1X opens America's first humanoid robot factory in California

1X Technologies, the OpenAI-backed Norwegian-American robotics company, announced on Wednesday that its NEO Factory in Hayward, California, has begun full-scale production of humanoid robots destined for American homes. The 58,000-square-foot facility, which the company calls the most vertically integrated humanoid robot factory in the United States, currently employs more than 200 workers and has the capacity to produce 10,000 NEO robots per year.globenewswire

The company said it sold out its entire first-year production run of more than 10,000 units within five days of opening pre-orders in October 2025, with consumer shipments expected before year's end. 1X plans to scale to more than 100,000 units annually by the end of 2027, with a larger 230,000-square-foot facility in San Carlos, California, under consideration to support that expansion.

Inside the Factory

Unlike many competitors that rely on overseas suppliers for key components, 1X designs and manufactures motors, batteries, transmission systems, sensors, and structural parts in-house at the Hayward plant. Vikram Kothari, the company's VP of Manufacturing and Hardware, who previously spent eight years at SpaceX overseeing programs including Dragon and Starship, described the approach as "bottoms-up American manufacturing and innovation at its best".globenewswire

Each NEO robot rolling off the line will run on Nvidia Jetson Thor processors, enabling real-time AI inference for perception, reasoning, and decision-making without relying heavily on cloud computing. The robot uses 1X's proprietary Tendon Drive actuation system and a soft 3D lattice polymer body designed for safe operation around people, pets, and furniture.

"This is more than just a factory opening — it's proof that the future of humanoid robotics is being built right here in the U.S.," said 1X CEO and founder Bernt Børnich.globenewswire

The Road to Consumer Homes

NEO stands about 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 66 pounds, and can lift up to 154 pounds. It is available for $20,000 with priority delivery or through a $499-per-month subscription model. The robot arrives with basic task capabilities and is designed to learn new skills over time — though as TechCrunch reported last year, much of its early functionality relies on human teleoperators who remotely control the robot through its cameras and sensors while autonomous capabilities are developed.

Beyond the consumer market, 1X has also struck a partnership with Swedish private equity firm EQT to deploy up to 10,000 NEO robots across EQT's more than 300 portfolio companies between 2026 and 2030, targeting logistics, warehousing, manufacturing, and healthcare. The dual strategy positions 1X to generate revenue from industrial applications while building the consumer data pipeline it needs to improve autonomy.

1X plans to begin U.S. deliveries in 2026 and expand to other markets starting in 2027.

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