Masayoshi Son is moving on the home-robot frontier. The Information reported that SoftBank is negotiating a majority stake in 1X Technologies, the OpenAI-backed humanoid maker, at a valuation near $6B, citing people familiar with the talks.
The terms could still change, and a deal would hand Masayoshi Son control of one of the most-watched startups in embodied AI. It would also mark a steep discount: less than a year ago, 1X sought $1B at a $10B valuation and raised less than half its target.
Founded in Moss, Norway, in 2014 as Halodi Robotics, 1X rebranded in 2023 and now runs between Norway and Sunnyvale, California. Its NEO humanoid is built for domestic chores such as folding laundry, making coffee and vacuuming, with a knitted nylon suit designed to soften physical contact. CEO Bernt Oivind Bornich has positioned the company away from factory floors, betting that general-purpose robots will eventually live in homes.
OpenAI invested in 1X through its Startup Fund in 2023 alongside Tiger Global and Norwegian investors. SoftBank’s robotics strategy already includes the $5.4B acquisition of ABB’s robotics business last year.
