In a world where robotics is gradually pushing boundaries, December 2025 marked a pivotal moment for the future of humanoid robots. A Norwegian company, 1X, secured a notable agreement with Swedish investment giant EQT Group to deploy up to 10,000 humanoid robots in industrial settings by 2030. From my perspective as someone who has both developed and scaled tech startups, this deal underscores a significant shift in how humanoid robotics might transition from speculative products to practical applications.
Redefining The Purpose of Humanoids
The Neo robot, designed to resemble human dexterity, was launched in October 2025 with an ambitious goal of entering private homes. At a price of $20,000, it could tidy rooms, fold clothes, and interact intuitively with families. However, consumer interest quickly hit a wall due to privacy concerns, cost barriers, and safety hesitancy when sharing living spaces with artificial entities. The pivot towards warehouses, factories, and healthcare facilities highlights a necessary tactical rethinking by the 1X leadership.
Industrial demand removes these constraints. Robots are now solving critical pain points in logistics and manufacturing, including workforce shortages and the need for efficiency. The EQT deal, covering over 300 companies in manufacturing and logistics, shows how businesses are prepared to embrace robotics at scale when labor costs are reduced, repetitive tasks are taken over, and productivity improves.
Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn From 1X’s Pivot
1X made an essential strategic decision: listen to the market and act decisively. As entrepreneurs, we often romanticize ideas, pursuing “original visions” set during ideation. Let’s unpack some sharp lessons this partnership offers for leaders building futuristic technologies:
- Adapt Quickly to Relevance: 1X understood that consumer adoption takes time, they didn’t wait for perfect acceptance but studied commercial environments where immediate value could be delivered. As founders, seek environments where your value earns urgency.
- Collaborate With Strong Partners: Having EQT Ventures, part of a global firm like EQT Group, as their backer wasn’t just financial support. It meant instant credibility among potential clients, something many young startups struggle with.
- Choose Pilots That Scale Organically: By initially shipping Neo robots in batches and finalizing deals with individual EQT portfolio companies, 1X has reduced its upfront risk while making feedback-driven improvements.
Applying This Knowledge in Startups
As much as humanoid robotics excites dreamers, scaling the concept only works when predicting its economic utility. Startups tackling cutting-edge concepts should focus on conducting rigorous market testing, identifying existing inefficiencies, and ensuring their tech aligns with a business pain point.
For instance:
- Robotics aimed at consumers should resolve genuine logistical frustrations or create unforeseen conveniences. Beyond novelty, purpose will anchor long-term sales.
- Industrial use cases already have quantifiable measurements of value (e.g., hours worked, error rate reduction). Demonstrating those early is critical.
- Secure partnerships outside investor circles, potential buyers or integration adopters should validate the practicality before full-scale launch.
Most Common Stumbles in Early Adoption Tech
The robotics industry moves forward by learning quickly where the lines between idealism and functionality blur. While some work diligently to create popularity-fueled B2C products, here are traps 1X sidestepped:
- Over-Valuing Novelty: Beyond media hype, practical applications must exist. Musk’s humanoid Tesla prototype exemplifies this; while it generated buzz, practical implementation has barely surfaced.
- Anticipating Homogeneous Customers: A singular persona rarely represents “your customer.” 1X likely realized this when addressing industrial companies and shifted Neo’s marketing, an effective tactic startups should emulate.
- Neglecting Safety Perception: Home robotics raise personal safety concerns. By moving into warehouse ecosystems with measurable control, Neo bypassed popularly voiced apprehensions.
A Glimpse Into The Industrial Robotics Market
Numbers speak volumes. By 2026, the global warehouse robotics market is forecasted to reach approximately $10 billion, driven by increasing automation across retail logistics. While humanoid robots still occupy niche arenas among industrial hardware (think robotic arms for assembly lines or drones for inventory), they represent the next stage capable of mimicking human flexibility.
1X’s Neo campaign could signal a turning point. Here we begin seeing humanoids not merely producing repetitive results but adapting fluidly, stacking boxes, assisting with agile assembly workflows, or even performing surgeries under human oversight. If Neo successfully integrates, this shift won’t benefit 1X alone; replication opportunities for competitors like Figure or Tesla Optimus become inevitable.
