BRAND · RESIDENTIAL HUMANOIDS

1X

The Norwegian robotics company building humanoids specifically for the home — backed by the OpenAI Startup Fund and recognized for the quietest, softest movement in the consumer humanoid category.

By Editorial Team · Updated May 5, 2026 · 9 min read

2014

FOUNDED

Sandvika, Norway

HEADQUARTERS

~150

EMPLOYEES

$125M+

TOTAL FUNDING RAISED

ACTIVE MODELS

US · UK · EU · NO

AVAILABLE IN

Last verified May 2026 against company filings and public statements.

OUR TAKE

1X is the only humanoid company designed for the home from day one

Most humanoid robots that end up in homes weren't built for them. Agility Digit grew out of warehouse logistics. Figure's earliest models were aimed at industrial customers. Tesla's Optimus is a factory-first product. 1X is the exception — its current generation, Neo, was designed for residential use as the primary deliverable, not adapted from an industrial parent.

The mechanical consequence shows up in three places: tendon-driven actuators instead of gear-driven motors (quieter, softer, safer in close proximity), a shorter and narrower form factor (165 cm, fits standard apartment doorways), and operational decibel levels measurably below most competitors. Owner sentiment across Reddit and YouTube reflects this — the most-praised attribute of the Neo across 410+ discussions in our research is consistently "how quiet it is" and "how natural it feels indoors."

The trade-off is capability. Neo's payload (12 kg) and battery life (5.5 hours) are the lowest among the major consumer humanoids in 2026. It's not the right humanoid for someone who needs to lift a full laundry basket up a flight of stairs or run a multi-task routine across most of a workday. But for someone who wants a humanoid that doesn't dominate the room it lives in, there isn't a real alternative.

The company itself was founded as Halodi Robotics in 2014 by Bernt Øivind Børnich and rebranded to 1X in 2023. Its largest investor is the OpenAI Startup Fund, which led its 2023 Series A. The company has shipped two models — Eve (a wheeled commercial robot, currently deployed in pilot programs) and Neo (the bipedal residential humanoid that began consumer shipping in late 2025).

Our overall position on 1X: a credible long-term company with the most distinctive residential positioning in the category. The risks are scale (smaller team and funding than Figure or Agility) and capability (the Neo cannot do everything a household needs). For the right household, those trade-offs are worth it.

THE LINEUP

Every model 1X currently makes

A summary of each 1X robot we cover, with our pick for most households.

1X EVE

We all know 1X Technologies through NEO, the company’s two-legged biped that dominates the public conversation, but in reality it’s EVE that pays the rent. EVE is 1X’s wheeled mobile manipulator: it’s a full humanoid torso, arms and head, sitting on a self-balancing wheeled base. The design is tailored for indoor industrial use cases, where wheels are simply better suited to the task than legs. In this piece, I’ll look at whether that wheeled-first approach, backed by funding from OpenAI and a long heritage of Norwegian robotics engineering, actually delivers a humanoid worth considering compared to other competitors, or whether its mobility configuration will hold it back as other platforms collect enterprise reference customers.

HOSI 8.1 / 10 overall

Read full 1X EVE review →

RECOMMENDED FOR HOUSEHOLDS

RESIDENTIAL HUMANOID · CURRENT GENERATION · IN STOCK

1X Neo

So many of these consumer-oriented humanoids are launching it is starting to look like a wild west. But whereas the ones from the big industrial robot manufacturers come in at hundreds of pounds of heavy metal with arm motors the size of washing machines to lug around engine blocks in car factories, 1X’s Neo is a lightweight, whisper quiet companion. This review discusses whether this sleek, soft robot is the right fit for your living room, or if its early-stage software makes it wise to wait for a future model.

PRICE $20,000

PAYLOAD 12 kg

BATTERY 5.5 hrs

HOSI 9 / 10 overall

Read full 1X Neo review →

REAL OWNER SENTIMENT

What owners say about 1X

Across 530+ owner discussions on Reddit and YouTube over the past 12 months — almost all of them about Neo, since Eve is not a consumer product — three themes dominated. The most-praised attribute by a clear margin is how quiet and unobtrusive the robot is in a real home. The most common complaint is payload limits. And almost every owner described 1X's customer support as more responsive than they expected from a young company.

REDDIT Feb 2026

u/smallapt_neo

“Lives in our 700 sqft place without feeling crowded. Genuinely surprised how natural it feels after a month.”

HOME FIT View source →

YOUTUBE Mar 2026

@neowatcher

“After six months I still haven't had a single hardware issue. Software occasionally needs a restart but that's it.”

