SoftBank Group has announced its proposed acquisition of ABB Robotics, a global leader in industrial robotics and automation. The acquisition, with an enterprise value of approximately $5.4 billion, is a key step in SoftBank’s strategy to usher in the next phase of technological evolution: Physical AI.
The center of the “Information Revolution” has evolved from personal computers, the Internet, and broadband to smartphones, and has now entered a new phase led by artificial intelligence (AI). In this context, SBG has declared its mission to realize artificial super intelligence (ASI) for the advancement of humanity. As part of this mission, SBG is actively investing and expanding its businesses in four essential areas: (i) AI chips, (ii) AI robots, (iii) AI data centers, and (iv) energy, as well as investing in companies at the forefront of generative AI.
The acquisition is part of this strategy and is expected to significantly strengthen SBG’s AI robotics business. ABB’s robotics business is a globally recognized brand, known for its reliability and high performance, supported by extensive sales channels and customer relationships. SBG is well-positioned to reignite the robotics business’s growth, particularly through investment in cutting-edge technologies such as AI.
Following the Acquisition, the robotics platform, expertise, and existing local footprint will be complemented by the technological foundations of SBG’s existing robotics-related investments—SoftBank Robotics Group Corp., Berkshire Grey, Inc., AutoStore Holdings Ltd., Agile Robots SE, and Skild AI, Inc., among others—to accelerate innovation in AI robotics and drive progress and growth toward the realization of ASI.
ABB will carve out its robotics business into a newly established holding company. SBG plans to acquire, through a subsidiary, all shares of this holding company from ABB for a total purchase price of USD 5.375 billion. As a result, this holding company will become a subsidiary of SBG.
Masayoshi Son, Chairman & CEO, SoftBank Group Corp., said, “SoftBank’s next frontier is Physical AI. Together with ABB Robotics, we will unite world-class technology and talent under our shared vision to fuse Artificial Super Intelligence and robotics — driving a groundbreaking evolution that will propel humanity forward.”
Morten Wierod, CEO, ABB, said, “SoftBank will be an excellent new home for the business and its employees. ABB and SoftBank share the same perspective that the world is entering a new era of AI-based robotics and believe that the division and SoftBank’s robotics offering can best shape this era together. ABB Robotics will benefit from the combination of its leading technology and deep industry expertise with SoftBank’s state-of-the-art capabilities in AI, robotics and next-generation computing. This will allow the business to strengthen and expand its position as a technology leader in its field.”
The acquisition is subject to customary regulatory approvals in countries including the European Union, China and the United States, and is expected to close in mid- to late 2026.
