Robot Invasion: 1X Makes Strategic Strides with EQT

1X, a company specializing in robotics, has secured a strategic partnership with EQT, a major Swedish investment fund. Under the agreement, from 2026 to 2030, up to 10,000 1X Neo humanoid robots will be supplied to companies within EQT’s investment portfolio. The primary applications for these robots will be manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, and other industrial sectors.

Originally, the 1X Neo was marketed as the first humanoid robot ready to transform home life. Unlike competitors such as Figure, 1X did not market Neo for commercial purposes. 1X also has a separate model developed for industrial purposes, Eve Industrial, but this deal specifically concerns the Neo model.

The pre-order for the $20,000 robot began in October 2024, with promotional materials focusing on the household tasks Neo can perform and its interaction with people. However, as practice shows, the introduction of robots into industry presents a more realistic scenario than their use in households. Neo’s high price also limits the potential pool of buyers.

Additionally, Neo has a feature that raises concerns among users: 1X operators can see what’s happening at home through the robot’s cameras. There are also safety concerns about using humanoids near pets and small children due to their size and possible instability.

Experts in the field of robotics believe that the widespread adoption of humanoid robots is a matter of a few years, if not decades. 1X, founded in 2014, has attracted over $130 million in investments from various funds, including EQT Ventures, Tiger Global, and the OpenAI Startup Fund. Although 1X does not disclose the exact number of pre-orders for Neo, a company representative stated that their number “significantly exceeded” expectations.