SoftBank is in negotiations to acquire a stake in 1X Technologies, the humanoid robotics company backed by OpenAI, at a $6 billion valuation, according to reporting from The Information.
1X has raised $100 million in Series B funding as of its last disclosed round. The company develops bipedal robots aimed at automation and hazardous-environment tasks. SoftBank's potential investment would value the startup at double its prior rounds, though the terms of any deal remain under discussion and subject to change.
SoftBank has made robotics and AI a strategic focus under founder Masayoshi Son. The Japanese conglomerate operates the Vision Fund, which has deployed tens of billions of dollars across AI, semiconductor, and automation companies. A stake in 1X would add a physical robotics play to a portfolio already heavy in software and chip infrastructure.
1X was founded in 2014 as Sanctuary AI and rebranded in 2023. The company's flagship robot, Neo, is a battery-powered humanoid designed for tasks like warehouse operations and industrial inspection. OpenAI has invested in the company and integrated its robots into demonstrations of real-world AI deployment.
The $6 billion valuation would place 1X among the most expensive robotics startups. Boston Dynamics, the Boston Dynamics unit of Hyundai, is privately held; Figure AI raised at a $2.6 billion valuation in February 2024. Humanoid robotics funding has accelerated as large AI labs pursue embodied models to test language and reasoning systems in physical environments.
SoftBank has spent more than four years building positions in AI infrastructure. The conglomerate holds stakes in Arm, Nvidia, and OpenAI itself. A controlling stake in 1X at $6 billion would mark SoftBank's largest direct bet on physical robotics to date, though the deal has not closed.
If completed, the transaction would give SoftBank operational control of a company racing to deploy robots in commercial settings as labor costs and automation demand rise. The number that decides the deal's impact is whether SoftBank takes a controlling or minority stake, a term still being negotiated.
