According to reports from The Information, SoftBank is negotiating to acquire a majority stake in OpenAI-backed humanoid robot maker 1X Technologies at a valuation of approximately $6 billion. The discussions remain ongoing with terms potentially subject to change, though SoftBank has declined to comment and 1X did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reuters confirmed it could not independently verify the report. A potential agreement would bring 1X under a Japanese investment group that has committed tens of billions of dollars to artificial intelligence companies and infrastructure while increasing its exposure to OpenAI. The talks are ongoing, and the terms could change, as reported by Reuters citing people with knowledge of the deal.
As reported by The Information, OpenAI invested in 1X through the OpenAI Startup Fund in 2023, leading a $23.5 million Series A2 round alongside Tiger Global and Norway-based investors including Sandwater, Alliance Ventures and Skagerak Capital. At the time, OpenAI Startup Fund manager Brad Lightcap described 1X as being at the forefront of using robotics to augment labor, while 1X said the capital would support its work to produce androids at commercial scale. Before SoftBank entered the picture, OpenAI itself considered buying the humanoid robot developer, with discussions occurring last year but not progressing to a transaction. According to Reuters, OpenAI and 1X discussed last year the possibility of the ChatGPT-maker acquiring 1X, adding context to the current negotiations.
According to The Information, 1X received more than 10,000 NEO orders during the first week after opening preorders, with the company's current consumer product designed as a home robot that can perform household tasks and learn new actions through 1X's Redwood AI model. The company's ordering page lists NEO at $20,000 for an early-access purchase, while a subscription version costs $499 per month. U.S. deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2026, followed by an expansion into other markets from 2027. However, 1X sought to raise $1 billion at a $10 billion valuation last fall but secured less than half of the amount it targeted, making the potential SoftBank deal below the valuation 1X had sought during that fundraising effort.
SoftBank's discussions with 1X come while the company is working to complete another multibillion-dollar robotics acquisition. In October 2025, SoftBank signed an agreement to acquire ABB's robotics business for $5.4 billion, with the transaction expected to close in mid-to-late 2026. The business makes industrial robotic arms and related automation systems, giving SoftBank exposure to a different part of the robotics market from 1X's consumer-focused humanoid machines. SoftBank chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son described physical AI as the company's "next frontier," with the group's renewed robotics spending following an earlier history that included the Pepper humanoid robot and an investment in Boston Dynamics.
According to reports from crypto.news, SoftBank completed a $10 billion second tranche investment in OpenAI on July 1 through SoftBank Vision Fund 2, forming part of a $30 billion follow-on commitment announced in February. The payment was financed with $10 billion borrowed under a bridge facility signed in March, with a third $10 billion tranche scheduled for October 1. SoftBank's February investment plan placed OpenAI at a $730 billion pre-money valuation and followed $34.6 billion that SoftBank said it had already invested in the company since September 2024. The size of the exposure has tied movements in SoftBank's shares more closely to developments surrounding OpenAI, with shares falling more than 12% in June after reports said OpenAI executives were considering delaying a planned public listing until 2027.
