SoftBank Targets Majority Stake in OpenAI-Backed 1X Technologies

The talks come as 1X prepares to bring its home-focused android, NEO, to the commercial market. The company, which counts OpenAI among its early backers, is currently accepting deposits for its $20,000 robots, with initial U.S. deliveries slated for 2026. While 1X previously explored a $10 billion valuation during a fundraising effort last autumn, market realities appear to have shifted the firm's price tag toward the current $6 billion target.

For Masayoshi Son, this move represents a pivot toward what he terms "physical AI." The strategy is already visible in SoftBank’s $5.375 billion agreement to acquire ABB’s robotics business, an industrial-focused deal expected to close in 2026. By securing 1X, SoftBank would bridge the gap between heavy industrial automation and the consumer-facing humanoid market. The move also further entangles SoftBank with OpenAI, to which the investor has committed tens of billions of dollars, despite previous failed attempts by OpenAI to acquire 1X itself. As negotiations continue, the deal faces the scrutiny of a portfolio increasingly tied to the volatile valuation of AI infrastructure.