Bernt Øivind Børnich founded 1X Technologies in 2014 under the name Halodi Robotics, rebranding the company in 2023 as its focus sharpened around general-purpose humanoid robots for home environments. Børnich studied at the University of Oslo before building the company from its Norwegian robotics roots into a dual Norwegian-American operation.
As CEO, Børnich has overseen 1X's transition from an early-stage robotics research company to a commercial home-robotics manufacturer, backed by OpenAI, with the company's NEO robot beginning deliveries from a new California manufacturing facility in 2026.