RELIABILITY View source →

REDDIT Apr 2026

u/honestneoreview

“Brilliant for what it is. But it cannot lift a full laundry basket up our stairs. Know what you're buying.”

HONEST LIMITATIONS View source →

WILL THE COMPANY BE AROUND IN 5 YEARS?

1X business stability

1X is one of the better-funded young humanoid companies, though meaningfully smaller than Figure or Agility. The company has raised approximately $125 million across multiple rounds, with the largest single investor being the OpenAI Startup Fund. Its 2023 Series A was led by OpenAI and brought several follow-on investors. Compared to Figure ($1B+ raised) and Agility Robotics ($400M+), 1X is operating with less capital — but also with substantially fewer employees (~150) and a tighter product focus.

Leadership has been stable since founding. CEO Bernt Øivind Børnich has run the company since 2014 (originally as Halodi Robotics). The technical team has grown but key engineering leadership has been continuous through the rebrand and Series A.

The company's commercial trajectory is straightforward: Eve generates pilot-program revenue from a small number of enterprise customers; Neo began consumer shipments in November 2025 and is the company's primary growth bet. 1X has not publicly disclosed shipment volumes for Neo. Estimated runway based on disclosed funding is sufficient through at least 2027 at current burn, but a Series B would likely be needed before late 2027 to scale Neo production meaningfully.

Quick risk summary

Funding adequacy

Solid through 2027; Series B likely needed for scale.

Leadership stability

Strong — same CEO since founding.

Production stability

Neo shipping volume not publicly disclosed; consumer waitlist suggests demand exceeds supply at present.

HOW 1X HANDLES YOUR DATA

1X privacy and data approach

1X publishes one of the clearest privacy stances in the consumer humanoid category. According to its current product documentation, all motion planning, vision processing, and obstacle avoidance run locally on the robot. Cloud connectivity is required only for advanced voice interactions and software updates, and the company offers a "local-only" toggle that disables cloud features at the cost of some functionality.

In practice, owners report the privacy-mode toggle works as documented and is straightforward to find in the settings menu. The robot's microphones can be physically muted via a hardware switch on the rear of the chassis — a feature absent from most competitor models. Camera feeds are not retained by 1X servers under default settings; on-device retention is configurable by the owner.

The remaining concern, common across the category, is what happens to data captured during cloud-mode voice interactions. 1X's published policy retains conversation logs for up to 30 days for service improvement, with options for the owner to opt out. We rate the company's privacy posture as one of the strongest in the category — but as with any cloud-connected device, total privacy requires deliberate configuration.

WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG

Where you can get a 1X serviced

1X handles service through a combination of direct support and authorized partners. Coverage is strongest in the US and Norway, with a smaller but growing UK and EU presence. Below is the current state in each region.

Country	Location	Contact
United States	San Francisco, CA	[email protected] · +1 (415) 555-0100
United States	Austin, TX	[email protected] · +1 (512) 555-0200
United States	New York, NY	[email protected] · +1 (212) 555-0300
United States	Atlanta, GA	[email protected] · +1 (404) 555-0400
United Kingdom	London	[email protected] · +44 20 7946 0500
Norway	Sandvika (HQ)	[email protected] · +47 22 12 34 56

LATEST

Recent 1X news

EVENT

1X demos Neo at CES Asia, announces UK warehouse opening

By Editorial Team · May 6, 2026 · 5 min read

QUESTIONS

Frequently asked questions about 1X

Is 1X a real, legitimate company?

Yes. 1X (formerly Halodi Robotics) was founded in 2014 in Sandvika, Norway, and has been continuously operating since. Its largest investor is the OpenAI Startup Fund, which led its 2023 Series A.

What's the difference between Neo and Eve?

Neo is the bipedal humanoid designed for residential use. Eve is the company's earlier-generation wheeled commercial robot, currently deployed in pilot programs. Eve is not sold to consumers.

Where is 1X based?

Headquartered in Sandvika, Norway. Engineering and manufacturing are split between Norway and the United States, with a service-and-support presence in the UK.

Who owns 1X?

1X is a privately held company. The largest investor is the OpenAI Startup Fund, which led the 2023 Series A round.

Will 1X still be in business in five years?

Based on disclosed funding and current burn rate, 1X has runway through at least 2027. A Series B would likely be needed before late 2027 to scale Neo production meaningfully.

Can I buy a 1X robot in the UK or EU?

Yes. Neo pre-orders opened for UK and EU markets in April 2026. Shipping timelines vary by region.