Steps Startups Can Take Today
For founders inspired by 1X’s aggressive positioning on humanoid robotics:
- Develop clear documentation on alignment between your product and measurable ROI for B2B clients.
- Understand distribution-specific use-cases (warehousing and fulfillment are not interchangeable).
- Plan trial-ready deployments at modest unit counts before scaling ambitious batch production.
Wrapping Up Insights with EQT's 1X Deal
While many robotics names circulate headlines, partnerships like the one between EQT Group and 1X prove synergies born out of thoughtful trust aren’t hyperbole. Each product placement matters. Combining feedback with deeper learning cycles will likely bring Neo closer toward being a disruptive force in repetitive labor industries.
For startup founders, the lesson boils down neatly: don’t get married to your initial concept. Bill Gates didn’t start with Windows dominating homes; he started coding software for scientific institutions desperately needing it.
Develop homegrown partnerships within vision-vetted audiences while staying adaptable enough to pivot early. Eventually, these small steps may someday give rise to industries where tech you designed solves both compelling problems corporates actively face now yet inspires world-changing adopters confidently tomorrow.
FAQ
1. What is 1X's Neo humanoid robot designed for?
Initially, the Neo humanoid robot was designed for consumer use in private homes, performing tasks like tidying rooms, folding clothes, and interacting intuitively with families. However, its focus has shifted toward industrial applications like logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare after privacy and cost concerns hampered its adoption in domestic environments. Discover Neo Humanoid Robot
2. What is the recent deal between 1X and EQT Group about?
1X has partnered with EQT Group to deploy up to 10,000 Neo humanoid robots across EQT’s portfolio companies, which span manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics sectors. The deployment will occur between 2026 and 2030, highlighting a shift toward industrial use cases. Learn about the EQT deal
3. Why did 1X shift the Neo robot from home to industrial use?
The shift occurred due to consumer challenges such as privacy concerns, safety hesitations, and high costs. Industrial environments pose fewer barriers and offer immediate economic utility, solving workforce shortages and introducing efficiency in repetitive tasks. Read about the shift to industry
4. How does EQT support 1X’s strategic direction?
EQT, as a backer of 1X, brings credibility, operational expertise, and access to its portfolio of over 300 companies, setting the stage for large-scale deployment of Neo robots. This partnership also facilitates feedback and scaling capabilities for 1X’s operations. Understand EQT’s role
5. How much does the Neo humanoid robot cost?
The Neo robot is priced at $20,000 per unit, making it initially accessible for consumer preorders in October 2025. However, its adoption in industrial settings represents a more viable path for financial justification. Explore Neo’s pricing and features
6. How many Neo units will be deployed under the 1X-EQT deal?
1X plans to deploy up to 10,000 Neo humanoid robots across EQT’s portfolio companies over a timeline of 2026 to 2030. Each company will independently negotiate individual contracts with 1X. Learn more about deployment plans
7. How does the Neo robot perform in industrial environments?
Neo’s advanced dexterity and ability to adapt to human-like tasks make it suitable for stacking boxes, performing agile assembly workflows, and providing efficiencies in logistics and manufacturing environments. Find out how Neo adapts industrially
8. What lessons can entrepreneurs take from 1X’s strategic pivot?
1X’s pivot exemplifies the importance of acting decisively based on market demands, collaborating with strong partners like EQT for credibility, and piloting deployments to gather insights before scaling. Learn entrepreneurial lessons
9. What is the market projection for warehouse robotics?
By 2026, the global warehouse robotics market is projected to reach $10 billion, driven by the increasing need for automation in retail and logistics sectors. Humanoid robots like Neo could play a transformative role in expanding industrial automation capabilities.
10. What are some competitors to 1X’s humanoid robots?
Competitors include Tesla with its Optimus humanoid, Figure with robots aimed at industrial use, and Boston Dynamics, which is known for its advanced robotics in industrial applications. Explore competition in humanoid robotics
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.