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1X Technologies
Engineering and robotics company developing humanoid robots designed to work alongside humans

Funding

$125.00M

2024

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Details
Headquarters
Sunnyvale, CA
CEO
Bernt Øivind Børnich
Website
Milestones
FOUNDING YEAR
2014
Listed In

Valuation

1X Technologies raised $100 million in Series B funding in January 2024. The company has not disclosed its valuation for this round. EQT Ventures led the round, with participation from Samsung NEXT, OpenAI Startup Fund, and Tiger Global.

In March 2023, the company raised $23.5 million in a Series A2 round led by OpenAI Startup Fund, with Tiger Global also participating. Earlier funding rounds included investments from Norwegian firms Nistad Group, Sandwater, and Skagerak Capital.

Total funding to date amounts to approximately $125 million across all rounds. In July 2025, the company relocated its global headquarters from Norway to Palo Alto to leverage Silicon Valley talent and investor networks, while continuing manufacturing operations in Norway.

Product

1X Technologies builds two humanoid robots designed to operate alongside humans in various environments.

EVE is a 6-foot-tall, 183-pound wheeled humanoid robot that incorporates a self-balancing two-wheel base and 25 degrees of freedom across its arms and neck. It is designed for industrial and institutional tasks, including nighttime security patrols, light logistics, and hospital supply runs. Security operators can manage multiple EVE units via a browser dashboard, which provides live 360-degree video feeds and allows for direct control when necessary.

NEO Gamma is a fully bipedal home robot, standing 5.4 feet tall and weighing 66 pounds. It features a soft 3D-knit exterior, walks with a human-like gait, and can squat, sit, and manipulate objects using five-fingered hands. LED ear rings and an onboard speaker array enable non-verbal feedback and conversational interaction.

Both robots operate on Redwood, 1X's proprietary vision-language transformer, which processes input from stereo depth cameras, microphone arrays, and tactile joint sensors. The AI system converts high-level decisions into precise joint movements through a 100Hz whole-body controller. A learned world model predicts multiple potential outcomes from the robot's video feed, enabling policies to be tested in simulation before real-world application.

The robots are powered by proprietary Revo1 quasi-direct-drive motors with cable transmissions instead of gears, allowing for low-friction movement and safe interaction during human contact. Human operators can train new behaviors by using VR headsets and haptic gloves to demonstrate tasks through the robot's cameras. These demonstrations are then used to fine-tune the AI models.

Business Model

1X Technologies operates as a vertically integrated robotics company combining proprietary hardware with AI software. Its business model includes a B2B approach targeting enterprise customers and a B2C strategy for home robots.

The company manufactures its robots in-house, utilizing custom actuators and AI systems. This approach allows control over the entire stack, from mechanical design to behavior learning. Vertical integration facilitates faster iteration between hardware and software as AI models improve through real-world deployment data.

Revenue is primarily generated through robot sales paired with service contracts, following a hardware-plus-software model. For example, the Everon security contract reflects the enterprise strategy, where customers purchase robot fleets for applications such as facility monitoring. In the consumer segment, the company is testing direct sales of home robots, with ongoing software updates delivered over-the-air.

The business model relies on continuous learning from deployed robots. Human operators use VR interfaces to demonstrate new tasks, generating training data that enhances AI models across the fleet. This creates a feedback loop where increased deployments yield better training data, enabling more capable robots and broader applications.

Manufacturing is based in Norway, offering cost advantages over US-based competitors as the company scales operations. Proprietary actuator technology and the integrated AI stack provide differentiation, though the capital-intensive nature of robotics necessitates substantial upfront investment to achieve economies of scale.

Competition

The humanoid robotics industry has attracted over $4 billion in venture and corporate investment, driving competition across varying strategic approaches.

Vertically integrated players

Tesla operates in this category with its Optimus robot, aiming for hundreds of units by year-end and scaling to millions within five years. The company utilizes its manufacturing expertise and data collection capabilities, though it faces production challenges, including actuator overheating and drivetrain durability issues.

