovators in physical artificial intelligence. The company gained early international attention after securing financial backing from the OpenAI Startup Fund, alongside venture capital heavyweight Tiger Global and leading Scandinavian institutional investors. The startup previously explored acquisition discussions with OpenAI before talks were shelved, leaving the door open for SoftBank to pursue a controlling interest.
At the center of 1X’s commercial appeal is NEO, a two-legged humanoid robot engineered specifically for residential consumer environments and office assistance. Unlike traditional industrial robots built with rigid metal limbs and heavy hydraulic actuators that pose safety risks around humans, NEO utilizes a bio-inspired, soft-bodied mechanical design. Covered in padded fabric and powered by lightweight tendon-driven electric motors, the robot can safely handle delicate household chores—such as folding laundry, retrieving objects, and organizing living spaces—without endangering family members.
Commercial interest in the company’s machines has surged rapidly as artificial intelligence models advance beyond text generation into physical-world reasoning. The startup has accumulated more than 10,000 pre-orders and commercial reservations for its NEO robot from consumer households and enterprise clients. In parallel, the company manufactures EVE, a wheeled humanoid robot deployed commercially across enterprise warehouses, manufacturing plants, and corporate security facilities to perform automated logistics and facility monitoring.
The potential acquisition aligns with Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Masayoshi Son’s aggressive strategy to dominate the intersection of artificial intelligence and physical automation. SoftBank has deployed tens of billions of dollars into robotics hardware over recent quarters. The conglomerate agreed to acquire the industrial robotics division of Swiss engineering giant ABB for $5.4 billion, invested $200 million into Swiss autonomous excavator pioneer Gravis Robotics, and partnered with semiconductor fabricators to build specialized robotics computing silicon.
Integrating 1X’s hardware platform into SoftBank’s broader corporate ecosystem creates powerful synergies with frontier artificial intelligence developers. SoftBank, which holds an estimated 11% equity stake in OpenAI, aims to pair advanced multimodal reasoning models directly with physical robotic bodies. Giving general-purpose foundation models a physical form allows neural networks to learn through real-world sensor feedback, accelerating the transition toward autonomous machines capable of general labor.
The race to commercialize humanoid robots is intensifying across global technology hubs. American competitors like Tesla and Figure AI are pouring billions into scaling humanoid workforces for factory assembly lines, while Chinese robotics pure-plays like Unitree Robotics have achieved commercial profitability by mass-producing low-cost robot dogs and bipedal humanoids. Financial analysts project that the global humanoid robotics market will expand past $38 billion by 2035, with annual shipments climbing toward 1.4 million units as manufacturing costs fall.
Acquiring a controlling stake in 1X provides the capital-intensive startup with the financial runway needed to transition from pilot prototypes to high-volume assembly lines. Manufacturing tens of thousands of complex humanoid robots requires extensive supply chain partnerships, precision tooling, and multi-million-dollar testing facilities. Backing from SoftBank—which recently prepared a record 1 trillion yen retail bond offering to finance artificial intelligence initiatives—ensures that 1X can scale production without facing immediate capital constraints.
While negotiations remain ongoing and specific transaction terms could adjust before final execution, the prospective $6 billion deal underscores how rapidly physical artificial intelligence is moving into the commercial mainstream. By uniting soft-bodied mechanical engineering with frontier intelligence models and multi-billion-dollar investment capital, the partnership is positioned to accelerate the deployment of autonomous helpers into homes and workplaces worldwide.
