SoftBank’s 1X Technologies Acquisition Talks Value Robot Maker Below $10B Target

SoftBank is once again betting big on robots. The Japanese investment giant has opened talks to take majority control of 1X Technologies, the OpenAI-backed maker of humanoid robots, in a deal that could value the startup at roughly $6 billion. The potential SoftBank 1X Technologies acquisition, first reported by The Information on Aug. 26 and citing people familiar with the discussions, would mark another significant step in Masayoshi Son’s push to fuse artificial intelligence with physical machines — but it comes at a valuation well below what 1X had hoped to command just months earlier.

Key takeaways

• SoftBank is negotiating to acquire a majority stake in 1X Technologies at a valuation near $6 billion, though terms remain unsettled.
• 1X’s humanoid home robot, NEO, sells for $20,000 with U.S. deliveries starting in 2026, and the company received more than 10,000 preorders in its first week.
• 1X tried to raise $1 billion at a $10 billion valuation last fall but landed less than half that amount, making SoftBank’s offer a discount to that ambition.
• SoftBank is separately closing a $5.375 billion acquisition of ABB’s robotics unit, expected to finalize in mid-to-late 2026.
• SoftBank has poured over $34.6 billion into OpenAI since September 2024, with an additional $30 billion follow-on commitment underway.

SoftBank’s Acquisition Talks with 1X Technologies

SoftBank wants control of a robotics company that OpenAI already has skin in. Talks are ongoing, and the terms could still shift before any agreement is signed. Reuters said it could not independently confirm The Information’s reporting, and both SoftBank and 1X declined to comment or did not respond when asked.

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