1X struck a deal to send its ‘home’ humanoids to factories and warehouses
1X, a robotics company, has identified significant potential buyers for its consumer-focused humanoid robots within the portfolio companies of one of its investors. The company revealed a strategic partnership intended to distribute thousands of its humanoid robots to the portfolio companies of EQT, a major Swedish multi-asset investor, whose venture fund EQT Ventures supports 1X. This agreement entails delivering up to 10,000 units of 1X’s Neo humanoid robot from 2026 through 2030 to over 300 portfolio companies under EQT, primarily targeting sectors such as manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, and other industrial applications.
Individual contracts will be signed between 1X and the interested portfolio companies, as confirmed by 1X. This partnership stands out since 1X’s Neo has been primarily marketed as a consumer humanoid robot, touted as the first ready-for-consumer humanoid designed to enhance life at home. In contrast to competitors like Figure, 1X has not positioned Neo for commercial deployment. While 1X does offer an industrial robot known as Eve Industrial, this particular agreement focuses solely on the Neo model.
When preorders for the Neo were launched in October at the price of $20,000, the emphasis was on its home use capabilities—describing various household chores the robot could perform and its ability to interact with residents. However, this new agreement marks a shift toward industrial applications rather than domestic use. This change likely reflects the continuing challenges and resistance to adopting humanoids in home environments, compounded by the robot’s premium price point, which restricts the consumer market size.
Furthermore, the Neo features a privacy aspect that could deter many prospective buyers, as operators from 1X have the ability to view through the robot’s cameras inside homes, raising privacy concerns. Safety issues also surround the use of humanoids around pets and young children due to their size and potential instability. Several venture capitalists and robotics experts have indicated to TechCrunch that widespread humanoid adoption may still be years or even a decade away. Although 1X declined to disclose the number of preorders received, a spokesperson mentioned that the volume of preorders far surpassed the company’s initial targets.
Established in 2014, 1X has accumulated over $130 million in venture capital funding from multiple investors, including EQT Ventures, Tiger Global, and the OpenAI Startup Fund, among others. This recent partnership signals a strategic pivot for 1X to tap into industrial applications of its humanoid technology through the network of its influential investors.