Agility Robotics has launched a 70,000-square-foot manufacturing facility with an annual capacity of 10,000 units for its Digit robot. The company has secured pilot programs with Amazon and GXO for warehouse applications. Figure AI raised $675 million at a $2.6 billion valuation, backed by Microsoft, NVIDIA, and OpenAI, and is focusing on manufacturing use cases, including deployments at BMW plants.

Apptronik closed a $403 million Series A and has formed partnerships to enable robots to build robots within manufacturing facilities, with an emphasis on design-for-manufacture capabilities.

AI-first embodied learning

1X Technologies competes in this category alongside companies such as Sanctuary AI, which approach robots as tools for foundation model training. These companies prioritize data collection and AI development over scaling manufacturing, operating on the premise that advanced intelligence will provide long-term competitive advantages.

The strategy centers on accumulating diverse real-world training data and establishing self-improving feedback loops. Companies in this segment focus on developing end-to-end AI models capable of adapting to new environments, rather than relying on pre-programmed behaviors.

Low-cost hardware players

Chinese companies, including Fourier Intelligence and Unitree Robotics, are pursuing ultra-low-cost strategies supported by state funding. Unitree's G1 robot, priced below $16,000, aims to commoditize basic humanoid hardware, pressuring competitors to differentiate through software and services.

This pricing dynamic presents challenges for higher-cost Western manufacturers while potentially accelerating market adoption by lowering entry barriers.

TAM Expansion

New products

The transition from wheeled EVE robots to fully bipedal NEO expands the addressable market into household services. NEO's ability to navigate stairs, manipulate objects, and interact conversationally enables entry into the domestic robotics market, which extends beyond industrial applications.

The Redwood AI system and world model are being developed as licensable software platforms, allowing deployment across other robotics form factors. This approach creates recurring software revenue streams in addition to hardware sales, comparable to the licensing models used by autonomous vehicle companies for their AI stacks.

Monetization of components, such as the proprietary Revo1 actuators and tendon-driven hands, could generate OEM revenue from robotics manufacturers seeking high-performance, safe actuation systems.

Customer base expansion

The 140-unit Everon security contract demonstrates entry into the $30 billion global security services market. EVE robots can patrol facilities during night shifts, a time when human guards are both costly and difficult to retain.

Logistics and warehousing are adjacent markets driven by e-commerce growth and labor shortages in fulfillment operations. Both EVE and NEO robots are capable of performing tasks such as inventory counting, light picking, and material transport.

Elder care and hospitality markets align with NEO's soft exterior and conversational capabilities. Aging populations in developed countries are increasing demand for assistance with daily tasks, medication reminders, and companionship services.

Geographic expansion

The relocation of US headquarters supports domestic market growth, while Norwegian manufacturing facilitates European market access by avoiding import-related barriers. Japan and South Korea are priority markets due to aging populations and cultural acceptance of robotic assistance.

Government and defense applications could utilize the company's AI capabilities for specialized missions, following the precedent of other robotics companies securing military contracts for autonomous systems.

Risks

Manufacturing scale: 1X faces challenges in scaling robot production while balancing quality and cost competitiveness against competitors with larger manufacturing operations and greater funding. The capital-intensive nature of robotics manufacturing may place pressure on the company's resources as it works to meet increasing demand.

AI safety: Deploying humanoid robots in human environments introduces liability risks if AI systems make erroneous decisions resulting in injury or property damage. Uncertainty surrounding regulatory approval processes for robots in home and workplace settings could delay deployment timelines and hinder market adoption.

Commoditization pressure: The entry of Chinese manufacturers producing ultra-low-cost hardware may drive commoditization in basic humanoid robotics, shifting competition toward software differentiation. Standardization of hardware could erode 1X's vertical integration advantages, while intensifying pricing pressures across the sector.

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