1X has discovered some significant potential buyers for its humanoid robots aimed at consumers—specifically, the portfolio companies of one of its investors.
The robotics company announced a strategic partnership on Thursday to provide thousands of its humanoid robots to EQT’s portfolio companies. EQT, a major Swedish multi-asset investor, has been backing 1X through its venture fund, EQT Ventures.
This deal could lead to the shipping of up to 10,000 1X Neo humanoid robots between 2026 and 2030 to over 300 of EQT’s portfolio companies, focusing on areas such as manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, and other industrial applications.
1X confirmed to TechCrunch that it will establish individual agreements with each interested company in EQT’s portfolio.
What makes this partnership particularly noteworthy is that the 1X Neo has been marketed primarily as a humanoid for personal use, touted as the “first consumer-ready humanoid robot designed to transform life at home.” Unlike some of its competitors, such as Figure, 1X has not positioned its robot for commercial purposes.
Although 1X has another robot aimed at industrial applications—the Eve Industrial—this collaboration revolves specifically around the Neo humanoid.
When the company began pre-orders for the $20,000 robot back in October, the focus was on how it could assist in home settings, detailing the various chores it can handle and its interactions with people.
This partnership reflects a different use case altogether.
That’s likely because selling home humanoid robots is still a challenging proposition, while industrial applications are easier to market. The $20,000 price tag also sharply limits the potential consumer market.
The Neo also features a privacy aspect that may deter some consumers—human operators at 1X can interface with the robot to see through its “eyes” inside a home.
Additionally, humanoid robots raise safety concerns, particularly around pets and small children due to their size and potential instability. Numerous venture capitalists and robotics experts shared with TechCrunch this summer that widespread adoption of humanoids is likely years, if not a decade, away.
While the company didn’t disclose specific numbers, a spokesperson reported that pre-orders for the Neo have “far exceeded” their expectations.
Founded in 2014, 1X has raised over $130 million in venture capital from firms such as EQT Ventures, Tiger Global, and the OpenAI Startup Fund.
