1X
Category: Robotics / Embodied AI
An AI and robotics company developing general-purpose humanoid androids designed to work safely alongside humans using end-to-end neural networks and proprietary hardware. 1X was founded in 2014. The company is led by Bernt Øivind Børnich. Based in Palo Alto, California, United States. Team size: 500+. Total funding raised: $137M total. Latest round: Series B ($100M, Jan 2024). Key investors include OpenAI Startup Fund, EQT Ventures, Tiger Global, Samsung NEXT, Sandwater, Skagerak Capital.
- Founded
- 2014
- Headquarters
- Palo Alto, California, United States
- Team size
- 500+
- Total funding
- $137M total
Value proposition
Delivers human-safe, high-torque androids capable of learning complex tasks through observation and simulation, eliminating the need for task-specific programming and addressing global labor shortages.
Products and solutions
EVE: A wheeled humanoid robot for industrial use in logistics, security, and healthcare., NEO Gamma / NEO Home Robot: A bipedal humanoid for home assistance, available for pre-order at $20,000 or $499/month subscription, with deliveries starting in 2026., 1X World Model: A generative AI 'cognitive core' that allows robots to imagine and simulate tasks before executing them., 1X World Model Lab: Frontier research organization established June 2026 to scale humanoid intelligence., Revo1 Servo Motors: Proprietary high-torque, gearless drive systems., Redwood AI: Unified onboard vision-language-action model for perception and manipulation.
Unique value
Focuses on 'safe-to-touch' robotics using muscle-like organic movement and back-drivable motors, allowing robots to interact with humans without the safety cages required by traditional industrial bots.
Target customer
Enterprise security firms, logistics and warehouse operators, and future residential/consumer households.
Industries served
Security and Surveillance, Logistics and Warehousing, Healthcare Support, Consumer/Home Automation
Technology advantage
Utilizes proprietary gearless Revo1 motors for high torque-to-weight ratios and end-to-end learning-from-demonstration, which allows robots to acquire skills via teleoperation and video rather than manual coding.
How they differentiate
1X differentiates through 'safe-to-touch' robotics using proprietary gearless Revo1 motors. Unlike competitors using rigid actuators, 1X robots are 'back-drivable' and move with muscle-like organic tension, allowing them to work safely alongside humans without safety cages. Their partnership with OpenAI provides a unique advantage in embodied AI and end-to-end neural network learning.
Main competitors
Figure AI, Tesla (Optimus), Sanctuary AI, Agility Robotics
Key partnerships
OpenAI (Strategic AI integration and investment), ADT Commercial (Deployment partner for security humanoids), EQT Ventures (Lead investor), EQT (Strategic partnership to deploy up to 10,000 NEO robots across portfolio companies 2026-2030), NVIDIA (Utilization of Isaac Sim for synthetic data training and GEAR Lab research collaboration), Kind Humanoid (Acquired January 2025)
Notable customers
ADT Commercial, EQT portfolio companies (up to 10,000 NEO robots across 300+ companies), Early adopter home users (NEO pre-order customers)
Major milestones
Secured landmark investment from OpenAI Startup Fund in March 2023, Raised $100M Series B to scale commercial humanoid production in January 2024, Unveiled NEO Beta, a bipedal humanoid designed for consumer home use, in August 2024, Acquired Kind Humanoid in January 2025, Opened pre-orders for NEO Home Robot at $20,000 in October 2025, Signed deal with EQT to deploy up to 10,000 NEO robots across portfolio companies (2026-2030), Opened Global HQ in Palo Alto, California in July 2025, Launched 1X World Model Lab and appointed Sam Sinha as Head of World Models in June 2026
Growth metrics
Scaled to over 1,000 employees as of April 2026; opened 80,000 sq. ft Global HQ in Palo Alto seating 400 people; opened NEO Factory in Hayward, California — America's first vertically integrated high-volume humanoid robot factory.
Market positioning
Human-centric humanoid leader with dual focus: consumer home assistance (NEO Home Robot at $20,000/$499 per month) and industrial deployment (EQT partnership for up to 10,000 units across manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics).
Geographic focus
North America (Global HQ in Palo Alto, CA; NEO Factory in Hayward, CA) and Europe (manufacturing in Moss, Norway). Initial NEO deliveries primarily in the U.S. in 2026, expanding to other markets in 2027.
Patents and IP
Proprietary IP surrounding the Revo1 gearless drive system, high-torque servo motor architecture, and humanoid balance control systems.
About Bernt Øivind Børnich
Bernt Øivind Børnich is the Founder and CEO of 1X (formerly Halodi Robotics). A robotics engineer by training, he has spent over a decade developing high-torque, human-safe robotic systems. He is the primary inventor of the Revo1 servo motors, which utilize a proprietary gearless drive system to achieve high torque-to-weight ratios and 'back-drivability' for safe human-robot interaction. Under his leadership, the company rebranded to 1X and secured a landmark partnership and investment from the OpenAI Startup Fund to integrate embodied AI into humanoid forms.
Official website: https://www.1x.tech/