1X Technologies Opens US Factory, Plans 10,000 Neo Humanoid Robots for Homes This Year

1X Technologies Launches Major US Manufacturing Push

1X Technologies, the Norway-founded OpenAI backed robotics startup, has opened a new 58,000-square-foot Hayward California facility designed to manufacture humanoid robots for home use at unprecedented scale 1

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. The US factory will serve as a manufacturing hub with capacity to build 10,000 robots in its first year, with the company targeting more than 100,000 units annually by the end of 2027 2

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. The facility currently employs more than 200 workers and represents what the company describes as the first vertically integrated humanoid robot factory in the United States 3

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The startup, which relocated its headquarters from Norway to Palo Alto last summer, plans another move to San Carlos as it outgrows its current space. A larger manufacturing facility is already under construction in San Carlos to support the ambitious mass production of robots 1

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. First customer shipments are planned for 2026, with the company reporting that first-year production capacity sold out within five days when pre-orders opened in October 2025 2

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Neo Humanoid Robot Designed for Domestic Household Tasks

The Neo humanoid robot, available for $20,000 pre-order or through a $499-per-month subscription, has generated significant attention for its soft, human-like body designed to assist with domestic household tasks like folding laundry and tidying up 1

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. The robot features conversational AI capabilities and can learn new skills over time through embodied AI, a technique where robots acquire skills by interacting with their environment 2

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. Customers can also manually demonstrate tasks using a VR headset and controllers, with the robot including conversational functionality that founder Bernt Børnich has compared to ChatGPT 2

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The latest version coming off the production line includes notable improvements, such as optimized eye sockets to expand the field of view, improved lenses, and a soft head that can be squeezed 1

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. Neo is powered by Nvidia's Jetson Thor onboard computing platform and trained using Nvidia's Isaac open robotics simulation framework 2

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. The company hopes Neo will eventually assist with elder care, positioning it as a general-purpose home robot designed to operate safely alongside humans 1

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Vertically Integrated Manufacturing Sets 1X Apart

1X Technologies has adopted a vertically integrated manufacturing approach that sets it apart in the consumer humanoid market. The company manufactures critical components in-house, including spinning copper coils, making motors, electronics, batteries, sensors, structures, and transmission systems 1

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. According to Dar Sleeper, 1X's vice president of design, product and marketing, "The level of vertical integration here is unmatched, not just in the humanoid space, but in the hard tech space" 1

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This strategy allows for a fast development loop, where the company can analyze data collected by AI-powered robots and introduce new updates more quickly 1

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. The robot production process includes final assembly where parts are mounted to a spine, followed by Neo performing "morning stretches" to check movement and quality, including squats and yoga poses 1

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. Notably, a video released by the company shows Neo robots assisting in their own production, carrying, sorting, and gathering parts throughout the facility 4

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Competing in a Crowded Field Against Tesla Optimus and Chinese Robotics Firms

The US factory opening comes as 1X Technologies faces intense competition in the humanoid robotics space. Beyond a handful of US companies such as Tesla Inc., Figure AI Inc., Agility Robotics Inc., and Apptronik Inc., the market is largely dominated by Chinese robotics firms, which accounted for the majority of the 13,000 units shipped worldwide last year 1

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. China's humanoid robotics sector is moving rapidly, with Unitree's G1 and H1 robots commercially available at price points well below Tesla's indicated targets, while companies like Agibot, UBTECH, and Fourier Intelligence all target the same market with state-backed subsidies and policy support 2

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Tesla Optimus presents perhaps the most formidable competition, with Elon Musk's long-stated goal of pricing below $20,000 per unit—the same price point at which 1X is selling Early Access Neo robots today . Tesla has discussed manufacturing a few hundred Optimus units in 2026, scaling to thousands and then tens of thousands annually by 2027 and 2028 . The competitive dynamic places 1X's American-manufactured approach against Chinese state-backed scale and Tesla's automotive manufacturing infrastructure simultaneously .

Bernt Børnich believes humanoids will reach a critical mass in society in as little as two years, stating, "We need a lot of skilled labor in the US to be able to really ramp up manufacturing the way we want, and there's likely going to be more of these machines than there are people" 1

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. The company has structured a dual commercial strategy, with a consumer track selling directly to homes and an enterprise track that includes a December 2025 partnership with private equity firm EQT to deploy up to 10,000 NEOs to companies in EQT's portfolio between 2026 and 2030 2

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. This two-track structure provides higher-margin enterprise revenue from early units while the home model scales down in cost over time .