On August 27, The Information reported, citing informed sources, that SoftBank is in talks to acquire a majority stake in the startup 1X Technologies, a humanoid robot development company backed by OpenAI, which would value the company at approximately $6 billion. This investment will support SoftBank's ambitions in the robotics field while providing 1X with additional funding to bring its flexible-bodied robots into consumer households to assist users with household chores. The 12-year-old startup attempted to raise $1 billion last fall at a $10 billion valuation but reportedly ended up raising less than half of its target. SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son has long been an investor and owner in robotics developers. He predicts that the combination of robotics technology and artificial intelligence will give rise to the next trillion-dollar company. Another indication is that OpenAI reportedly discussed the possibility of acquiring 1X last year, but negotiations ultimately fell through.