1X Technologies

On 28 October 2025 1X Technologies launched NEO, billed as the world’s first consumer-ready humanoid for the home. The pricing is $20,000 outright (Early Access, with priority 2026 delivery) or $499 a month on subscription. The hardware spec is not subtle: 22 degrees of freedom in the hands, a 66 lb body, can lift 150 lb and carry 55 lb, runs at 22 dB.

In December 2025 the company announced a strategic partnership with EQT to deploy up to 10,000 NEOs across EQT’s 300+ portfolio companies between 2026 and 2030. That deal effectively turned a “home” robot into an industrial fleet contract before the consumer rollout has even begun. US first in 2026, other markets from 2027.

Reuters and Tech Startups reported in September 2025 that 1X was raising up to $1B at a $10B valuation. As of April 2026 the round is not publicly closed. Earlier rounds: $23.5M Series A2 from the OpenAI Startup Fund in 2023, $100M Series B led by EQT in 2024.

The candid part: NEO is not actually autonomous. 1X estimates 60–70% autonomy at launch, with the rest filled by remote human teleoperators in VR headsets, marketed as “Expert Mode.” The privacy story (no-go zones, background-checked operators, encryption, explicit consent) is the product detail that has driven most of the public conversation. Customers’ homes are effectively livestreamed to gig workers, and the company has had to address that head-on rather than dodge it.

Whether the autonomy ratio improves over 2026 or stays where it is will decide whether NEO is a robot or a remote-presence chassis with arms. For Norway specifically, this is the country’s most consequential robotics bet at scale, and one of the few credible humanoid plays globally that did not start in California or Shenzhen.