SoftBank Group has entered into negotiations regarding a proposed acquisition of humanoid robot manufacturer 1X Technologies at an approximate valuation of $6 billion, according to a report by The Information on August 26, 2026. If confirmed, the agreement would mark a further shift by the Japanese firm into physical AI and robotics.
The discussions occur amid significant growth in the humanoid robotics sector. According to data from Counterpoint Research released on August 20, 2026, total global shipments of humanoid robots surpassed 22,000 units in the first half of the year, representing an increase of nearly 300 percent year-over-year. The data also highlighted strong market concentration, with Chinese companies occupying the top five spots and firms like AGIBOT and Unitree accounting for approximately 75 percent of total shipments during that period.
Founded in Moss, Norway, as Halodi Robotics and currently headquartered in Palo Alto, 1X focuses on developing its Neo robot for domestic environments rather than factory settings. Contrary Research estimates the company's total funding at $136.5 million, following a $100 million Series B financing round announced in January 2024.
OpenAI has a prior history with 1X, having led a $23.5 million Series A2 financing round in March 2023 through the OpenAI Startup Fund. SoftBank also maintains significant financial ties to OpenAI; its annual report released in July 2026 indicated that its investment in OpenAI through SoftBank Vision Fund 2 was valued at $79.6 billion as of the end of March 2026.
The potential 1X deal aligns with SoftBank's recent activity in the robotics sector. On October 8, 2025, SoftBank agreed to purchase ABB’s robotics division for $5.375 billion, with the transaction expected to close in 2026. Furthermore, SoftBank's 2026 annual report noted that its Vision Funds held over 20 physical-AI investments with an unrealized fair value exceeding $8 billion.
Despite heavy sector investment, industry experts note technological challenges. At the 2026 World Robot Conference in Beijing, Moore Threads chief Zhang Jianzhong stated that embodied AI trails large language models by at least five years due to limitations in physical-world data, model scale, and fragmented technical systems. Market volatility has also been observed; following a public market debut in August 2026, robotics firm Unitree saw significant price swings over subsequent trading sessions.
