NEO humanoid robot company plans to release 100,000 units by late 2027

May 1, 2026, 5:11 p.m. ETThe company behind NEO, last year’s viral humanoid robot, says it’s ramping up production — aiming to build 100,000 units annually by the end of 2027.1x, the Palo Alto, California-based company that manufactures the robots, said the machines will be built at its Hayward factory about 27 miles from San Francisco, according to a news release on Thursday, April 30.The company launched NEO for $20,000 a pop in October. In five days, the company booked its entire production capacity for the year — 10,000 units.The first NEOs will be delivered to owners this year, 1x said, warning that the timeline might take longer than expected."Some of you will get your NEO this year, some will get them later," the company said. "We promised the first NEOs would ship in 2026, and we’re keeping that promise."By combining capabilities at its Hayward factory and San Carlos facility, set to open later this year, 1x expects to produce 10,000 NEOs per year. The company's release said "planned increases in automation" will expand production "toward 100,000+ units annually by the end of 2027."How will the robots get built?And who will be building those robots? In some cases, the company